My interest in the sciences dates all the way back to my high school biology and chemistry classes. Back then I had several professors who were invested in me and gave me advice concerning my college career. An internship in the Biologics division of Janssen Pharmaceuticals showed me the translational impact that biomedical research can have on patients. Not only was I passionate about therapeutic innovation, but I was encouraged by mentors to grow those scientific and professional skills even more, and thus I resolved to pursue a PhD.
Almost immediately, I became captivated by the complexity of immunology and the network of interactions that must occur for effective immune responses against foreign pathogens. The translational nature of my PhD research on human B cell immunity has been highlighted even more in these past months given the current global pandemic. Looking forward, I intend to use this knowledge to have a significant impact on the healthcare ecosystem, working with pharmaceutical companies to move therapeutics from bench to bedside. Beyond academia, I’ve sought additional ways to broaden my biomedical interests and expand my interprofessional network. Most recently, I’ve been heavily involved as the program director of EnventureSA.
EnventureSA is a nonprofit organization that promotes biomedical career development among young professionals and supports the growth of San Antonio’s life science ecosystem. Founded in Houston, TX in 2012, Enventure is a grassroots organization led by students just like me who want more opportunities from their advanced degrees. Our goal is to create an engaged and empowered community of professionals who can bridge the gap between their professional degrees and diverse career options to become the next leaders in the healthcare space. We provide avenues for professional development such as networking and career discovery, workshops to grow real-life applicable skill sets, and client facing experiences like consulting projects with local startups. In less than one year, I’ve already witnessed some real impact, with students thinking about their career trajectory earlier on and getting involved to realize their career aspirations. 5 years from now, I would hope to see more programs with a wider reach throughout San Antonio, increased engagement with startups, accelerators, tech transfer offices and academic institutions, and a robust and interactive community of young diverse professionals. We are definitely on our way to making that a reality, but it’s going to take grit and determination from other passionate individuals to see us succeed in the long run. Ultimately, I hope we build something that people find real value in and that will hopefully inspire the future generation.
About Justin Moroney:
Justin Moroney is a senior PhD candidate studying Molecular Immunology and Microbiology at UT Health San Antonio. He serves as the program director of EnventureSA, consulting club program lead and interns at UT’s Office of Technology Commercialization.
Links to Enventure: https://www.enventuresa.org
https://www.linkedin.com/company/enventure-san-antonio
Story: John Kouam, Photos: Claire Schenken