A Day in the Life of a CDoT Research Scientist
CDoT Research Scientists are highly motivated and talented individuals with experience in small molecule drug discovery and, generally, Ph.D.’s in their area of expertise. Our scientists work in multi-disciplinary teams across a wide range of disease areas to advance challenging drug discovery projects. They work independently to design and execute research plans and ensure that critical project requirements, timelines and deliverables are met.
Guillaume, CDoT Research Scientist in Structural Biology/Protein Science
“There’s no normal here at CDoT - every day brings something different. It’s not just ‘rinse and repeat’. I’m responsible for achieving the scientific objectives for my drug discovery project. This includes determining how - for example I write protocols and develop constructs - as well as the timeline.
I particularly enjoy the ability to learn new things and then apply them to my job. For example, I’m working on an initiative to automate the protein screening process with a liquid handler. At CDoT we have lots of knowledgeable, competent people and lots of instruments. In addition, the PIs (Primary Investigators) are proximal and accessible - this gives me access to world experts in technologies.
It’s compelling to get to work with the research labs that are discovering novel targets. Broad really is at the forefront of target identification. Another great aspect of working at CDoT is the flexible working hours. CDoT and Broad are very family friendly.”
Jason, CDoT Research Scientist in Translational Pharmacology
“Every day at CDoT is different and I don’t feel like I’m just turning the crank on something. On average, I spend about 50% of my time in the lab, designing assays and working to obtain proof of concept. I get to work in scientific areas where no path has yet been carved and therefore, I have to come up with a way to do something new. I also spend time mentoring junior lab staff in assay execution, supervising execution, and helping to interpret their results.
The other 50% of my time is non-lab work, which includes my activities as a Project Team Leader. As a Project Leader I am responsible for planning project activities, determining the essential experiments and deciding what tools and resources are needed. I also have to work out how best to communicate our progress. In all these activities, I work with my project team partners in our pharma collaboration, and really value the back and forth intellectual dialogue with them.
I also get to spend time discovering Broad science, through Broad-wide seminars, talks and events. These give me a window into academic research at the Broad, which can have a different flavor than therapeutics. I get to see where the scientific edge is at the Broad and have an idea about what new science is coming next.”
