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Job Title: Research Scientist - Medical Devices
Type of Company: Company makes minimally invasive medical devices (catheters, stents, etc.)
Education: PhD Chemical Engineering
Previous Experience: Employed nine years as a research scientist for an imaging company before moving into medical device R&D (for 12 years).
Job Tasks: I am a member of a team working to develop new medical devices. All products involve drug delivery from the medical device or surface modifications to improve the biological response of the device in the body.
I am responsible for knowing the required characteristics and select polymers best suited for the application based on the requirements. This includes planning, carrying out, analyzing, and reporting results of tests with novel materials or configurations with these materials.
The characteristics I consider and test for each candidate polymer includes: - ability to formulate into coating solutions (solvent drug compatibility/solubility); - physical performance of the polymer / drug combination (can it bend or expand without cracking when required); - availability and manufacturability; - develop formulation for specific drug release rate and dose (amount of drug delivered to patient over specific time interval); - biological response (does it cause inflammation or other undesirable responses).
Other members on the team are responsible for developing and carrying out: - coating process - testing the drug level and release rate - animal studies to determine the biological response.
I am also responsible for knowing the industry; specifically, who are our competitors, and what is their technology (including any published manuscripts and patent activity). I must also know about the technology of similar / related products. Occasionally, I will receive an assignment to understand and assess viability of a different products; which is accomplished by reviewing patents, literature, and professional meeting presentations.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: We are developing products to help save lives. Get to dive into the technology to better understand how the products save lives and develop ways to make them better.
I do not like spending hours putting together presentations that take 30 minutes to give. The job entails long hours.
Job Tips:
1. You need an advanced degree in engineering, biological sciences.
2. Learn about competitive products and details of the specific technology.
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