A team of five Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) postdocs and students won first place at the fifth annual Tufts New England Case Competition (TUNECC). The competition tasks teams from various disciplines to take on a case study in the global life sciences industry, combining scientific aptitude and industry knowledge.
The team was comprised of postdocs Sonali Bhattacharjee and Johanna Syrjanen; Watson School of Biological Sciences graduate students Katarina Meze and Jue Xiang Wang; and Student in Residence Deborah Rupert. While the team members are from labs of different specialties, they came together because of their interest in problem-solving and working in a different facet of research.
“The competition was a unique opportunity to learn about the life sciences industry and the interplay of research and business in decision-making. It was a great experience in problem solving,” said Bhattacharjee, speaking on behalf of the team. “Our advantage lay in our ability to disagree, harness everyone’s strengths, and support each other as a team.”
This year, the case study was developing a strategy for a company working on a therapy to correct a dysfunctional microbiome. The CSHL team’s strategic proposal was judged by the panel of experts and the first place award included $2,000 in prize money.
Written by: Sara Roncero-Menendez, Media Strategist | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455