The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs and PhD Plus will be hosting a series of virtual career exploration panels this fall, where you can learn more about each speaker's career path from graduate school to their current professional role. Each session will focus on a different theme, including:
November 12: Industry Adjacent Roles
Register here!
PANELISTS
Johnathon D. Dooley, PhD.
Johnathon Dooley is a Licensing Associate at the University of Virginia Licensing & Ventures Group
(UVA LVG), supporting LVG’s life science, physical science, and engineering portfolios. In this role, he
works with University of Virginia researchers on the development of their technologies of interest to
evaluate for patentability, manage subsequent patenting matters and identify potential commercial
partners.
Johnathon studied chemistry throughout his time as an undergraduate at UVA and went on to obtain
his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Edinburgh, where he explored novel catalytic reactions in
organic chemistry. He has held two research associate positions at UVA since obtaining his Ph.D.
During both, he conducted medicinal chemistry research to synthesize small molecules for the
treatment of cancers. And it was during his first postdoctoral experience that he was introduced to
UVA LVG and the work that they do. With a love of UVA, Johnathon is thrilled to support the institution’s
exceptional research.
When he’s not working, Johnathon enjoys spending time with his wife and puppy, attending UVA
sporting events and watching professional tennis.
William Johnson, PhD.
Will Johnson attended Ohio University from 2005-2009, where he majored in Biological Sciences, and
worked on Drosophila hematopoiesis regulated by the JAK/STAT pathway. After graduating, Will
studied at Case Western Reserve University from 2009-2015 obtaining a Masters and PhD in
Pharmacology studying the role of redox enzymes regulating dopaminergic degeneration in
Parkinson's disease. He then moved to Duke University for two years to identify the regulatory
mechanism(s) of the lncRNA LOXL1-AS1 in the context of pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. During the
course of his research in graduate and post-doctoral work, Will published 16 peer reviewed
manuscripts and obtained multiple grants from both federal and private sources. After his post-doc,
Will took a non-traditional track moving into a sales role starting with supporting the creation of
custom transgenic mice, then transitioned to several companies that supply reagents and
technologies from NGS to spatial through digital PCR to help researchers move their science forward.
Currently, Will works at QIAGEN solely focused on dPCR and spends his time giving seminars, providing
guidance on projects, and introducing the technology to the research community.
Outside of work, he is passionate about helping young scientists learn about and move into what was
historically called “alternative careers” as this is an area that is somewhat undiscussed in academics
during undergraduate and graduate curriculum. These careers can be rewarding on a scientific and
personal level.
Brian Lim, PhD.
Brian Lim is a Senior Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting, where he works with life sciences companies and investors in solving strategic challenges, with experience across therapeutics, diagnostics, life science tools, bioprocessing, and pharma services (e.g., CROs and CDMOs). Prior to L.E.K., he was an Associate Consultant at ZS and a Venture Fellow at Flagship Pioneering. He completed his PhD in Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, where he studied the composition of the axon initial segment, the site of action potential initiation and anchor of neuronal polarity.