Event Highlights

Internship Bootcamp

The virtual bootcamp, run by Bottom Line, prepared students for a very unusual summer internship experience. Almost all of our internships this summer were “remote-work” positions. Students got started on the right foot with inspiration from keynote speaker Imran Babar, PhD, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, Tiburio Therapeutics.

What are the Prospects? The impact of the coronavirus crisis on biotech: opportunities and possibilities

Rob Perez of General Atlantic, Amir Nashat of Polaris Partners and Aremin Hacobian of Third Rock Ventures gave students perspective on the industry in 2020 and beyond. Students asked questions, and networked after the virtual session.

Careers in the Life Sciences

A conversation with CEOs Chip Clark (Genocea Biosciences) and Rene Russo (Xilio Therapeutics) was followed by small group discussions for students with over a dozen industry volunteers about career paths in the life science industry. The volunteers included Catherine Cushenberry (Pear Therapeutics), Courtney Utsey (Enzyvant), Michele Rhee (X4 Pharmaceuticals), Shana Walrond (Bristol Myers Squibb), Andrew Rodriguez (Millipore Sigma) Susu Wong (Tomo360), Ornella Nelson (Abbvie), Rosana Kapeller (Rome Therapeutics), Juan Betanzo (Celsius Therapeutics) and Forest Sun (Flagship Pioneering). These small groups were able to delve more deeply into individual student questions, and more easily forge connections with the volunteers.

2020 Internship Showcase

The showcase was a virtual celebration of a challenging summer, and of the incredible work that interns did despite these challenges. Remarks by CEO David Lucchino of Frequency Therapeutics kicked off the event, and preceded the presentation of summer work by each of the interns. The mood was celebratory as the intern cohort congratulated each other on getting through summer 2020!

2019 Events

Project Onramp Kickoff

Framingham State University

Project Onramp was conceived by David Lucchino, past chair of MassBio and co-founder and CEO of Frequency Therapeutics. At our kickoff event Jan. 29, 2019 at Framingham State University, David spoke about the need for Project Onramp and what he hopes the program will accomplish.

The Kickoff

Internship Boot Camp

The Internship Boot Camp gave our new scholars the tools to adapt to the corporate environment and thrive in new roles. Along with exercises, role-playing, skits, and one-on-one training, the Boot Camp was also about being inspired. That job fell to Bill Chin, chief medical officer of Frequency Therapeutics of Woburn, a pioneer in the use of regenerative medicine to treat hearing loss.

Chin spent a long career in biopharma as an academic at Harvard Medical School, an executive at Eli Lilly and Company, and an industry leader at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a trade group. Instead of regaling our students with the highlights of his career, he spoke about his days growing up in New York City, where his parents, immigrants from China, ran a laundry in Manhattan.

“I remember waking up to the whoosh! of the steam press,” said Chin, who worked in the front of the store dealing with customers. “We never took a vacation. I didn’t know what a vacation was.”

Chin had an early stroke of luck: the laundry was right next to a branch of the New York Public Library. Books from that library convinced Chin that he wanted to work in science.

Noting how much is still unknown in the world of science, Chin left the students with this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the 19th century poet and philosopher. “Curiosity is lying in wait for every secret,” said Chin

Project Onramp is ready to break down barriers and speed students from low-income backgrounds to success—while helping our member companies build the statewide labor pool and boost diversity.

Commit to diversifying your internship talent pipeline!

  • PROGRAM CONTACT:
  • Lila Neel
  • lila@lifesciencecares.org

Learn about sponsoring internships:

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