Career in Translational and Molecular Medicine

Medicines without molecular targets is like trying to shoot an arrow without knowing where to aim.  
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Around 15 years ago, Translational and Molecular Medicine was a relatively new entrant in the education and job scene. Today both have made strong inroads into academics. You may have heard the phrase: “Bench to Bedside”. This is the basis for “Translation”, signifying the movement from lab research to patient care as a pragmatic approach to medical research. Scientists have also been increasingly focused on making medicines more “targeted”, a goal that is difficult to achieve without molecular targets. Medicines without molecular targets is like trying to shoot an arrow without knowing where to aim.

One aspect of translational and molecular medicine that is much of the news is the area of precision or personalised medicine. It is, therefore, helpful to understand its increasing practical value for patients. The idea of personalised refers to tailoring treatment or choice of drug to each patient’s unique molecular signatures. Another is treating the patient with material derived from the patient itself; patient cell therapy being case in point.

For those who do not wish to take up clinical medicine (the standard MBBS/MD/MS route) but are strongly inclined towards medical careers, the best option is to enter the exciting innovation space in medicine through pharmaceutical, biotech, computational, bioengineering, electronics startups with an inclusive entry through translational and molecular medicine. The key to understand this incredible diversity is to realise that current trends in medical innovation is now highly interdisciplinary. This is partly why this field did not creep into academics earlier, as one needs a very diverse set of labs and tools and techniques, spanning medicine, biology, chemistry, IT and engineering in just one degree programme. Companies are looking for talent that is not confined to one isolated field.

‘The reason for this diversification is that therapeutics and diagnostics require not only lab-based innovation, but an individual adept at preclinical validation, computational support, manufacturing under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions, regulatory constraints and a keen understanding of clinical requirements. It is impossible to know whether lab development will ever be successful without mastering the rest, and a student who understands the whole pathway can also much better design a lab-based study with a keen eye for eventual clinical success.

Educational requirements

What pathway should you follow to enter this field? One, take the bio-option in school. Schools have basic Maths for students who choose bio, but ensure you get exposure to statistics, which is invaluable for designing lab and clinical studies. At the UG level, opt for the Life Sciences degree programmes, with an emphasis on human biology. Today options are available in molecular medicine itself at the B.Sc. level, which combines basic exposure to all the needed areas. However, it would be ideal to train in Translational or Molecular Medicine at the PG level before seeking a competitive position. If you did not do Translational or Molecular Medicine at the Bachelor’s level, a UG degree in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Microbiology and Biomedical Engineering provide good background for a PG in this field.

So, what would a career in Translational or Molecular Medicine entail? In a company, you would be an executive in charge of molecular diagnostics division, new drug and vaccine development division, division for GMP validation and manufacturing of medical products for human use. In research labs, you can be a group leader in research in all these areas. In a university setting you can drive teaching and research in all these areas for the next generation of students. In hospitals, you can head the clinical molecular labs. Since translational and molecular medicine has been more established in the west for two decades, students may find it easy to go abroad for more advanced experience and come back to India with a strong advantage either to contribute to top companies or start their own.

The writer is Dean and Head of the School of Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University and Head of Research at the Faridabad Medical Campus (Delhi NCR).