Andrew C.
About me
| Andrew C. | |
| Biology | |
| Bioinformatics | |
| Research Postgraduate | |
| 2000 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Scientific Applications Manager | |
| Genestack | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Science and research | |
| Medium-size business (50-249 employees) | |
| 2019 |
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A day in the life of a Scientific Applications Manager in the United Kingdom
I originally thought I would work in the pharmaceutical sector, instead I've tended to be involved in working on the tools that the pharmaceutical and other sectors rely on.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
Genestack is a small company that develops bioinformatics solutions for biotech (pharmaceutical, healthcare, agriscience, consumer goods & research organisations). Our main products focus on data FAIRification through data cataloguing, metadata curation and multi-omics APIs.
What do you do?
In general I help with scientific communication, from learning what problems the industry has and demonstrating how our products can be used to solve them, to providing scientific consultation to our sales, marketing and developer teams, as well as training end-users and improving documentation. I also manage.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
Though I've been involved in bioinformatics for about 20 years now, I can trace my particular choice of roles (usually involving communication and training) back to my PhD at York where I enjoyed and discovered a knack for science communication - whether that was using washing powder to describe lasers or assisting with some of the external training the department provided.
On a practical level it was a very successful internship as part of my MRes at York which introduced me to a (then small) European Bioinformatics Institute. I vowed I would go back sometime. My first job was much more closely related to my PhD topic, protein structure bioinformatics, and I joined a BBSRC sub-company as a consultant and trainer. After 5 years a perfect job match working and training on bioinformatics tools came up at the EBI and I worked there (now much expanded) for the maximum permitted 9 years, with the role changing over time to take on more responsibilities and eventually move into eLearning - an area I wouldn't have believed possible when I started training using acetates and projectors!
It was through EBI contacts and a kitchen conversation that I then joined Genestack - itself founded by an ex-EBI group leader.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
Only slightly. I originally thought I would work in the pharmaceutical sector, instead I've tended to be involved in working on the tools that the pharmaceutical and other sectors rely on.
Describe your most memorable day at work
There's one particular moment that I strive for in this and my previous jobs: it's the moment when someone realises the potential that they now have to go and do something they didn't think was possible before. I've seen it time and time again, from bioinformatics students around the world to industry scientists and data managers who can finally see a way to solve a painful problem or how new possibilities have been opened up.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
Bioinformatics as a field has grown enormously in a short space of time. Staying on top of all the new developments and types of data is really hard, and where it used to be acceptable (just about) for bioinformaticians to hack together solutions, the field has quite rightly matured so the level of programmatic rigour many areas involved in bioinformatics use now has greatly increased. On the plus side, there are people out there who are specialised in these areas so, as ever, the solution is to work as a team - we've all got different skills to bring to the table.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
I have been so lucky in most of my career to be part of multi-national teams. Almost every day I learn a new viewpoint on something and it's tremendously enriching.
Day-to-day the work is a mix of office-based and visiting clients or attending conferences, often abroad. Given that a lot of interactions I have are potentially related to business development the clothing is on the formal side, especially when there's any chance of a client seeing you. In general there's a bit of flexibility around occasionally working from home etc. but you need to be prepared to go away for business trips, sometimes at quite short notice.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
There are way too many to list! I'd say the key skills I learned through them were team work, organisation, and above all, understanding and communicating with people from different backgrounds and subject specialisms to my own. More specifically, the creative (music/dance) hobbies have contrasted nicely with science, and help me bring something different to challenges. Finally just having any hobby that you're passionate about, have developed a skill in and improved it, is a massive plus point to future employers and a way to connect with other people.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I want to help more people exceed their expectations. Growing the capabilities of people, teams, and companies is really exciting to me, so any career path that lets me do more of that is worth exploring.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
- The subject matter you learn at university isn't always very important, the skills you learn around it (e.g. how to solve problems, communication, team work, facilitation etc.) is
- Find ways to demonstrate those skills - you'll learn more about your vocation and enjoyable careers through practising them
- Recognise you have unconscious biases and get involved with as diverse a set of people as you can to counter them
- Don't be scared of failing or feedback. Once the fear is removed they become essential tools of improvement
- Be yourself, honestly. Whether that's in a job application or giving a solo performance on stage - in both cases people want to see what you bring to the role, not an anonymous robot perfectly going through the motions.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Bioinformatics
Training
Science communication
Unconscious bias
Facing nerves/public speaking
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