Amgen PhD fellows gain industry experience while completing dissertations

—Tucson, AZ—

University of Arizona PhD students Selina Kindelay and Marc Zempare hope more of their peers will benefit from the Amgen PhD Fellowship program, which enabled them to work in the company's world-class research laboratories while finishing their doctoral degrees. They agreed that the opportunity provided by Amgen, one of the early pioneers of the biotech industry, is helping to diversify and strengthen the nation's biotechnology workforce.

Internship opens doors to new fields for Selina Kindelay.

A PhD student in the Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP), Selina Kindelay joined a lab studying targeted protein degradation at Amgen's Thousand Oaks campus in October 2023. Her six-month project used mass spectrometry-based proteomics to study how proteins change when exposed to small molecule degraders.

The project required Kindelay to delve into computational biology and proteomics, fields she says she probably wouldn't have explored otherwise. "Coming in with no background in proteomics, or even computational biology, was a real stretch," she said, "but I wanted to challenge myself, and Amgen seemed happy to help me do that!" She described the experience as "a whole new education" that inspired her to pursue postdoctoral studies in precision medicine, focusing on using bioinformatics to understand disease variability and improve therapeutic design.

The structure of the Amgen PhD fellowship program compelled Kindelay to develop new skills and receive professional mentorship. Her Amgen mentor, Bo Zhou, a Senior Principal Scientist and Proteomics Group Leader, met with her weekly, offering invaluable input and career advice. Kindelay, who grew up on the San Carlos Apache reservation in southeastern Arizona, said many Indigenous young people would thrive with better access to resources and opportunities to interact with individuals who can broaden their horizons and introduce them to diverse career paths. "The mentoring I've received at the University of Arizona and now with Amgen has changed everything for me," she said.

In May 2024, Kindelay successfully defended her dissertation on developmental genetics in Drosophila, particularly the dynamics of ribosomal DNA.

Amgen welcomes Marc Zempare's passion for serving others.

Marc Zempare discovered neuroscience as an undergrad at the University of Arizona. "I took an animal behavior class in my junior year and loved everything about it," he said. Following graduation, he worked on campus as a technician for Carol Barnes, Regent's Professor, Psychology, Neurology & Neuroscience. Dr. Barnes's mentorship was invaluable, he said. "She pushed me to challenge myself and grow as a scientist." Barnes's guidance solidified his interest in research and led him to pursue his PhD in neuroscience through the University's Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP).

Zempare's doctoral work centers on the cognitive processes of learning and memory in normative aging and Alzheimer's disease. From January to July 2024, at Amgen's facilities in San Francisco, Zempare is complementing his campus research by using human pluripotent stem cells to screen interactions of various genes using CRISPR technology.

Like Kindelay, Zempare is thriving with the mentorship Amgen provides its fellows. Wilford Wang, PhD, Senior Scientist, Kaylee Choi, PhD, Senior Principal Scientist, and Peter Hodder, PhD, Executive Director and Head of Lead Discovery and Characterization, have all been generous in their time, said Zempare, meeting with him one-on-one regularly.  "I feel extremely lucky to be part of this team, learning from such amazing scientists and incredible leaders," he said.

Zempare's internship has taken him out of the lab and into the community. For example, he was invited to speak to master's students from Cal State East Bay to encourage their pursuit of careers in STEM fields. "It's good to know that companies like Amgen will allow me to pursue my passion for service," he said. "Whatever I do and wherever I work, I want to be mentoring and helping others."

Zempare is already seeing results from Amgen's program to support members of communities underrepresented in STEM. "When I first started going to neuroscience conferences, I wouldn't see a lot of African-American men like me," he said. "Nowadays, I see so many young scientists of African-American background and different backgrounds at those events. The field is changing, and it's exciting and encouraging."

The synergy of industry-academia partnerships. 

Frans Tax, University of Arizona Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biology, is familiar with the generous returns that come when institutions collaborate to help underrepresented students with robust funding and wise mentoring. As director for the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) program, dozens of IMSD students are now among the leading ranks of industry, government and academia. “The relationship with Amgen has been everything we might have asked for, and then some! Amgen has been a great partner in giving our students a taste of conducting cutting-edge biotech research, and the mentorship experience for the students has been amazing. Our students receive training, advice and connections that will benefit them for the rest of their professional careers.” 

Brian Adair, Executive Director for Industry Engagement in U of A’s Research Development Services unit, said, “I’m pleased to announce that Amgen recently funded a third year of the fellowship program. U of A PhD student Hannah Ortiz will join Amgen’s state-of-the-art R&D site in South San Francisco for a six-month fellowship starting in September 2024. We couldn’t be more pleased that Arizona students get access to world-class mentors, resources, and training from an industry leader as they prepare for careers in biotech.”