In response to workforce challenges in vaccine testing laboratories, I spearheaded an international project aimed at upskilling teams facing employment displacement. This initiative not only safeguarded expertise in public health but also fostered cross-disciplinary collaboration between architects, biological scientists, and regulatory professionals to optimize laboratory efficiency and compliance with global standards.

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Decades of infectious disease research have shaped gene therapy by refining immune modulation—while vaccines stimulate immunity, gene therapy must avoid immune activation for safety. These insights, alongside public health infrastructure, have accelerated gene therapies for SMA, vision loss, and infectious diseases. With vaccine-based manufacturing and regulatory pathways, gene therapy is now poised to deliver transformative treatments worldwide.

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Disclaimer: The ideas here are tried and true based on my own or colleagues direct experiences. They are not theoretical.

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Linked in Message, text 

Hi Tom , I Hope you’re doing well! I’m exploring ways to transition into a new role and was curious if your company or network might have opportunities like short-term consulting projects, pilot initiatives, or advisory roles where I could contribute while learning.

Would love to hear your thoughts or any leads you might have! Let’s catch up soon.

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For experienced professionals, taking on an internship might seem unconventional, but it can be a smart move for career transitions, skill-building, or breaking into a new industry. Here are some creative ways to position yourself as an “intern” while still leveraging your expertise:

1. Executive-in-Residence (EIR) or Consultant Intern

• Instead of a traditional internship, propose a short-term consulting internship where you solve a specific problem or lead a small project.
• Many startups, VC firms, and accelerators have EIR programs where experienced professionals contribute their expertise while learning new industry dynamics.

2. Pilot Project or “Externship”

• Pitch a limited-time pilot project where you apply your skills while learning on the job.
• Offer to shadow or work alongside a team for a specific initiative (e.g., regulatory affairs in a new industry like AI-driven drug development).
• Co-author blog posts, white papers, or internal training materials while working in an “intern” capacity.

3. Reverse Mentorship/Skill Exchange

• Offer to mentor junior employees in your area of expertise while simultaneously learning from them about new technologies, workflows, or industries.
• This can be positioned as an “internship” where both parties gain valuable insights.

4. Board Observer or Advisory Role with Hands-On Work

• If the company has an advisory board, offer to join as an observer or advisor with the condition that you actively work on an internal project.
• This is common in startups where experienced professionals help guide strategy while also rolling up their sleeves.

5. Non-Profit or Social Impact Internships

• If transitioning to the non-profit sector, many organizations welcome seasoned professionals as pro bono interns or impact fellows.
• These can lead to paid roles or board positions.

Over the last decade structure based protein platforms have been viewed as a potential catalyst for vaccine development. To this end, computer aided vaccine engineering has been applied for the design of recently licensed vaccines for meningitis and shingles prophylaxis and for a Phase 1 vaccine candidate for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Recently the team of Walls et al. published results in the journal Cell demonstrating promising immune responses in animals injected with a vaccine candidate generated by computer modeling of the COVID-19 and associated proteins. The vaccine candidate is made of a self-assembling protein nanoparticle displaying the 60 copies of the receptor-binding domain in a structure that resembles the natural virus. The nanoparticle vaccine designed by scientists at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine in Seattle, was funded by over a dozen funding sources, and has been transferred to two companies for clinical development.

From a regulatory perspective the computer aided design has the advantage of rationally predicting immune responses and potential immune related potency and safety aspects for the vaccine and facilitates the description of the vaccine structure and components in the clinical trial application (IND/IMPD/CTA). The acceleration of the vaccine development itself (from preclinical through to Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3 and licensure) is influenced by the complexity of the processes used to manufacture the selected drug substance and formulate the drug product.

The advantage of structure based vaccines candidates, such as that described by Walls et al, is the potential for superior, by design, selection and development of highly active vaccine products. More active products may require fewer injections, lower dosages, and longer lasting immune responses, clearly a benefit for improved access and prevention of disease in our global community. For the U. Washington COVID-19 candidate, the molecular structure of the nanoparticle vaccine roughly mimics that of the virus, which may account for its enhanced ability to provoke an immune response.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201102110024.htm

REFERENCES:
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)31450-1
https://newsroom.uw.edu/news/ultrapotent-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-designed-computer
Package Insert:  Bexsero https://www.gsksource.com/pharma/content/dam/GlaxoSmithKline/US/en/Prescribing_Information/Bexsero/pdf/BEXSERO.PDF
Package Insert:  Menveo
https://gskpro.com/en-us/products/menveo/?cc=ps_XUV67F3Z74511581&mcm=170001&gclid=CPnf0aLb7OwCFbIJiAkdToMH2Q
Package Insert:  Shingrix
https://www.shingrix.com/index.html?cc=ps_YAM8LSRMAH421239&mcm=10010&gclid=b71c71acf58a134f16f22e086a4cf0e4&gclsrc=3p.ds
Crank et al. (2019) THE VRC 317 STUDY TEAM SCIENCE02 AUG 2019 : 505-509 https://science.sciencemag.org/content/365/6452/505.full