Technology Commercialization
Lilly Xu on her internship at LURIS, July 2010.
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“Why did I choose the subject technology transfer and the internship program in Leiden University Research and Innovation Services (LURIS)?
The first to address is the personal value to me. I have a background in chemistry although I have not received the master degree in biochemistry yet, I come from the research-intensive area and have been exposed to basic research for a couple of years. I have the desire to go beyond the boundaries of the traditional career pathway in academia, and I would like to pursue the opportunities beyond the bench.
Doing the SBB Fundamental course, I realized that there are many opportunities where my skills could be utilized in the biotech-science community. The internship in LURIS allowed me exposure to the business world without having to commit to another degree. LURIS provided me an opportunity to gain some real-world exposure and to evaluate it as a long-term career goal.
Laura McDonald, Director of Licensing, offered me a number of learning opportunities that I would otherwise not be able to access. The weekly meetings, workshop, seminars and teleconferences provided me networking opportunities as well. From a personal point of view, one of the greatest attractions of the internship at LURIS is the chance to work with most cutting-edge researchers and leaders in the business community.
Thanks to the training in LURIS, I was able to identify several areas where I believed I could add value back to LURIS, to commercial partners, and to the science community. I believed the greatest value to be gained from the internship program was the experience required to turn a notion into a solution.
During the stay in LURIS I developed hands-on experience in working with university researchers, start-up companies, and even established companies to develop a product. I believe that I added value to LURIS and university’s researchers by performing self-directed activities that are not just academic exercises.
LURIS not only offered me the opportunity to develop the skills of helping researchers pave the way of basic research effort to the marketplace, but exposed me to the real-world and down-to-earth needs from both sides. Working with scientists who have new technologies and expertise to create a product that will ultimately help someone appears to be lofty goal, but that is the opportunity offered by LURIS.
I played a role in the development of technologies that are all aimed at diagnosing and treating disease. Although I am not physician, I believe my role in healthcare through all the work Í have done will benefit our community.”
By Lilly Xu. You can also read her experiences with SBB courses and the Dutch Culture in her Testimonial.
Find more information on SBB internships and more SBB internship experiences on our website.
