Jason Moreau, PhD
Medical Science Liaison
Ferring Canada
e. jason.moreau@ferring.com
Interview:
Q: Tell us a bit about your graduate research. What were your most exciting findings?
I had a great supervisor in John Ciriello. We studied the effect of a rodent model of sleep apnea on neural pathways associated with cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes. The most exciting findings, in my opinion, were that the effect of this model on the metabolic outcomes was largely dependent upon the hormone leptin, and that long-term this model could induce leptin resistance, a pre-cursor to obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Q: What skills did you acquire in graduate school that help you in your current position? How did your degree give you an advantage in attaining your position?
I would say the most transferrable skill to my current position is the ability to process and integrate large volumes of research into my body of knowledge. With that, the ability to understand what is important, and what is not, greatly increases my working efficiency when faced with over 300 papers per week to assess.
Q: Did you know when you entered graduate school that you would most likely pursue a career outside academia?
Yes and no. In the lead-up to graduate school, I was set on moving into law or business, but when I began working in the lab, I changed my mind and wanted to pursue a career in academia. It wasn’t until my third year of graduate school that I decided industry would be a better fit for me.
Q: How did you learn about the posting for your current job?
I was recruited to my current position by an individual within my extended network. This person was aware of what I could bring to the organization and what I was looking for in a working environment.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
The social, albeit highly medical, interactions that I have on a day-to-day basis with some of Canada’s top physicians in a given field is the best part of my job.
Q: What are some specific examples of extracurricular activities (outside of research) that you participated in, which helped you get to the position you are at now?
The activities I did outside of research were more important than my specific area of research. While having a PhD is a requirement for my position, my job also requires a lot of social and business savvy. While in my PhD, I began a small business, which I ran after completing my graduate training for some time. This showed I had some sense of how a business ran, and this was very important in being selected for my position. Another important thing that helped me land my position was my experience in clinical research, having taken classes in clinical trial management and running a number of large-scale private clinical studies.
Q: What are some suggestions for networking?
It may seem like a cliché, but the most important thing you can do is grow your network. The reality is that you are far more likely to get interviews from people that know you and what you can bring to a company. If you are looking for a move to a specific industry, engage everyone you know that works in that industry, or ask if someone you know can introduce you to someone that works in that field. Meet with these people and ask them meaningful questions. You never know what extra contacts or opportunities will come out of these meetings.
Q: What is one piece of advice you can offer to current graduate students and post-doctoral fellows?
Graduate students: Don’t be afraid to do something different. My first job outside of academia was running my own company. I turned down post-doctoral fellowship opportunities to pursue this because I knew academia wasn’t for me. Don’t get swallowed into doing a post-doc because there are “no other opportunities”. Also, never forget that while in graduate school, you may feel like just another PhD or MSc, but in the real world, we are uncommon and are very highly-regarded.
Post-docs: If you are hoping to work in a lab in industry, you should be aware of the techniques and skills industry uses in these labs (e.g. high-throughput screening, in vivo/pharmacokinetic studies) and try to gain some experience in these skills. If you are hoping to move into other aspects, networking is key. Try to use any industry connections your supervisor may have.
