We are currently recruiting for the following project:
Target prioritization for Parkinson’s disease therapy development

Who we are:

BCBA connects academic science trainees and recent graduates to the Bay Area’s biotech industry through hands-on consulting and due diligence projects. We are a volunteer organization composed of PhD students, post-docs, medical trainees, and young professionals looking to gain professional development for jobs in biotech companies, consulting, and venture capital. Over 450 scientists from across the country have participated in BCBA projects and have gone on to internships and full-time positions with leading biotech companies, consulting firms, and venture capitals firms.

Project timeline: Week of February 26^th – Week of August 19^th (24 weeks total)

Who you are:

• A graduate/professional student (i.e. PhD, MS, MBA, MD, PharmD), postdoc, or recent graduate
• Enthusiastic about gaining life-science business experience and helping select targets for developing therapies in the neurodegenerative disease space
• Eager to build communication skills through conducting interviews of academic and industry key opinion leaders and presenting findings to the consulting team and client
• Interest or research experience in some of the following categories: Parkinson’s disease, neurodegenerative disease, market landscaping, product development, funding and investment, therapeutic target evaluation, translational research
• Able to commit up to 10-15 hours/week as a volunteer

What you will do:

You will be working with the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), a research foundation seeking to accelerate the translation of promising emerging therapeutic targets in the Parkinson’s Disease (PD) space by prioritizing genetic/protein candidates. You will implement a scoring system for each candidate and perform secondary research and interviews with key opinion leaders to understand the biological feasibility of given targets. You will perform market research to understand the existing and historical landscape for each candidate. Finally, you will contribute to the framework of a program development roadmap including aspects of preclinical development, patient segmentation, therapeutic strategy, etc. to propose a plan for developing a therapy targeting the top candidates.

You will have the opportunity to work closely with industry leaders and investors throughout this project and learn more about non-profit organization involvement in drug development. You will also be able to present your findings directly to stakeholders and research experts.

What you will get:

• Experience conducting consulting-style research including market sizing, competitive landscaping, interviewing key opinion leaders, and case study analysis
• Development of your professional network and communication skills through interactions with the client, interviewed stakeholders, your teammates, and BCBA leadership
• Skills that will make you highly competitive for entrepreneurial, consulting, venture capital, and business development careers
• Reimbursement for meals during team meetings

To Apply: Please submit this Google form by Friday, February 16^th

More information about BCBA can be found here. Please reach out to info@biotechconnectionbay.org if you have any questions!

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