Name: Shikha Sheth (she/her)
PhD: Cancer Biology, Harvard University, 2022
What was your main area of research?
During my PhD, I studied the KRAS oncogene, primarily in the context of colorectal cancer, with some additional work on lung adenocarcinoma. My project was aimed at characterizing different oncogenic KRAS mutations, with the hypothesis that differences between oncogenic KRAS alleles can help us to identify allele-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities.
What is your current job?
I am a Scientist II at Alltrna in Cambridge, MA.
At Alltrna, I work in the pharmacology and disease biology department. I am involved in generating and characterizing disease models that the team can use to test our drug candidates. Additionally, I have worked on developing assays to help the team better quantify the efficacy of our drug candidates.
I enjoy working in a small startup setting, as I get to be involved in many different projects, which helps me keep learning. I also get to learn about the drug development process from the early stages.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I found this job through LinkedIn.
PhD graduate ➡️ Scientist I at Alltrna ➡️ Scientist II at Alltrna
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
I think I had known early on in my PhD that I was not interested in staying in academia, as the lifestyle did not appeal to me. I enjoy hands-on lab work, and I also felt like I could still get the things I liked about being a PI (leading a small group, mentoring scientists) in industry. Additionally - I wanted to learn more about the drug development process and have more direct involvement with providing medicines for patients.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
Personalize your resume and cover letter for every job interview.
For networking - talk to other students in your cohort who have gone into industry, and attend any career fairs that are available to you. I was part of a group that frequently organized career panels with panelists outside of industry. This is a great opportunity to meet people and connect with them.
Not all industry positions are the same - there can be many differences between pharma, mid-stage biotech, and early-stage biotech. Try to set up lunch/coffee interviews with folks in industry to learn more about the different types of options out there to see which one might be the best fit for you.