Holden Brown is a Vivo pharmacology Director at Charles River Laboratories in South San Francisco, CA, where he leads a team of 14 scientists and research associates performing discovery research primarily in CNS and oncology. Charles River Laboratories is a leading global contract research organization which provides essential products and services to its clients.

Holden writes:

The T32 grant provided the necessary support mechanism which allowed me to join and accept several leadership opportunities both within her PhD program as well as within the UIC graduate student community. As vice president of the UIC Graduate Student Council, I gained expertise in leading teams and making strategic organizational decisions. These skills proved to be an invaluable when I began growing her own team from 3 to 14 individuals within Brains On-Line/Charles River Laboratories. My involvement in the high-level committees and meetings within the university also provided me with insight I wouldn’t otherwise had to into the corporate world and challenges and benefits of large organizations. My training in the BNTP program gave me the wherewithal to use research skills in a non-traditional manner. As a part of my current role, I am involved in many of my clients’ federally funded programs, such as SBIR grants. As part of an OLAW-assured institution, I oversee the submission of grants and work with clients to submit grants congruent with their needs. The understanding I gained about the federal grant submission process while working on my PhD helps provides invaluable insight to my organization and clients.