Duke on Demand

On Friday, April 13, 2012, Duke Postdoctoral Services and Duke Career Center held a panel discussion on careers in patent law and patent agency. The panelists spoke on their experiences as patent lawyers and agents and how they got there from starting with PhDs in science. Patent agents and patent lawyers deal with cutting-edge science and technology. Patent agents assist law firms in due diligence, litigation, and opinions, but do not hold law degrees (although advanced science degrees are required). PhDs can also earn a JD to become a patent attorney - some firms will even pay for an employee's law school.

This workshop was presented by Duke Postdoctoral Services and Duke Career Center. Questions? Contact Duke Postdoctoral Services Director, Molly Starback at molly.starback@duke.edu.

On Thursday, February 24, 2011, a panel discussion geared toward Duke graduate students and postdocs on careers in biotechnology took place at Duke University.

Biotech career opportunities are found in agricultural biotechnology, biofuels, biomanufacturing, nanobiotechnology, pharmaceuticals, gene therapy, and regenerative medicine. The biotech industry's competitive job environment can translate to high earning potentials and global employment opportunities.

The panelists, all former postdocs and PhD students, discussed their career paths, how they made the transition from academia to biotech, and how current grad students and postdocs could make the same leap.

On Thursday, March 1, 2012, Duke Postdoctoral Services held a seminar with former PhD students and postdocs discussing their career paths, how they made the transition from academia to biotech, and how others can make the leap.

This seminar was presented by Duke Postdoctoral Services and Duke University Career Center. Questions? Contact Duke Postdoctoral Services Director, Molly Starback at molly.starback@duke.edu.

On Thursday, November 1, 2012, Duke Postdoctoral Services and the Duke Office for Faculty Mentoring held a panel discussion on NIH Career Development or K Awards. The NIH K Awards, cover a wide range of career development needs. Most are designed to offer PIs protected time in which to develop their research, transition research focus, or mentor students and postdocs. The panel in this seminar was made up of Duke MDs and PhDs who had experience applying for NIH K awards. Panelists discussed applying for a K and answered questions about finding the right mechanism for particular cases, preparing the application, and finding support. They shared tips for success and for overcoming challenges. Panelists: - Steve Choi, MD, , holds a basic science NIDDK K08, "RAC1 Promotes Hepatic Stellate Accumulation/Activation in Liver Injury". - Liz Cirulli, PhD, postdoc who recently transitioned to Asst Professor at the Duke Center for Human Genome Variation, submitted a K01 and is waiting to hear her funding status. She will give her perspective on the writing process and what resources/support she needed. - Michael Cohen-Wolkowiez, MD, Asst Professor of Pediatrics-Infectious Diseases, holds an NICHD K23, "Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Antibiotics in Premature Infants". - Chad Grotegut, MD, Asst Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, holds an NICHD K08, "Role of GRK6-Mediated Oxytocin Receptor Desensitization in Labor". - Dennis Ko, PhD, Asst Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, holds an NIAID K22, "Functional Genomics of Human Variation to Salmonella Invasion". This workshop was sponsored by Duke Postdoctoral Services and the SOM Office for Faculty Mentoring. Questions? Contact Molly Starback, Director of Postdoctoral Services, at molly.starback@duke.edu.

On Tuesday, October 16, 2012, the Duke Office for Faculty Mentoring and Duke Postdoctoral Services held a workshop for people interested in applying for NIH K Awards. Gregory Sempowski, PhD, shared his insights into the NIH K mechanisms and tips for successful applications based on his extensive experience reviewing K applications for NIAID/NIH, as well as his 15-year tenure at Duke as a fully-funded independent investigator and mentor.

SPEAKER: Gregory Sempowski, PhD, is Associate Professor in Medicine and Pathology, Director of the Laboratory for T Cell Biology and Immune Reconstitution in the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) and Scientific Director for DHVI Shared Research Resources.

This seminar is part of the Fall 2012 Grantsmanship series, sponsored by the Duke School of Medicine Office for Faculty Mentoring and Duke Postdoctoral Services.

QUESTIONS? Contact Paige Smith, Program Assistant for Office for Faculty Mentoring, at paige.smith@duke.edu.