UPDATE Panel discussion: An interview with Scott Fountain on the ‘Business of bioanalysis’ panel series
Scott Fountain Executive Director, Toxicology and Pharmacology and Site Lead, Charles River Laboratories, Shrewsbury, MA, USA
Scott.Fountain@
crl.com Q
It has been over a year since the 2017 Bio- analysis Zone panel discussion, the Busi-
ness of bioanalysis season one, was recorded in Los Angeles. What strikes you looking back at this dialog? In hindsight, the emphasis on talent and people, less so on bioanalytical technology and tools, was unexpected but fortuitous and interesting. The scientific and operational diversity among project teams in which we, as bioanalytical scientists, are required to operate highlights the need for our ongoing improvement and continuous learning – and we must own this as employees. Univer- sity education typically targets a narrow expertise or science; the work environment requires much more breadth, so we must continue to learn, often beyond our core competence or comfort zone. I am excited these concepts came out during the panel discussion.
Q
Can you say more about that idea? What should students graduating in the bio-
analytical sciences consider when seeking out an industry job? What should employers be expected to provide? Whether working for a vendor, CRO or innova- tor – biotechnology or large pharma – practical and tangible examples of how an organization encourages continuous education and staff devel- opment should be recognizable and unambigu- ous. For example, does the organization have a clear path for promotion, such as a career ladder model, for both scientific and managerial tracks? Are mentorship programs deliberately defined and encouraged? What development opportu- nities are available through job assignment? These are a few ideas.
Q
Please expand on ‘the job assignment’ as ‘development opportunity’. Quite often ‘training’ comes through job assignment, particularly in cross- discipline
envi-
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ronments common in research and development organizations. The bioanalytical scientist enter- ing the pharmaceutical industry, for instance, may look for opportunities to actively contribute to a target or lead candidate project team, provid- ing e xposure to medicinal chemistry, pharmacol- ogy, toxicology, pharmaceutical science and clin- ical development. In the CRO or service provider area, such cross-functional teams will introduce the laboratory scientist to financial and revenue concepts, client service and marketing, and busi- ness development principles. In the vendor arena, experience in manufacturing, engineering design and facilities infrastructure may be gained. The goal is not necessarily to develop deep sub- ject matter expertise in these areas, per se, but to appreciate the ‘customer’s’ point of view and needs, whether the client is a sponsor or simply an internal team member or c olleague.
Q
What about external sources for continu- ous education for the bioanalyst?
University- or association-sponsored coursework, programs and degrees are abound at universities and community colleges and are increasingly available through online programs or indepen- dent study, such as the DABT certification in toxicology. Thinking more broadly, publica- tion, presentation and participation in scientific associations and publications also contribute to continuous education – what a colleague of mine once coined ‘contributing to the scientific dia- log’. This is another area where diversification is valuable. As a formally trained mass spectrome- trist, my entry point to scientific associations was through ASMS (American Society for Mass Spectrometry). As I increasingly applied my sci- ence in the context of pharmaceuticals, I became active in AAPS (American Association of Phar- maceutical Scientists) and when moving to the CRO safety assessment business, I began partici- pating in SOT (Society of Toxicology). So in a way, my association affiliations evolved with my career, and vice versa.
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