Learning With Lowell

Brandon got his Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Portland State University, where he conducted research on mitochondria with Keith Garlid. Additionally, he got an internship sponsored by the SENS Foundation, working in Henrich Jasper’s lab at the Buck Institute for Research.  While there, he worked on aging by modeling the effects of aging individual tissue on the rest of the body by using fruit flies. He received his PhD at the University of Washington in the Biochemistry department. His adviser was Frank DiMaio of the DiMaio lab. This was where he developed a novel sampling strategy for de novo, modeling of protein structures using sparse cryo electron microscopy data. Basically, he is smart and has studied a lot of different topics. He has since started working at Cyrus Biotechnology in 2015, shortly after the company spun out of the Institute for Protein Design at UW (of which the DiMaio lab is part of).  The goal of the company is to bring the powerful tools for protein structure prediction and design found in Rosetta to industry users in an easy to use fashion with back end cloud compute. In this podcast, he answers a lot of questions on the potential of protein engineering, how to be an evil scientist as seen in the movie Spy Kids (or the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Doctor Moreau) to create interesting organisms, where the field is going, and how each of us can help push the research forward. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Ali and Ignacio founded Cytera CellWorks in London to save scientists time and mental energy. They found a great way to do that by developing a cell culture automation machine. Scientists can now cut their time in the lab down significantly. Tune in to hear their story, the story of their company, and how they developed their product.  (Excuse some of the noise in the background. A few things fall suddenly.) Here is their Cytera CellWorks . They are hiring and looking for partners.

Paul grew up underprivileged and with a disabled mom. They lived on food stamps and struggled a lot. Paul says that he wasn’t the type of person you would think would grow into success, but that’s exactly what he did. Tune in to this episode to hear his story and advice on how he worked to become Employee of the Year at Integrated DNA Technologies (Iowa) and how he has now become the #1 sales rep at Formulatrix (Boston). There are a lot of nuggets of advice and suggestions in here. If you’re looking to work your way into biotech, then I’d suggest you start here. *There was a small edit to the content denoting the cities and the different companies Paul has been successful at. Thank you, Paul, for catching that.* Timestamped Show Notes (My Top 10 Favorite Sections Have ** Next to the Timestamps): * [ 00:30 ] Some things he is interested in. * [ 01:00 ] Where he is from and what his background is. * [ 01:30 ] The winding road he took to end up being the #1 salesperson at Formulatrix. * [ 05:00 ] **What biotech companies look like on the inside vs the perception on the outside. * [ 08:45 ] **How he progressed and the specific ways he pushed himself to learn more, so he could excel after he started. * [ 12:00 ] **How he was able to jump into Excel (pivot tables, basic functions, etc) Powerpoint, and JMP statistical software because he understood the math, which was something that he was uniquely positioned to do. * [ 13:40 ] He would grab manuals to teach himself. * [ 14:30 ] ** How he would retain the information and ensure it wouldn’t go in one ear and out the other. * [ 15:30 ] How this all worked to benefit him by being named Employee of the Year, and how he went from Craigslist to #1 sales person within 3 years. * [ 17:00 ] **Don’t be afraid to fail and a great quote on how masters fail a lot. * [ 18:00 ] **How success for Paul was not assured, and he wasn’t the type of guy you would think would end up being successful. * [ 20:00 ] What he went to college for and what he originally wanted to do with that degree. * [ 21:30 ] What he did after he graduated from college, and how hard work paid off in the right industry. * [ 23:00 ] When he joined IDT and where he started. * [ 26:40 ] **What did he do to get to sales rep #1 and the small steps he took to get there. * [ 28:45 ] **Book/Audiobook recommendations. * [ 30:30 ] **Suggestions he makes on the specific things you can do to improve yourself: time management, goal setting, and asking great questions. * [ 33:00 ] How he challenges and pushes himself. * [ 34:30 ] **How he would train someone to be great at sales, how to think about it as a transfer of emotion, how to set target goals, and how to tailor your message. * [ 38:45 ] **How he schedules, time manages, and focuses. Also, he finishes right on the minute that we had to talk, which demonstrates his abilities. You can find Paul on Linkedin, where he is open to meeting new people.  And remember to leave a quick review.  I also experimented with a different intro. Let me know your thoughts.   hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Chris and Nick are two extremely fascinating people to talk with. In this podcast, you’ll learn about how they got into entrepreneurship, how they developed their antibacterial product, and how they are pushing the envelope in the drug development community. Check out their website. Show notes to come hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Elizabeth is the Science Policy Manager for the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. She has worked in Congress, with the USDA, and worked in the White House to name a few. In this episode, we drill down into food safety, thoughts into choosing good food, federal research spending, and a small teaser from the Farm Bill that she wrote! There are two parts to this, and you’re going to want to listen to both! www.agronomy.org | www.crops.org | www.soils.org   Show notes to come. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Elizabeth is the Science Policy Manager for the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. She has worked in Congress, with the USDA, and worked in the White House to name a few. In this episode, we drill down into food safety, thoughts into choosing good food, federal research spending, and a small teaser from the Farm Bill that she wrote. www.agronomy.org | www.crops.org | www.soils.org hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Jesse Morin, PhD, teaches at a Technical High School where she and her students conduct experiments, learn, and have a good time doing it. Her attitude is extremely infectious. Tune in as we discuss her life, what she has learned, and get a lot of suggestions and things to think about along the way. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Jon finished his PhD at UC Riverside in plant sciences. Today, we talk about his background, his drug development, his art, and his love of brewing (not necessarily in this order). hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Leonardo Nunes founded Novalact to help people who are lactose intolerant. He is one year way from having a product that will do just that. In this episode, we get into his business, how he got funding, and ways to learn more! Website: Here hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Leonardo Nunes founded Novalact to help people who are lactose intolerant. He is just one year way from having a finished product. In this episode, we discuss his views on transcendentalism, his life in Chile, and much more. Sit back and listen to Leo roll his R’s and talk philosophy in this episode of Learning with Lowell.   Website: Here hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Matt’s background, what he’s working on currently, how he got into his position, his fascination for making wine and how that relates to chemistry, and much more. This was a fun episode to make, and I’m going to take his advice and use a hobby, like he does with wine making, to activate my own love for chemistry! Trends in Biotechnology  hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Ravi Teja has traveled around extensively in his pursuit of making an impact on the world. He is currently working to put microbiology experiments into space. As of our recording, this was scheduled to happen in September 2018! Tune in and learn about Ravi, his life, his advice, and what he’s working on now. Check out his website: www.researchsat.com hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "4403253", formId: "6d5cc486-a2f5-4c09-9e96-2918a3f9ef62" });

Experienced Technical Recruiter with a demonstrated history of working in the SaaS and IT industries.Skilled in Networking, Talent Acquisition and Client Relations. Strong human resources professional  with a Bachelor’s Degree focused in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering from University of Florida. Additionally, Chemical Engineering while in college, transitioned around, and eventually made the plunge to move to New York City. She has a variety of fascinating tips and suggestions for companies who are looking for great candidates and candidates who are looking for great companies.   About Truveris Truveris brings transparency to the prescription drug ecosystem through data-driven innovation. Truveris’ platform offers customers – from the individual patient to employers to pharmacy benefits stakeholders and manufacturers – the data and insights they need to effectively and efficiently manage the rising costs and market access strategies. Truveris works with Fortune 500 employers, global pharmaceutical brands and benefits consulting organizations to help manage pharmacy benefits and improve consumer engagement. Currently recruiting for the following roles: – Software Engineer (Python, AWS, SQL) – Director of Operations, PAS Please check out ALL of Truveris’ openings at https://www.truveris.com/company/careers/. Feel free to get in touch with me directly at sproefke@truveris.com Social Media Linkedin