Michael Parsons
Research Scientist II at Vertex PharmaceuticalsIf you want to make the transition, do a lot of soul searching to figure out which skills you have that are marketable and if they are sufficient to reach your goal
If you want to make the transition, do a lot of soul searching to figure out which skills you have that are marketable and if they are sufficient to reach your goal
I had heard that industrial science can be quite restrictive, that you don’t have the freedom to follow interesting science as you do in academia. It may be that I have been lucky in my role, but I have had quite a lot of freedom to investigate what I believe may be interesting biology.
It’s very rewarding working directly with patients and exploring their experiences on different treatments. I also love the collaborative atmosphere and working across multiple areas, as you gain a lot of experience over a relatively short period of time.
While basic research will always be fascinating to me, it is the translational aspect of science that I want to dedicate my career to.