This page houses information for MS and PhD students about biotech and pharma.

Resources for general info on biopharma events, jobs, internships, etc.:

• GSAS Harvard Biotech Club — free email newsletter; annual career fair; courses; events
• MIT Biotechnology Group — free email newsletter; events
• Tufts Biotech Group — news and events; there’s a Medford chapter (info on website)

Entry-level opportunities in biopharma:

• Biotech & pharma rotational programs — List of programs intended for recent grads (all levels) to explore multiple areas/teams

Postdoctoral fellowships in biopharma:

• List of companies with postdoc programs (originally compiled by Tufts biology PhD student Chiara Masnovo; last updated Jan. 3, 2024)
• Articles / info about industry postdocs:
  • “Postdoc Programs at Pharmaceutical Companies: A Research Path Less Chosen” (9/14/23)
  • “Ten simple rules for doing a postdoc in pharma” (2021)
  • “Inside the Industry Postdoc Experience” (2003 but still solid)
  • “Industrial Postdocs: Similarities and Differences Between Industrial and Academic Positions in the Pharmaceutical Industry” (1999 but still solid)

Jobs (and job hunting) in biopharma:

• “Adapting to the Changing Landscape of Biotech-Driven Drug Discovery” (Dean Brown) — Good article on how early research in pharma is changing. Focused on chemistry, but good insights for biologists too.
• “Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development” — Great book that outlines all of the different jobs/roles/functions in drug companies.

Intro resources to learn about the biopharma industry:

• “Best books on how new prescription drugs are discovered, developed, and sold” (Frank David)
• Long lists of books about drug development and related topics (lots of narrative non-fiction; mostly non-technical): here, here
• “Pharmaceutical product life cycle” (thepharmamarketer.com): Link
• “The process and costs of drug development” (ftloscience.com): Link
• “Basics of drug development for those unfamiliar with the industry” (Murphey, Bay Bridge Bio; 4/13/18): Link
• “The pharma industry from Paul Janssen to today: why drugs got harder to develop and what we can do about it” (Alex Telford; 12/21/23): Link
• “rNPV explained” (Paul Janssen Futurelab Leiden): Video link
• “Is drug R&D more like poker or chess?” (Plenge, 2021): Link
• Herper 2012 Forbes – The Truly Staggering Cost Of Inventing New Drugs: Link