Internships at Altasciences: Q&A With Our Summer Interns
Internships at Altasciences are more than just a stepping stone—they’re a gateway to real-world-experience and professional growth, giving the next generation opportunities to help shape progress in the drug development industry. This summer’s interns brought dedication and fresh perspectives to our operations, and we asked a few of them to share what they’ve learned.
Read what they had to say in this Q&A:
What has been your favorite part about interning at altasciences?
“The work environment. People are incredibly friendly and look out for opportunities in which we, the interns, can gain more experience. They are supportive of our future endeavors and provide guidance that is invaluable to improving our work. I have also learned a lot about the nuances of micropipettes that I would have never learned at school.”
— Sheridan Moore, Research Associate Intern, Laboratory Sciences
“My favorite part about interning at Altasciences is the potential for creating a long, meaningful career that I would be passionate about. Altasciences has been worlds different than any other job or internship I have had in the past—in the best way possible. I appreciate the company’s prioritization of upskilling and reskilling employees through their continuous training program. I also appreciate the intentional onboarding process that truly allows new hires to learn and ask questions.”
— Nafoni Modi, Project Management Intern
“My favorite part about interning for Altasciences (now for the second time) is how organized the company is and how friendly the employees are. None of my teammates ever hesitated to help. Their team spirit is strong.”
— Chloe Garabedian, Bioanalytical Services Intern
“It’s the people I’ve met and the knowledge I’ve gained. Everyone at Altasciences has been incredibly warm and kind.”
— Griffin Harlow, Research Associate Intern, Laboratory Sciences
What's a key takeaway from your internship at altasciences?
“Throughout the summer, I learned the documentation, regulations, and accountability required to perform R&D work in an industrial laboratory. I developed my skills and capabilities in handling molecular bioassays, enhancing my confidence and credibility. I also developed extensive time-management skills and a deeper understanding of the focus required to maintain those skills in the long run.”
— Surya Arcot Venkatesan, Ligand Binding Assays Intern
“The knowledge I gained of Good Documentation Practices and Good Laboratory Practices is the most valuable skill for my future scientific career. Additionally, learning about day-to-day lab operations and becoming more familiarized with a career in the lab were important.”
— Chloe Garabedian, Bioanalytical Services Intern
“I’ve learned a lot about how science is done in the professional world. The way departments verify each other’s work creates a documentation trail that reinforces the legitimacy of our results.”
— Griffin Harlow, Research Associate Intern, Laboratory Sciences
“The exposure to GLPs and how science functions in an industry setting is valuable to my career, as it is so different from academia. There is absolutely no way to understand the documentation style without experiencing it firsthand at an organization like Altasciences. Learning strict verification and validation practices to obtain clean data will certainly help in my future.”
— Sheridan Moore, Research Associate Intern, Laboratory Sciences
What kind of impact do you hope to make with a career in life sciences?
“As cliché as it may sound, I am hoping to make a difference. I know a few people who struggled with incurable diseases, and I couldn't understand why it was so hard to do something about it. Choosing a career in science is my way of helping people.”
— Yara Hankach, Bioanalytical Services Intern
“I have always been keen to work in the life science field and make a positive impact on people around me. I have learned that working in the preclinical and clinical environment, and contributing to the breakthrough of new drugs, could be great ways to achieve that.”
— Michel Mubalama, Technical Support Intern
“I am interested in researching epigenetics and DNA regulatory regions, hopefully in conjunction with novel genetic technologies being developed to treat genetic disorders caused by mutations in those regions. Working here has also shown me what a career focused on molecular biology would look like, and that has piqued my interest.”
— Sheridan Moore, Research Associate Intern, Laboratory Sciences
“With the knowledge and confidence gained through this internship, as well as my inherent leadership and management qualities, I hope to make a positive impact on the CRO and pharma industries, whether it's through lab work or project management. I was greatly inspired by the way Altasciences ensures all processes are rigorously regulated and traceable, as well as the way their integrated services provide clients with a seamless experience. I believe my time at Altasciences will influence the impact I make for the rest of my career.”
— Surya Arcot Venkatesan, Ligand Binding Assays Intern
What Advice do you have for future interns at altasciences?
“Ask lots of questions! The Altasciences team has so many knowledgeable, kind people who would love nothing more than to aid you in building fundamental skills to strengthen your career.”
— Nafoni Modi, Project Management Intern
“Make the most out of your time at Altasciences by learning as much as possible and not being afraid to ask questions. I would also suggest that they network, as valuable connections may benefit them later.”
— Chloe Garabedian, Bioanalytical Services Intern
“I would press them to be hardworking and never hesitate to ask for help. People are respectful and will be understanding.”
— Michel Mubalama, Technical Support Intern
“It is not an easy job, but it is an important and meaningful job. They must work hard and efficiently, and be organized.”
— Yara Hankach, Bioanalytical Services Intern
“My greatest piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Even if you think you know how to do something, it is always better to double-check rather than deviate because you were afraid to ask. Additionally, advocate for yourself. If you want to learn more about a platform or acquire a new skill, speak up! People at Altasciences are invested in your experience as an intern and will do their best to make your goals happen.”
— Sheridan Moore, Research Associate Intern, Laboratory Sciences
Meet our summer 2024 interns
Chloe Garabedian, Bioanalytical Services Intern
Chloe has applied different extraction techniques, including protein precipitation and liquid-liquid extractions.
Griffin Harlow, Research Associate Intern, Laboratory Sciences
Griffin assisted with preparing reagents, quality control checks, peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMC) isolations and sample handling, and shipment receiving; and also learned to run the 10-plex cytokine assay.
Michel Mubalama, Technical Support Intern
Michel’s role consisted of everything related to reference standards and internal standards management (reception, dispensation, shipment, document archiving, etc.).
Nafoni Modi, Project Management Intern
Nafoni worked with all members of the project management department, including trial master file specialists, project coordinators, and project managers. As an intern, she shadowed them, and helped them complete their tasks.
Sheridan Moore, Research Associate Intern, Laboratory Sciences
Sheridan completed numerous tasks in the Laboratory Sciences department. The assays she worked on are the isolation of PBMCs for the flow cytometry team and the 10-plex MSD ELISA kits for the biomarker team. She also assisted with quality control and lab management duties, such as sorting samples, receiving reagents, maintenance, and labware washes.
Surya Arcot Venkatesan, Ligand Binding Assays Intern
Surya was actively involved in the R&D of a project that used HCR and LBA applications for a novel signal amplification strategy.
Yara Hankach, Bioanalytical Services Intern
Yara applied various extraction techniques, primarily protein precipitation in our bioanalytical laboratories.