Marinus’ internship program provides students the opportunity to discover and explore a variety of fields in the pharmaceutical space. Our interns work alongside our leaders and tackle projects where they can make real, tangible impacts on the business while contributing to our meaningful mission.
This year, a group of talented, eager-to-learn interns provided a wealth of knowledge, new perspectives and unique strengths and skill sets to Marinus. As we say thank you and farewell to our 2021 interns, we invite you to learn more about them, their experiences, and contributions.
+++
Pooja Agrawal
Clinical Development Intern
In preparation for her second year of pharmacy at Rutgers University, Pooja Agrawal set out to find an internship where she would have the opportunity to work alongside individuals across various departments within the pharmaceutical space to better understand the industry as a whole and what different fields do in depth.
“While interviewing with Marinus, I felt a sense of community and friendliness, which most definitely translated over throughout my internship.”
During Pooja’s internship, she worked on multiple projects that allowed her to gain real-world clinical development experience and a robust understanding of what is involved and required at each stage of a clinical trial.
“I benefited greatly being able to collaborate on different assignments with members of multiple teams. I was invited to participate in meetings on active Marinus clinical trials and gain hands on experience.”
Given Pooja’s interest in understanding the interplay of different business functions within the pharmaceutical space, her manager provided ample opportunity for Pooja to immerse herself in a variety of projects that enabled her to learn more about regulatory and medical affairs, while also developing a deep understanding of the roles within clinical operations.
After interning at Marinus, Pooja plans to graduate pharmacy school and begin working in pharmaceuticals within the health economics and outcomes research or clinical operations field.
“This internship solidified my interests with the combination of statistics, data, and medicine and I hope to do something similar in the future! Everyone was so welcoming to the interns—the sense of community improved my work ethic and motivated me to reach out to others and learn more about what they do.”
Dmitri Bourlako
Information Technology Intern
Dmitri Bourlako was eager to intern with Marinus’ information technology group—Marinus Technology (MT)—with the hope of gaining both real-world IT experience and exposure to the pharmaceutical industry.
“When researching Marinus, I was excited about the work that was being done developing potential treatments for seizure disorders. After learning of the Marinus mission, I knew that I wanted to be part this organization and that if I had the opportunity to help Marinus, I would take it.”
Dmitri worked on technical projects of importance to MT infrastructure, helped develop the first prototype of the company intranet, and met with vendors to find solutions to help meet the needs of the business.
“Through this internship, I gained invaluable experience that made me more certain to pursue an IT career in the biopharmaceutical industry. I’m so thankful for the opportunities I had and for the support of the MT team during my time here. My managers were welcoming, dedicated to helping me learn and grow, and offered great career advice.”
Dmitri has big plans for his future. He expects to complete his second bachelor’s degree in December and eventually wants to earn an MBA with a concentration in IT.
Calvin Chao
Medical & Scientific Affairs Intern
Calvin Chao wanted to leverage his internship in a way that would enable him to make a meaningful impact on people—and saw the opportunity to join Marinus’ Medical & Scientific Affairs team as just that.
“I saw Marinus as an extension of my education that would allow me to put my pharmacy school knowledge into practice. I loved the work the company was doing for orphan diseases and the idea of being able to bring a real impact to a company as an intern, which I definitely think I accomplished.”
Calvin quickly became an important contributor at Marinus, profiling thousands of industry key opinion leaders, helping create and design medical posters, and participating in meetings with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
“What I enjoyed most was being able to learn from industry experts who had decades of experience. From interacting with my team and other departments in meetings, the weekly leadership presentations designed specifically to help educate and inform interns, and the one-on-one coffee chats that I had—every person taught me so much about the industry that I will carry with me throughout my career.”
Calvin now looks forward to returning to school and incorporating his learnings and new-found passion for patients into his education and career path.
“Thanks to Marinus and the amazing experiences I had, I have found a passion for this career path and know that I will continue to want to make a difference and work for a company that leaves a positive impact on patients.”
Nanxi Huang
Business Development Intern
Currently in pharmacy school, Nanxi was looking for exposure to the business side of the pharmaceutical industry where she could also leverage her clinical background.
“Marinus grabbed my attention because of the unique life cycle stage that the company is in. Being an intern with the Business Development team was the perfect opportunity for me.”
One of Nanxi’s goals was to learn how Marinus strategizes and makes decisions. She worked on a variety of projects, which most notably included investigating new indication expansion opportunities.
“I was impressed by how knowledgeable the team was clinically and commercially. I was able to get hands-on experience evaluating business development opportunities and how they evolve to take shape.”
Considering herself a big-picture thinker, exposure to the cross functional nature of business development appealed to Nanxi’s innate curiosity.
“I like that, despite being remote, I got a sense of the community and collaboration at Marinus. It spoke volumes that I could be in a meeting with the CEO every week.”
We wish Nanxi all the best as she works toward graduation in May of 2022!
After taking a college course that focused on the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, Mia Monheit was eager to explore healthcare career opportunities. Soon after, she found information about Marinus’ internship program, which aligned with the exposure she was searching for.
“After my first interview, I was set on doing everything that I could to get the position. The recruiter emphasized how my work at Marinus would matter and that I would be a true asset to the team, not just your typical intern.”
Throughout her internship, Mia supported the marketing team by conducting key research projects to support preparation for Marinus’ first potential product launch.
“Everyone was so kind and offered great advice, whether it was applicable to my time at Marinus or my future professional career. I learned so much about the pharmaceutical industry, and more specifically, how a company launches a product.”
Mia credits how much she learned to the support of her managers and stepping outside of her comfort zone. She hopes to expand her knowledge of the healthcare industry throughout the remainder of her college career so she can continue to make a positive impact on patients and their families.
Alex Moon
Human Resources Intern
While searching for an internship, Alex Moon wanted valuable experience within an industry he did not know much about. He found a home within Marinus’ Human Resources department.
In his role, Alex helped create surveys and reports, systemized aspects of the internal employee record management system, and collaborated with talent acquisition to source and interview potential candidates. One of his favorite projects was moderating a fireside chat in honor of Pride Month for Marinus employees with Sara Nochur, Ph.D., Marinus’ board member and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
“Coming to Marinus with minimal HR experience, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with projects and create valuable deliverables. However, the support from the HR team and other leaders at the company enabled me to maintain full confidence that I can create a substantial impact with my work.”
Alex worked closely with each member of the HR team and learned that there is never only one way to approach a project and that by keeping an open mind, you create the opportunity for more possibilities.
“Although I’m building solid business fundamentals through Temple University’s curriculum, relevant experience trumps the textbook.”
Following his graduation in May 2022, Alex hopes to secure a full-time human resources position in the pharmaceutical industry.
Stanley Tang
Regulatory Affairs Intern
Stanley Tang joined Marinus’ Regulatory Affairs team for the opportunity to work in the orphan disease space and address areas of unmet medical need. What was particularly exciting for him was the cross-collaborative nature small companies like Marinus thrive on and the potential to harness that to learn as much as he could about regulatory processes.
“My favorite experience was participating in the pre-approval process; it is a truly unique experience working on something pre-commercial. Reviewing regulatory submission requirements and sitting in on critical prep meetings has been such an enlightening experience.”
Stanley was keen to learn as much as he could about the industry and regulatory affairs, but also saw his internship as a platform to apply the knowledge and skills he already had to support his team.
“My favorite thing about Marinus must be the mentorship. Everyone has been very patient with me and kindly explained concepts that must be as ubiquitous to them as breathing at this point. I really cannot thank my manager enough as she has been such an excellent mentor. I benefited greatly from her wealth of knowledge and insight.”
Stanley plans to finish his didactic schooling, rotations and then apply for a pharmaceutical fellowship—with the ultimate goal of returning to the pharmaceutical industry.
Thank you to our 2021 interns and best of luck in your future endeavors!