Tansi
“By the end of it, I was very sure that this would be the career path I would like to pursue and had the confidence to make the change.”
2020 – 2021 LifeArc-AUTM Fellow
Why I joined
My fascination for science, coupled with my desire to contribute to healthcare, influenced my decision to become a research scientist. After completing my undergraduate degree in Mumbai, India, I moved to Oxford to pursue my masters in Pharmacology.
I then joined Pfizer as a research scientist. During my time there, I had the opportunity to work in several different therapeutic areas; biomarkers, vaccines, virology and pain, and to develop a thorough understanding about the drug development process.
However, my fascination was in the field of neuroscience and so I moved to Glasgow to pursue a PhD at the University of Strathclyde. On completion of my PhD, I moved to Manchester to continue my academic career as a postdoctoral researcher before to moving into the field of technology transfer.
Towards the end of my postdoctoral research position, I was keen on changing career paths as I was sure that I no longer wanted to pursue an academic career. A friend of mine who had worked for LifeArc recommended this course. Before finding out about the LifeArc-AUTM Fellowship programme, I was not aware of this career path. However, once I found out more about this field, I was immediately drawn to it as it offered the potential to stay close to the science whilst experiencing the impact it would create – something I had really missed as a bench scientist.
The course was a turning point in my career. After having spent the last decade as a research scientist, I was sceptical about changing fields. I was hoping that the course would give me a glimpse into the technology transfer field. The course delivered a lot more than that. By the end of it, I was very sure that this would be the career path I would like to pursue and had the confidence to make the change.”
What it was like
Right from the start, the support and mentoring we received was incredible. Furthermore, the resources in the form of materials, access to conferences, courses, and the opportunity to interact with high-achieving professionals were pivotal in developing a good understanding of the field.
What also makes this course so much more valuable is the unique mentoring support in the form of a buddy and expert mentor. The mentors were patient, caring and helped me to understand the practicality of the technology transfer landscape. Finally, the icing on the cake was the flexibility of the course that allows one to test the waters before jumping straight into it!
Where I am now
I would like to continue to grow my knowledge and expertise in this field. My next steps are to gain further experience in various aspects of this very broad and diverse area. Together with some of my other colleagues on the programme, we have started a “new professionals group” on ASTP to continue interacting with the technology transfer community. Overall, I look forward to continuing to grow in my role and to using my diverse scientific knowledge and expertise to drive innovation that makes a difference to people’s lives.