Spring Break
Life in the Life Sciences for HBS Women
Laura Singleton (MBA ’88), Special Contributor
Issue date: 1/27/03 Section: Viewpoints
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Aspinall acknowledges spending "a lot of time with textbooks" to get up to speed, but generally found that, like Putukian, her success in the business came through applying critical thinking and overall management skills. Putukian, however points out that it is getting tougher to get into biotech these days without some requisite science background given the proliferation of people with multiple degrees.
"I think most importantly people need to ask the right questions--it's inappropriate to think of yourself as doing everyone's job," said Aspinall. "You have gifted people working for you that can't be micro-managed."
Whatever their original backgrounds, all these women now seem hooked by the intrinsic rewards of working in the life sciences. They stick with it because they see lives touched through their efforts. Fisher told the story of a nine-year-old patient with sickle-cell anemia who had suffered five strokes by the age of six. After stem-cell therapy from a sibling's cord blood, she is fully cured and living a healthy, normal life. Levy described meeting a young boy who would have lost his spleen except for an enzyme developed by Genzyme that cured him. "We had pictures of him where he looked nine months pregnant," she said. Wyle noted, "[The business] interests me because I have a high degree of empathy for people--I hate to see people sick."
Also intriguing to them is the potential to affect not just today's lives, but also tomorrow's, with the work they are doing. "As our children assume you can fix things, there's an expectation there's more action you can take--you don't have to live with pain," said Aspinall.
All predict continued growth in exciting new frontiers like cellular medicine, genetic testing and personalized medicine. Clearly, jobs in this industry feed more than just business ambition. "What turns me on is working with the best people in the world to build the future now," said Wyle. "We build the future, and I love that."
HBS Alumni Networking in the Life Sciences For HBS graduates working or seeking to work in the life sciences arena, there's a new and growing alumni group, the HBS Health Industry Alumni Association, started in December 1999 by Beatrice Ellerin (MBA '95). The organization is the first industry-focused alumni group sanctioned by HBS, according to Ellerin, and has a membership of over 600 worldwide. It includes graduates from the 1950s to the present, working in all aspects of healthcare, from pharmaceuticals and biotech to doctors, lawyers and venture capitalists.
"I found that there are so many interesting and successful people from HBS in healthcare," said Ellerin. "I thought it would be great to have a more formal network where people could access expertise."
HBS Health will hold its second annual conference November 16-17, 2001 at HBS. For more information about the conference or joining the network, visit their website: www.hbshealth.org.
"I think most importantly people need to ask the right questions--it's inappropriate to think of yourself as doing everyone's job," said Aspinall. "You have gifted people working for you that can't be micro-managed."
Whatever their original backgrounds, all these women now seem hooked by the intrinsic rewards of working in the life sciences. They stick with it because they see lives touched through their efforts. Fisher told the story of a nine-year-old patient with sickle-cell anemia who had suffered five strokes by the age of six. After stem-cell therapy from a sibling's cord blood, she is fully cured and living a healthy, normal life. Levy described meeting a young boy who would have lost his spleen except for an enzyme developed by Genzyme that cured him. "We had pictures of him where he looked nine months pregnant," she said. Wyle noted, "[The business] interests me because I have a high degree of empathy for people--I hate to see people sick."
Also intriguing to them is the potential to affect not just today's lives, but also tomorrow's, with the work they are doing. "As our children assume you can fix things, there's an expectation there's more action you can take--you don't have to live with pain," said Aspinall.
All predict continued growth in exciting new frontiers like cellular medicine, genetic testing and personalized medicine. Clearly, jobs in this industry feed more than just business ambition. "What turns me on is working with the best people in the world to build the future now," said Wyle. "We build the future, and I love that."
HBS Alumni Networking in the Life Sciences For HBS graduates working or seeking to work in the life sciences arena, there's a new and growing alumni group, the HBS Health Industry Alumni Association, started in December 1999 by Beatrice Ellerin (MBA '95). The organization is the first industry-focused alumni group sanctioned by HBS, according to Ellerin, and has a membership of over 600 worldwide. It includes graduates from the 1950s to the present, working in all aspects of healthcare, from pharmaceuticals and biotech to doctors, lawyers and venture capitalists.
"I found that there are so many interesting and successful people from HBS in healthcare," said Ellerin. "I thought it would be great to have a more formal network where people could access expertise."
HBS Health will hold its second annual conference November 16-17, 2001 at HBS. For more information about the conference or joining the network, visit their website: www.hbshealth.org.
