First week on new job

I just completed my first week with the new research insititute yesterday and I LOVE IT! I posted about the new job a month or so ago and I have to admit that I was pretty apprehensive about it. I never enjoy changing jobs -- it seems to take so long to get comfortable with new people and a new position -- but I think I am going to really enjoy this change.

It is a fairly large research group (~25) and a very large institution (>600), but it is so well organized and everyone has their respective place -- and they are valued for it (a novel concept in research ). After floundering around in small biotech companies for a while, I think I have found a comfortable spot.

I suppose I am just "tooting my own horn" here, but I am excited about this opportunity. For the first time in a while, Monday isn't just four days from Friday .

 

yea, what research you do?

 

My education is in Biochemisty and Molecular Biology.

This position gets me back to what got me interested in the Biosciences in the first place -- drug discovery. The institute is a not-for-profit so the focus of the research is significantly different from that of the large pharmaceutical companies. We focus on what the industry considers "orphan" drug targets -- those that don't necessarily have a huge potential for profit, but that there is a significant global need for (TB, Malaria, SARS, etc). Since the majority of the research is government funded (not just US, the funding has some global distribution), and not-for-profit, we are able to focus efforts on diseases that are somewhat ignored by for-profit corporations. The institute's pharmaceutical arm is currently beginning marketing on a new anti-lymphoma drug that has just received FDA approval in the last few months.

//I am always vague here, Halo. Please PM me if you want to know more specifics. I would be interested in your research as well if you want to exchange email addresses. Thanks for the interest.

 

That is always a very good thing. Sounds like you've found a good home.

 

Congrats. I am so glad for you. Finding a job you love to do is rewarding in itself, but especially the work you do.

Gal