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U.S. PharmD Fellowships

    

UCB, in collaboration with the Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO), offers two-year fellowship programs for PharmD graduates with the opportunity to learn and gain experience within the biopharmaceutical industry under the mentorship of experienced preceptors:
 

  • Global Patient Safety

  • Global Regulatory Affairs

  • Medical Affairs - Immunology

  • Global Clinical Sciences & Operations

  • Global Medical Affairs - Rare Diseases
     


The fellowships at UCB offers a unique opportunity to work in an environment that is patient-focused, creative, flexible, and agile, with an exciting and promising pipeline. 

Global Patient Safety Fellowship

The Patient Safety Fellowship at UCB provides Fellows with a broad and comprehensive experience into all aspects of Pharmacovigilance. Fellows have a unique opportunity to participate in and lead global initiatives that focus on ensuring the safety of patients and leveraging safety data to enable informed decision making that builds a robust foundation for an impactful career in Pharmacovigilance.

The fellowship is purposefully designed with rotations that enable the Fellows to have end-to-end experience across the various aspects or Pharmacovigilance. The Fellow will begin by establishing a fundamental understanding of how safety data is captured and processed and then be immersed in sub-functions of Patient Safety to gain working knowledge of how the safety data are assessed and utilized to support decision making around the benefit / risk balance of compounds. This includes working with a global Safety Lead to apply Pharmacovigilance principles to one or more compounds. Additionally, the Fellow will gain working experience on Medical Device Safety and Surveillance. The fellowship also includes built-in time for 2 elective rotations for the Fellows to gain broader exposure and further explore opportunities of their choice, including areas outside of Patient Safety.

Global Regulatory Affairs Fellowship

The Global Regulatory Affairs Fellowship provides Fellows with the depth and breadth of experience with all aspects of Regulatory Affairs to successfully position them for a career as a uniquely well-rounded Regulatory professional. During the rotations within the sub-functions of Regulatory Affairs, the Fellows are assigned to work with the Regulatory Science Lead for one or more compounds, including pipeline and marketed products, ensuring that the chosen projects offer the greatest learning opportunity and exposure to FDA and other global regulatory health authorities. Additionally, the longitudinal exposure to Regulatory Operations throughout the two-year fellowship provides the Fellows with a holistic view of submission and project management. Lastly, the Fellows have an opportunity for a three-month elective in a functional area of their choice, outside of Regulatory Affairs, to allow them to gain additional insights from the outside in.

Medical Affairs Fellowship - Immunology

The Medical Affairs Fellowship focuses on opportunities to learn, experience and lead various activities involved within the dynamic functions within a Medical Affairs organization. Fellows will utilize their first year to learn how medical affairs strategies are implemented and executed within the umbrella of the overall product life cycle, interacting with various departments such as Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Health Economics Outcomes Research (HEOR)/Real World Evidence (RWE), and Clinical Development. The uniqueness of the UCB Medical Affairs Fellowship is that it allows for optional rotations in the second year to various roles within Medical Affairs such as Medical Information, Medical Communications and Field Medical Operations & Strategy. This flexibility in the second year of the program allows for Fellows to gain broad experiences that will develop them into a well-rounded Medical Affairs professional.

Global Clinical Sciences & Operations Fellowship

Global Clinical Sciences & Operations (GCSO) at UCB aspires to deliver UCB’s pipeline projects with top in the industry cycle times, strong patient focus, and innovative technologies. From efficient planning, to delivery of clinical trials of assigned products, to successful regulatory submissions for approval, GCSO is focused on the successful delivery of patient-preferred studies, thereby bringing value to our study participants and the global community. 

The GCSO Fellowship will provide the Fellow with the unique opportunity to acquire in-depth end-to-end knowledge of the fundamentals of clinical trial operations. The 2-year Fellowship is designed to provide the Fellow with a variety of engaging rotational experiences to grow their knowledge and understanding of the many cross-functional teams required to execute highly rigorous clinical studies with high quality, within ambitious timelines, and ultimately providing value to our patients. 

Global Medical Affairs - Rare Diseases

The Global Medical Affairs Fellowship in the Rare Disease Organization (RDO) - a new addition to the UCB Fellowship Program - focuses on opportunities to learn, experience, and lead various activities involved in the dynamic functions of a global medical affairs organization. Fellows will utilize their time to learn how medical affairs strategies are developed, implemented, and executed across the different indications that make up the global medical rare disease team. Fellows will learn to work collaboratively and cross-functionally across regions while considering global needs.

The uniqueness of the UCB Global Medical Affairs Fellowship is that it allows the fellow the opportunity to learn and work in a truly global environment. Working in global medical affairs is uniquely rewarding, involving international collaboration to address medical challenges, bridge research, and real-world practices, and ensure global access to cutting-edge treatments. The fellow can expect to engage with diverse stakeholders, gaining insights into various healthcare systems and regulatory landscapes, requiring adaptability and deep medical expertise. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity to make a positive impact on global healthcare. Additionally, the option to select an elective within or outside of medical affairs will allow the fellow to learn about another area of interest.
 

Want to Learn More?

If you are interested in learning more about the UCB Fellowship Program, we will be conducting informational webinars on September 21 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST and October 1 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST which students can sign up for here: 

  • September 21 Session – Meet the Fellowship Program Directors and current Fellows and learn more about the program: Click here to register.

  • October 1 Session – Meet our current Fellows and learn more about the program from their perspective: Click here to register. 

Global Patient Safety Fellows

1st Year Global Patient Safety Fellow

“The Global Patient Safety Fellowship program here at UCB will provide me with the skillset and fundamentals to be a well-versed pharmacovigilance scientist as I rotate through different areas of pharmacovigilance. This program is incredibly unique giving fellows' exposure to medical device safety and surveillance along with international pharmacovigilance. UCB is the epitome of a patient-centric company; they are committed to the well-being of patients which creates a dynamic atmosphere to learn and grow. Fellows have the opportunity to take on and lead projects and also gain mentorship from experienced professionals. In addition, the IPhO component allows for fellows to gain professional development opportunities.” - Collins Kofi Asamoah

2nd Year Global Patient Safety Fellow

“The unique structure of the UCB Global Patient Safety Fellowship program builds deep knowledge, develops strong skills, and provides global and local exposure to patient safety and medical devices pharmacovigilance. The opportunities here are diverse and endless, with a strong support system to help navigate them. I am very pleased with my experience, and I strongly believe UCB is molding me to be the best in the field.” - Osamagbe (Osa) Woghiren

Global Regulatory Affairs Fellows

1st Year Global Regulatory Affairs Fellow

“As evident by the inclusive experience and the various rotations, UCB’s Global Regulatory Affairs Fellowship is highly distinctive for post-doctoral training in this field. The program offers ample opportunity for leadership in meaningful projects, mentorship, and training with unique aspects of regulatory affairs such as devices and products for rare diseases. The diverse, welcoming, and truly patient-centered environment at UCB makes it an excellent place to learn and train to be an adaptable, impactful industry pharmacist.” - Megan Griffin

2nd Year Global Regulatory Affairs Fellow

“UCB’s Global Regulatory Affairs post-doctoral fellowship has equipped me with the robust competencies needed to excel in the pharmaceutical industry’s complex regulatory landscape. As I step into my second year, I am proud of my extensive involvement in a multitude of projects that have allowed me to delve deeply into various regulatory areas, especially regulatory strategy and advertising & promotion/labeling. Moreover, our partnership with IPhO has become an ongoing resource for honing my leadership abilities and broadening my professional connections.” - Kevin Darko

Medical Affairs Fellows

1st Year Medical Affairs Fellow

“UCB and the Medical Affairs Fellowship stood out to me for its focus on developing the fellow in the strategy and execution of tactics of the medical team at a company that has a strong, patient-centered focus and a commitment to solving problems for patients with unmet needs. The rotational aspect of this fellowship allows the fellow a breadth of experiences, while being a mid-size pharma company allows fellows with the depth of experience I desired for my career development. Throughout the fellowship I feel that I have been supported and encouraged in every aspect to ensure that upon completion, I can be a complete, competitive, and successful Medical Affairs professional” - Aakash Patel

2nd Year Medical Affairs Fellow

“One of the most unique aspects of the UCB Medical Affairs Fellowship is its strong strategic focus. The wide range of experiences offered through the Fellowship will not only build an impressive technical skillset, but also an invaluable strategic acumen and network that will help the Fellow succeed in whichever therapeutic area they may choose to pursue post-Fellowship. Working at a truly science driven, patient centered company also allows the Fellow to see their meaningful contributions on the team, in turn, impact the landscape of disease states in need of better treatments.” -Kelly Cheung

Global Clinical Sciences & Operations Fellows

1st Year Global Clinical Sciences & Operations Fellow

“UCB exemplifies the perfect blend of visionary innovation and unwavering commitment to patient-centricity. The Global Clinical Sciences and Operations (GCSO) fellowship at UCB is unique as it provides a nurturing environment that fosters hands-on learning, collaboration and empowers fellows to become well rounded scientists. In addition to acquiring invaluable skills, fellows are provided the opportunities to be at the forefront of the end-to-end processes involved in designing, executing, closing out and reporting of groundbreaking clinical studies.” - Walter Ebile A.

   

   

   

How to Apply

This fellowship position may only be applied for through the IPhO FellowMatch service:
https://www.industrypharmacist.org/fm_landing.php

A letter of intent and CV should be submitted through the FellowMatch portal. 

Two letters of recommendation should be emailed to ucbpharmdfellowshipprogram@ucb.com. In the subject line of the email, please enter the functional area acronym, followed by candidate’s name.

The application deadline is October 27, 2023.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and applicants are encouraged to submit their materials on  FellowMatch accordingly.

Contact Information

  • Global Regulatory Affairs Fellowship: Iram Hasan (iram.hasan@ucb.com)
  • Patient Safety Fellowship: Catherine Wilputte (catherine.wilputte@ucb.com)
  • Medical Affairs Fellowship: Tae Oh (tae.oh@ucb.com)
  • Global Clinical Sciences & Operations: Amber Barnes (amber.barnes@ucb.com)
  • Global Medical Affairs – Rare Disease Fellowship: Chioma Ezenduka (chioma.ezenduka@ucb.com)

Fellowship Alumni Reflections

“Over the past two years, the UCB GRA PharmD fellowship has served not just as a stepping stone but as a dynamic catalyst for my professional growth. I've steered major projects with notable autonomy and have had invaluable exposure to senior leadership and distinct networking avenues. Tailored to individual passions, the program ensured constant engagement, positioning me perfectly for UCB's upcoming opportunities. The fellowship enriched my technical know-how while significantly enhancing my soft skills, especially in areas of leadership and collaboration. Mentorship from experienced preceptors, who valued diverse thought and stressed astute decision-making, was pivotal. This journey hasn't just prepared me for an immediate role; it's charted a clear path for my expansive professional horizon.” - Jessie Kim, PharmD, MS; GRA Fellow 2021-2023; Regulatory Scientist at UCB

"The UCB Global Patient Safety PharmD Fellowship Program was a fantastic experience in terms of both personal and professional growth. The diverse range of experiences from the program's rotational aspect, coupled with the experienced mentorship available, truly provides a learning environment in which Fellows will grow and reach their goals. I am very grateful for my time in the Fellowship Program and the opportunities that have come as a result. I firmly believe this program creates world-class Patient Safety professionals and would strongly encourage interested applicants to apply.” - Aleksey Gitelson, PharmD, RPh; GPS Fellow 2021-2023; Safety Scientist at UCB

"I can confidently say that my decision to join the UCB GRA PharmD Fellowship was one of the smartest decisions I made in my early career. The passion all UCB employees share in delivering life-changing medications to those that need them most is something I have thoroughly enjoyed and contributed to during my time at the organization. In addition, fellows in this program are given top-quality experiences to foster their accelerated growth. The benefit of the UCB fellowship is that while the fellow gains excellent depth of knowledge, they also gain an important breadth of experiences due to the rotational nature of the fellowship. I am extremely grateful for the mentorship gained through this fellowship and the lifelong connections I made throughout my two years in the program. I look forward to many more at UCB!" - Nicolas James, PharmD, MBA; GRA Fellow 2020-2022; Regulatory Senior Manager at Karuna Therapeutics

"The UCB GRA PharmD Fellowship program has played an imperative role in my growth and development as a regulatory professional. The fellowship allowed me to propel my regulatory career forward in an expedited manner by providing me with a robust one-of-a-kind experience to contribute to global drug development. The experiences offered to me as I matriculated through the program were catered to my desire to be a leader in the field of regulatory affairs and allowed me to gain a unique cross-functional perspective to understand the pharmaceutical industry at large. While developing my strategic regulatory capabilities, the fellowship also allowed me to refine my soft skills and tap into my emotional intelligence. Importantly, the fellowship program has pushed me to become a strategic, inquisitive and confident regulatory professional by continuously challenging me as I completed the program. I truly value the time spent as a fellow at UCB, forging strong relationships with my team and mentors while shaping my future success in the pharmaceutical industry.” – Howraa Alasker, PharmD, RPh; GRA Fellow 2019-2021; Regulatory Senior Manager at Neurocrine

“The UCB GRA Fellowship has developed my potential as an industry professional in a multitude of ways. Being given the opportunity to cater my experience to my interests, I was able to learn more than I had imagined. I was continually challenged while having a strong support system throughout my rotations. My experiences empowered me to ask “the right” questions, approach situations strategically, and appreciate the many cross-functional perspectives that are vital to drug development at large. While my technical and strategic skill sets were developed, I also had the opportunity of building genuine relationships with my colleagues and mentors. The confidence I have been able to build to this day would not have been possible without the foundational experience I obtained from the GRA fellowship.” - Tanya Chaudhri, PharmD, MSc; GRA Fellow 2018-2020; Associate Director – Regulatory Affairs at Horizon Therapeutics