Rishi shares his unconventional journey, from childhood with no clear career aspirations to becoming a seasoned automation engineer. He highlights his college major selection and how he navigated education challenges in India before pursuing his master's in biotechnology in the United States.
Full Transcript Available on Buzzsprout
Our Sponsor for this Episode
Benchling creates the software that powers the biotechnology industry. More than 200,000 scientists at over 1,200 companies globally — from cutting-edge start-ups to 20+ of the 50 largest global biopharma — rely on the Benchling R&D Cloud as their central source of truth for scientific data, analysis, and collaboration. Benchling is on a mission to accelerate scientific progress through advanced software that's purpose-built for biology.
To learn more, visit: Benchling.com
SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technolo
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
Our guest for this Career Trajectories episode is Kalpesh Gupta, M.S., Associate Director of Research Automation at Moderna. Kalpesh shares his journey from a childhood shaped by traditional career expectations in India to becoming a key player in laboratory automation at one of the world's leading biotech companies.
Kalpesh recounts the early years of working at Moderna and the company's unprecedented growth. He also shares some of the challenges and rewards of being part of a company with a mission to impact global health, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kalpesh offers valuable advice to those considering a career in laboratory automation, emphasizing the importance of initiative and proactive learning. His thoughts on success, focusing on impact, continuous learning, and personal fulfillment, provide a thoughtful perspective on career achievements.
Full Transcript Available on Buzzsprout
Our Sponsor for this Episode
Benchling creates the software that powers the biotechnology industry. More than 200,000 scientists at over 1,200 companies globally — from cutting-edge start-ups to 20+ of the 50 largest global biopharma — rely on the Benchling R&D Cloud as their central source of truth for scientific data, analysis, and collaboration. Benchling is on a mission to accelerate scientific progress through advanced software that's purpose-built for biology.
To learn more, visit: Benchling.com
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Take our brief survey
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About SLAS
SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building.
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
Continuing our Career Trajectories series, we have Yulia Gerhardt Tazikova, Winclove Probiotics Senior Global Account and Business Development Manager, on New Matter, to share her story. She shares experiences from her academic pursuits, shedding light on the importance of adaptability and seizing opportunities.
Yulia highlights her multilingual abilities, acquired through deliberate efforts to bridge language gaps and discusses the impact of language skills on building professional relationships.
Throughout the conversation, Yulia emphasizes the significance of networking and personal connections in career development – debunking the notion that AI alone can replace human connections. The episode concludes with Yulia's personal definition of success, grounded in the fulfillment derived from contributing to the well-being of others in the life sciences industry.
Full Transcript Available on Buzzsprout
Our Sponsor for this Episode
Benchling creates the software that powers the biotechnology industry. More than 200,000 scientists at over 1,200 companies globally — from cutting-edge start-ups to 20+ of the 50 largest global biopharma — rely on the Benchling R&D Cloud as their central source of truth for scientific data, analysis, and collaboration. Benchling is on a mission to accelerate scientific progress through advanced software that's purpose-built for biology.
To learn more, visit: Benchling.com
Take our Survey
We want to hear from YOU to ensure that we keep providing valuable content that reflects what our listeners and the SLAS community are interested in! Take our brief survey
Stay connected with SLAS
About SLAS
SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building.
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
Our guest for this episode is ViQi Inc. AI Engineer and Data Scientist Rupert Dodkins, Ph.D., who shares his story on how a visit to the Jodrell Bank Observatory as a child inspired him to pursue a career in astrophysics before transitioning into the life sciences field. Also, Dodkins explains what it was like to achieve the Guinness world record for the most consecutive heelflips while he was still a Ph.D. student!
Key Learning Points:
- The criteria for selecting the best-fit institution for grad school
- The importance of setting a destination for your goals
- What goes into preparing for setting a new world record
About Rupert Dodkins, Ph.D.:
While Dodkins was completing his Ph.D. at the University of Oxford, and his postdoc at the University of California, Dodkins applied machine learning to exoplanet imaging with single-photon cryogenic-detectors. At ViQi, Inc, he develops machine learning algorithms for high-content virology assays. A unique accomplishment of Dodkins' is that he jointly owns the Guinness World Record for Most Skateboard Heelflips in One Minute.
Stay connected with SLAS:
About SLAS:
SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building. For more information about SLAS, visit www.slas.org.
SLAS publishes two peer-reviewed and MEDLINE-indexed scientific journals, SLAS Discovery and SLAS Technology. For more information about SLAS and its journals, visit www.slas.org/publications.
For Students:
Visit the
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
SLAS Scientific Manager Hannah Rosen, Ph.D., is joined by DropGenie CEO, Co-Founder, Alison Hirukawa, Ph.D., who shares her story of how she went from wanting to become a detective at a young age to leaving academia to become an entrepreneur. Hirukawa explains how she navigated through the academic terrain to pursue a Ph.D., and what helped her succeed along the way. Hirukawa shares her perspective on the growing opportunities in the automation and gene editing space, and advice and resources for early career scientists on launching a start-up company.
To learn more about DropGenie, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drop-genie/
About Alison Hirukawa, Ph.D.:
Hirukawa, Ph.D., co-founded DropGenie in 2018, a startup that automates gene editing pipelines. She has over 10 years of R&D experience related to the genetic manipulation of a wide breadth of different disease models and cell types including human embryonic stem (ES) cells, primary human and mouse immune populations, patient derived xenographs and transgenic mouse models of breast cancer. Hirukawa obtained her M.S. from the University of British Columbia, and later her P.h.D. in Biochemistry from McGill University.
Stay connected with SLAS:
About SLAS:
SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building. For more information about SLAS, visit www.slas.org.
SLAS publishes two peer-reviewed and MEDLINE-indexed scientific journals, SLAS Discovery and SLAS Technology. For more information about SLAS and its journals, visit www.slas.org/publications.
For Students:
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
Mahrukh Banday, Ph.D., is the current vice president of product and marketing at Curiox, but did you know she also was a surgical neurophysiologist? You might be asking, "How is that possible?"
Banday is a lifelong believer in being able to pursue any career path as long as you're willing to learn. Banday shares her incredible story of leaving India to come to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular genetics, the nerves of being in the operating room for the first time to dealing with what she refers to as the "What Next?" disease. If you are hesitant about taking the first step in pursuing what you've always wanted to do, then this episode is for you!
About Mahrukh Banday, Ph.D.:
Mahrukh Banday, Ph.D., is an accomplished life sciences marketing leader with 10+ years of commercial experience. Banday first obtained a DVM from Kerala Veterinary University, KAU followed by an M.S. in microbiology, immunology, & pathology from Punjab Veterinary University and finally a Ph.D. in molecular genetics - genomics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Stay connected with SLAS:
About SLAS:
SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building. For more information about SLAS, visit www.slas.org.
SLAS publishes two peer-reviewed and MEDLINE-indexed scientific journals, SLAS Discovery and SLAS Technology. For more information about SLAS and its journals, visit www.slas.org/publications.
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS 2022 Americas Sample Management Symposium
- September 15-16, 2022
- La Jolla, CA, USA
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
Have you ever noticed that music and maths often tie themselves together? Our guest this week is an excellent example of this, with his passionate start with the euphonium to his career in physics and engineering. In this continuation of our series on career trajectories, David Jennions walks us through the differences in education between the UK and US systems, his work in brining science and engineering together, and the importance of hands on apprenticeships in lab automation.
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
Mei Wu has had some amazing support in her road to getting a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This episode in our career trajectories series dives into the balancing act that Mei experiences while working full time while obtaining a Ph.D.. Listeners hear another opinion on how having a Ph.D. affects job prospects in the life sciences fields. Keep an ear out for Mei's advice on how to decide what level of education to pursue.
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
Aoi Senju, Co-Founder/CEO at Colabra, sits down with Hannah to talk about how he went from researching next-generation battery chemistries to collaborative lab software. In this first episode diving into career trajectories we get to hear how a degree in chemical and biological engineering transferred into software and product design. Listen in to find out what being a marathoner, a concert pianist, a scientist, and an entrepreneur have in common.
Want to take a peek at the blog Aoi mentioned? You can find it here.
Upcoming SLAS Events:
SLAS Europe 2024 Conference and Exhibition
- May 27-29, 2024
- Barcelona, Spain
SLAS 2024 Microscale Innovation in Life Sciences Symposium
- 11-12 September 2024
- Cambridge, United Kingdom
SLAS 2024 Sample Management Symposium
- 16-17 October 2024
- Toulouse, France
SLAS 2024 Data Sciences and AI Symposium
- November 12-13, 2024
- Cambridge, MA, USA
Career Trajectories | The Recipe for Continuous Career Growth with Rishi Mahajan, M.S. (Sponsored by Benchling)
31:45
Career Trajectories | Adapting to Automation Kalpesh Gupta, M.S. (Sponsored by Benchling)
23:16
Career Trajectories | Networking as a Second Language with Yulia Gerhardt (Sponsored by Benchling)
38:00
From Stargazing to World Record Breaking | Career Trajectories with Rupert Dodkins, Ph.D.
30:46
Discovering Clues for Success | Career Trajectories with Alison Hirukawa, Ph.D.
34:03
"What Next?" Disease - Career Trajectories with Mahrukh Banday, Ph.D.
39:12
The Value of Taking A Left Turn | Career Trajectories with David Jennions, Ph.D.
37:51
From Dreams of Fashion to Science | Career Trajectories with Mei Wu, Ph.D.
34:22
Do Good for the World | Career Trajectories with Aoi Senju
33:21