Name: Sally Demirdjian (she/her)
PhD: Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, 2020
What was your main area of research?
During my PhD, I researched the host innate immune response to the pathogenic bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. My work was particularly focused on phagocytosis and clearance of bacteria. During my postdoc, I gained BSL3 experience and worked on SARS-CoV-2, specifically focusing on the role of hyaluronan in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and also worked on bacteriophages (Pseudomonas aeruginosa).
What is your current job?
I am a Research Scientist in the Department of HIV Clinical Virology at Gilead Sciences in Foster City, California.
I support the development of novel therapeutics aimed at treating, preventing and eradicating HIV. My work is focused on the characterization of resistance to HIV medications and other therapeutic interventions through both in vitro assays and clinical studies. I am part of a cross-functional research group, working with both internal and external collaborators. My job duties include the following:
Design and execute laboratory experiments to characterize the in vitro resistance profile of antiviral drugs, monitor the emergence and characterize drug resistance in patient samples, and assist in mechanism of action studies.
Organize experimental details and be proficient in both data management and the preparation of summary reports.
Set up vendor contracts and manage clinical sample shipment and testing.
Support clinical studies through virology assay development and implementation, data analysis, and writing regulatory documents.
Communicate clear presentations on data and interpretations in group and team meetings.
Present findings at conferences and author scientific publications.
Maintain knowledge of scientific advances in relevant fields from literature and scientific meetings.
Be an effective team player who can think critically and creatively, work independently, and resolve problems to achieve results.
I love that I am always learning new things and getting to interact with people across different functions at the company. I have really appreciated the opportunities I have been given to work on clinical trials too and the group's culture is very enjoyable (people are happy!).
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I found this position on the Gilead Sciences career page and on LinkedIn.
PhD ➡️ postdoc ➡️ research scientist
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia? Was this a difficult decision or one you felt came easily?
It was a decision that came easily to me. I did not like the idea of writing or worrying about grants, and the professors I worked with had very irregular hours of work (it seemed like they worked all day) which did not appeal to me either. I also knew I wanted to work on more translational topics so biotech was a better fit for me.
What pieces of advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
I believe it helped that I had some experience during my PhD and postdoc of working with human samples. I even had a small role in a clinical trial prior to joining Gilead. That gave me something to talk about while interviewing for my current role.
Another thing that is very useful for a position like mine was working on collaborative projects. Teamwork is very sought after in many of those roles and it is helpful to show them that you have worked with others successfully (e.g. co-author, with other labs, etc).
Transferable skills are important and I did include my leadership roles outside of research on my CV.
Being organized and being a good oral/written communicator is highly valued.
I attended career seminars while I was a graduate student and postdoc and always made sure to add the presenters on LinkedIn afterwards with a personal note. I also made appointments with the career center at my postdoc university and had a couple conversations with career coaches where they looked at my CV and offered helpful feedback and shared good resources that they had compiled (would recommend to use this).
I also asked my network if they would be willing to give me a referral at their company when I would find a position that interested me.
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