Georgia Bio Summer Interns look back on experience gained

This summer, Georgia Bio welcomed three ambitious and enthusiastic interns: Isabel Veith, Rob Warren, and Maanav Karamchandani. Our interns took some time to reflect on their internships and told us about their diverse career interests—education, politics, nonprofits—and how their internships influenced their career aspirations.

Isabel Veith, Senior Biology Major at Georgia Tech

Photo of Isabel Veith

Isabel was excited to learn about the inner workings of a nonprofit. “One of the reasons I was interested in this internship was learning the administrative and marketing side of a nonprofit. I have seen how making strategic connections between people and fostering relationships can benefit a cause.” 

During her internship, Isabel gained insight into life science education. “I learned how critical education is to the industry and how inconsistent life science opportunities and resources are in some schools. Middle and high school education is the foundation for the workforce, and I never thought about how a lack of opportunities and resources at those ages could have reverberating effects on the industry. I am very passionate about giving back to future generations. I am a firm believer in leaving a place better than you found it. I would like to eventually become a professor and be able to serve in a mentor capacity to students. I think you can make major impacts in a field just by providing encouraging words and guidance to young scientists.” 

Whatever her career path, Isabel now knows the importance of connection and working together to achieve a goal. “I would like to end up working in a nonprofit, but I think with any job I take, Georgia Bio has shown me that the way you approach a job or mission is crucial. Building networks and promoting collaboration can make all the difference.”

Rob Warren, Junior International Politics Major at Washington and Lee University

Rob says he gained great knowledge of the life sciences industry during his internship at Georgia Bio. “I had the opportunity to attend the Strategic Planning meeting in June, where I learned about the future of the industry, like drug price transparency. Attending events like this allowed me to learn more about the industry overall.” 

“I got to experience the policy and advocacy side of a trade organization. I helped with various projects, including researching policy to promote that aligns with the interests of our member organizations. I also had the opportunity to work on member engagement.” 

Rob says his time at Georgia Bio introduced him to a new potential career path. “Before the internship, I had no certain direction for my career. Now, I know I want to pursue business, maybe even lobbying. Working on policy opened me up to the business/politics career possibility.” 

Outside of science, Rob has a passion for travel. “I like to travel internationally; I’m studying abroad in Prague this fall. Some of the countries I’ve visited include Argentina, Chile, Italy, France, Canada, Mexico, Belize, and Switzerland. Exploring different cultures and places is very interesting, and I try to use what I learn from my travels in my everyday life.”

Maanav Karamchandani, Junior at Lambert High School

Maanav learned how he might one day break into the life sciences industry. “Before working with Georgia Bio, I had little exposure to the life sciences industry and was not very clear as to how I would get into the field. This internship provided me with countless opportunities to meet people working in the life sciences industry as well as learn how they got there. Georgia Bio made me a part of the team and allowed me to grow.”

He feels he really made an impact during his time at Georgia Bio. “The projects I did were a part of larger ones, and the impact of my work was visible immediately. Some of the projects I worked on include the Global Health ATL social media posts, the new Georgia Bio website, and providing new ways to increase member engagement.”

Manaav’s path to achieving his career goals was clarified thanks to his time at Georgia Bio. “I now know the type of education needed for my future career. I also have a better idea as to how to reach my goals and aspirations in this field. Meeting different people in the field has also allowed me to expand my mindset and see that there are many paths to reach my ambitions.” 

Outside of his studies, Manaav has already been making an impact on the world. “I am very passionate about community service. I founded my own nonprofit, www.myjal.org, at the age of seven to provide clean drinking water to people in need across the world.” MyJal has helped provide over 300 children and adults in need clean drinking water and continues to work on new projects. “MyJal is something that I am extremely proud of.”

All three of these interns show great passion when it comes to their career goals, and it sounds like they learned a great deal during their internships at Georgia Bio! We feel lucky to have spent the summer with these students and can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the future. Georgia Bio looks forward to welcoming more interns throughout the year and next summer!

Showcase Your Startup at the 2026 Georgia Life Sciences Summit

June 17, 2026
As part of the Georgia Life Sciences Summit (August 25–26), applications are now open for the Startup Showcase , sponsored by Johnson & Johnson , highlighting early-stage innovation across MedTech and Therapeutics . The Showcase will feature some of Georgia’s most innovative life science startups, giving emerging companies the opportunity to present groundbreaking technologies, products, and solutions to a distinguished audience of industry leaders, investors, researchers, and partners. Selected startups will present during the August 26 luncheon program and participate in a live investor Q&A session with John Gutierrez (Ascenta Capital), Emma Heckenberg, Ph.D. (Solas BioVentures), Patrick Jordan (NovaQuest Capital Management), and Emily Dinu (Numinous Capital) Members of the Johnson & Johnson external innovation team will also be onsite for the program and select companies will be scheduled for a 1:1 meeting to discuss strategic alignment and potential collaboration opportunities. If you or companies in your network are building in MedTech or Therapeutics, this is a strong opportunity to gain visibility, receive feedback on commercialization and growth strategy, and connect with key stakeholders. All applicants receive a complimentary Summit registration, and one selected company will also be invited to participate in the NewYorkBIO / New York Stock Exchange Life Sciences Showcase on December 10. If this is relevant to your work, it would be a strong opportunity to consider applying. If not, it may be worth sharing with companies in your network who are building in this space.

Georgia Life Sciences Educator Connection | June Newsletter

June 15, 2026
Workforce & Education Impact: Building Georgia's Future  Life Sciences Workforce - One Teacher at a Time June 16, 2026 - As Georgia Life Sciences concludes the 2025-2026 cycle of the Biotech Teacher Training Initiative (BTTI), the results reinforce the critical role educators play in building the state's future life sciences workforce. Since July of 2025, BTTI engaged 98 educators representing 40 schools across 23 school systems, reaching an estimated 5,375 students through hands-on biotechnology instruction, career-connected learning, and industry-relevant classroom experiences. The Georgia Life Sciences Equipment Depot further expanded the program's impact by supporting 238 teachers with access to laboratory equipment and materials that make authentic life sciences learning possible. Georgia Life Sciences is also pleased to report that funding for BTTI was maintained in the Georgia House version of the FY 2027 budget approved earlier this year. The upcoming 2026-2027 program cycle will mark an important evolution for BTTI. Building on feedback from industry partners and workforce trends across the life sciences sector, Georgia Life Sciences will expand the program's scope to better reflect the skills and competencies employers increasingly need. In addition to foundational biotechnology concepts, future programming will be organized around key industry domains, including Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC), Research & Development (R&D), MedTech, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Advanced Manufacturing. This expanded approach will provide educators with greater insight into the breadth of career opportunities available across Georgia's life sciences ecosystem while helping students develop awareness of the technologies and disciplines shaping the industry's future. The impact extends far beyond individual workshops, creating lasting connections between Georgia classrooms and the state's growing life sciences ecosystem while helping build the talent pipeline that will power Georgia's future innovation economy. "Before BTTI, I was hesitant to do biotech labs because they seemed too complex and expensive," shared Josephine Jeganathan of Stockbridge High School. "The program showed me how simplified it can be and provided the equipment and materials needed to successfully implement the Central Dogma Lab with all my classes." Teachers are also seeing increased student engagement through hands-on learning experiences. Tonie Curry of North Clayton High School used a chromatography lab to connect environmental science concepts to water pollution and sustainability. "Students were highly interested in seeing how substances separated and made strong connections to water pollution and environmental sustainability," Curry noted. "The hands-on nature of the lab encouraged curiosity and deeper understanding." For many educators, one of the most valuable aspects of the program is the connection between classroom learning and real-world careers. As Marshai Waiters of Marietta Middle School reflected: "Exposure is key. There are so many avenues to work in STEM, and they are all accessible with opportunity and knowledge. The insights gained from industry speakers will inform my teaching and create new opportunities for student exposure." When teachers are trained, equipped, and connected to industry, students gain more than a science lesson—they gain a window into Georgia's life sciences future.

PULSE Urges FTC, DOJ to Support Pro-Competitive Life Sciences Collaborations and M&A

June 10, 2026
In recent comments to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), PULSE highlighted critical reforms to ensure that U.S. competition policies support – and do not impede – the pro-competitive mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other collaborations that drive American life sciences innovation. PULSE submitted comments in response to two joint DOJ/FTC Requests related to Guidance on Collaborations Among Competitors and Improvements to the Premerger Notification and Report Form (HSR Form). Read below for key takeaways from PULSE’s comment letters: 1. Life Sciences Innovation Depends on Collaboration “At its core, life sciences innovation is overwhelmingly collaborative. The cutting-edge medicines and cures developed by America’s life sciences industry are rarely the result of just one sole actor. Instead, they more often emerge from a calibrated sequence of partnerships… that collectively usher a biomedical breakthrough from early-stage discovery to FDA approval and delivery to patients.” – PULSE, Comments on Guidance on Collaborations Among Competitors 2. Policies that Ignore the Fundamental Role of Life Sciences M&A Risk Chilling Innovation for Patients “Against the significant challenges and pressures inherent to life sciences innovation, such policies that needlessly delay pro-competitive transactions have significant ripple effects: eroded investment incentives, disruptions in the path to launch and, ultimately, slowed or stalled development of new treatments and cures for patients.” – PULSE, Comments on Improvements to the HSR Form 3. Clear, Predictable Standards Can Support Competition and Innovation in America’s Life Sciences Ecosystem “Preserving clear and workable pathways for collaboration is therefore essential to sustain the broader ecosystem that delivers innovation and sustains America’s status as the world leader in life sciences innovation.” – PULSE, Comments on Guidance on Collaborations Among Competitors Leading business and industry organizations echoed and reinforced these priorities. Their comments highlight the unique market dynamics of life sciences innovation and the importance of collaboration and M&A – particularly with respect to early-stage R&D. “Because drug development typically takes over a decade, and the vast majority of drugs in development never make it to market, the antitrust risks associated with R&D collaborations in this space may be less than with other R&D collaborations.” – ABA Antitrust Law Section, Comments on Guidance on Collaborations Among Competitors “In the biopharmaceutical sector, for instance, R&D ventures in the pre-clinical or Phase I stages should be presumed lawful. At these early stages, about 90% of drugs never make it to market, so these collaborations are far too distant from commercialization to pose a meaningful threat to competition.” – U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Comments on Guidance for Collaborations Among Competitors “Healthy M&A activity also aids company formation and capital raising earlier in a business’s life cycle, as entrepreneurs and early-stage investors often depend on M&A for an exit opportunity. Conversely, discouraging business combinations by imposing burdensome one-size-fits-all standards on all transactions, like those imposed by the 2024 amendments, would disincentivize early-stage innovation and slow down economic growth.” – National Association of Manufacturers, Comments on Improvements to the HSR Form The bottom line: A balanced approach to antitrust enforcement policy should support life sciences M&A and other collaborations, ensuring new medicines continue to reach patients, while preserving a diverse and collaborative ecosystem. PULSE urges the agencies to adopt clear, workable and predictable standards that companies can apply with confidence. That includes preserving enforcement safety zones for low-risk, pro-competitive collaborations, as well as ensuring the HSR Form facilitates a timely, focused and fit-for-purpose screening process for life sciences M&A deals. Click below to read PULSE’s full comments: PULSE Comments on Guidelines on Collaborations Among Competitors PULSE Comments on Improvements to the HSR Form Source: PULSE Urges FTC, DOJ to Support Pro-Competitive Life Sciences Collaborations and M&A - Partnership for the U.S. Life Science Ecosystem (PULSE)
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