Senior Scientist + Founder Gets to Mentor and Innovate

Name: Carmen Banks (she/her)

PhD: Animal Biology (with Designated Emphasis in Reproductive Biology), University of California - Davis, 2021

What was your main area of research?

I studied mammary gland biology & Prolactin Biology (mechanisms underlying the PRL/PRLR axis in regulating calcium flux during pregnancy and lactation).

What is your current job?

I am a Senior Scientist at Triplebar in Emeryville, California + CEO & Founder of MelanInScience in San Francisco, California.

My job entails a lot of things:

• Antibody Discovery (Pharma)

  • Develop a high-throughput screening platform for TCR engagers, incorporating automation and

  • data analytics to streamline candidate identification.

  • Design scientific workflows to perform cell-based functional assays in high throughput microfluidics systems

  • Lead internal R&D and manage outsourced work through partners and active collaborations

  • Design and implement a droplet-based PCR system to enable high-throughput screening (HTS) of genetic and molecular targets

  • Design and execute binding and functional assays to evaluate antibody efficacy and specificity.

• Cell Line Development (Cultivated Meat)

  • Led a team of 5 scientists and research associates in the development of innovative cell lines for external partners

  • Led the development and optimization of 3 novel cell lines for a key partner, achieving a 3x improvement in growth and significantly reducing cost of goods.

  • Spearheaded the development of a high-throughput pipeline, generating a suspension-adapted cell lines with accelerated growth and differentiation characteristics

  • Directed the development and validation of assays for cell performance metrics, including growth rate analysis, viability assays, and metabolic activity assessments

  • Developed and optimized growth media formulations for cell suspension adaptation, mentoring team members to refine protocols that enhanced cell viability and met partner milestones.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

Mentoring and innovating! Working in a startup gives you a unique opportunity to solve really cool (and challenging!) problems. Due to the small environment, you can see the direct impact of your work in your field (via patents, publications, innovation, etc).

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Science communication!

In a startup, I am communicating with a wide range of technical and non-technical folks. Being able to concisely and effectively communicate my findings has been crucial to my rapid career growth and success.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

Mentoring has been super helpful for practicing my communication and soft skills. I also try to present my data as much and as often as I can with technical and non technical audiences.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

Old coworker

PhD graduate ➡️ Scientist 1 ➡️ Scientist 2 ➡️ Senior Scientist

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Network!! In today's job market most offers/interviews come from referrals.

In addition, practice communicating high level information concisely. In a startup, you likely will report to C-Suite folks. They don't want to know the nitty gritty of your experiments, just the most important information!

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

I knew when I started my PhD :)

I knew going into grad school I wanted to work in industry (mainly because of earning potential), but getting a PhD solidified my desire to stay FAR away from academia (due to toxic work culture)!

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Join a lab that will position you well for a job outside of academia.. Be transparent with your PI during the interview/selection process about your career goals.

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

As a black woman I am usually the "only" in the room -- only black person, only black woman, only person of color, etc. This has been difficult to navigate, but I am grateful to use my platform to inspire other folks of color in science through my company, MelanInScience.