Joe Carlino obtained his first position as a project manager in 1988 after only one year as a bench scientist at Collagen Corporation. He spent his first year at Collagen characterizing the effects of transforming growth factor-β2, a bovine growth factor that scientists had stumbled on while deriving collagen from cow hides for their antiwrinkle products. When the company decided to take the compound to the clinic, Carlino was asked to help oversee the project.
At first, Carlino balanced his own research with his management duties, but over time he moved solely into project management. Today he works as a successful independent project management consultant. "I found that I was good at translating the technical aspects of drug development for the nonscientists, and the drug development aspects for the scientists," he says.
As a recruiter in the life sciences, I have seen many discovery researchers like Carlino move into areas ...
