Some 60 graduate and postdoctoral students attended the Channing J. Der Annual Career Symposium on May 1 to learn about different science career paths they might consider after completing their training.
This year’s meeting featured talks from Matthew Calabrese, PhD, senior director and head of Structural and Molecular Sciences at Pfizer, Sujata Chakraborty, PhD, senior scientist at Revolution Medicines, and Tiki Hayes, PhD, assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (and a former graduate student in the lab of UNC Lineberger’s Channing Der, PhD).
“This symposium provides a unique opportunity for trainees to learn from and network with outstanding individuals who have pursued careers in academia, biotech and the pharmaceutical industry,” said Kirsten Bryant, PhD, who directed this year’s symposium in collaboration with UNC Lineberger’s Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) team. “The conversational format encourages trainees to ask questions and gain insight into career paths that they are not exposed to regularly.”
CRTEC also organized opportunities for the trainees to meet with the speakers and others outside of the symposium. This included a dinner the night before the symposium and laboratory visits and small breakout sessions the day of the symposium.
