We host students and graduates on our teams throughout the year to help foster the next generation of leaders in the biotechnology space. We talked with interns and co-ops from the past and asked them about their experience as well as what advice they would give to anyone looking to join Biogen as an educational employee.
Spotlights
Intern Testimonials – Thriving at Biogen
Shakher Sijipati
Shakher Sijipati, an MBA intern coming from Harvard Business School, helped drive success in our US Organization. Supporting our rare diseases unit, he helped deploy marketing materials and support our field teams who were talking to doctors on the ground. After the two-month internship ended, he said: “I’ve honestly fallen in love with the commercial side of things. I think there’s a lot of good work that I’ve been able to do. I’ve gotten exposure to several different functions and groups that I would love to better understand as I continue into the future. I see this as an area of a lot of growth.” To prospective interns, he stressed that they “take full advantage of their time at Biogen. As an intern it’s easy to reach out to others in the business, and people are willing to help. Get involved wherever possible. If a new project comes your way: say yes. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Shakher, MBA Intern, 2023
Caroline, HR Intern, 2023
Caroline Horgan
Caroline Horgan, an intern from Cornell University, supported our Human Resources (HR) team. As a student studying to go into HR after graduation, Caroline said that a major benefit of her time here came from “listening to how leaders frame the conversations behind talent management, and seeing how it went hand-in-hand with [her] coursework.” Throughout the summer, she worked on census data, learning HR systems like Workday, and supporting HR business partners in their teams’ projects. To new interns she said: “it’s all about being adaptive and knowing that you are valued as a part of the team. Because of that, I don’t know if interns at other companies are as lucky as me.”
Nishit Singh
Nishit Singh, a Co-op coming from Northeastern University, supported our lab work as a biologist. Specifically, Nishit helped develop complex human iPSC-neuron/glial co-culture in-vitro models. When talking about his time here, he explained: “I’m receiving the industrial experience which has been missing from my academic work.” After, Nishit talked about his hopes for future positions, to which he said: “By working here, I’ve learned to love neuroscience and am looking to continue working in this field moving forward.” For new co-ops and interns, he said: “If you get the opportunity for a new project, go for it. The managers here are open to letting you learn new things, so take advantage of that.”
Nishit, Biologist Co-Op, 2023
Alexus, Co-Op Instructional Design, 2023
Alexus Walker
Alexus Walker, a Co-op in instructional design from the University of Phoenix, worked on educational modules for employees across the world. “That’s my favorite thing about working at Biogen,” Alexus said,” I get to work with people all around the world and I’ve been learning a lot.” Alexus gained experience by talking with and learning from her manager, who she now calls a mentor. For the people who are just coming to Biogen today, she said: “Don’t be nervous. It’s a large place, but everyone is welcoming. It’s a community and people are here to help you succeed. Bring all the knowledge you have and be open to learn more.”
Ana Lucia Gonzales Urday
Ana Lucia Gonzales Urday, or Analu, worked as a Co-op in Protein Biotherapeutics. As a part of her studies at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Analu worked on antibody discovery alongside her manager and broader team. For Analu, the teamwork and collective goal made the work feel worthwhile. In her words, she said: “it feels like a real team here, you all have the same goal: to help people.” In addition to that goal, she spoke about the learning and growth that she experienced while being here. “I’ve worked with people that know more than me, which is good, they give me a different perspective so I can see things in a new way.” She will graduate with her Ph.D. in 2024 and plans on working as a scientist in the industry moving forward.
Analu, Protein Biotherapeutics Co-Op, 2023
At Biogen we are passionate about making the employee experience one where each person is treated with respect. Whether you are an educational or full-time employee, we apply this same approach to everyone who makes our work possible.
To learn more about our educational programs, visit our Students and Graduates page.