Name: Joe Arron (he/him)
PhD: Immunology, Rockefeller University, 2002 (+MD from Cornell University, 2003)
What was your main area of research?
My PhD in immunology was on signaling by TNF family members in the immune system and bone. My postdoc was in developmental biology on molecular mechanisms underlying Down syndrome phenotypes and chemical genetic tools to manipulate developmental signaling pathways. For the past 18 years, I have worked in biotech/pharma on a variety of R&D efforts in immunology, ophthalmology, neuroscience, and regenerative medicine at Genentech, 23andMe, and Sonoma Biotherapeutics.
What is your current job?
I am the CSO and head of R&D at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in South San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington.
I oversee discovery and translational research, development sciences, computational biology and data science, and clinical development and operations for a clinical-stage biotech company. We are developing engineered regulatory T cell therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
No single individual can perform all of the highly complex and technically diverse functions needed for successful drug development. Being able to work cross-functionally, communicate effectively, and manage through uncertainty on multiple levels to bring everything together can be exhilarating and satisfying when you have a great team.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I knew the founders, had conducted diligence with the company on a possible business deal, and served on the scientific advisory board.
MD/PhD graduate ➡️ postdoc ➡️ research scientist ➡️ group leader ➡️ department director ➡️ therapeutic area discovery head ➡️ CSO (at another company) ➡️ CSO (at current company) ➡️ head of R&D
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia? Was this a difficult decision or one you felt came easily?
I had planned on a career in academia because that was the only path that was defined for me during my training. I had applied for various academic career development grants (BWF, NIH K08, etc) and was starting to apply for faculty positions. A chance encounter with a recruiter for a biotech company with a strong reputation for high-quality research (Genentech) led to the realization that an opportunity in industry was a better fit for my skills, background, and interests than staying in academia, and I haven't looked back. In industry, I've been able to do novel science, publish over 100 peer-reviewed papers, train multiple postdocs, AND discover and develop drugs that can help people with unmet medical needs.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
When I trained, it was a fairly explicit expectation that I'd stay in academia. Actively seek advice from people outside of academia - people who stayed in academia have NO idea what life on the outside is like.
Use something you do well (content expertise, technical skills) as a way in to an industry job that has at least some overlap with the thing you're already good at but express (if you genuinely feel it) the intellectual flexibility and willingness to use that skill set to build new/complementary skills and take on different types of projects as opportunities arise. You need a "mercenary" mindset (I mean that in the nicest possible way).
There's no way to "teach" someone how to run an industry R&D organization; there is no substitute for experience. Every project and team I worked on and every decision I was involved in for the previous 17 years helped prepare me for my current job (which about half the time I'm still not certain I'm "qualified" for...which is pretty good). Be patient! No matter how clever you are, I promise you that you're not qualified to run a biotech company straight out of a PhD or postdoc.
Don't be afraid to reach out to people in jobs that look interesting to you. Go to conferences - most "academic" conferences will have people from industry who are doing really good work in attendance. Good science is good science wherever it is practiced, and people are usually generous with their time. Also, be wary of anyone who advises you to do exactly what they did - just listen, ask questions, and build your worldview from a variety of perspectives.
LinkedIn is a necessary evil these days but personal connections are much more valuable.