Background: B.S. Biology, Concordia University, Canada
Bioscience Internship: Guo Lab, UCSF
Current Career: Research Assistant, Galvanize Therapeutics
Previous to her current role at Galvanize Therapeutics, Fatima worked as an Operations Assistant at Nitrome Biosciences.
Fatima working at Nitrome Biosciences
I moved to San Francisco in 2015 and realized I was in the midst of a biotech hub. I had always wanted to work in biotech and solve real world problems by using science. After I had graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Canada I had gotten married and moved to the USA to Seattle in the midst of the 2008 recession. After much effort I was unable to find a job in Biotechnology.
When I moved to San Francisco I felt I could finally start my career in biotechnology but after a long break from work I needed a good stepping stone to bridge the gap. The stem cell certificate program at CCSF was perfect for that. I joined CCSF in 2017. I was trained in the latest techniques by very dedicated instructors. As I am a mom to two young kids, I took my time completing the classes and did them at my own pace. Apart from the excellent course work and hands on training I received at the City College, I also completed a CCSF Bioscience internship at UCSF in a bioengineering lab working in neuroscience using zebra fish. At the end of the program I presented a scientific poster and got a chance to network with other scientists at the Biosymposium.
This year (2020), I decided to start searching for work, as the pandemic hit, and we had to shelter in place, finding jobs got more difficult. I reached out to Karen Leung and to the counselors at the CCSF Career Center and they gave me excellent resources and tips on job searching. An internship opportunity at Nitrome Biosciences was shared by the job board in the CCSF Biotechnology program and I applied for it. The internship was to work in operations and although I wanted to work in research at the bench, I have been curious to understand how labs function. During the internship, I helped the operations director for Nitrome Biosciences set up the lab at their new facility and in the process learned a lot. After two months as an intern I was offered a full-time position as an operation assistant which will include training with the cell culture scientists to work with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and differentiate them into neurons.
I enjoy the work I am doing and the continuous learning and training I’m receiving. I have always wanted participate in Neuroscience, and this is a dream come true for me. I would not have been here if it were not for all the dedicated instructors I had in the CCSF Biotechnology Program.
Fatima with her CCSF Biosymposium Career Exploration poster for BTEC 15 on "Research into Stem Cell treatments for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis"
Fatima doing cell culture at Nitrome Biosciences
Fatima sporting her new Nitrome Biosciences vest.
