The burgeoning life sciences/biotech sector here is gratifying and indicates that Seattle isn’t just about airplanes, software and coffee. However, in order for our industry to enjoy the success that others in our region have, it’s crucial that we prioritize training the next generation of scientists.
Last fall, Xconomy hosted an event called “Biotech’s Back,” where leaders from our sector, including Stefan Kappe of Seattle BioMed, shared their views. It is notable that the leaders of both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations were in agreement that the single most important thing we can do is train and mentor young scientists to one day take over our leadership roles. These bright young minds bring innovation, challenging the way we look at existing research problems and pioneering new areas of research.
So what can we do to ensure the next generation is ready to carry forward in the future? We must start early and provide a continuum of training. Today’s headlines shout about the lack of young people interested in scientific careers. Early intervention at the high school level when maturing minds are making educational decisions works. Seattle BioMed’s BioQuest science education program has shown that providing engaging scientific experiences results in students becoming interested in pursuing careers in biomedical research or a related field. In fact, the leaders of this program and its pre-college immersion program, the BioQuest Academy, published a report in PLoS (Public Library of Science) ONE (Nov. 3, 2010) that examined the impact of the Academy during the past five years. This year, for example, 93 percent of the 2005 BioQuest Academy students have completed undergraduate studies with nearly one-quarter explicitly entering fields of study directly related to life sciences careers.
Seattle BioMed is certainly not alone in its work to train the next generation. The Northwest is home to a plethora of opportunities for learning audiences to interact with practicing scientists. Our colleagues include The Center for Inquiry Science program of the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), which advances K-12 education; the Science Education Partnership teacher immersion training program of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and the ethics-focused outreach program of the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research. All three are award-winning programs that complement the BioQuest program, creating a supportive framework for today’s students and tomorrow’s life sciences leaders.
Partnerships are also fueling further success. When Seattle BioMed built a research-quality lab that was specifically designed for high school students, the for-profit biotech Amgen provided funding at the inception of the program in support of the development of an innovative and exciting curriculum. The Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA), with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, enabled Alliance members to develop the Global Health Ambassadors project and its cross-discipline infectious disease curriculum. This program partnered with the public schools and introduced students at four underserved schools across the state who otherwise not get such an opportunity to the worlds of biotechnology, life science and global health. These examples show how working together can sow seeds that can have the lasting impact.
Still, there must be a continuum of training that builds on and amplifies the earlier educational experiences and illuminates career pathways. Undergraduate research experiences are valuable complements to classroom university education. Partnerships between UW, biomedical research institutes and the biotech companies are valuable in this regard. Support of graduate and postdoctoral education is critical because these are the men and women who have made a career commitment to BioMedicine – it’s from this group that the leaders of tomorrow with emerge. Indeed their training is doubly valuable since it combines learning with the research that is advancing the frontiers of knowledge. Arguably, support
