Upcoming Events

If you are in need of an event scholarship or would like to donate to our scholarship program, please visit our scholarship page.

2020-2021 Annual Theme: Building Community, Resilience, and Impact

2020 has been a year full of unprecedented events, and WEST’s 2020-2021
annual theme of Building Community, Resilience, and Impact will help you
navigate these times. WEST is committed to supporting the community by
organizing events that bring members together to tackle challenges in the
workplace that impact personal growth, career development and beyond. Through virtual workshops, panel discussions, networking events, and more,
you will be empowered to overcome obstacles and rise to the occasion.

MAR03

Career Possibilities: Clinical, Regulatory, and Development
March 3, 2021 4:00-5:30 PM EST

In the world of business, careers are no longer linear or predictable. This panel series is designed to help you think about your career path and the different options that are open to you. This panel discussion is the third in our new panel series called "Career Possibilities". We will look at careers in Clinical, Regulatory, and Development. The panel will have an informational interview type feel with panelists sharing their career paths, a look at what their job entails, transferrable skills for those looking to make a change, tips for uncovering opportunities, advice for others, and how to make brave leaps. This panel discussion will be moderated by Jackie Schumacher, Regulatory, and Quality Lead at Rallybio.

Panelists include:

Erika Dahl, Consultant, Strategy & Program Leadership, Halloran Consulting Group, Inc. 
Gersham Dent, Senior Director of Clinical Imaging, Biogen
Adrianne Monsef, Director, Program and Alliance Management at Pandion Therapeutics
Jana Subramanyam, VP of Regulatory, Allena
Debi Tran, Global Regulatory Portfolio Lead, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Nadia Zakaria, Director of Translational Medicine, Novartis

Location: Zoom

Cost: Members, Students, Postdocs: $5; Non-Members: $15

MAR10

Lost in Translation: 3 Secrets to Successfully Communicate in Times of Chaos and Uncertainty
March 10, 2021 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST

Communication is the key to success in life, work, and relationships… especially in uncertain times, it will decide whether we win or fail to navigate a crisis. And yet, often enough we face situations where our message turns into error, misunderstanding, or frustration, simply because it was misinterpreted or maybe poorly delivered. And we’re left off with a feeling of being lost in translation. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Join us as we learn from Kristina Albert, Executive Coach & International Leadership Advisor, about simple strategies for powerful conversations and how to become a successful and effective communicator.

Cost: Members: $5; Non-Members: $15

MAR24

Career Possibilities: Portfolio Strategy, Project Management, and Scientific Operations
March 24, 2021 4:00-5:30 PM EST

In the world of business, careers are no longer linear or predictable. This panel series is designed to help you think about your career path and the different options that are open to you. This panel discussion is the fourth in our new panel series called "Career Possibilities". We will look at careers in Portfolio/Project Management, and Scientific Operations. The panel will have an informational interview type feel with panelists sharing their career paths, a look at what their job entails, transferrable skills for those looking to make a change, tips for uncovering opportunities, advice for others, and how to make brave leaps.

Panelists include:

Kelly Clark, Head of R&D Project Management, Biogen
Ranjani Hild, Director of Portfolio & Strategy, Opthalmology, Novartis
Bina Keshavan, Vice President & Head of Program Management, Ovid Therapeutics
Rose Loughlin, VP R&D Strategy, Moderna
Sherrie Tafuri, Sr Director, Program & Alliance Management

Location: Zoom

Cost: Members, Students, Postdocs: $5; Non-Members: $15

apr07

Relaunching careers in scientific research and biomedical engineering - 5 years later, where are they now?
April 7, 2021 6:00 - 7:00 PM EST

Five years ago we held a panel on launching or relaunching scientific research careers after a career break, working in an unrelated field, or after a delayed start. On April 7th, we bring back the same panel to talk about where they are now. This promises to be an excellent discussion about career progression, with each participant giving us a retrospective view of their career path choices, including comments on "what I wish I knew."

Panelists include:

Indira Krishnan, 13 year career break, Research Associate / Staff Scientist, Harvard Medical School
Enith Morillo, 9 year career break, President and Principal Consultant at Cadoret Global, LLC
Theresa Singleton, 8-month career break, Owner and Principal Scientific Writer at Singleton Science, LLC
Carol Waghorne, 10 year career break, Senior Curation Specialist at Trapelo Health Moderator
Carol Fishman Cohen, Chair & Co-founder, iRelaunch (11 year career break)

Location: Zoom

Cost: Members: $5; Non-Members: $15

APR14

Career Possibilities: Medical Affairs - Communications, Publications, Medical Science Liaison
April 14, 2021 4:00-5:30 PM EST

In the world of business, careers are no longer linear or predictable. This panel series is designed to help you think about your career path and the different options that are open to you. This panel discussion is the fifth in our new panel series called "Career Possibilities". We will look at careers in Medical Affairs and Scientific CommunicationsThe panel will have an informational interview type feel with panelists sharing their career paths, a look at what their job entails, transferrable skills for those looking to make a change, tips for uncovering opportunities, advice for others, and how to make brave leaps. This panel discussion will be moderated by Leah Cole, Director Immunology at Sanofi Pasteur.

Panelists include:

Michelle Avery, PhD, Senior Director, Investor Relations, Pandion Therapeutics
Guissou Dabiri, President, GD Scientific & Medical Writing
Michael Hooks, Senior Director, Medical, Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Jennifer Kuhns, Regional Medical Scientific Director, Merck & Co. GU Oncology
Joe Medicis, Director of US Medical Affairs, Calliditas Therapeutics AB
Evelyn Volsi Finegold, Medical Science Liaison, Clinical Development, Jounce Therapeutics

Location: Zoom

Cost: Members, Students, Postdocs: $5; Non-Members: $15

MAY05

Career Possibilities: Business Development, Lawyers - Patent, Contract
May 5, 2021 4:00-5:30 PM EST

In the world of business, careers are no longer linear or predictable. This panel series is designed to help you think about your career path and the different options that are open to you. This panel discussion is the sixth in our new panel series called "Career Possibilities". We will look at careers in Business Development, Contracts, and Patent law. This panel will have an informational interview type feel with panelists sharing their career paths, a look at what their job entails, transferrable skills for those looking to make a change, tips for uncovering opportunities, advice for others, and how to make brave leaps.

Panelists include:

Cambria Alpha-Cobb, Patent Lawyer, Momenta
Thanh Erion, Director, Intellectual Property at ImmunoGen, Inc.
Angelyn Larkin, Associate, Lando and Anastasi
Michael McDonald, VP, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, bluebird bio
Bharat Reddy, Head of BD, Catamaran Bio
Ann Schlesinger, Director, External Science & Partnering, Novartis

Location: Zoom

Cost: Members, Students, Postdocs: $5; Non-Members: $15

MAY12

Communicating for Interpersonal Effectiveness
May 12, 2021 12:00-1:30 PM EST

Focusing time on personal development to become more self-aware can offer benefits that help individuals and teams become more effective, at work and in broader contexts. Working to uncover aspects of yourself that you may not be fully aware of can support your development journey, and can have positive impacts on those around you. Through this 90 minute interactive workshop, you will experience the impact that understanding your own preferences and style can have on you as an individual, and on others, as you learn how to adapt your style to make deeper connections.

In this workshop you will:

Discover more about yourself and the value you bring to relationships
Learn to recognize and appreciate differences in others
Understand how to approach conversations with an open, positive perspective
Learn how to connect more effectively with others by adapting your style

Location: Zoom

Cost: Members: $5; Non-Members: $15

MAY18

Building Your Personal Advisory Board
May 18, 2021 12:00-1:15 PM EST

Are you looking to take on a new leadership role or make a career transition? Are you ready to advance your career trajectory with clarity, confidence and a support system dedicated to helping you succeed? In order to achieve this next level of success you want to ensure that you have mentors and coaches on your team to guide, motivate and challenge you. As our society continues to become increasingly global, diverse and competitive you simply cannot maximize your full potential without a team of advisors. Having a personal board of directors that you trust provides you with a core group of people who will validate your greatness and push you beyond your limits. During this session we will learn about the 7 people you need on your advisory board; how to identify them and how to leverage them.

Location: Zoom

Cost: Members: $5; Non-Members: $15

June03

The Anxious Go-Getter: Keep The Achievement, Lose The Anxiety
June 3, 2021 4:00-5:30 PM EST

Imagine a life where you remain as successful, productive, and appreciated, without that ever-exhausting weight of anxiety accompanying you behind the scenes every step of the way. To those with high functioning anxiety, these ideas may seem like only distant dreams.

In this talk, Courtney, an anxious go-getter herself, will show you how all of this is possible for YOU. She will walk you through an effective, step-by-step process of cultivating a new, more constructive relationship with anxiety… a relationship built upon acceptance and compassion, rather than fear and perfectionism.

Join us to learn to achieve the same level of success in your life, with a fraction of the anxiety!

Location: Zoom

Cost: Members: $5; Non-Members: $15

Click here to learn more about our workshop leaders