I didn’t realize how drastically my summer plans would change when Dr. Diaz asked my SEA-GENES cohort if we were interested in an internship position with a biotech company called Ionis. When I started college two years ago, all I knew was that I enjoyed science and wasn’t interested in healthcare professions. So, this opportunity to gain exposure to other career paths seemed like a good plan. When I raised my hand to say yes to Dr. Diaz, I didn’t think I would land the position. With some help on my CV and some prep from Dr. Arnold Gutierrez, however, I managed to do well in my interview and was given an offer to spend my summer in Carlsbad, which I eagerly accepted.
Over my 11 weeks in Carlsbad as a pharmaceutical development intern, I spent most of my time in the chemistry labs at Ionis’ Faraday campus. Pharmaceutical development brings new pharmaceutical drug products to the market once the drug discovery process identifies a lead compound. The drug products I worked with contain oligonucleotides, which can undergo complex entanglement and lead to high viscosities that make injectability through narrow needles difficult (which can be dangerous for administering drugs to a patient). So, my responsibilities this summer were to evaluate the viscosity-reducing ability of various excipients when added to these oligonucleotide formulations and report on their impact on the drug products’ stability.
While I had some research experience through SEA-PHAGES, SEA-GENES, and Sutter Lab before this summer, the fact that my only experience with chemistry research was assigned class labs made me nervous. However, my mentor, Alex Wollenberg, was more than adapting every step of the way. He taught me everything essential that I would need to know, but also gave me the room to experiment and try to come up with solutions on my own before coming to him for help. This experience opened my eyes to how much I enjoyed chemistry, and I’m super excited to be minoring in it. Viscosity and the chemical properties of drug solutions are significant for drug characterization and for creating safe and administrable drug products that people can use to help them get better. I felt as if I was contributing relevant and essential information throughout my whole experience, and I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to keep contributing to this research for my Honors Scholarship Project (special shoutout to Alex Wollenberg (Ionis), Ken Kabingue (Ionis), and the La Sierra Chemistry Department for facilitating everything for me and making this possible!).
Outside of my research project, I had the opportunity to sit in on various meetings and meet with a variety of Ionis staff members to learn more about their career journeys. Not only was I able to make connections with industry professionals, but I also got to glimpse their day-to-day activities and see if I was interested in them. Ionis is unique in the fact that it is a mid-size pharmaceutical company that manufactures drugs in-house as well as through outsourcing. This unique model and the company’s motivating work environment fostered innovation and scientific excellence, which I was excited to be a part of.
The most meaningful part of this experience was the people I met along the way. From bringing back copious amounts of leftovers for everyone at the Faraday with Grant to weekly ‘Taco Tuesday’ meetups with the other interns after work and binge-watching Shark Tank with my roommates before bed, there was never a dull moment. As Mike, one of the Faraday workers, aptly said, we became a sort of family. Having people in my corner ready to offer their love and support in any way possible made all the difference in my experience this summer and my plans for graduate school. While many people (and families) may feel apprehensive about career prospects outside of medicine, this summer has shown me that there are many fulfilling career paths beyond healthcare professions.
Overall, this summer was an incredibly affirming and educational experience for me. If anyone else has ever felt unsure about their future and would like to explore other potential career paths (looking right at you, premeds 😉 LOL kidding ), I recommend applying for research opportunities. Just as I was notified of the opportunity through Dr. Diaz, connecting with department faculty and expressing interest in internships can go a long way. Professors have invaluable connections and knowledge to guide students in the right direction, especially regarding research and internships. Aside from faculty and staff, STEM Pathways and OACS (Career Services and Pre-Health) also advertise summer internships and other opportunities to help students discover their interests and develop their resumes. LinkedIn and Glassdoor are also good websites, but honestly, never underestimate the power of a simple Google search. Sometimes, life has a funny way of working out and providing unique opportunities. I’m lucky and grateful that last summer was NOTHING like I expected, and I hope other people get that opportunity, too!
—Daphne Prakash, Class of 2025: Biological Sciences