Wolfe Laboratories Scientists Inspire Younger Generations

WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wolfe Laboratories, Inc. (WLI), a biopharmaceutical development services company dedicated to community service, participated in the first-ever statewide Biotechnology Job Shadow Day by hosting twenty 11^th grade students from the Boston Latin School, the oldest school in America.

“We gave Boston Latin students the opportunity to observe our world-class scientists developing breakthrough therapeutics that improve human health, to spark the students’ interest in the life sciences.”

"The partnership between the biotech industry and Massachusetts’ future workforce is extremely important to Wolfe Laboratories, so we were thrilled to participate in the first-ever statewide Biotechnology Job Shadow Day,” said Margarita Hunter, Head of Marketing and Communications at WLI. “We gave Boston Latin students the opportunity to observe our world-class scientists developing breakthrough therapeutics that improve human health, to spark the students’ interest in the life sciences.”

The 11^th graders were paired with three of Wolfe’s scientists, Kristina Hugar, Scott Michaels, and Michelle Lieberman, and the company’s Head of Human Resources, Rick Eastwick who gave the young adults the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a real-world life sciences setting. They received a tour of WLI’s facility, conducted experiments in Wolfe’s state-of-the-art laboratories, and listened to presentations on the life sciences industry.

“The Biotechnology Job Shadow Day exemplifies our mission to collaborate with the community,” said Rick Eastwick. “With a plethora of innovative biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and leading academic institutions in the Boston area, we are very grateful to contribute the future of the biopharmaceutical talent pipeline. It is incredibly rewarding to see students light up with excitement at the possibility of joining an industry that betters people’s lives.”

Boston Latin student, Jennifer Huynh, shared her experiences about working as an intern at Harvard Medical School last summer. With a previous interest in science, she is now in the process of applying to Harvard as an undergraduate and looks forward to the possibility of studying at an Ivy League school.

Organized and sponsored by The Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio), the full-day event gave more than 350 Massachusetts high school students the opportunity to shadow professionals at twelve biotechnology companies in an ongoing effort to increase interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. This was the first statewide event held to draw attention to the growing partnership between the biotech industry and Massachusetts’ future workforce.

“The future of the biotechnology industry in Massachusetts is dependent upon the presence of a qualified workforce,” said Lance Hartford, Executive Director of MassBioEd. “Activities like job shadowing or hands-on science labs are proven to pique students’ interest in STEM and often translate into an increase in students pursuing science in college and beyond.”

Other participating companies included: Abbott Labs; Avecia; AstraZeneca; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Cubist Pharmaceuticals; EMD Serono; Formatech; MicroTest; Millipore; Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company; and Shire.

About Wolfe Laboratories, Inc. (WLI)

WLI is a biopharmaceutical development company that offers customized translational research services and comprehensive IND-enabling programs for biologics and small molecules. Through its development services in ADMET and CMC areas, as well as cGLP and cGMP testing, the company brings value to its clients by rapidly providing high quality project planning and execution through its experienced staff and management team. Drug Development Done Right. On Time. For more information, visit www.wolfelabs.com.