Nicotine And Tobacco Scientists Face Unique Career Opportunities And Challenges

BETHESDA, Md., April 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A new paper describes the career impact that regulation of nicotine and tobacco products, together with unprecedented economic, scientific, technological, and social changes in the 21^st century, has on trainees and early career professionals in the nicotine and tobacco sciences. The paper, published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, notes the complexities of navigating career opportunities after completing extensive science training – a reality for scientists inside and outside the field of nicotine and tobacco science.  The authors highlight the need for trained science professionals to understand changes in regulation and technology as they navigate their career path.

Graduates receiving training in nicotine and tobacco sciences, including those in masters and doctoral programs, face increasing education costs and student loan debt, limits on federal funding for research, and challenges in finding employment. Further, there is growing awareness that the number of graduates from science-focused doctoral programs exceeds the availability of permanent academic positions.  As a result, many highly trained scientists that aim to find a career in academia might consider alternative career options. This is occurring at a time when the field is changing rapidly and new opportunities in government and industry are emerging. Career planning for early career scientists may encompass a combination of opportunities accessible through academic, government and private stakeholders in nicotine and tobacco science, but numerous challenges exist (training-related, logistical, ethical). The authors present a variety of resources available to trainees to help understand the extent of potential opportunities and capitalize on training and career exploration.

"This is the first paper to discuss the unique issues facing scientists trained in nicotine and tobacco science as they try to navigate the rapidly changing career landscape," said Bethea (Annie) Kleykamp, Ph.D., the lead author on the commentary. "Understanding these changes and their implications will help trainees and early career professionals to better identify a career path that best aligns with their hard-earned skillsets and the needs of nicotine and tobacco science."

About PinneyAssociates

PinneyAssociates is a pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare consulting company that helps their clients to reduce their regulatory risk and enhance the commercial and public health value of their life sciences products. PinneyAssociates consults with pharmaceutical companies that market a wide variety of prescription and over-the-counter medications. PinneyAssociates' experts have extensive expertise in abuse-deterrent drug formulation evaluation, abuse potential assessment, as well as pharmaceutical risk management, Rx-to-OTC switch, and tobacco harm reduction.

Citation:
Rethinking the Career Landscape for Nicotine and Tobacco Trainees and Early Career Professionals. Bethea A. Kleykamp, Cassandra D. Gipson, Olivia M. Maynard, Jorien L. Treuer, and Jason A. Oliver. 2018.  April 5.  https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/nty041

Author Contact: To arrange an interview with Dr. Kleykamp, please contact Kirk McKay, at mkckay@pinneyassociates.com or +1 240-752-9038.

For more information about PinneyAssociates, please contact us at +1.301.718.8440 or info@pinneyassociates.com, or learn more about our work at www.pinneyassociates.com. 

Funding and Declaration of Interest:

Please see the published paper for information about funding and author disclosures.

About the Journal:

Nicotine & Tobacco Research is one of the world's few peer-reviewed journals devoted exclusively to the study of nicotine and tobacco. It aims to provide a forum for empirical findings, critical reviews, and conceptual papers on the many aspects of nicotine and tobacco, including research from the biobehavioral, neurobiological, molecular biologic, epidemiological, prevention, and treatment arenas. The journal is sponsored by the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT). It is published on behalf of the society by Oxford Journals, a division of Oxford University Press. Please acknowledge the journal as a source in any articles.

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