Four Keys to Launching a Biotech Career in Montana
Students network with Montana biotech employers during the inaugural University of Montana Biotech Career Expo at Missoula College on February 15, 2024, co-hosted by the Montana High Tech Business Alliance, University of Montana College of Business, University of Montana College of Humanities and Sciences, and Missoula College.
March 13, 2024
By Melissa Paulsen
The Montana High Tech Business Alliance partnered with the University of Montana College of Business, University of Montana College of Humanities and Sciences, and Missoula College on February 15, 2024, to host the first UM Biotech Career Expo for University of Montana and Missoula College students, faculty, and alumni. The event introduced students to Montana employers to help them understand the specific steps they can take, and what skills are needed, to land a great internship, research position, or job in Montana’s fast-growing and high-paying biotech industry.
Tom Gallagher, dean of Missoula College, gave the opening remarks for the first career panel highlighting research, lab science, and biotechnology manufacturing. Julie Baldwin, dean of the University of Montana College of Humanities and Sciences, introduced the afternoon’s second career panel covering healthcare technology, software, and telemedicine.
The panelists included hiring managers from Bitterroot Health, FYR Diagnostics, McLaughlin Research Institute, Montana Pediatrics, PatientOne, and Rocky Mountain Biologicals. Each panelist reflected on their career journeys, shared tips to help students secure a biotech job or internship, and discussed opportunities available with their companies for candidates eager to launch fruitful biotech careers in Montana.
Continue reading for four key takeaways from the conversation.
From left to right: Dr. Moses Leavens, assistant professor, McLaughlin Research Institute; Dr. Sarjubhai (Sarj) Patel, president, FYR Diagnostics; and Annie Roberts, sales & logistics manager, Rocky Mountain Biologicals. The panelists discussed their career journeys into Montana’s robust biotech industry and how students can launch their own during the first panel “Research, Lab Science, and Biotechnology Manufacturing” inside Missoula College.
#1: Keep Learning
Montana’s burgeoning biotech industry offers opportunities for varied education levels and fields of study. While having a degree in the life sciences can be advantageous, cultivating an enthusiasm for learning can also help job seekers establish a career in biotech.
Annie Roberts, sales and logistics manager for Rocky Mountain Biologicals, never planned on working in a scientific field after graduating from the University of Montana with her degrees in business management and marketing. However, she soon launched her career in biotech as an assistant marketing manager and tradeshow coordinator for TSI in Missoula. To execute her role successfully, Roberts learned as much as she could about TSI’s products and their scientific functions. Then, in 2020, Roberts started working as a manager for Rocky Mountain Biologicals. Roberts said she is constantly learning and advised students to do the same.
“I would encourage people not to hesitate,” Roberts said. “It's okay if you don't have the [scientific] background. As long as you have an attitude where you can say, ‘Well, I'm not sure how to do this, but I can figure it out,’ that will get you a long way [in your career].”
Rocky Mountain Biologicals is a complete cell culture provider in Missoula specializing in media supplements, sera, and protein fractions used in vaccine production and diagnostic test kits.
“One thing [Rocky Mountain Biologicals] looks for in employees are people who are comfortable handling multiple tasks and multiple job functions,” Roberts said. “Everybody in a small company tends to wear a lot of hats and that is something I certainly enjoy.”
Roberts added that Rocky Mountain Biologicals also seeks candidates that are analytical, creative, and strong communicators and collaborators.
Rocky Mountain Biologicals hires positions in accounting, business operations, customer service, finance, marketing, process manufacturing, quality assurance, research and development, and sales logistics.
#2: Be Resilient
The panelists emphasized resiliency as a key characteristic candidates should have when working in the biotech sector.
Dr. Moses Leavens, assistant professor at McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls, explained how embracing failure serves as a crucial component for success when conducting research.
“There's going to be a lot of failure, especially doing lab work,” Dr. Leavens said. “But then things start working. So, I think the ability to just be willing to accept failure as a common thread to being successful in research is important. If you have that willingness or motivation to work through a lot of failure, then nine times out of ten, you're likely to be successful.”
Dr. Leavens is a native of Great Falls and obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry & biophysics from the University of Montana. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship with Rocky Mountain Labs - NIAID in Hamilton where he studied ALS to try to develop an assay that can measure specific corrupted proteins. In 2022, Leavens started with McLaughlin Research Institute where he runs his own lab and investigates specific proteins involved in neurodegeneration.
McLaughlin Research Institute is a center for neurogenetic research on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other degenerative nerve diseases. On February 5, 2024, McLaughlin received a prestigious $13.8M grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to launch the Center for Integrated Biomedical and Rural Health Research (CIB-RHR) and expand the research enterprise over the next five years.
Students can become involved with the quickly growing institute through its summer internship program for high school and college students. McLaughlin also hires research assistants with four-year degrees; prior research experience is not required.
Dr. Sarjubhai (Sarj) Patel, president of FYR Diagnostics, added that remaining confident is important when facing setbacks in research.
“You have to be confident because you're going to face a lot of hurdles and hear a lot of no’s, but get creative,” Dr. Patel said. “[When] working in science, new discoveries are made all the time. You've got to be open to change and understand that your idea [may] need to morph a little bit to keep up with the science and the technology. It’s a constant learning game.”
Dr. Patel grew up in England where he earned his bachelor’s in pharmacology from the University of Sunderland. He completed his master’s in neuroscience from King’s College in London where he met his Ph.D. advisor that encouraged him to come to Montana. Dr. Patel received his Ph.D. in neuropharmacology from the University of Montana and was a postdoctoral fellow at John Hopkins University.
While working as a research associate professor at the University of Montana, Dr. Patel had a spark of inspiration to use his research to create an actionable test that could improve health care, which later became the catalyst for FYR Diagnostics.
Co-founded by Dr. Patel and his colleague, Thomas Rau, FYR Diagnostics focuses on developing the next generation of liquid biopsy solutions. Since its launch in 2016, the Missoula-based company has grown from two co-founders to 16 employees, 50% of whom are graduates from the University of Montana.
As FYR Diagnostics grows, the biotech firm seeks highly motivated candidates with great attention to detail who can work both independently as well as collaboratively with research teams and managers.
Dr. Patel said FYR employs research scientists with degrees in science-related fields like biology, biochemistry, chemistry, and neuroscience, as well as data analysts with backgrounds in computer science or mathematics to work with large data sets.
“One of the things that's really key, whether it's in science, biotech, or [another industry], is if you're truly passionate about what you want to do, you'll find a way to do it,” Dr. Patel said.
From left to right: Dr. Erik Guzik, CEO & founder, PatientOne; April Malan, chief operating officer, Montana Pediatrics; and Rob Wissenbach, chief information officer, Bitterroot Health. Panelist April Malan shares tips for applying for biotech jobs, internships, and research positions with University of Montana and Missoula College students, faculty, and alumni during the afternoon’s second panel “Healthcare Technology, Software, and Telemedicine.”
#3: Jump Into Networking
Networking can jump-start your career in biotech by connecting you to mentors, colleagues, and employers.
“Networking is very, very important,” said Rob Wissenbach, chief information officer for Bitterroot Health. “It can be hard to do, especially if you’re not used to it, but get out there and talk to people because it exposes you to a lot of different people from a lot of different industries. You never know when somebody's going to be able to help you out or remember you.”
Wissenbach holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the University of Montana. He has worked in a variety of industries, including as a CNA, a sergeant in the U.S. Army overseeing construction and engineering work, a software implementation consultant, and an IT director. Wissenbach started as CIO for Bitterroot Health in 2021.
Bitterroot Health in Hamilton has provided the Bitterroot Valley with accessible healthcare for nearly 100 years. The organization hires nurses, doctors, clinical staff, and clinical informaticists.
Wissenbach said he looks for candidates that possess some clinical experience and added that acquiring IT-related certifications like CompTIA or CISCO certifications can help job seekers stand out.
April Malan, chief operating officer for Montana Pediatrics, agreed that leveraging your network can help you advance in a biotech career.
“Reach out and make relationships and connections with people across the state,” she said. “You’ll meet people that can make a difference in your career and take you places where you really want to go, but you've got to have grit and put that foot in the door first.”
Early in her career, Malan served as a combat medic for the U.S. Navy where she discovered that she wanted to dig deeper into the healthcare sector. She acquired her bachelor’s in health/healthcare administration and management from the George Washington University – Milken Institute School of Public Health before going on to finish her master’s in health administration. After working as a rural lab technician and seeing a need for leadership and technology-enabled solutions to connect rural Montanans to care, Malan strove to develop her leadership skills. She started working with Montana Pediatrics in 2021.
Montana Pediatrics is a team of physician innovators working together to improve access to high-quality pediatric care. The company is completely remote and delivers telemedicine solutions to Montana’s children in urban, rural, and tribal communities. Montana Pediatrics is largely grant-funded and seeks nurses, physicians, and program managers.
Malan told students that one of the top qualities Montana Pediatrics looks for when hiring are candidates that are comfortable with technology and relationship-building.
“You don’t necessarily have to have a degree in science or in any specific field,” she explained. “We’re looking for people that have innovative minds, feel comfortable around technology, show a strategic and creative mindset when it comes to problem-solving, and really want to create relationships and change the lives of kids in Montana.”
The Rocky Mountain Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (RMT-REACH) can be a great resource for students eager to network with professionals in the biotech industry. Led by Dr. Karen Brown and Dr. Erica Woodahl at the University of Montana, RMT-REACH is a new initiative focused on the research and commercialization of biomedical discoveries. RMT-REACH works with bioscience startups, as well as universities and colleges across the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho (WWAMI) region to provide entrepreneurial support, guidance, and mentorship.
#4: Believe in Yourself
Although it may sound cliché, believing in yourself and being your own advocate plays a major role in building a successful career.
Dr. Erik Guzik, CEO and founder of PatientOne, encouraged students to believe in themselves and not be afraid to take chances in their careers.
“If there's a [career] opportunity and you're wondering, ‘Should I do it or not?’ go ahead and do it,” Guzik said. “Take that chance, take that opportunity. You will never regret that.”
Dr. Guzik graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with his Ph.D. in economics and currently teaches at the University of Montana College of Business. He began his career in biotech while taking advantage of an opportunity to study traumatic brain injury at the University of Montana. During his research, Dr. Guzik met Dr. John Beiglhe who had an idea to help patients better prepare for surgery, which later became the foundation for PatientOne in Missoula.
Founded in 2016, PatientOne provides advanced digital technology solutions for connected care and remote patient monitoring. PatientOne hires for roles in business operations and technology, including jobs in business development, sales and marketing, front-end and back-end design, data analytics, database design, and software development.
“[PatientOne] is fortunate to be [in Missoula] as a local since [its] very beginning and we’ve had a number of students work with us in a variety of capacities” Dr. Guzik said. “There’s always going to be demand from the tech side and [PatientOne] does have openings for business development and market strategy, especially with the new opportunities that we’re beginning to see with remote monitoring.”
Resources:
About the Publisher: Launched in 2014, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit association of more than 200 high tech and manufacturing companies and affiliates creating high-paying jobs in Montana. For more information, visit MTHighTech.org or subscribe to our newsletter.
About the Author: Melissa Paulsen is the communications coordinator for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2022 with a BFA in creative writing and a minor in history.