Are you considering careers at the intersection of life sciences, medicine, health,
and technology? Curious about the different paths MIT alumni have taken in these
fields after graduation?
The upcoming Careers in Medicine & Life Sciences Alumni Speed Networking event is your chance to connect with professionals who’ve navigated these fields and gain firsthand insights into their career journeys.
Event Details:
- Date: Wednesday, March 5th
- Location: E17-294
- Sign up now on Handshake!
What to Expect!
This fast-paced, interactive networking event brings together a diverse group of MIT alumni working in medicine, research, and biotechnology. Whether you’re exploring career options, looking for mentorship or networking opportunities, or seeking advice on graduate school, this event offers a unique opportunity to engage with experienced professionals in a small-group setting. There’s also the added benefit of connecting with alumni through your shared MIT experience and unique cultural bond!
Why Attend?
- Expand Your Network – Meet alumni who have been in your shoes and can offer guidance on different career paths.
- Gain Career Insights – Hear real-world experiences from professionals in medicine, industry, and academia.
- Ask Your Questions – Get advice on everything from medical school applications to research opportunities and biotech startups.
Alumni You’ll Meet! The event features guest speakers with a wide range of expertise, including:
Anjali (Anji) Misra is a recent graduate of Harvard Medical School is currently in her residency at Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine residency at Mass General Brigham. Anjali grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and graduated from MIT majoring in Brain & Cognitive Sciences. After MIT, Anjali earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) as a Mitchell Scholar in Cork, Ireland. She is excited to pursue a career in emergency medicine that combines her interests in emergency medical services (EMS), public health, and legislative advocacy.
Meet with Anjali Misra if you are interested in:
- Learning what the residency years of being a physician are like, especially in emergency medicine.
- Exploring the intersection of emergency medicine, public health, and policy advocacy.
- Understanding the path to earning an MPH and how it complements a medical career.
- Gaining insight into Fellowship opportunities like the Mitchell Scholarship for studying abroad.
Dr. Chung Wei Lee, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist and biotech entrepreneur with extensive experience in clinical research, oncology drug development, and biomedical innovation. He has held leadership roles in pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including serving as the current Senior Clinical Trial Physician / Medical Director in Global Oncology at Bristol Myers Squibb and Director of Clinical Development at PharmaEssentia. He also worked as a Principal Scientist at Axcella Health and a Research Scientist at MIT’s Division of Comparative Medicine. Dr. Lee earned his Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from MIT and his M.D. in Internal Medicine from National Taiwan University.
Meet with Dr. Lee if you are interested in:
- Pursuing a career in clinical research and drug development
- Understanding the career path of a PhD or MD in the biotech & pharmaceutical industry
- Learning about the transition from a career in academia to industry
- Bridging biomedical research and pharmaceutical innovation to develop new therapies
Dr. Maxine Jonas, Ph.D., an instructor at MIT, is a biological engineer, research scientist, and educator with expertise in bioinstrumentation, synthetic biology, and biomedical innovation. She is a Principal Research Scientist in MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering and a Communication Lab Instructor, where she helps students refine their scientific communication skills. Her career spans both academia and industry, including research and development roles focused on biotechnology, microfluidics, and cell analysis. Dr. Jonas completed her PhD in Biological Engineering at MIT.
Meet with Dr. Jonas if you are interested in:
- Exploring careers in biological engineering, biotechnology, or bioinstrumentation.
- Learning about the transition between academia, industry, and research leadership.
- Gaining insights into scientific communication and effective research presentation skills.
- Navigating interdisciplinary careers that merge engineering and life sciences.
Dr. Naren Tallapragada started Tessel to stop chronic disease. Over a decade ago, while an undergrad at MIT studying Electrical Engineering & Physics, Naren watched his mom succumb to small bowel cancer after a lifetime with Crohn’s. That experience led Naren to pick up a pipette for the first time and pursue a PhD in Systems Biology at Harvard. Motivated by one question – “Why don’t we all get cancer all the time?” – Naren studied organ regeneration and repair, with a focus on watching stem cells in tissues carry out this complex dance. In the process, he pioneered methods to reverse-engineer disease in a dish through organoid culture, imaging, and single-cell sequencing. Naren’s career has taken him from politics and Big Tech back to science and startups, with stops along the way at Roivant, Google X, and Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign. Now, Naren is excited to build on this foundation – discovering and developing new drugs with the whole team at Tessel.
Outside of work, Naren enjoys running, cooking, and subjecting his family to bad puns and dad jokes.
Meet with Dr. Tallapragada if you are interested in:
- Exploring careers in biomedicine, entrepreneurship, and tech
- Learning about academic and career pivots from engineering to politics to biomedicine
- Gaining insights into drug discovery, cutting edge tech, startups, management and leadership
- Infusing science policy and political engagement into a career in STEM
Dr. Ta-Chun Hang is an industry leader with subject matter expertise spanning biologics and C>. Dr. Hang is experienced with merging computational and experimental systems approaches, with direct applications in cellular therapies and biologics. Dr. Hang has extensive experience in working with early stage development programs through CMC RA to commercial manufacturing.
Specialties: Cellular Drug Product Manufacturing (Cell & Gene Therapy), Bioprocess Engineering & Manufacturing, Systems Biology, Process Optimization/Characterization/Validation, Computational Modeling and Data Analysis Approaches, AI/ML, Method Development, Grant Writing, Bioelectrochemical Systems, Scientific Strategy, and Project Management.
Meet with Dr. Hang if you are interested in:
- Pursuing a career in biological engineering through early stage development to commercial manufacturing in industry
- Understanding the career trajectory from research associate to project management and leadership
- Learning about the transition from a career in academia from PhD and postdoc to industry
- Combining biological engineering and computational techniques in cellular therapies and biologics
