Jorge Santiago-Ortiz

Jorge Santiago-Ortiz

Current Occupation: Vice President, CMC & Regulatory Affairs; Apertura Gene Therapy

Undergraduate University: University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

Graduate University: University of California, Berkeley

Answers from the Mentor:

  1. What led you to pursue your current career sector?
    I first learned about the field of gene therapy while in my undergraduate program, in Biochemistry class. I was immediately excited to learn more about it. Since high school, I had been interested in working in a field where I could contribute to medical advancements without being a medical doctor, and the field of gene therapy provided just that – an opportunity to apply chemical engineering skills towards the development of novel therapies. I was later excited to discover that I could pursue research in gene therapy through a chemical engineering program at UC Berkeley, which led me to apply to and join this PhD program. Conducting graduate research in the field solidified my interest and motivated me to remain in the field. I took a short break from it between 2016-2020, where I explored the field of agricultural biotechnology. I learned a lot and had a great experience, but I ultimately missed being in the field of gene therapy, so I decided to transition back to it in 2020. I continue being excited about how gene therapies are transforming the development of new therapies, so I aspire to remain in this field.
  2. If you could give one piece of advice to graduate students exploring career options, what would it be?
    Try to meet as many people as possible, so you can have an opportunity to learn about different career paths – there are so many specialized roles that you “don’t go to school for” but that can be available to you. I encourage you to participate in conferences, schedule informational interviews, reach out to people via LinkedIn, etc. There are countless ways to apply your STEM background, and you may just not know that a certain field or role is available to you. Lastly, don’t be afraid of exploring roles in different fields – the skills are generally translatable, and you can always transition back, as I did.