Name: Akela Kuwahara (she/her)
PhD: Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, University of California - San Francisco, 2020
What was your main area of research?
My PhD project focused on the transcriptional regulation of early foregut development. I used mouse models and various NGS methods (ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, scRNA-seq) and basic biology methods (IHC, western, etc) to understand how certain transcription factors drove the specification and physical morphogenesis of different structures in the trachea and esophagus of developing mouse embryos.
What is your current job?
I am the Chief of Staff at Siren Biotechnology in San Francisco, CA.
My role includes a wide variety of responsibilities including:
Thought partner to CEO for all levels of company strategy (scientific, people, financial)
Communications/PR (press releases, social media, website, presentations & pitch decks)
People operations (recruiting/hiring, onboarding, HR)
Lab operations (EH&S, lab infrastructure)
Manuscripts/grant writing
My favorite part is the wide variety of tasks and exposure to what it takes to run a biotech company.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I found this position through a personal connection from a previous industry role.
PhD graduate ➡️ Bench scientist in industry ➡️ Fulbright Scholar teaching NGS abroad ➡️ Chief of Staff
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
This was a difficult decision. I was never really interested in running my own research lab, but was interested in teaching in academia. Ultimately, it came down to the fact that I really enjoyed mentoring and teaching about topics within my expertise, but didn't want the broad responsibility of teaching courses outside of my expertise, and I hated grading and having to work with students who were less motivated to learn. I also wanted to feel financially rewarded for my work and enjoyed the fast decision making and lack of bureaucracy at small start ups. In hindsight, I also love that industry has lots of new areas for me to learn and grow that I don't think I'd get as much of in an academic teaching role (e.g. business development, scientific strategy, etc).
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
Make connections with folks who are in careers outside of academia and learn about what they do! While good-intentioned, many advisors within academia may not have an accurate (or positive) impression of what it's like being in industry, so it's better to go straight to the source.
Conferences can be a good way to make industry connections. Invite folks to your talk/poster and show off your science chops, find groups in the exhibit hall, go to the career fair if there is one.
When interviewing, make sure you understand the role as best as you can. There are a lot of different areas of industry, and jobs within these areas are nuanced (it can be a confusing landscape if you're not familiar with it!). Have an industry person help you understand where the job you're applying for fits in, so you're more educated during the interview. Companies want to hire someone who knows what they're applying for.
Comentários