The day began with a warm welcome and light breakfast, followed by an introduction to Regeneron and its prestigious Postdoctoral Program by Susan Croll, Co-Director of the program, and Devon Southwick, Postdoctoral Program Coordinator. The Scholars had the chance to learn about cutting-edge research opportunities and career pathways at Regeneron.

Regeneron scientists Ido Rippon, Judith Altarejos, Chunguang Guo, Kalyani Nambiar, and David DiLillo presented their work in a series of engaging talks, offering insights into the research driving the company’s innovative efforts in immunology, genetics, neuroscience, and oncology.

Lunch provided an opportunity for informal discussions before transitioning into the afternoon agenda, which spotlighted Scholar-led initiatives. Anagha Krishnan, Hannah Dada, and Chiara Benetollo led a presentation on the “Science Unlocked” program. System-impacted youth, particularly in STEM, face poorer educational outcomes due to a lack of hands-on learning opportunities in prison curriculums, prompting the creation of “Science Unlocked”, a series of monthly science demonstrations at the Youth Services Center in DC. IBRA Director of Engagement and Events, Alexandra Ambrico, introduced IBRA’s mission, impact and reach, and their new network for international researchers. 

A key highlight of the afternoon was the Scholars’ scientific presentations, where Anagha Krishnan, Hannah Dada, Sooraj Achar, and Henry Taylor shared their cutting edge research. Alumni Hannah Mason and Adjoa Smalls-Mantey discussed their research and careers. These sessions provided a platform for both Scholars and Alumni to showcase their work and engage in thought-provoking discussions with Regeneron scientists.

The day concluded with a closing reception, offering the group an opportunity to network with George Yancopoulos, Regeneron’s co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, and other members of the Regeneron team.

This visit underscores the importance of collaboration between industry and academia in advancing biomedical research. Both Scholars and Regeneron scientists gained valuable insights, and the event highlighted the alignment of their scientific goals, particularly in the realms of biomedical innovation and education. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Regeneron for their generous support and commitment, which has been instrumental in advancing our efforts to make a meaningful impact in supporting biomedical research leaders.

Event Highlights:

Attendees had the opportunity to engage in a guided tour of UCL, offering a fascinating glimpse into the institution’s rich history and innovative endeavors. This event brought together alumni, faculty, and notable guests alike. Following the tour, attendees partook in a delightful lunch, fostering camaraderie and networking opportunities.

About Professor Jonathan Roiser:

Professor Jonathan Roiser stands as a beacon of excellence, exemplifying the transformative impact of interdisciplinary research and academic pursuit. Graduating as the first Scholar from the University of Cambridge arm of the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program in 2005, Professor Roiser’s journey has been marked by profound dedication and groundbreaking contributions to the field of neuroscience.

Under the mentorship of Prof. Barbara Sahakian and Dr. Wayne Drevets, Professor Roiser embarked on a pioneering exploration into the neurobiological underpinnings of emotion processing in depression. His groundbreaking psychopharmacological neuroimaging experiment paved the way for a deeper understanding of serotonin modulation in the brain, charting new pathways for innovative treatments.

Following his graduation, Professor Roiser embarked on a post-doctoral position at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London (UCL). Guided by world-renowned experts in neuroimaging, Professor Roiser swiftly ascended to a faculty position at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, where he established the Neuroscience and Mental Health group—a testament to his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence.

In 2013, Professor Roiser’s pioneering contributions were further recognized when he became the youngest ever Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator, receiving a £1 million grant to spearhead extensive research programs focused on motivational dysfunction in depression and innovative treatment modalities. His groundbreaking work in computational psychiatry has cemented his status as a global leader in the field of biological psychiatry, shaping the trajectory of research and innovation for generations to come.

Professor Roiser’s enduring legacy extends beyond his research endeavors, as he continues to mentor and inspire future generations of scholars. His instrumental role in founding and directing two prestigious PhD programs—the UCL-NIMH Joint Doctoral Training Program in Neuroscience and the UCL-Wellcome 4-year PhD in Mental Health Science—underscores his unwavering commitment to nurturing the next wave of scientific innovators.

Join Us:

Join us in celebrating the remarkable achievements of Professor Jonathan Roiser—an exemplary scholar, visionary leader, and tireless advocate for scientific excellence. Together, let us honor his legacy and chart new pathways toward a future defined by innovation, collaboration, and discovery.

A Day of Insight and Inspiration:

Against the backdrop of AstraZeneca’s state-of-the-art facilities in Cambridge, UK, eleven exceptional Scholars embarked on an engaging journey of exploration and enlightenment. Dr. Richard Goodwin, Principal Scientist & Mass Spectrometry Imaging Lead at AstraZeneca, set the tone with an illuminating overview of the company’s mission, values, and pioneering initiatives. As the Scholars absorbed his insights, their anticipation for the day’s events grew.

The highlight of the morning was a mesmerizing tour of the Discovery Centre (DISC), where Scholars were immersed in a world of scientific wonder. Led by alumna and IBRA Alumni Director Dr. Coralie Viollet and Dr. Andreas Dannhorn, the tour offered a firsthand look at AstraZeneca’s innovative research efforts.

Following a luncheon, the Scholars took center stage, showcasing their research prowess through captivating presentations. Each Scholar’s project offered a unique window into the vast landscape of biomedical inquiry, underscoring the depth and diversity of talent within the NIH Oxford-Cambridge, Gates-Cambridge, and Rhodes Scholars Programs.

As the day progressed, Scholars delved into the realm of postdoctoral opportunities, guided by esteemed professionals whose personal anecdotes and sage advice illuminated the path forward. The afternoon session culminated in a riveting discussion featuring AstraZeneca’s Early Career Scientists, who shared their invaluable insights and firsthand experiences, inspiring Scholars to pursue their aspirations with vigor and determination.

Fostering Connections and Collaboration:

Scholars seized the opportunity to forge meaningful connections during a vibrant networking session. Bonds were forged, ideas were exchanged, and aspirations were nurtured, laying the groundwork for future collaborations and partnerships.

As the day drew to a close, Scholars departed AstraZeneca feeling inspired and hopeful about the possibilities ahead. The transformative experiences of the day served as catalysts for growth and exploration, propelling Scholars toward a future defined by innovation, collaboration, and scientific excellence.

Charting a Course for the Future:

The collaboration between IBRA, the Scholars and AstraZeneca signifies a significant advancement in the field of biomedical research with academia, nonprofits, and industry. Through immersive experiences, insightful discussions, and valuable networking opportunities, Scholars are equipped to realize their full potential and undertake meaningful journeys of discovery. This partnership lays the groundwork for future advancements in biomedical innovation. With a strong commitment to excellence, today’s Scholars are well-positioned to contribute to scientific progress and shape the future of the industry.

For Further Information:

For further information about the Career Development and Exploration Initiative or upcoming events, please visit our website or contact our Director of Communication, Education, and Professional Development, Alexandra Ambrico, directly at ajambrico@ibra.org. Together, let us continue to explore new horizons and redefine the boundaries of possibility in biomedical research and industry.

Scholars with aspirations to forge new pathways in science and steer potential cures through the clinical process journeyed to New York. Here they visited Regeneron’s facilities and met with the alumni of the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program who are currently based at prominent research centers including Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and the Flatiron Institute. 

In the course of the initiative, fourth-year Scholars John Hancock, Asmay Gharia, Sahba Seddighi, and Kritika Singh had the opportunity to meet and glean advice from program alumni like Drs. Dan Bronder, Mike Gormally, and Sonya Hanson. They shared their transition experiences from graduate students to working professionals in the science field. Furthermore, Dr. Anita Gola welcomed the Scholars to Rockefeller University for a tour and discussion session with other resident scientists. 

At Regeneron, Scholars were presented with the company’s history by Dr. Susan Croll, along with information about the Postdoctoral Program opportunities. Regeneron scientists, Drs. Craig Meagher, Joe Odeochu, Sarah Ebstein, and Dylan Kwart, also gave insights into working within the biotech firm and joined a lunch session with co-founder, President, and CSO, Dr. George Yancopoulos. The visit underscored Regeneron’s unrivaled capacity for consistently turning scientific theory into medical practice, a prowess that has led to a myriad of FDA-approved treatments for a wide spectrum of diseases. The Scholars rounded off their visit with presentations of their own work and plans for possible future collaboration with Regeneron.

In summing up the visit, IBRA Director Dr. Ralph Korpman hosted a riveting cocktail and dinner party co-hosted with IBRA Chairman Mr. Steve McLean, welcoming both Scholars, Alumni, and prominent scientists and physicians, some of whom were Nobel laureates.

CBER is the Center within FDA that regulates biological products for human use and both protects and advances public health by ensuring that biological products are safe, effective, and available to all. Dr. Karen Elkins, CBER’s Associate Director for Science and Principal Investigator, provided welcome remarks and gave an overview of the FDA and CBER, including its history and current-day operations. Within CBER, there are 65 lead investigators whose research ranges from basic to targeted therapy studies. She described the different phases of drug approval and shared how less than 10% of drugs make it past the New Drug Application (IND) phase. IND is a request from a clinical study sponsor to obtain authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational drug or biological product to humans and is the first submission on the drug development timeline.

Following Dr. Elkins’ talk, the Scholars embarked on tours of the laboratories and research facilities. Scholars had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more from the research staff, engaging in small group discussions with CBER Principal Investigators with a range of expertise from vaccines to blood/blood products. “I never knew the extent of the collaborative research that the FDA performed until today,” remarked Class of 2018 Ph.D. Scholar Taylor Farley.

Dr. Young provided an overview of training and career opportunities at the FDA, beginning with the organization of the FDA. She highlighted professional career paths at the FDA, mission-critical occupations, how to apply for these fellowships and jobs, and the different paths to the FDA. Poorva Jain, a Class of 2022 M.D./Ph.D. Scholar commented, “This visit helped me better understand the dynamics of how a career at the FDA looks and also the people involved in monitoring and assessing novel therapies. It made the FDA go from a black box entity to a really comprehensive and dynamic research and regulatory institute. It was an unparalleled opportunity to network with some outstanding scientists”.

To conclude the Career Development and Exploration Initiative at the FDA, a training and careers panel and networking session was held. The panel discussion included postdoctoral fellows, biologists, reviewers, and investigators to share their backgrounds and current research. The networking session included panelists and additional principal investigators to engage with the scholars. Marya Sabir, a Class of 2019 Ph.D. Scholar notes, “I left inspired by the innovative research and fundamental regulatory work being done by CBER investigators. Not only are they safeguarding the public’s health with their work, but they are also pushing the frontiers of science – it is truly a unique place.”

The International Biomedical Research Alliance is committed to providing Career Development and Exploration Initiatives to Scholars in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. The goal of these initiatives is to ignite Scholar thinking around career opportunities where they can play a key role in the future of biomedical research enterprise.  Please reach out to our Director of Communication, Education, and Professional Development, Alexandra Ambrico, at aja@ibra.org if you would like to be involved in hosting future exposure visits. 

LabCentral, Kelonia Therapeutics, Korro Bio, Atlas Venture, Pfizer, …what do these places have in common? You may have heard of them before but may not have realized that we have NIH OxCam Program Alumni at each of these locations! 

On DAY 1, the Scholars visited Pfizer, which is more than a pharmaceutical company – biotechnology is its foundation and benefiting patients is its goal. Innovation, pharmaceutical development, and the most dedicated team of clinical researchers are how they do it. Former Scholars Program Scientific Director, Dr. Thomas Wynn is now Pfizer’s Vice President, Discovery; Group: Inflammation and Immunology. He shared his perspectives on research at “big pharma” versus academia. Dr. Wynn hosted the group along with Alum Trey Gieseck, Ph.D., the Discovery Group Head, Leukocyte-Tissue Interface (R7) at Pfizer. Elena Spencer gave an overview of research at Pfizer Kendall Square and Dr. Gieseck led a panel discussion with Pfizer colleagues David von Schack, Ph.D., Dave Martin, M.D., Ph.D., Jem Gale, Ph.D., and Katherine Hales, Ph.D. They discussed a range of questions, including discovery to clinical development and Drs. Gieseck and Hales provided a lab tour of Pfizer facilities.

LabCentral is a first-of-its-kind shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for high-potential life sciences and biotech startups. Alum Stan Wang, M.D., Ph.D. has had not one, but two successful companies launch out of LabCentral. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Thymmune Therapeutics and was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in 2018. He hosted the Scholars for a lab tour and intro to entrepreneurship. Following the visit to LabCentral and Pfizer, the Scholars had dinner with Boston-based Alumni. 

On DAY 2, Alum Steven Robinette, Ph.D., a Venture Partner at Atlas Venture hosted the Scholars with his colleague Aimee Raleigh, Ph.D., and introduced them to venture capital. Atlas Venture builds breakthrough biotech companies with remarkable life science entrepreneurs and has over 3 billion USD in assets under management.

Following Atlas Venture, Alum and Alliance Alumni Director Matt Maciejewski, Ph.D. hosted the Scholars at Korro Bio where he is the Vice President and Head of Data Science. Korro Bio was founded to turn extraordinary scientific insights into life-altering new treatments for patients and hit the high notes, completing $116M Series B financing to expand the frontier of genetic medicine through its pipeline of RNA editing programs.

Alum Molly Perkins, Ph.D. is the VP of Research and Co-Founder of Kelonia Therapeutics which launched with a $50 million Series A financing to usher in a new era of genetic medicines for a wide range of diseases in April. She had a candid chat with the Scholars about starting a company, having a family, life during and after NIH OxCam, and answered all of their pressing questions. Before the Scholars headed back to the NIH, they shared a meal with Boston-based Alumni.

            Inspired by former Scholars Program Scientific Director, Dr. Thomas Wynn, the Scholars visited the Cambridge-Boston biopharma cluster for a career development field trip.  Dr. Wynn, Vice President, Discovery; Group: Inflammation and Immunology, invited the Scholars to Pfizer KSQ, sharing perspectives of research at “big pharma” versus academia.  The Scholars toured the facility, heard from a panel of Pfizer scientists and physicians, and met with alumni Drs. Trey Gieseck and Matt Maciejewski. Pfizer’s Dr. Lori Fitz, Director of Outreach and Technology Platforms, set up an overview of LabCentral, a first-of-its-kind shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for high-potential life-sciences and biotech startups. The Scholars toured the facility with Luke Wallrich, Senior Manager of Events & Operations, and had small group discussions with LabCentral entrepreneurs, including Dr. Iain Kilty, Dr. Paul Yaworsky, and OxCam alumnus Dr. Stan Wang. “The LabCentral site visit stood out to me the most. I was in awe of the quality of the space and the palpable sense of innovation and talent hanging in the air. I was additionally impressed by LabCentral’s pioneering model for supporting fledgling biotechs (some with only a single person!) and their impressive track record for seeing returns on their investments in the form of successful startups and LabCentral alumni,” stated NIH-Oxford MD/PhD Scholar Lawrence Wang. 

            Alliance Alumni Director Matt Maciejewski, an Associate Director at Pfizer and head of Data Science in the Inflammation and Immunology Department, organized visits to a range of biotech companies. Following the trips to Pfizer and LabCentral, the Scholars visited Relay Therapeutics, a company that leverages the relationship between protein motion and function, creating opportunities to develop more effective therapies for multiple diseases. Led by Dr. Dipali Patel, the Scholars learned about Relay Therapeutics Portfolio and Platform, had a lab tour with on-site lab scientists, and enjoyed a lunch Q&A panel, including people who have transitioned from academia and higher education to industry. 

            Following the visit to Relay Therapeutics, the Scholars headed to bluebird bio, where alumna Dr. Molly Perkins, the Director of Oncology R&D, graciously hosted the Scholars. She told her story of transitioning into biotech from a postdoctoral position, as well as sharing that during her time at bluebird bio, it grew to over 800 employees across the U.S. and Europe. The company develops pioneering gene therapies for severe genetic diseases and cancers, and Dr. Perkins is at the forefront of it. “This trip enabled me to see how an idea can grow and become reality in the world of research and medicine. On this trip, we saw companies at LabCentral that were as small as a single person, to early stage startups enabling technology to find new therapeutics at Relay Therapeutics, to companies with several successful clinical trials and rapid growth at bluebird bio. The perspective this trip gave me will help me to enact a vision of turning bench discoveries into new medicines, and I’m grateful for the opportunity we had to take it,” stated NIH-Cambridge MD/PhD Scholar Sean Corcoran.

            Since Boston is a global center for both biotech and tech firms, it is no surprise that it is now home to over twenty NIH OxCam alumni. To round out the Scholars experience, alumni were invited to network with the group and share their stories. From their experiences in the program to becoming entrepreneurs, to starting families and sharing adventures, the Scholars were able to hear from alumni and have one-on-one time with them. “The Boston career development field trip represented one of the most impactful experiences in my PhD thus far for it showed me how a physician-scientist can fit into different areas of biotech depending on interests. I was inspired learning the journeys of young alumni of the program that have made the transition from academia to industry. It is always nice to learn what the scholars before us have done and are doing with their degrees. I gained not just career advice from these interactions: I even learned new lab techniques – how to exsanguinate a mouse completely,” stated NIH-Cambridge MD/PhD Scholar Hannah Mason. “I came away from the trip having reaffirmed my desire to one day end up in the biotech space designing and implementing clinical trials: I want to be a part of finish-line science, bringing drugs and therapies to clinic.”

            NIH-Cambridge MD/PhD Scholar Mario Shammas commented, “This trip was my first exposure to industry, pharma and biotech companies. I felt as though I was able to see the whole spectrum of company sizes and their stages of development. For me, the most striking thing I learned about was LabCentral and the concept behind it – that you can buy a bench (or even half a bench) and use that for experiments when the company is still in its ‘proof-of-concept’ phase, and to use LabCentral as a springboard to develop into something bigger. It was great to see how small companies like Relay Therapeutics have almost all of their staff focused on the same objective but going at it doing their respective jobs. It was also nice to hear about how bluebird bio was able to grow so rapidly in such a short period of time. We have almost no exposure to industry during our training, and are told very little about it – this trip gave me a much better perspective on what happens in industry, and I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of it.”

A visit to Regeneron provided the Scholars with an opportunity to visualize, experience, and discuss careers in industry. The Scholars were introduced to the post-doc program at Regeneron and learned about their exciting projects and collaborations. Each of the Scholars prepared short presentations, which provided the scientists at Regeneron insight into the exciting work being done at the NIH, Oxford, Cambridge, and the University of Manchester.  After the presentations, the Scholars were invited to have lunch with scientists and were given the opportunity to meet one-on-one with scientists of their choice. “I had a one-on-one with Dr. Andrew Murphy who is the EVP of Research,” explained Scholar Samuel Katz. “I wanted to ask him about some projects he was on and get his feedback on some ideas I’ve been thinking about. It was a very interesting discussion, I completely forgot to eat!” Scholar Daniel Bronder also met with Regeneron scientists over lunch and stated, “I particularly enjoyed meeting Drs. Crawford and Gurer over lunch and gaining more insights on their respective science. It was really cool to read their papers and then sit down with them to have a conversation.” 

Following lunch, the Scholars toured Regeneron’s facilities and learned about the technology they use. Scholar Audrey Winkelsas learned that the Regeneron Genetics Center is generating four to five terabytes of data per day and sequencing approximately 10,000-15,000 exomes per week! They viewed robotized laboratories, challenging their thoughts about what science looks like when tasks such as pipetting and plating are automated. These automations create datasets which facilitate bioinformaticians’ pipelines. The Scholars listened in on a very diverse set of scientific talks, including one about a potential treatment for cardiovascular conditions and one on the response to the Ebola virus outbreak. “The trip to Regeneron was an insightful look into what science in industry really was like. It was refreshing to hear from the representatives how the driving force behind their innovation was not profit, but the science. This definitely broke down some of the preconceived notions I had about working in biotech, and everyone we met was very welcoming and seemed very happy to be working there,” stated Scholar Jessica van Loben Sels.

The following day, the Scholars visited Arsenal Capital Partners. The goal of this visit was to provide the Scholars with a bettering understanding of the role of business and specifically private equity investments in the healthcare sector. Scholars gained an understanding of how Arsenal invests in outsourced business service companies that focused on biopharmaceutical research, development and commercialization, and services to providers and payors with an aim towards improving efficiency and reducing costs. “The visit to Arsenal capital provided a unique introduction to the role of private equity in healthcare and biotech, which I had no previous exposure to. It was very interesting to hear the partners discuss the mission of Arsenal capital in improving healthcare and has created for me a newfound curiosity about private equity,” remarked Scholar Andrei Ramirez-Valdez. 

The Scholars presented their research to a group of pharmaceutical executives, healthcare investors, and Alliance Board Directors. Scholar Kathleen Bashant-Day stated that “this was an opportunity to pitch our research in a setting that we hadn’t before been exposed to. It was interesting to see how business-minded people approach science and gratifying that they were excited about what we are doing.” 

That evening, the Scholars were the guests of honor at a cocktail reception held in the home of Alliance board member Ann W. Jackson. Guests included individuals representing science, business, academia, private industry, philanthropy, the Lasker Foundation, and their 2019 essay contest winners, as well as New York City area alumni and NIH OxCam program faculty. 

We gratefully thank Dr. George D. Yancopoulos and his colleagues at Regeneron, Arsenal Capital Partners, and with the supporters of the International Biomedical Research Alliance for their contributions to the experiences and events that provided an invaluable visit to New York for the Scholars. 

On day-one, the scholars met with two Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers.  The Scholars learned about their work in Mongolia, China to implement practices to address the rise of anti-microbial resistance in health care settings and at the Boston, Massachusetts health department integrating local data with federal resources.  The Scholars found the work of EIS officers intriguing and exciting.  Aleksandra Ivovic, a third year PhD student, commented how impressed she was by how many senior level people took time out of their day to explain their work to the scholars, especially in regards to the EIS training program. 

The Scholars met with Dr. Anne Schuchat and Dr. Becky Bunnell, who is the Director of the CDC Office of Science.  The discussion covered a range of topics including career trajectories, CDC recruitment, the differences between CDC and NIH mandates, the diverse programs they implement, as well as their collaborations with non-profits.  Over lunch, the scholars discussed how the CDC is working to eliminate new HIV cases over the next decade.  They learned about the ways in which the CDC is using data science to analyze the emergence of new infections.  This conversation led to the discussion about increasing the number of data scientist positions and how it would uniquely effect the emergence of new HIV infections and understanding their outcome.

Following lunch, the scholars toured both the Emergency Operations Room and Biotechnology Core Facility labs.  “Touring the Emergency Operations Center, the epicenter of the CDC’s strategic response to the 2009 pandemic influenza strain that has been a focus of my research, illuminated the broader societal implications of my work” said first year MD-PhD scholar Matt Múle.  Two breakout meetings followed where the scholars were presented with the choice to converse with many experts in different fields at the CDC.  These individual meeting rotations encompassed two hours, allowing Scholars insight into injury, EIS, fellowship opportunities, viral pathogen outbreaks, vaccine development, and Immunization to name a few.  Lawrence Wang, a second year MD-PhD student felt that the most valuable part of the trip was getting to meet and chat with the subject matter experts from various departments and rotating between them, including the work they do and their day-to-day experiences.

On day-two, the NIH OxCam scholars were invited to attend talks from the Office of Technology, reviewing how developers and engineers work with teams at the CDC to develop tools and software and another about how the CDC executes their role as informers for evidence-based policy changes.  Key challenges discussed addressed how the CDC is working to recruit candidates who have personal insights on  living in rural communities and how to find solutions based on these experiences and those who face health related issues, like the opioid crisis. 

“One of the things I am grateful for includes how the Alliance organizes to show us multiple ways to think about a ‘science’ career and applying your training to think about world challenges” remarked fourth year PhD student Sam Katz.  “This visit allowed me to explore new opportunities, learn about careers, and see how my research could be applied at a place like the CDC.”

To close out the CDC experience, the scholars attended an “all hands meeting” with visiting HHS Secretary Azar and CDC Director Robert Redfield.  Secretary Azar discussed three critical areas of focus for the CDC: reducing the spread of HIV, containing the Ebola crisis in the DRC, and addressing the rise in vaccine skepticism amongst parents in the US.  He also discussed the need to monitor the rise of e-cigarette use in teenagers and how it might serve as a jump off point to the consumption of combustible nicotine, such as cigarettes.

“Growing up in Atlanta and now working at another HHS agency, I thought I had an understanding of CDC’s mission and where it stands in terms of US healthcare.  In visiting the CDC, however, I became aware of how each institute has a separate role to play in human health.  In my mind, CDC represents the big picture for our nation’s health: it must gather the data and identify the problems that then scientists at the NIH use to inform and fund more basic and translational research projects.  NIH then must work with the FDA for approval of any healthcare interventions.  I see these agencies and institutes within HHS as a Venn Diagram.  Each is separate but has overlapping goals to help improve human health” stated Hannah Mason, a second year MD-PhD student.

NIH OxCam faculty member Dr. Sonja Best, Chief, Innate Immunity and Pathogenesis Section at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories, took great care in organizing the visit and was instrumental in working with the CDC and the scholars to develop a visit itinerary to meet their research and career interests.  “Thanks to Dr. Sonja Best’s organization, we, as graduate students, are really fortunate to have gotten to meet in small groups with experts in different fields of public health, about health equity and community health” stated first year DPhil student Lauren Weekend.

The Alliance looks forward to supporting more career-driven events and trips, like this CDC visit, to showcase the incredible work being performed in government, academia, industry, and business and to providing the scholars with the resources and accessibility to learn about them.