BIOTECH WITH DR. JON SITRIN

By Iris Zheng | May 20, 2022

Dr. Jon Sitrin, a doctor of philosophy in immunology and currently as senior scientist at NGM biopharmaceuticals, shares insights on how he developed a passion for biotechnology as well as his journey on this path. Through his experiences and advice, aspiring scientists are able to understand what it is like to have a profession in biotechnology, along with the rewards and challenges of this field. 

From a frequent visitor of science museums to a senior scientist at NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Dr. Jon Sitrin has always been deeply intrigued by the field of science. While exploring the field of healthcare, Dr. Sitrin initially started on the path of becoming a medical doctor but eventually found himself intrigued by not the prescribing side of medication, but rather the production of it. 

After completing his bachelor’s of science in biological sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, Dr. Sitrin began his Ph.D in immunology at Harvard University. He completed his postdoctoral training in the function of the human immune system and autoimmune diseases, which are caused by the human body attacking itself. Combining his love for both medicine and science, Dr. Sitrin entered the field of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology and began to actually design and produce medicines. 

In the past year, Dr. Sitrin and his team has been developing new immunotherapies for curing cancer. His previous projects include the study of the interphase of the immune system in cancer and using the human immune system to treat patients with tumors. 

Despite the prospective lifesaving outcomes of his work, the nature of scientific research has made the process of reaching this outcome a long and challenging one. 

“We don’t solve cancer everyday, it’s challenging,”says Dr. Sitirin.  

Almost all that is done in the lab does not lead to a successful medication. Testing the medicine alone is a long and difficult process, even before it is able to reach clinical trials. In the face of those challenges, Dr. Sitrin still found his career much more interesting than any other opportunity he had considered. Failure is not rare in the field of biotechnology, in fact, success does not often occur. 

However, biotechnology is the connection of innovations from all around the world.  Everyone in this field has the same dream that, like many areas of science, their work can potentially save many lives and allow patients to live longer, happier, and healthier: “the science is good as it has ever been.” says Dr. Sitirin.