Inside Foundation Medicine

We are Foundation Medicine

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 16:00:00 +0000

We are Foundation Medicine.

Each day, we are transforming cancer care for real people with names and families and lives that need to be lived.

We work together passionately for people with cancer seeking personalized treatment options today and for those who will need them tomorrow.

Our genomic tests and insights matter to them - to their loved ones and our loved ones.

They matter to doctors and researchers, to the advancement of oncology treatments, and to the progress we all seek.

We see what’s at stake and why progress can’t wait.

Every member of our team plays an important role in this mission.

We drive change and pursue bold ideas, knowing we are doing something personally important, for ourselves, our colleagues, and the medical community.

In helping to change the course of cancer care, we provide new possibilities and new hope for everyone.

And the real impact of this is more than any of us can imagine.

This is How We Flex: Our Creative Team

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 17:00:00 +0000

At Foundation Medicine, we understand that flexible work arrangements do not need to be equal to be equitable. What is important is that every part of the organization is bold enough to rethink how, when, and where we work. Our flexible Work Policy, which rolled out in April, was met with excitement across the company. Over the past few months, employees have been incorporating flex strategies and schedules with their teams.

Spotlight: There’s No Shortage of Creativity from the Creative Team

Our Creative Director Katie was eager to adopt a flexible work schedule for the Creative Team as soon as the program rolled out in April. After attending the manager training and learning about various flex options, Katie initiated the conversation about finding a suitable flexible work week with her team. “I came to the team with ideas, because I believed that it was important that we take advantage of a program created for employees by our leadership,” said Katie.

The Creative Team shared Katie’s excitement for this opportunity, and they began to brainstorm potential schedule options. Eventually, they settled on half-day Fridays for the duration of the summer, as well as a compressed work week of 80 hours in nine days.

“It’s life changing,” said Marcia, Project Manager, who now enjoys having an extra day off near the weekend. “Katie went to the training and listened to what they said – to be bold and do something that’s right for your team.”

While each team member got to choose a day to have off every two weeks, Katie was initially concerned that people were going to assume the team was not very busy. However, the confidence that Katie has in her team has allowed their flex schedule to progress, “I feel like the designers know when their work is due and they will get it done before their day [off],” Katie said.

As with all new endeavors, the Creative Team experienced some challenges as they piloted their flex schedule. Their biggest concern was creating an efficient system to address unexpected and urgent changes in a project while someone is out of the office.

Their solution was to ensure that their phone numbers were in their out of office auto-replies. “Everyone also has an analogous person,” said Katie. “So, I think having a team with multiple people that do the same function is helpful.”

The team also created a schedule that shows which team members are working throughout the week, and it was shared with key stakeholders.

Senior Designer Richard believes that teams cannot just talk about creating a new flex schedule, but that they actually have to go for it. “We took it as a challenge to see what would work best,” said Richard. “It was hard in the beginning with the half-day Fridays, but you let it evolve and it will fall into place.”

Overall, the Creative Team’s flex schedule is running smoothly, enabling everyone to have more time with family, friends, personal appointments, and projects that inspire them.

“We are all busy and we all work hard,” said Katie. “But we can also understand that for us to be the best employee we can be, we should also take time for ourselves.”

My Impact on Transforming Cancer Care - Engineering

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 17:00:00 +0000

Working at Foundation Medicine has had an important impact on my life. In large part, that impact is because I get to see my own direct impact on the lives of cancer patients and their families each and every day. Sadly, most people have a personal connection to cancer, and that connection is at the core of my reason for joining the team.

My passion for helping patients and their families began when my father was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2011. I became an advocate for him, fighting for the best possible care. My father had a single hot spot test, which was the only genomic testing available at the time. That experience was my introduction to genomic sequencing and testing. It was so early on, but I felt like I was being educated. I know what it’s like to be on the patient side of things and waiting for test results, and that is what drove me to apply for a position here.

I first joined Foundation Medicine in May of 2015 as a member of the automation engineering team. In my role, I collaborate with my colleagues to ensure that all of the automation and instruments in the lab are operating correctly and are properly maintained. Our team oversees both our Cambridge- and North Carolina-based lab facilities.

My experience with my father’s cancer brings a whole new meaning to what I do. When I see a sample in a pipetting channel, I have a heightened clarity for its significance. It’s not just liquid—there’s a patient, a story, a whole family impacted by our work.

I see a lot of passion every day from my colleagues, and I feel privileged and fortunate to be working here every day. People are constantly challenging the status quo because they feel so strongly about delivering the best work possible. Our culture encourages people raise the tough questions—you can truly feel our teams’ dedication to doing the right thing for patients and innovating across departments to achieve the greatest solutions. In my four years here, I’ve often heard people say, “We understand that this is the harder path, but it’s the better path.”

Learn more about our mission to transform cancer care, and explore ways to join our team, (and see if you can spot a familiar face!)

Foundation Medicine Hackathon 2019

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 17:00:00 +0000

Our recent FMI Hackathon presented a unique opportunity to bring FMI colleagues from all different departments and geographical regions together and give them the freedom to create, innovate, and propose actionable solutions to transform our business and enhance patient outcomes.

This video will give you a real feel for the inspirational event that brought people together and ideas to life.

Check it out and see for yourself how our teams came together to show off their smarts, share their passion, and #DisruptTheStatusQuo! Are you in for next year?

From Patient to Employee: Corey, Client Services

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 17:00:00 +0000

In 2014, Corey, a recent college graduate and avid runner, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. Earlier this year, Corey joined Foundation Medicine (FMI) as a Patient Services Specialist, based in Colorado. She hopes to continue helping patients through her work, by sharing her inspiring story, and by helping FMI expand our Patient Network.

Read more about Corey’s experience below in our recent conversation with her.

When did you first hear about your lung cancer diagnosis?

I was diagnosed in the spring of 2014, roughly two weeks after graduating from the University of California. I did not have standard symptoms. I was a pretty avid runner and didn’t feel anything in my lungs or in my bones. The only sign I had was this little flash in my right eye that I asked my optometrist about. I later learned that because my optometrist thought it was a sufficient bump behind my eye, he pushed me to go see an eye tumor specialist. Fast forward a bit and that same doctor encouraged me to have a full body scan, which lit up like a Christmas tree. I had a needle biopsy and got the devastating and very shocking diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer.

What was your treatment plan and experience?

In late 2014, I moved back home with my parents in Southern California. In my own research during this time, I rwas introduced to the concept of targeted therapies. Little did I know that my doctor had already submitted my needle biopsy for I didn’t find out about FMI’s offerings until much later in my treatment. I talked to my doctor about getting tested and he submitted my sample for a standard hotspot test of the EGFR gene and a few others. The EGFR test came back negative, which was a blow. However, the results also said there was not enough tissue for a very decisive negative or positive. At this point, my doctor at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California scheduled surgery to remove more tissue and ordered the FoundationOne test. The results of my FoundationOne test indicated that I’m ROS1 positive. I knew it was either really bad news or good news when my doctor called instead of the nurse. He said, “You’re ROS1 positive, I think this is really good.” He suggested Xalkori® (crizotinib) for treatment, which had just been approved for lung cancer, so I started that pretty quickly. I didn’t have to jump into chemotherapy or any type of infusion--I just started with the Xalkori® pill twice a day. That worked really quickly with very few side effects. I had clear scans within a couple of months, which was a great feeling.

Have there been shifts in your treatment plan since that time?

In May 2015, we did a brain MRI and learned the hard way that Xalkori® does not get into the brain. They found brain lesions, which was a big setback. We had to make the decision to look at new targeted therapies that did get into the brain and targeted ROS1, or adding radiation on top of my Xalkori® treatment. Ultimately, I decided to enter into a clinical trial for a new targeted therapy called ROZLYTREK™ (entrectinib). While I didn’t have dramatic results, I did have long-term results. Entrectinib kept me stable for over 3 years, during which time I moved to Colorado and got a job. It had felt like my life was on pause living at home with my parents and I was ready to make a move. My sister lives in Colorado, so I’m grateful to be near to her. I’m also lucky to see my doctor at University of Colorado, who is a very smart guy. In the spring of 2018, he told me that he saw some growth in the tumors, and we’d have to make a change in my treatment. At first, we experimented with a drug called Alunbrig® (brigatinib)—that did not go well and was very scary. We then tried LORBRENA® (lorlatinib) which went very well and had dramatically positive results. I recently had a scan which showed a clear brain MRI. My lungs and bones look good, too. We’re on the good part of the rollercoaster right now. I’m also doing chemotherapy infusion drugs to help with the bones. He thinks the ROS1 mutation in the bones might be different than elsewhere in the body and therefore is not responding to lorlatinib.

What is your history with FMI?

In 2014, I gave several talks to the folks at FMI about my cancer treatment experience, and in 2015, I was pleased to join the FMI holiday party. I realized that it was a really fun group of people, but also that everyone was extremely hard working. I became friends with more people at FMI as the years went by. One of those friends, an Account Executive on the Sales Team in Florida, pushed me to apply for a role at FMI. I was nervous about applying for anything because it seemed like all roles were based in Cambridge. I spoke to friends in Talent Acquisition, who encouraged me to apply for anything that I could do from Colorado. In March of 2019, I joined the Client Services Team as a Patient Services Specialist. Currently, I work in the call center, speaking to doctors, pathologists, and patients, and later this year, we’re hoping the role can become even more patient-focused. It’s a really good experience and I’m excited to be able to share my story with more patients.

How are you helping other patients?

It took a long time into my journey before I realized there was a difference between my first hotspot test and comprehensive genomic profiling. Knowing the difference between the available tests is so important, but it’s also so complicated. I don’t think I would have pushed after the first test for further testing. While it is important to trust your doctors, I learned how important it is to be informed and advocate for yourself. When I was first diagnosed, I was desperate for stories. I scoured the internet for any kind of hope. I need and want to do more to help the patient community because I know how helpful it can be for others. Based on my experiences, I’m excited to work with the Patient and Professional Partnerships Team to help FMI expand our Patient Network and share my story of hope.

My Impact on Transforming Cancer Care - Histology

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 17:00:00 +0000

I first came across the position for a histology supervisor at Foundation Medicine at a time when I was a stay-at-home mom and wasn’t planning to return to work. I had not heard of Foundation Medicine (FMI), but after some quick research, it was clear that the company’s mission was to transform cancer care. That was an opportunity I couldn’t resist. Before I “retired” from the field, I had worked in histology for over 15 years and had tried out almost every aspect of the field from clinical to big pharma to animal histology. For me, FMI was the perfect combination of helping pharmaceutical companies find life-saving treatments and helping clinicians connect those treatments with the people who needed them. I loved the fact that we could help patients in real time.

The histology team at FMI prepares samples for our comprehensive genomic profiling tests, which analyze the cancerous tumors and help identify genomic alterations. These tests can help oncologists create a treatment plan based on a patient’s unique genomic features. The hospital does its own histology work to determine the patient’s cancer type, and then oncologists send a specimen to FMI to determine the unique elements of that patient’s cancer. My team checks that specimen to confirm there is enough tumor sample for our tests, and then we prepare that sample for the testing process.

FMI’s histology team plays a crucial role in the testing process because the other teams cannot do any sequencing of paraffin specimens until we’ve completed our work. Also, any work related to histology at our Cambridge headquarters comes through us, so we get the opportunity to support many different kinds of patients and work with lots of different departments across the company. We’re there at the start of the testing process and help out in any way that we can as the specimen moves all the way through to the final report. That’s how it is across all departments here at FMI—each team needs the other to function. To see our teams pull together, especially during really busy times, is amazing.

What keeps me going each day are my colleagues, especially my histology team. As a manager, I could not ask for a friendlier, more patient-focused team. Every single day, their dedication, creativity, and constant drive for improvement makes me proud that I have the privilege of calling them my team. The environment here at FMI is also great. It’s been that way since the beginning—the support that the company gives its employees is unparalleled. It’s the only place I’ve worked that always says, “Do what you need to support your team.”

Ultimately, all of our work has a direct impact on the lives of cancer patients who have had our testing. We get notes from patients saying, “I sent my specimen to FMI and now I’m doing well,” and that is such a fantastic feeling. It is so rewarding to know that you are part of something that is transforming lives, as well as cancer care.

Learn more about our mission to transform cancer care, and explore ways to join our team!

Inside our Germany Location

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 16:00:00 +0000

Foundation Medicines European subsidiary is located within the Roche Campus in Penzberg, Germany, just a couple of miles south of Munich. Roche Penzberg is one of Europe’s largest biotechnology centers, employing around 6,200 people from over 50 nations. Its strategic geographic position reflects its vast business importance. Besides offering comprehensive genomic profiling for different types of malignancies to cancer patients in Europe, the team in Penzberg also synergistically operates with Roche, as well as collaboration partners in Europe and worldwide. This makes the Penzberg site an important hub for many of Foundation Medicines international activities. Roche nurtures a collaborative corporate culture which promotes and supports open-minded thought and activity. This environment harmonizes perfectly with Foundation Medicines core values and culture, combined with a great emphasis on personal and professional development.

The Foundation Medicine laboratory in Penzberg was initiated in January 2017 and launched for commercial diagnostic, i.e. comprehensive genomic profiling for cancer patients, in October 2017. In addition to laboratory operations, the site functions as hub for internal collaborations and partnerships. The central location in Europe and within the Penzberg campus allow for a strong synergy between Foundation Medicine, various national and international partners and Roche. 

The Foundation Medicine team in Penzberg consists of several groups, such as Laboratory Operations, Client Services & Accessioning, Computational Biology, Quality Assurance, Automation Engineering, Project management, Finance and IT. Starting with only 4 employees in January 2017, the team has grown to almost 60 employees in March 2020 (from 6 different nations) and continues to expand in size! Many of the Roche amenities on campus can also be used by Foundation Medicine employees, such as the gym, canteen, and bus services. 

Current openings in Germany

Our Teams:

Accessioning, Foundation Medicine Penzberg, Germany

Accessioning technicians are the first touch point when a patient’s tissue or blood sample arrives at Foundation Medicine’s lab site in Penzberg, Germany.  When the sample arrives, accessioning is responsible for performing an initial quality check of the received material and completing the accompanied paperwork. Once this check is administered, the data is entered into Foundation Medicine’s system to initiate tracking throughout the sample's journey. Subsequently, the sample is passed along to the Laboratory team, where it is tested with the appropriate comprehensive genomic profiling assays. In addition, our Penzberg lab processes a larger number of samples that are submitted to our site for research purposes. Once a sample has been successfully processed in the lab and a Foundation Medicine test medical report is available, residual material is sent back to the submitting pathology or oncology department. At the conclusion of this process, the accessioning team performs a final quality check and prepare the specimen for send-off. We are flexible individuals who thrive in a small team setting and work well in a fast-paced environment.

Client Services, Foundation Medicine Penzberg, Germany

Foundation Medicine’s Client Services team acts as an important communications bridge between Foundation Medicine teams, such as the Laboratory Operations team and the Accessioning team, and external partners, including ordering physicians and pathologists. The team’s tasks include providing education, guidance, and support to customers and patients. Client Services is also responsible for the successful transmission of the medical report. Providing testing status updates and supporting customers with their requests is all part of the successful customer service experience. What makes the tasks of the Client Services team in Penzberg special is working hand in hand with the Roche costumer care team. Together with Roche and other Foundation Medicine sites, the Client Services team is constantly improving processes to increase customer satisfaction. Working collaboratively with physicians, oncologists and pathologists is integral in achieving Foundation Medicine’s mission to transform cancer care. We want to ensure a reliable, proactive and professional experience for patients and physicians. 
 The collaboration between our teams in Penzberg, as well as our colleagues in Cambridge, Research Triangle Park, San Diego and Palo Alto, shows we are one team with one mission throughout our locations. 

Computational Biology, Foundation Medicine Penzberg, Germany

The Penzberg Computational Biology team is responsible for developing annotated genomic profiles of somatic aberrations based on massively parallel sequencing (NGS) data, in the context of studies of cancer -patient samples. We are always focused on delivering timely results to physicians. This requires a deep understanding of NGS bioinformatics and cancer genetics, strong organizational skills and a proactive attitude. In addition to working on the genomic profiles of patients, we are developing advanced computational methods, analyzing and visualizing research and operations data, and participating in validation studies.

International Operations, Foundation Medicine Penzberg, Germany

Since its establishment in Penzberg, the International Operations team has played a crucial role in expanding the reach of Foundation Medicine assays to different countries, on different continents, ranging from close partners in Switzerland, to long-distance collaborations with partners in Israel and China. The International Operations team has grown and to date it consists of valued members including a manager and project manager, a team of bioinformaticians, scientists and quality assurance experts. The multi-disciplinary team performs various functions to accompany international collaborators in all steps of our product qualification and launch to market. This includes establishing, maintaining and growing relationships with affiliate institutions, and providing guidance to facilitate the set-up of the assay workflows. Many of these functions are carried out remotely but a laboratory training happens in person to ensure that each step of the assay workflow is understood and performed according to Foundation Medicine standards.

Laboratory Operations, Foundation Medicine Penzberg, Germany

Our Penzberg Lab team consists of ambitious and dedicated molecular technologists. Every day, we are working toward delivering high quality molecular insights by performing next generation sequencing-based comprehensive genomic profiling tests. We work in close interaction with all other operational functions, such as the accessioning team, client services, pathologists and computational biologists.

The sample journey starts when the accessioning team delivers the specimen to the lab team. Our tissue test, FoundationOne CDx, relies on formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissues samples. Thin sections of those tissue specimens are prepared, stained and reviewed by a pathologist, who is assessing quality, tumor content and confirming disease type. Subsequently, several consecutive steps are necessary to prepare the sample for automated DNA extraction. A quantification assay is then performed to ensure an adequate yield of DNA as input amount for further downstream processes. During library construction and hybrid capture, our technicians perform a multitude of different processing steps using automated liquid handlers to prepare the patient samples for next generation sequencing, which completes wet lab processing. Once sequencing is accomplished, data is analyzed by a team of computational biologists and bioinformaticians. The working spirit within the Penzberg Lab team is marked by a close interdisciplinary collaboration across all the international Foundation Medicine sites, as well as within the complete team at the Penzberg site.

Quality Assurance, Foundation Medicine Penzberg, Germany

The International Quality Assurance team is a flexible team of talented individuals with various professional backgrounds from the diagnostic and pharma world. We provide guidance to many different areas of the company in a collaborative, solution-oriented way and in alignment with the organizational strategic direction.
In our daily work, we ensure that the services we provide for physicians and partners meet the company and international quality standards. We also strive to continuously improve our company’s efficiency by determining system improvements and implementing positive changes.
The solutions-focused spirit in our communication with other departments in Penzberg, our colleagues in the U.S., and our global customers makes our daily work very rewarding. We also support our international partners at affiliate sites in Switzerland and China and other international projects with technology transfer activities, trainings, across sites proficiency testing, pre-accreditation activities and audit inspections, among many other tasks.
We have diverse quality assurance responsibilities and like to work in a challenging and dynamic work environment with a focus on getting the highest quality insights to physicians.

Technology, Foundation Medicine Penzberg, Germany

The Penzberg Technology team is tirelessly working on providing the hardware and software resources and tools required to help physicians make more informed decisions about their patients’ care. We are working with cutting edge technologies to create and maintain both local and cloud-based infrastructure and software products following agile principles. Close collaboration with both our Penzberg and U.S. colleagues is at the heart of our daily business, making teamwork, curiosity and innovation among our key assets.

A Day in the Life of a Pathologist

Thu, 07 May 2020 16:00:00 +0000

Welcome to “A Day in the Life,” a series spotlighting Foundation Medicine employees across all departments and locations. This frequent series will put you in the shoes of one of our employees for a day in his/her life.

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A Day in the Life of Dr. Huang,

Global Medical Lead, RTP Lab Operations

Sitting next to his microscope in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Dr. Huang comments, “It’s easy to look over there and just see a stack of slides. But there's a patient behind each slide waiting for the vital information from them to help guide treatment. Each slide we evaluate is literally a piece of tissue from an individual patient.” 

On a day-to-day basis, Dr. Huang’s role involves examining human tissue with genomic and proteomic biomarkers. Through his interpretation of these biomarkers, Dr. Huang provides information to the treating physician on potential therapies for the patient. Dr. Huang would not be able to inform treating physicians of treatment options without the advanced tools he uses every day, which has spurred an era of personalized medicine and has opened “a new world for pathologists,” he added. “Everything is changing for pathology as a medical specialty and more importantly, the changes are providing a higher quality of care to patients. This leads to better treatment options, all which makes my role such a gratifying one. For the pathologists here, the most important thing is for us to provide the highest quality of genomic and proteomic information to treating physicians and their patients and ensure the highest standard of safety and care.”  

The work that Dr. Huang conducts under the microscope, otherwise known as pathology review, is part of his “clinical service work.” He rotates between four areas of clinical service every week: pathology review of incoming specimens, next generation sequencing (NGS) sign-out, pathology review of PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC), and pathology on-call.  

When working on a pathology review for incoming specimen, a pathologist at Foundation Medicine decides if the sample is adequate for testing by evaluating the tumor content on the slide and assigning a disease ontology to the sample. The NGS sign-out service is the final quality control check to make sure the genomics from the sequencing is consistent with the disease ontology of the sample before the report is signed by the pathologists. For the PD-L1 IHC service, the pathologist reviews pieces/fragments of human tissue stained by IHC to determine the PD-L1 protein expression level in the tumor cells and/or immune cells to help guide immunotherapy treatment options. In the pathology on-call service, the pathologist on-call answers questions that the Client Services team escalate to him/her.   

In addition to his clinical service work, Dr. Huang has a passion to help develop new predictive biomarkers, which fuels expanded access to CGP. Daily, Dr. Huang “works with pharmaceutical partners to create data to help bring new predictive biomarkers and therapies to patients.” He also currently sits on the clinical study plan committee at Foundation Medicine, representing pathology, and reviews clinical study plans before they are put in place. Furthermore, he is very interested in supporting the Company’s international expansion. As a fluent speaker of Mandarin Chinese, Dr. Huang is especially impactful in helping deliver CGP in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. In 2019, he visited the DIAN Diagnostics Group (DIAN) lab in Hangzhou, China to provide a refresher training in Mandarin Chinese to the DIAN pathologists and examined DIAN’s laboratory workflow for FMI specimens that are currently processed at the DIAN lab.  

Overall, Dr. Huang says that there is no typical day at Foundation Medicine, calling his job “dynamic and fast-paced; and most importantly, very fulfilling. We are given this precious opportunity to examine and interrogate a piece of tissue to help patients in their fight against cancer.”  

A Day in the Life: Cloud Engineer

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 16:00:00 +0000

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A Day in the Life of Jayesh, Cloud Engineer

Jayesh joined Foundation Medicine as a co-op during his time as a graduate student at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to the summer internship program, Foundation Medicine also hosts co-op students who work full time for an academic term in a role that is directly related to their program of study. Following this experience, he made the decision to return to Foundation Medicine as a full-time cloud engineer after his graduation in May 2020. Because of Jayesh’s passion for his work and commitment to our mission, he is a wonderful example of what it looks like to embody our values.

 
Why did you decide to join Foundation Medicine and what is your current role?

I first joined Foundation Medicine as a cloud engineer co-op. I believe that the opportunity to dive into the professional side of cloud computing and Developmental Operations without having prior experience was priceless. The co-op provided me with a learning experience where I grew professionally, rather than being in school where the focus can often be on grades. The most prominent takeaways from my time as a co-op were learning and engaging with different application teams across the organization and understanding the importance of automation. In school, a majority of the projects are done individually, and you rarely get the opportunity to work with different people. Foundation Medicine was the total opposite. You are constantly pushed to engage in cross-team discussions and collaborate to help design highly reliable and calculable solutions using cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services.
I always wanted to be a part of a company that uses modern technology to have a meaningful impact on the world. Cancer care is arguably one of the most significant scientific developments we have seen in recent decades. During my co-op, I realized that Foundation Medicine would be at the forefront of providing comprehensive genomic profiling to advanced cancer patients and helping the community to become a better place to live. This made my co-op feel even more meaningful. The company culture was equally as important as the technology. And, indeed, I believe that Foundation Medicine’s culture is a core reason for its success. The people here work as a single unit toward the goal of improving cancer care and can have a direct impact on the patient journey.
The opportunity to work with people of all backgrounds and skill sets to transform cancer care was what thrilled me the most. During the last few weeks of my co-op, I told my manager about my interest in continuing to work at Foundation Medicine, and they worked with me directly to explore opportunities for me to come back as a full-time employee. I was awaiting an official confirmation and was thrilled when I was offered the full-time position. I feel lucky to be a part of such a wonderful organization that is constantly evolving to improve the community in which we live.
 
Do you have any personal connections to Foundation Medicine's mission? 

My exposure to cancer therapies and treatment started very recently when my aunt had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I have witnessed her journey and come to understand how difficult it becomes for the patient and patient’s family while fighting this disease. Thankfully, her cancer growth was stalled using chemo therapies. It was at that time that I realized that there are many opportunities for cancer care to be improved and for more treatment options to be available around the globe. I am very grateful to have received the opportunity to be part of an organization with a mission to help improve cancer care. 
 
Give us a brief overview of what a regular day as a Foundation Medicine cloud engineer entails.

As a cloud engineer, I work on maintaining and improving the automation pipeline to facilitate seamless integrations and deployments on the cloud platform. In this role, I constantly collaborate with product owners and other internal stakeholders to design and architect highly scalable and reliable solutions using infrastructure orchestration and management tools. I support various application teams to analyze and debug issues on the cloud platform in order to enable maximum availability of services to the physicians who are relying on our tests to help guide treatment decisions for their patients.
 
What is the cloud engineering team like at Foundation Medicine? 

The cloud engineering team is responsible for maintaining and managing the cloud infrastructure and the continuous integration and delivery pipeline. The team is tasked with researching new software technologies and implementing these to provide, maintain and monitor the software suite at Foundation Medicine and to achieve company goals more effectively and efficiently. The team collaborates with almost every department within the organization and assists each team with using cloud computing resources to facilitate seamless deployments using the automation pipeline.
 
What is a current or future project that you are excited about?

I am currently working on a project to streamline the process of tagging all resources deployed over the Amazon Web Services infrastructure. Resource tagging enables stakeholders to strategize business plans and enhance cost analysis for the cloud platform. This project involves automating the process to implement guard rails on the deployment life cycle to ensure proper tagging for every resource on the cloud platform. It also involves creating automation scripts to identify existing resources on the Amazon Web Services infrastructure and collaborating with respective teams to enable proper tagging.

A Day in the Life: Product Owner Noel

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 16:00:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of interviewing Noel, a Product Owner on the Technology team. As a person living with advanced cancer, Noel exemplifies strength and has a personal understanding of the impact that her work at Foundation Medicine has on patients.

Noel’s day-to-day job consists of connecting engineers with key internal stakeholders, such as Client Services. Although Noel does not interact with patients directly, the work she does has a significant impact on patient care. Patients are at the forefront of her work and Noel regularly receives feedback from the teams who work directly with our products and patients. She then takes that information and relays it back to the Engineering team so they can consider, and potentially implement, that feedback when updating our comprehensive genomic profiling tests. Noel is aware that the cancer landscape is constantly evolving and improving, and she recognizes the importance of staying up to date on the most recent advancements in the field. 

Noel describes the Technology team as extremely dedicated. They are continually working towards the common mission of providing high quality products and prioritizing the needs of patients. Currently, Noel is working on updating Microsoft Dynamics, our Customer Relationship Management Tool. With this newest update, Product Managers like Noel can leverage the Power Platform from Microsoft, which allows them to present system functionality to the users in a more focused, concise, and relevant manner in the form of new “Power Apps” (mini applications).  

She explains that although her position requires coding and mapping, which are not directly related to cancer, these are things that make Foundation Medicine capable of delivering tests for physicians to use when determining the best treatment approach for their patients.  

Noel connects with the company’s mission to transform cancer care because of her personal experience as a late stage cancer patient. Although Noel was touched by cancer before precision medicine was as well-known option for patients like it is today, she is thankful to have the ability to help patients who are experiencing the same struggles that she did. Although Noel feels tied to our mission because of her history with cancer, she also recognizes that every Foundation Medicine employee has their own connection with our mission and with the work that we do. Noel’s selflessness shines through when she discusses her appreciation and admiration for the work and dedication of her colleagues. She notes, “while I connect to the mission so easily, what is most inspiring to me is to see my colleagues care so passionately about the mission, regardless of how personal their connection to cancer is.”   

Innovation During a Pandemic – Harindra, Principal Software Engineer

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 17:00:00 +0000

What inspired you to join Foundation Medicine? 
The great teams and our work in personalizing healthcare inspired me to join Foundation Medicine in April of this year. There has been immense progress in genomics and technology over the last decade, and I think we are at the forefront of converting those discoveries into actionable benefits that have a direct impact on patient care. 

What is your tole and how have you tried any new ways of working this year?
I am a lead of an engineering team in Medical Reporting. I think my strategy for navigating the last few months has been an emphasis on streamlined communication, focused team interactions, and team building. I am lucky in having led distributed teams in the past and have leaned on some of those learnings. What has worked is focused functional meetings so we can concentrate discussions at those times and give the team more blocks of uninterrupted time. We also have “tech talks” where team members present on their work at a granular level in a no-prep-needed, fun, friendly, discussion format. This helps establish uniformity of skill across the team and builds communication skills, while getting team members more involved in long term planning to help them grow. We also encourage transparency in engineering decisions and architecture discussions. Lastly, we keep at least 30 minutes at the end of the week for chatting about non work-related things. This last piece is even more critical in this remote existence.

What is your top recommendation for others?
I think visual/pictorial representations are fantastic and a must for communicating ideas. No wall or glass should be left untouched and everything is fair game for being an ad hoc whiteboard to jot down architecture, ideas or thoughts. In this remote world we are now living in, the best tool I found is Lucid chart. Any tool that helps you draw can work; even a mirror or glass that you point the camera to.  I find drawing something out helps keep the discussion moving forward and helps folks with different skills connect.

Are there any practices you plan to sustain? 
I particularly want to expand our internal tech talks as part of the push to help each developer grow as an engineer and leader. I also want to encourage the concept of continuous improvement and healthy/friendly debate in decision making.

Career Development Story: Karina, Director, IT Governance

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 17:00:00 +0000

Karina, Director, IT Governance, recently made a move within Foundation Medicine from the Engineering Team. Karina reflects on her life-long passion for learning, her desire to keep leading, and her quest to find innovative solutions to keep us moving forward.

What was your first role at Foundation Medicine, and where you are now? 

My first position was as a program manager - I was hired to work specifically with the Enterprise Systems Engineering (ESE) Team. In this role, I focused on building organizational structures that improved the teams’ ability to focus on prioritized work by limiting unnecessary distractions and focusing on process improvements. I also had an opportunity to introduce new roles and capabilities, including technical writing and release management. These roles further support quality and timeliness in delivering value to our users.  My role also focused on making sure that as Foundation Medicine grew, we had a sustainable growth strategy. We are growing incredibly fast, and it was imperative that the way we worked reflected the makeup of the team, which consisted of full-time employees and contract employees, as well as locations around the globe. When I first joined, we had about 13 people and when I moved to my new role, there were almost 60 people on the team. During my time with ESE, I was very humbly appointed a senior program manager, and also had an opportunity to take on the role of associate director of product management as our technology team continued to grow and evolve. I am grateful to the ESE team for trusting me along the way and thrilled to have had a chance to work with them. 

In my new role, I moved to Information Technology  (IT). The technology team is comprised of two parts: Engineering, focused on delivering cutting edge technology solutions and data to generate decision insights, and IT, focused on providing excellence in IT services and delivering secure, reliable, and agile technology. I am excited to be part of the IT organization and honored by the opportunity to build a new team called  IT Governance. I am working to build a vision for the future and work with the team to ensure ongoing alignment between IT and organizational strategy, further shaping how we make an impact at the company. A big part of my new role is leading change so that we can sustainably and continuously improve the way we work. 

What skills did you hope to learn with your switch to your new role?  
 
I am a life-long learner, so I value each opportunity to learn something new. I tend to be very strategic and focused on the future, which I have been able to continue to develop in this role. I look forward to honing my leadership skills, and I believe that servant leadership is most effective. We can't do the work we need to do without our teams, so it's important to ensure that our teams understand the vision and strategy to deliver. It isn’t just about delivering great products and services, leading also means building a positive culture and helping people to grow and develop, and I am excited to have the opportunity to do just that. 
 
What kind of support did you have getting to the point that you're at today? 
 
The past two years have been an intensive learning course, much like an immersive class. Massive growth across the company has allowed me to meet new people with new ideas.

I am very lucky that I have a mentor, Lisa, who serves as our VP, Program and Portfolio Management. She has been incredibly helpful, and it has been great to have another woman leader in the organization take the time to teach me so much. She has supported my efforts to better myself, advised me on how to hone my skills and what to focus on, and has been a resource in moments when I’ve faced difficult situations or challenges.   
 
I was able to begin my relationship with Lisa simply because I reached out and asked. I enjoy reaching out to folks across the company and understanding what it is that they do and what I can do to help them succeed in their roles. It has been great to connect with so many people, especially women also on the technology side of the company. The network you develop is likely one of the most important resources at any company, especially here at Foundation Medicine as the organization continues to grow and evolve. It's so important to have your anchors, so as the tide sways from one side to another you have an opportunity to stay firmly planted and continue to do what you need to do in order to help. I encourage everyone to reach out to others. We can all learn from each other. 
 
What do you hope to do in the future? 
 
I hope to continue to build bridges - I use the phrase “destroyer of siloes and builder of bridges” to describe myself. Having unified and diverse teams allows for better solutions in the future. I hope to continue to collaborate across departments, to broaden our perspectives and to keep us focused on the future of cancer care for patients. 

If I were to give advice to folks joining an organization, it would be to treat every new interaction as an opportunity to learn and grow, and to focus on building a network. Both have helped me to increase my scope of influence here and have given me an opportunity to contribute in new ways. The relationships you build can help you understand what is most needed and can open new doors.

A Career in Curiosity: IT at Foundation Medicine

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Earlier in my career, I was working for an organization that enabled the modernization of IT systems of various state department of motor vehicles (DMV). What you don’t see behind the long lines and terrible snapshots is a complicated, interesting web of problems that influence real lives every day. Consider a commercial truck driver, for example. When a police officer pulls the driver over, where and how does the officer validate their litany of licenses and certificates? One minor database error or a delay in transmitting the records could have that trucker and officer stalled for hours. In a worst-case scenario, the truck driver is erroneously jailed in Toledo for the night.

These hard problems kept me challenged at work each day, and solving them kept me motivated. They were large, complex, and evoked curiosity. These are not problems that one person solves. It takes a whole team. It takes the customer and an organization aligning on a mission. I remain ingrained within IT and systems and pivoted my industry to the life sciences space, and there is no better company with which to embark on my new journey than Foundation Medicine.

Our Next Digital Transformation

New problems to solve led me to my next role as leader of the Cloud Operations team at Foundation Medicine. We are well past the first digital transformation of cloud migration. That is, most of our mission critical workloads are already in the cloud. The interesting challenge for us now is figuring out how to successfully navigate our next digital transformation to a fully cloud native microservices based system, and how to develop infinitely scalable architecture and design. It wasn’t just the infrastructure or modern DevOps tools I could play with that persuaded me to make a career move. It was curiosity.

Curiosity has become an important criteria for every role throughout my career, and my work at Foundation Medicine is no exception. I’m most excited about finding solutions for people. On the other side of our cloud infrastructure and DevOps tools and systems are patients and families who need pertinent and timely information to make very difficult decisions.

Our IT team has an impact on patients each day in some way - whether it’s working with software engineering on finding ways to speed up code deployment, or alongside scientists building the next generation of assays for our testing services. The CloudOps team and the IT department work in tandem to make ideas technically possible, and that has transformed how I think about work.

We’re working across multiple countries, managing an enormous volume of data (double-digit petabytes!) and 4000+ instances of compute, all while making over a thousand code pushes per week. My team is not working on simple maintenance or upgrades alone. The problems we solve are constantly shifting in scope because personalized medicine is constantly evolving.

Work At The Pace of Purpose: Lead CloudOps Engineer

When it comes down to it, I never wanted just to transform businesses. I wanted to work at the pace of problems. The role has to be more than digital transformation and cloud or DevOps expertise - it has to be powered by an inquisitive mind.

I wrote this post because I want to work with people who are similarly motivated: people who have chased complex problems with curiosity; people who have a service mindset and care about the life of someone they’ll never meet.

Maybe someone like you? Right now our team is hiring a Lead CloudOps Engineer. Send me a note if you would like to discuss how we are pushing the boundaries of personalized cancer care.

Our Passion is Personal

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Since Foundation Medicine’s inception, our focus on the people and families affected by cancer inspires us every day in our commitment to transform cancer care. Behind each of these photos is a Foundation Medicine employee whose loved one with cancer fuels their passion and pursuit to bring personalized treatment options to people living with cancer. 

The images illustrate our passion for our work with the world and are being showcased on "Patient Walls” in our offices. They provide us all with a daily reminder of why we work at Foundation Medicine, highlighting not only the patients who motivate us, but also the employees to whom they are personally connected.  Several of the photographs feature employees of Foundation Medicine who themselves have had cancer and who inspire us with their courage and unique perspective. 

"Dad was so proud of the work I do here every day, and I don’t think I can ever adequately express to the FMI team how much joy this project brought to me. Getting to see his smiling face in the lobby every time I am down there is a priceless experience for me." – Vera, Director of Laboratory Operations

News From Foundation Medicine GmbH in Germany: Empower EVERY Employee

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:00:00 +0000

The past twelve months have been beyond exceptional and nobody can deny the impacts the global corona pandemic had on our daily lives. However, there were many positives. Our working environment had to quickly adapt to the new situation and employers and employees just the same had to accommodate to the new circumstances. Continued or exclusive work from remote has become “the new normal” – and to everyone’s surprise, it is working just as well. Employees at Foundation Medicine GmbH in Germany have experienced more flexibility to their schedule, fewer hours spent in traffic due to daily commute, and virtual meetings with participants around the globe conducted on an equal footing.

At Foundation Medicine GmbH, Foundation Medicine's European subsidiary located within the Roche Campus in Penzberg, Germany, the motto “Empower EVERY Employee” has always been one of the most important guiding principles to support our mission of transforming cancer care. Due to the new work environment, this has received a new and unprecedented intension and dynamic. The aim is to allow employees more creative opportunities in scheduling their time, to become more flexible in bringing work and family under one roof, and to enable a better work-life balance for everyone.

This ties perfectly to one of our other goals, which is to foster equality. The guidelines on “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” are not empty phrases, but are implemented in our daily operations. In particular, the feeling of belonging and inclusion is important to Vera , VP, International Operations & Managing Director Foundation Medicine GmbH: “People come first and we empower EVERY Employee. Everyone is given maximum responsibility for their role, receives trust and freedom and, most importantly, is deployed and developed, but also challenged, according to their personal strengths and talents.  Everyone is empowered to actively shape the development of our company! Work is much more than just a job. It’s really fun and passion!”

Supporting Parents to Be

The first example of enhancements made to improve this new working experience includes an increase in parental leave. With immediate effect, Foundation Medicine GmbH will top up the parental allowance for employees on parental leave for the first three months of their leave so that original net earnings are reached. “With this benefit, we would like to both support our expectant parents and to invest in our future. With this increase in parental benefits, we are ensuring that we are an attractive employer for many talented people,” says Vera.

Architectural Design to Avoid Silo Thinking

In addition to an enhanced work-life balance, we also promote a new work culture that is more flexible and agile. We rely on flat hierarchies and a matrix organization in which teams work together on a project-oriented basis. This philosophy is also reflected in the architecture of the newly designed office spaces, which we will return to when it is safe to do so. There are hardly any individual offices. The atmosphere is characterized by transparency and openness without having the disadvantages of an open-plan office. “This architecture is immensely important for us as a place where people come together. We want to offer a flexible working environment that can be customized as far as possible,” says Christian, Dir, Business Administration. “In this way, we also want to appeal to talented people who are specifically looking for an innovative working atmosphere.”

Remote Working as a Long-Term Trend

Working from home continuously during the ongoing pandemic has also revealed disadvantages. Instead of short constructive conversations in the hallway or over a cup of coffee, the number of telephone conferences and video calls increases steadily, which can lead to “Zoom fatigue”. Here, too, it's the mix that counts. Mobile working will continue to be much more important than it has been in the past, and it is precisely the combination of mobile and on-site working that offers considerable advantages over exclusive presence at the workplace. Christian emphasizes, “We are very aware that maintaining the team spirit which made us successful in the first place is crucial. On the other hand, what better thing can we do for our employees than to enable flexible working where the job allows it? We will continue to promote flexible working after COVID, depending on the area of activity, with the occasional arrangement to fully remote.” To ensure a seamless transition into this mix of mobile and on-site work, we have undergone a complete re-design in our Penzberg office. All meeting rooms are now technically equipped to allow video calls and telephone conferences, and even small seating areas are equipped with monitors. The large open kitchen with long tables and the scattered seating areas between the office areas will continue to invite spontaneous conversations once we return to the office.  

This timely combination of individual measures and projects, which provide an outlook on how work can be designed in the future, demonstrates the innovative power of Foundation Medicine GmbH. All of this work was recently recognized when the company was voted one of the Top 100 most innovative companies in Germany. We are proud of our wonderful culture that helps us all do our best work to transform cancer care for patients. 

Current Open Jobs

A Day in The Life: Client Services Penzberg

Wed, 12 May 2021 16:00:00 +0000

This is our team – Foundation Medicine GmbH Client Services

During my biomedical studies with a major in tumor biology, I was exposed to the complexity and heterogeneity of cancer. Instead of researching in the lab, I wanted to raise awareness about the different therapeutic options available for the "emperor of all maladies." The best therapy option is contingent on many factors and may be different for each patient; research in this area is developing rapidly. I am proud to be a part of Foundation Medicine’s mission to transform cancer care as a Sr. Client Services Associate in our Penzberg location. I see every day how we can give patients and doctors new perspectives with our work, and that is incredibly motivating.

Client Services is the communication bridge from Foundation Medicine to our external partners. In Penzberg, we work directly with Roche’s customer care team to support our European stakeholders. Specifically, this means that we:

- Answer a variety of questions about our products from oncologists and pathologists
- Transmit medical reports to physicians
- Maintain entries in our Client Management Application
- Communicate information from the lab and analysis process
- Sample management (which means sometimes completely unraveling cases and understanding them in the context of our entire process so we can provide a comprehensive report for the patient)

I also like to think of myself as a professional problem solver. We receive many patient samples from different countries, which leads to a wide variety of situations to be handled in very different ways. Bringing together all this information from different sources and coordinating the communication with different departments can be challenging, but I am excited for the opportunity to help navigate them.

Another point that characterizes our role is the mixture of independent work that requires taking responsibility, with a dedicated team supporting us. In order to collaborate effectively, we use a group chat to ask questions and exchange ideas at any time. There is a lot of work to be done and we discuss how we can best support each other, even on short notice. In addition to the daily work, personal development is paramount and an ongoing team goal. I have regular meetings with my manager in which we talk freely about ideas, wishes and opportunities. I am acknowledged, encouraged and am not "one among many."

Due to the pandemic, my training was completely virtual and it worked very well. To be honest, I have never had such a good onboarding experience! The training was very well structured and perfectly organized. It allowed me to get to know my colleagues better, one by one. That's also what makes Foundation Medicine GmbH unique for me: Everyone rolls up their sleeves and is enthusiastic, very helpful and friendly. Even as a virtual newcomer, I’ve been warmly welcomed into the "work family."

Career Development Story: Anja

Fri, 28 May 2021 16:00:00 +0000

What was your first role at Foundation Medicine, and how has your career developed? 

I started working at Foundation Medicine GmbH a year and a half ago in the lab as a Molecular Technologist II. The first methods I was trained in were part of the “downstream process,” which includes everything from library preparation to sequencing. The on-the-job training I received from my colleagues and my supervisor was very thorough and efficient, so I was able to work independently very quickly. The close exchange with my colleagues also meant that I soon felt part of a great team. After I became comfortable performing the methods of the “downstream process,” I began observing and performing methods of the “upstream process” (which includes histology and several extraction methods).

I soon became involved in drafting a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for equipment which updated the existing ones. As it turned out, I really enjoyed working on these documents. That came as a surprise to me, because until then I was quite sure that nothing could make me as happy as working in the lab. Of course, “working on documents” may sound a little dry at first, but it involves a lot of communication and discussion across several departments and, sometimes, across all sites, as well. My supervisor also noticed that I enjoyed my work outside of the lab. When the position as RTO (Specialist, Right to Operate) opened in Penzberg, I was able to reduce my time in the lab so I could take the position as one of two RTOs at our location.

What skills did you hope to learn with your switch to your new role?  

Being an RTO requires working closely with Quality Assurance (QA). I anticipate learning to see things not only from the lab perspective, but also from a QA perspective. I’ve already experienced that some things may seem superfluous from one perspective but become a lot more important when you look at them from a different angle. I’ll also support internal and external audits and help with the follow-up. This means I’ll gain a deeper understanding of the regulatory aspects that guide all our lab processes.

What kind of support did you receive to make the transition?

When the RTO position opened, I wasn’t sure if ending my work in the lab was the right thing to do. I was able to discuss this openly with my manager and in the end, we found a way to reduce my working hours in the lab so that I could take the RTO position but still be a part of the lab team. The RTO position was newly established in Penzberg, so I wasn’t completely sure which areas of work and responsibilities it might include. To provide me with a better understanding, the RTOs in Cambridge and Research Triangle Park (RTP) set up a meeting and talked about their day-to-day work. Seeing how diverse their work was and also how they supported each other helped influenced my decision. And that support hasn’t stopped since. On the contrary, it is only with the ongoing support of my colleagues that I’m able to balance my time in and outside of the lab.

What are some challenges on the Right to Operate team?

As Specialist, Right to Operate, I feel like I am the bridge between two worlds. On the one hand, I still need to know all about the lab processes. That is relatively intuitive now, since I began my work in this area. On the other hand, I’m now strongly representing the regulatory aspects which set the guidelines and the boundaries of how routine lab work takes place. It’s like two hearts beating in one chest and it’s within my responsibility to help them get in sync. An additional challenge that I appreciate is being only one of currently two RTOs in Penzberg. The two of us have to collaborate while also navigating independent work. . At the same time, it gives us a lot of opportunity to shape our job profile and inform where our main focus should be in order to deliver the greatest impact.

How has leadership supported the combination of mobile and on-site working?

The team in Penzberg is relatively small compared to the sites in Cambridge or RTP, and most of us have a project that requires some office time. When the pandemic began it was inspiring to see that our leadership always seemed to be one step ahead. For example, when we had to divide the lab team into two groups to minimize our social contacts and therefore our risk of infection, all of us were already equipped with a company-owned laptop. During this time, we worked one week on-site in the lab and one week from home. Fortunately, after a while it was possible to soften this strict division. Nevertheless, we were strongly encouraged by leadership and by our direct managers and supervisors to work from home whenever possible. When necessary, we were even given the opportunity to take office equipment home with us or purchase office equipment for our personal use and get reimbursed.

Although the beginning of the pandemic was the driving force that enabled mobile working for many, this offer will not cease to exist with the end of the pandemic. After a survey showed that the majority of the Penzberg employees would value a certain amount of time working from home, leadership took the steps to implement it. For me as RTO, this results in one or two days a week where I can work from home, whereas I spend the rest of the week in the lab or at least on-site. However, this routine is not set in stone. When I need more time outside of the lab, like for example in preparation for or follow-up of an audit, I can increase the time I spend off-site.

How do you hope to share the future of Penzberg?

There are a lot of different ways I hope to contribute to the growth and development of Foundation Medicine GmbH. In only one year, we introduced a completely new in-take data processing system for samples, and we also made an almost complete switch from paper records to electronic records. All sites together are continuously working on improving those systems. I’d like to help with those improvements by facilitating the processes as much as possible for the lab techs and at the same time ensuring that all regulatory requirements are fulfilled. Another tenet that’s important to me is to keep an open dialogue between all sites. There are not many RTOs across all of our sites, but we are involved in a variety of projects. I believe this puts us in a unique position to discuss common problems and find improvements across the organization. All in all, Foundation Medicine is a dynamic and empowering place to work. It is difficult to predict the challenges the future holds, but I’m really looking forward to facing them!

Career Development Story: Thomas, Bioinformatics Penzberg

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Almost 4,000 miles away from Foundation Medicine’s headquarters in Cambridge, the team in Penzberg, Germany works rigorously and passionately to not only carry out our crucial mission of transforming cancer care, but also to act as a place of transformation and constant innovation - qualities that Foundation Medicine prides itself on.

The Beginning

I started working with Foundation Medicine in 2017 as a bioinformatician. I was the first bioinformatician hired in Penzberg. Since then, I have developed significantly and have taken on numerous leadership roles in Penzberg. Seeing the team grow from just a handful of employees to over 60 has been a very rewarding journey.
Part of the reason I came to Foundation Medicine was because I wanted to go back to my academic roots with genetics and sequencing again. It all developed very quickly after that. As the Director of Bioinformatics and Technology, I oversee a lot of the complex system processes that are involved in studying genomic profiles, as well as IT infrastructure and supporting software that helps our physicians and patients make informed decisions. Throughout my four years here, the style of thinking and how we operate as a team has evolved. Though Foundation Medicine is growing more and more every day, the common thread of being passionate and true to the mission hasn’t changed from the first day I started.

Leadership In Penzberg

As I have progressed through the company, the leadership team has been spectacular. When I look back on it, I see that Vera, who is Penzberg’s Managing Director and VP of International Operations, started out in a similar role where I am now. We’ve climbed up the ranks and seen this company grow together. It’s a rare thing to have such natural transitions like we did. And it’s an even rarer thing to do it together. The way we stay together and we trust each other is very unique.

As someone who is on that leadership team now, it’s my duty to make sure that all the team members work well together (which they seem to always do) and accomplish the goals and tasks that we put forth to support our overall mission of transforming cancer care. Empowering my team members has been something I’ve had to adjust to, and am still learning how to do, but it is incredibly rewarding, because we are all incredibly passionate about the work we do. Though I have had to adjust to a leadership position, it’s been very rewarding because my team members are amazing. They don’t always need me to direct them all the time because they often already know what they need to do. The team is constantly thinking about what’s next. I can only grow if the team grows, not necessarily just in numbers, but in our way of thinking, our methods, our priorities, and the technological and scientific innovation that we are committed to. And we do just that every day.

Wider Lens

Something that we emphasize is keeping the big picture in mind. We are helping patients in everything we do every day we step into the office (remotely and physically). Each sample we come across is someone’s life and a family relying on our work in order to inform crucial decisions. It’s important to remember that when working at Foundation Medicine, you’re a part of that critical process.
We hope to further shape the future of Penzberg as an international hub by bringing our important work further across all of Europe, and ultimately the rest of the world. We believe that extending our reach is crucial in order to help more patients globally. We’re excited and proud of what we’re doing now and what comes next for Penzberg. We all are the face of Foundation Medicine in Penzberg!

From Team Member to Leader: How I Helped Shape The Penzberg Client Services Team

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 16:00:00 +0000

A Perfect Combination of Passions

With an academic background of biotechnology and bioengineering and a fire inside of me to help the world in my own way, it only seemed natural to find myself with Foundation Medicine. Starting out in Client Services and eventually branching out to Accessioning is somehow the perfect combination of my interests and my personal passions.

I started in March 2018 as the third team member in Client Services at our location in Penzberg, Germany, and from there, the enthusiasm in our day-to-day tasks has only risen . As our team expanded, I contributed to building the Client Services team and the processes that we use in that department today. In May 2019, I became the team lead with Client Services and Accessioning, before being promoted to the Manager position in July 2020. Through all these positions and gaining more responsibilities along the way, the key thing that keeps me excited about work each day is the passion to help patients that I see from all of my colleagues. That’s one of the best things about working at Foundation Medicine. We all have the same mission of transforming cancer care.

Learning to Lead

Because I started out when the Penzberg site was extremely small, I got to be a large part of the construction of the culture and growth of the team. It’s been one of my favorite things. I take pride in being a person who really drives things forward and takes initiative on some major projects. One of those projects was the launch of a new customer relationship management (CRM) system early last year. I coordinated and documented many trainings with new technologies and new employees.

Leadership has been something I’ve had to embrace. I constantly aim to be the leader that you expect in a manager. I’ve had to learn how to communicate to mentors, mentees, and colleagues alike and what nuances are involved depending on who you’re communicating with. The team you lead should feel 100% supported and I always encourage my team members to feel comfortable being curious and asking questions. Everyone has to trust each other, because we’re doing very important and impactful things that can only be achieved when working together cohesively and efficiently.

It was extremely helpful to look at Vera Grossmann, VP of International Operations and Managing Director of Foundation Medicine GmbH, and observe how she leads. I can ask her anything and the guidance and trust she instills in her employees is what drives us every day as we continue helping patients through our work. She is the definition of a fantastic leader, someone who treats you as an equal and wholeheartedly respects you. I can only hope to live up to the example that Vera has set when leading my own teams.

Continued Growth

One of the highlights of working at Foundation Medicine is how quickly things are changing. Everything is extremely fast-paced in this field and knowing that you won’t ever go into work and experience the same day twice is exciting. When you combine that dynamic of curiosity with a passion for our work of advancing precision medicine, you get a great general picture of Foundation Medicine. That is large part of the reason I love working here.

Currently, I´m responsible for a project where we’re working together with Roche to transfer samples from the EMEA region which are currently handled by Cambridge over to Penzberg. Over the last few years, we’ve built a very strong collaboration and relationship with our Roche colleagues. On this project, I’m working primarily on the operational aspect. Almost every country in which Roche has a presence has their own business model, so there are lot of things that we need to consider, from legal topics to ordering, customer service, and reporting.

I’m so excited for everything that’s to come for Foundation Medicine GmbH. We hope to gain a bigger footprint on the international market to reach even more patients with the important work we do. It will undoubtedly come with challenges, but I’m eager about the future.

Pathology Projects and Connections That Matter

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Taking a Risk

Two years ago, I decided to try something completely new. After hearing about my friend’s positive experience working at Foundation Medicine, I decided to take my prior experience as a coordinator in the automotive industry and bring it to the life sciences industry. Currently, I am the Associate Project Manager in the Pathology department in Foundation Medicine’s Research Triangle Park (RTP) North Carolina location, and I am loving every minute of it.

As Associate Project Manager, I oversee many ongoing projects, as well as assist with project mentoring. Some of the projects I love working on are connected to our immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing portfolio. I’ve learned so much about the end-to-end processing and the overall product from the talented members of the Pathology team and other key stakeholders involved. I’m most proud of helping launch four new IHC assays and watching the overall portfolio of testing products expand.

People Driven

Most of my job involves interacting and collaborating with internal and external team members in various ways. It gives me great joy to be able to collaborate with so many intelligent, passionate, and hardworking people. I can’t emphasize enough the genuine and enthusiastic nature of my Foundation Medicine colleagues. I love coming into work every day, even during times of stress. During those challenging days, we are all able to bring it back to the patients and remind ourselves that we are helping people each day with the work that we do.

Admittedly, it was a bit intimidating coming into an industry that I didn’t know much about. However, because of the friendly and open culture at Foundation Medicine, I was encouraged to ask questions, specifically from my manager, Shakti, Director of Pathology and Senior Associate Medical Director. I continuously tell myself to actively be a sponge for new information and learn from my mentors, mentees, and fellow colleagues. It’s great to be constantly surrounded by a wealth of knowledge; it makes this job even more rewarding.

Connections That Matter

Something I tell my new hires and interns is how important it is to be an advocate for yourself. With any company growing as fast as we are, it can be difficult to get to know new people outside of your teams. Actively seeking input outside of your comfort zone is always intimidating, but I believe the risk is worth the reward.

I am a big believer in the concept of reverse mentoring, which is when both sides of a mentor-mentee relationship bring their skills to the table and learn from each other. Exchanging perspectives is crucial to constant development. How can we be expected to push forward if our knowledge palettes aren’t being challenged?

I have also learned the importance of not only knowing your team members on a professional level, but also on a personal level. When I first got here, Shakti made it a priority to ask about my professional and personal goals. It established a bond of trust between us. I always make it a point to get to know my team as individuals and place an emphasis on personal wellbeing. We cannot be as productive as a group if our individual wellbeing isn’t also being prioritized.

Sharing Knowledge

Recently, I’ve been building a project management interest group for employees who are interested in the project management field. These meetings provide employees with exposure to the field of project management and practices and principles they can use in their current job responsibilities. It’s wonderful to see so many people from varying departments coming together and learning things they can take into their respective roles. It shows how interconnected we all are. I also always love hearing about previous mentees of mine who go on to enter the field of project management. It reminds me how much staying connected is important and impactful.

My heart has always been most content when interacting with others. Learning with and from everyone at Foundation Medicine is something I truly enjoy. The fact that I walk into work every day excited to work, and leave learning something new, is enriching, and I’m looking forward to continuing to learn and meet wonderful people while all working towards the same mission of transforming cancer care.

Spotlight: US Client Services – How We Foster Growth

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 16:00:00 +0000

When we say that our passion is personal, we wholeheartedly mean it. Seeing my son go through numerous cancer treatments pushed me to want to make a difference in someone else’s cancer journey. To be able to help and to do it for a living? It’s a special thing. It’s what pushes me during challenges and what makes the triumphs that much more meaningful.

Dynamic Progression

On the first day I started working at Foundation Medicine in October 2017, I could have never imagined how many different subteams I would be managing, and more importantly, how much I would enjoy my role and the fulfillment it gives me. Being the first person in Client Services in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (RTP) location, I’ve seen this function expand before my eyes.

I’ve transferred between various teams within the Client Services department, meaning I’ve been able to get a glimpse of how a majority of the team has grown over time, not only in numbers of employees, but also in its use of innovation and technology. I also know what we need to strive towards in order to continue delivering the best quality to our physicians and partners.

Complete Approach

Client Services is an integral part of Foundation Medicine for many reasons, but one is because we are part of every step of the process. We support every angle at the core of the work, from before testing to after we have delivered genomic insights back to the ordering physician. In turn, I have to be very diligent and aware of the ins and outs of the developments in the department during every part of the process.

During my time with the call center at RTP, I’m happy to have built that department out extensively in terms of efficiency, processes, and structural organization. Effectiveness and consistency of communication across the entire Client Services team is challenging due to the different functions the team serves, but every day, we take action to battle these obstacles. Our team has to be knowledgeable in every area of the testing process in order to fully serve our clients and to answer all questions with patients in mind.

Mutual Guidance

Being a compelling leader entails a lot of different things. I’ve had to learn how to manage numerous different teams at the same time. Another thing I’ve had to become comfortable with is asking the team questions when there is an aspect of the process that I’m unsure about. I ask them to guide me on how I can offer the support needed. My goal is to empower my team and encourage curiosity and creativity.

One of my favorite parts of my job is being able to see the expansion of the team and to watch them succeed and accomplish so much. What we do at Foundation Medicine is so dynamic that it’s crucial that all employees are engaged and passionate. Getting to hear about the progress of the team inspires me to continue thinking outside of the box. I’m lucky to be working with such kind and intelligent people. During the past year, I’ve placed a heavy emphasis on my team and on myself to achieve a good work-life balance. Our employees are incredibly hardworking and will not stop until we get what we need to get done. However, we’ve learned our limits during the challenges of the pandemic and know when breaks need to be taken. In order to deliver the best quality work, we must take time and step away once in a while. We won’t be effective if we are stretched too thin.

New Sights

I’m excited to continue building out our Client Services team, especially in the San Diego location. Creating a new team in San Diego is sure to come with its own set of challenges, but I’m ready and eager to tackle them all. We’re committed to working together across locations and departments, continually gaining effectiveness and fostering the curiosity and originality that our employees bring to Foundation Medicine . Ultimately, I want to encourage my team to be actively creative in their problem solving. It’s what makes our work at Foundation Medicine so innovative and special.

For more perspective on our Client Services department, learn more about our Client Services team in Penzburg!

RTP Histology: What Changes and What Stays the Same

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Getting to come into work every day and never living the same day twice is only one of the things I love about working at Foundation Medicine. The constant innovation and evolution of this company ensures that there is no standard, static blueprint for any given day.

How I Got Here

After my previous experience as a histology lab manager at a university and working with a travelling medical staffing company, I was drawn to Foundation Medicine because I was excited about the idea of joining such a fast-growing company. I thrive off innovation, and I felt that Foundation Medicine would be a great place to utilize my skill set and develop my career path. Initially, I was working on a temporary basis, but I ended up staying on long term and rising up through the team in roles including Histotechnologist III, Systems Specialist and now, my current role, Histology Supervisor at our Research Triangle Park (RTP) location.

Like I mentioned, a daily routine is hard to predict since every day is inherently different. But my general job is to oversee all operations in the Histology department and to support the associated technology and laboratory processes. Most importantly, I help ensure that the patient samples we deliver for testing are of the highest quality.

Jack of Lots of Trades

Collaboration is a constant thread throughout my job. Because of my role as a Histology Supervisor, I work with colleagues across departments to ensure we’re working efficiently and strategically. Meetings about forecasting and hiring are also important. Although my strengths lie in Histology, I’ve learned about many other areas outside of that field that ultimately help me thrive in my role. Getting to learn about all the work that the amazing employees do here only pushes me to be better and to expand my knowledge.

One of my favorite projects I’ve worked on is improving work-life balance within the Histology and Pathology departments. Our goal was to figure out ways to be more efficient with our workflow so that we can deliver the highest quality patient samples, while also prioritizing our personal wellbeing. It had been an ongoing initiative for quite some time, and it’s been rewarding to see the positive effects it has on our employees.

Grounding Ourselves

At the core, one of the best parts of working at Foundation Medicine is the people. It sounds cliché, but it’s true. Everyone is so incredibly driven and is dedicated to their work. Due to the dynamic environment at the company, we’re all openminded and curious, eager to find solutions, and excited to push beyond what we already know.
The constant innovation of this team amazes me. The diversity in backgrounds, knowledge, and perspectives is an extremely beneficial asset to have, not only because it invigorates group brainstorming sessions, but also because it grounds us and reminds us of the big picture.

Every day, when I look at a patient sample and know there is a patient with hopes and dreams, it brings me back to my personal experience of members of my extended family who have been affected by cancer. Truly understanding the importance of time when getting genomic insights to the ordering physician and recognizing that there is a patient story attached to every sample makes our work so much more impactful. It gives our work important perspective.

Ramping Up for the Future

It’s an extremely exciting time to be working at Foundation Medicine. The expansive growth of the RTP site in terms of both space and sample volume are a few of the major developments happening right now. With the dynamic mindset already ingrained in our culture, these new developments only add onto our important work and drive our passion. I’m looking forward to seeing all the amazing things we will accomplish.

Feeling Valued as an Intern: Collaboration at Its Finest

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Coming into my internship at Foundation Medicine, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. When I reflect back on my time at Foundation Medicine over the last ten weeks, I come away with way more than I could have ever predicted, including significant experience, meaningful connections, and fond memories.

First Impressions

As a Software Engineering Intern, the first surprise I was met with was the two weeks of onboarding. We had one week with all of the interns where we all learned about Foundation Medicine’s four core values (patients, innovation, passion, and collaboration) and the important work that the company does to transform cancer care for patients. Following that initial week, the Technology team had a second week of onboarding where we learned about the different and complex software and team processes. I’m so glad Foundation Medicine took the time to invest in all of the onboarding because it really made me feel like a part of the company and its mission from the beginning.

Impactful Work

One of the projects I’ve been working on is in collaboration with nine other Technology interns. We developed the idea of a notification system for patients to get updates throughout their sample testing journey. Together, we will pitch the plan to our leadership and are excited to hear their feedback. Developing this new process has been extremely rewarding, and I’ve gotten to know some fantastic people along the way.

I didn’t necessarily expect to work with people across the company during my time here, but Foundation Medicine emphasizes collaboration on all levels. The amount of interdepartmental partnership was unexpected, but thrilling. Getting to work with people who I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise and learn from them has been a privilege. Not only has this experience highlighted the importance of working with others, but it also left me understanding that no matter what your field is, teamwork across departments is an essential pillar for success. In the professional world, you’ll have to learn how to work with different kinds of people for various tasks and projects. This experience was a great taste of what that could look like for me personally in future roles.

Foundation Medicine truly values their interns, and that’s shown not only through the important and impactful projects and responsibilities they give us, but also with the way they’re always excited to take time out of their day to help. Everyone is always willing to answer my questions and has been welcoming and informative.

Final Reflections

I came into this internship having little professional experience with software engineering and development. However, I leave this summer with a clearer idea of not only what the field looks like outside of a classroom setting, but also how my work can make a positive impact. This opportunity has made me realize that this is what I want to do in my career.

Interning at Foundation Medicine has been a truly wonderful experience. If I could tell future interns anything, it would be to enthusiastic and ready to work, learn and collaborate. Along with the work aspect, be ready to meet passionate people who genuinely care about the unique skills you can bring to the conversation. I felt valued here and was able to share my ideas freely while not being afraid to ask for help.

I also would strongly encourage taking the time and space that Foundation Medicine gives you to learn. The work done here is critically important, and though it may be tempting to jump in and start something, it’s crucial to take the time to absorb all the details. Lastly, don’t ever be afraid to reach out. Every employee here is happy to chat with you and answer any questions among their busy days. I’m so fortunate to have been able to spend the summer for a company where I really felt like I was making an impact.

Incredible Milestone Achievement: Reviewing 100,000 patient cases

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Senior Scientific Copy Editor Stephen recently reached an exciting milestone in his seven-year career at Foundation Medicine: reviewing 100,000 patient cases.  As a scientific copy editor, a major responsibility of Stephen’s role involves quality control of patient reports. The reviewing process begins with the Computational Biology Operations team compiling data and sending that on to the Translational Oncology and Clinical Reporting team (TOCR). Stephen and his team then interpret the data and curate the patient reports, which help oncologists to make informed treatment decisions. “In doing this, the scientists on our team make sure all the genes are assigned to the appropriate group; then we make sure the appropriate therapies are attached to the genes, the biomarkers are there, and there are therapies and clinical trials associated with the genes and biomarkers,” Stephen explained.

That may sound like quite a daunting achievement, but Stephen is not one to brag. “It takes a village,” he said, crediting the rest of the TOCR team. “We have a lot of amazing, talented people. I definitely wouldn’t be able to do what I do without them.” 

Samantha, Senior Scientist II, TOCR, remarked on the efficiency with which Stephen reviews these reports - helping to give physicians the information they need as soon as possible. And he isn’t just fast; he’s accurate, Samantha said, praising Stephen for his “unwavering commitment to perfection for every report passing through his watch.”  

“Few people ever have the chance to touch and improve the lives of so many others,” Samantha said. “It’s an incredible achievement, and just one of the many examples of how Stephen goes above and beyond in any effort he undertakes. We in TOCR are so fortunate to have Stephen as part of the team.” 

It’s the commitment to patients that keeps Stephen motivated to review report after report after report. “Every case you open represents a patient; it’s not just a PDF, or electrons floating on the screen–– each one represents a person,” he said. “That helps motivate you to keep going.”   

And while the task may sound daunting, Stephen said it’s also been an educational experience. As a chemist turned scientific journalist, Stephen may have a leg up.  “As a chemist, looking at these reports has been eye-opening. I’ve been able to learn a lot about oncology with the help of people on my team pointing me to the right sources.” In turn, Stephen has been able to use that newfound knowledge to encourage friends and family members with cancer to ask their doctors whether genomic testing is right for them. For the editor, this is perhaps, the best part of his job. 

“It makes you take pride in your work, knowing you’ve helped 100,000 people,” he said. “I may cry just thinking about it.” 

Speaking with Stephen’s colleagues, one gets the impression that he is truly someone who cares deeply about people. “He has made a personal connection with almost all the members of our team,” said the TOCR lead. “And I feel that speaks to the care that Stephen brings as an individual to his everyday work and collaboration. He is an awesome colleague to have on my team.” 

Samantha agreed wholeheartedly. “It has also been moving to see how much he cares about patients, his TOCR colleagues, and the company, giving his absolute best at all times,” she said. “I am grateful to call Stephen a colleague and friend and look forward to celebrating his next milestone of 200,000 cases in the very near future.” 

Outside of Foundation Medicine, Stephen is a true Renaissance man, Samantha shared: “From his side-splitting wit and endless supply of brilliant puns, baking tips as a near-professional pâtissier, homemade macaroons and humble recounts of numerous wins at skating competitions, every interaction with Stephen is both enlightening and entertaining.” 

Stephen is an avid baker; pictured here, his Boston cream pie macaroons.

When he isn’t entertaining his coworkers with a well-timed joke, Stephen competes as a pairs and singles figure skater; and off the ice, he serves as National Vice Chair for Pairs Skating on the U.S. Figure Skating’s Adult Skating Committee as well as a Vice Chair for the U.S. Figure Skating’s Adult Skating Committee for Pairs.

He also plays piano and tries to incorporate musicality into his skating routines. “It’s good to have left and right brain activities,” he said. “I like to do it all.” 

Communications Intern: The Writer Behind the Stories

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Immediate Support and Passion

Right from my first phone interview with Foundation Medicine, I felt welcomed and supported, despite having not even received the position yet. Meredyth, Senior Campus Recruiter, interviewed me in a way that left me with a positive impression of the company.

When I officially received the intern position, the support coming from Meredyth and my manager, Audra, was immediate and reassuring. I really felt like part of the team from the beginning because of their visible excitement and passion. They made it very clear that all questions were welcomed and that my work as an Employer Branding Intern would make an impact. Therefore, even before my first day of onboarding, I knew this was going to be a wonderful experience.

It was very intimidating coming into a company like Foundation Medicine when I do not have much scientific background, but the weeklong onboarding experience did a wonderful job of educating me on the basics of the important work that the company does. After that, Audra was incredibly helpful in getting me started with tasks that I was confident I knew how to do and also encouraged me to take on projects I wasn’t so confident on. Foundation Medicine really encourages interns to challenge themselves outside of their comfort zones.

Being Inspired Through My Work

My main job was to interview employees about why they love working at Foundation Medicine and then write about it. Those pieces would then eventually go online on our careers blog. During these interviews, I got to see how each and every employee is passionate about the work they do. I saw their eyes light up when talking about their role, the people they work with, and their passion for patients. I was honored to be able to write their stories and found it extremely humbling.

One of the interviews I remember distinctly was with Jacqueline, the Associate Project Manager at the Research Triangle Park (RTP) location. She was so excited to talk to me and passionate about Foundation Medicine that it made the conversation incredibly easy and enjoyable. Her perspectives on reverse mentoring and the joy that collaborating with others gives her was inspiring. Jacqueline’s kindness and enthusiasm was so visible and put me immediately at ease. It was a lovely conversation and I’ll always remember how welcomed she made me feel.

A Welcoming Environment

The managers at Foundation Medicine value the skills their interns bring, entrusting us with important tasks that make it feel like you’re truly making a difference. It’s invigorating and refreshing to work somewhere with employees who are not only happy to answer questions but encourage us to ask them. I really felt like a part of the company and that my work was contributing to the mission and values that Foundation Medicine prides itself on.

I felt so incredibly supported throughout my whole time here. Every single time I interviewed someone, they always made it clear that I could contact them with any questions I had, whether they were about the company or not. I rarely felt intimidated by anyone because everyone was so welcoming. Being treated like a tenured employee really does make a difference and I felt like there were multiple people I could turn to if I ever felt lost or confused.

Final Takeaways

I leave this summer with a new outlook on the field of communication. Though this opportunity has left me with more options rather than fewer about what I want my post-grad career to look like, I’m grateful for it. Being able to see how my love for storytelling can apply in ways that I hadn’t even known about before makes me excited for my unknown future. Foundation Medicine is a company that I would strongly recommend to any intern who is eager to learn, unafraid of asking questions and wants to challenge themselves. The support from management is unparalleled, and I’m very grateful to have interned at a company where I felt wholly comfortable challenging myself.

Team Spotlight: GPS Field and Business Enablement

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000

I joined Foundation Medicine in June of 2021, after 17 years at a company I that I thought I would never leave. I had been interested in Foundation Medicine as a company for some time, but since I cannot relocate, I could only hope that the company would move out west. I was thrilled when I learned that the company had introduced some more flexible working options for certain departments.

What impressed me from day one was the shared mission to transform cancer care.  I currently lead the Field and Business Enablement (FBE) team focused on our Commercial and Biopharma business units. Within FBE, we have several teams that work together to provide solutions around Field Operations, Training and Data Analytics. 

- The Field & Business Operations team partners to bring tools and resources to our commercial and biopharma teams. Reporting, targeting, and incentive compensation design complement the standard operations work that our team provides.  

- The Product and Capability Training team provides the expertise to enhance knowledge, develop skills and enrich the customer facing organization.  

- The Data Analytics team is core to making data-driven decisions a reality through thoughtful questioning and analysis.  

A common thread across FBE is that our people possess traits of intellectual curiosity, resilience, drive, and the passion that comes with knowing your efforts ultimately result in better outcomes for patients. Important work should be challenging and fun, and to that end, we strive for an environment of casual intensity.

FBE is part of the larger Global Portfolio Strategy (GPS) Team, where we work together and across the company to guide Foundation Medicine’s journey and develop the strategy that enables us to work toward our mission of transforming cancer care. Our FBE teams play an important strategic role within GPS, aligning processes, insights, and training to ensure that the organization has the resources they need to successfully execute their roles.

With our proven portfolio of tests, there is an incredible opportunity within FBE to help advance Foundation Medicine into a mature commercial organization. I am energized each and every day by the people I am fortunate to partner with as we work together to build something special.

Automation Engineer: from Cambridge to San Diego

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 16:00:00 +0000

The path that brought me to Foundation Medicine, and then to our new San Diego location is what I would describe as a perfect opportunity. It wasn’t a hard decision to move from the east coast to the west coast. My family is located around the San Diego area, and I’m so excited about the future of our San Diego location.

Family First

Prior to Foundation Medicine, I was working as a vaccine scientist for a large pharmaceutical company. After over five years with that company, I wanted to see what other opportunities were out there to further my own passions and career. One of my former colleagues joined Foundation Medicine and brought the opportunity onto my radar.

On a personal level, helping my mother through her benign tumor treatments was a significant factor in why I joined Foundation Medicine in January 2019, and another reason why I decided to move out to the San Diego location. She moved to Las Vegas, and I wanted to be closer to her and the rest of my family to help take care of them. The passion really is personal for many employees here and I am honored to be part of the development of a new site that will expand Foundation Medicine's reach.

East to West

Previously I was on the Automation Development team at our Cambridge office, and I recently transferred to the Automation Service & Support team for our San Diego office. I used to do various automation and equipment programming, process optimizations, cross platform integrations, and wet lab experiments while in Automation Development. Now I am helping to get all our equipment in place, performing qualification activities to get the new office prepared for R&D and Clinical production.

As expected, there are minor differences I’ve experienced moving out to California, especially as someone who grew up in New Jersey. The mindset is slightly more relaxed out here, as opposed to the constant hustle and fast pace that blankets the east coast. Being closer to family is really incredible, and I’m excited for this next step in my life.

Even though it’s invigorating to be a part of something new, coming into a new site has its challenges as well. Information needs to be circulated to the right people and we have to ensure that everyone is on the same page. There isn’t necessarily a typical day-to-day routine since everything is still developing. That can also make it tricky to plan things. Despite the challenges that a new location can face, it is exciting to see how much growth Foundation Medicine is experiencing on the West Coast.

Warm Work Culture

The support from leadership during my transition has been incredible, back in Cambridge and on site in San Diego. The people I work with are a large part of what motivates me to come in to work every day. There is a personal touch to working at Foundation Medicine, whether it be in terms of the clients we strive to serve or the employees we work alongside. It truly is a unique place to work, where everyone is accessible and eager to collaborate to contribute to the important work we do.

I’ve also been empowered to strongly emphasize my self-care during my time at Foundation Medicine. Whether that be getting proper sleep or knowing when to take breaks, it’s fantastic to work somewhere where they genuinely care about their employees’ well-being. The work culture across the company locations is absolutely brilliant.

Continued Dynamic Progression

It’s an exciting time in San Diego. We’re growing every day in terms of personnel, equipment and space. Being a part of that development firsthand is thrilling. Seeing everything come together just makes me more enthusiastic to continue our important work out on the west coast, and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead.

Career Development Story: From Laboratory Operations Intern to Molecular Technologist

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000

Everything Happens for a Reason

In 2018 I was a college sophomore majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology. I knew I wanted to help cancer patients someday, but I didn’t know how. I considered becoming an oncologist, entering the drug discovery and development field, or becoming a researcher. The possibilities were endless.

When I heard about Foundation Medicine’s mission to transform cancer care and the deep scientific insights that fuel this mission, I was excited by the thought of joining a company that was helping physicians connect their patients to the latest cancer treatments. The day I interviewed for the Laboratory Operations Intern position was special. I had never seen a laboratory of that size and scale, and to say I was in awe would be an understatement.

Foundation Medicine was able to offer me an opportunity that combined my love of science and laboratory work, with my passion for improving the lives of cancer patients. This introduction to the company as a college sophomore changed the trajectory of my life and serves as a good example of “everything happens for a reason!”

The True Intern Experience

The Laboratory Operations Internship allows individuals to learn about every aspect of Foundation Medicine, from clinical processing to pharmaceutical partnerships. The program allowed me to debulk packages in accessioning, read pathology reports, organize Formalin Fixed, Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) blocks and slides, watch samples be cut and stained in histology, and shadow molecular technologists performing DNA extraction, library construction, hybrid capture, and sequencing. We also had presenters from the Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Medical Data Reporting departments educate us on what happens after tumor samples are sequenced, which helps to provide doctors and patients with the insights to inform personalized treatment options. Additionally, presenters from Research & Development informed us of the important ongoing research that help us continue our mission of transforming cancer care.

I enjoyed the fast-paced work of supporting our molecular technologists during clinical processing. Interns perform daily, weekly and monthly equipment maintenance, stock the laboratory, prepare reagents and labware, organize batch records, help with various process improvement projects, and prepare a year end presentation on a laboratory topic of choice.

Not only did I learn about the work done in the laboratory and the technical skills it takes to complete these processes successfully, but I also found that everyone in the Laboratory Operations department was extremely warm and welcoming. The molecular technologists and leadership team created a wonderful environment for us to work in, one where we felt supported and cared for. Each time one of my intern periods ended, I went back to school wanting more. I came back after each semester with more questions and heightened eagerness to learn and make a difference. That’s another wonderful thing about being an intern at Foundation Medicine; you can see how your contributions have an impact on a patient’s cancer care journey.

A Continuing Journey of Growth

My time as an intern helped shape my career decisions. Seeing the important work done at Foundation Medicine helped me realize that this was the right path for me. After I graduated college in May of 2020, I was offered a full-time position as a Molecular Technician, before being promoted to a Molecular Technologist I. In my current role, I process patient samples by performing DNA digestion, extraction, library construction, and quality control assays. The leadership team within the Laboratory Operations department has supported and guided me to where I am today, and I am extremely grateful for their mentorship. From a student to a working professional, Foundation Medicine has made a positive impact on my growth and development.

Making the Most of your Internship

If I could offer advice to future interns, it would be to take advantage of all the opportunities that are offered at Foundation Medicine. Even if something is outside of your comfort zone or knowledge base, I encourage anyone to tackle those tasks head on because I’ve learned that the most growth comes from challenging yourself. Also, ask questions and don’t be afraid to take the initiative. As an intern, it can be intimidating to come into a landscape you’re not familiar with, but everyone here is genuinely kind and wants to share their knowledge with you, as well as learn from you. Believe in yourself and take chances, even if you’re unsure or not completely confident on how to proceed. It can be daunting, but it’s worth it.

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to make connections during your internship. I tried my best to learn everyone’s names and a little bit about their personal lives— something as simple as asking your coworkers how their weekend went goes a long way. Developing those relationships was enriching not only professionally, but also personally. When you get to learn about the people you work alongside, it makes the work you do that much more meaningful.

My internship experience not only led me to find my passion and place within the company, but it has been a huge part of figuring out who I am as a person. I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to intern here, which turned into my dream full-time position. I look forward to my future at Foundation Medicine and more growth and development to come.

View our 2022 open internship positions here.

Thank you.

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 17:00:00 +0000

With Thanksgiving upon us this week in the United States, and the end of the year fast approaching, I wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect on how grateful I am to lead such a passionate and determined team of colleagues at Foundation Medicine.

The transition from chief medical officer into my new role as chief executive officer earlier this year was accompanied by a variety of changes. Suddenly, people wanted to hear my opinion on everything (and they also cared a lot more about what I looked like on a Zoom call). It reminded me of my transition from medical resident to attending physician. I still knew everything that I knew the day before, and I still had my opinions on the best course of action, but now, I was the last person to sign off before we took those actions. The stakes were higher. Now, I am not just leading a team; I am leading a company.

Making sure that our people feel agency and connection to our mission at Foundation Medicine has been one of my top priorities since my first day as CEO. Since taking on this role, I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know many of our employees more deeply. New hire orientation, all employee town halls, Q&A sessions, and CEO meet ups have provided important touchpoints for us to discuss a wide range of topics affecting our work. These interactions have confirmed my belief that we have such smart and inspired employees driving forward our efforts to transform cancer care every day.

I also wanted to prioritize carving out time in my schedule to connect with the people who make Foundation Medicine such a special place to work. Our executives have historically taken turns hosting small meet ups with employees to get a pulse check of how things are going around the company. I wanted to take that a step further by introducing bi-weekly conversations with the CEO to provide an intimate setting where employees can share whatever is on their mind and ask me their questions directly.

These small meet ups have quickly become one of my favorite parts of this job. We have covered a lot of ground together - from employee experiences in the lab, to executive team priorities, to the boredom of Michigan football bye-weeks. These conversations provide meaningful and necessary feedback that inform my vision for how I hope we continue to grow in the year ahead. I’ve heard directly from lab employees about how we can improve their day-to-day experiences, we’ve been able to dive deeper into questions and topics raised at town halls, and we’ve even shared book recommendations. Each conversation has been both humbling and enlightening; allowing me to learn more about what is working, where we can improve, and what is inspiring each employee to continue to put in their best effort every day.

The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged us all in new ways, creating distance between us that sometimes feels insurmountable. The way in which we have continued to collaborate and innovate is a testament to our deep commitment to our mission. As I reflect on all that we have achieved together since April, I cannot overlook the integral role our lab employees have played in enabling our success. This team has worked tirelessly to advance our mission and keep our labs functioning throughout the pandemic, all while keeping patients top of mind. Without our lab heroes, there would be no Foundation Medicine, and I am thankful to have heard from so many of them, and to have taken away such valuable insights from their experiences.

I could not be prouder to lead such a uniquely talented and patient-focused team at Foundation Medicine. I come to work each day hoping that the people around me feel connected to our mission and that the connection feeds the sense of having meaningful work. We are paving the way to making comprehensive genomic profiling indispensable to cancer care together. Who I am and who I want to be is intertwined with Foundation Medicine in many ways, and I wouldn’t want to do this job anywhere else.

Team Spotlight: Data & Insights Delivery, GPS

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000

I joined the Data Team at Foundation Medicine back in 2019 to help build our real-world data products. Cancer has touched all our lives in some fashion. That drives me to prioritize contributing to companies that focus on two things: one, addressing clinical unmet need at the intersection of patients, clinicians, and technology; and two, a patient-focused mission. While almost all companies in the healthcare industry work to positively impact patients’ lives, we here at Foundation Medicine truly live it. I’ve been delighted to find that not only are we helping patients every day with comprehensive genomic profiling and insights, but that the people here have a true passion for our mission: Transforming Cancer Care.

When I joined Foundation Medicine, my initial focus was on how we can impact biopharma drug development using the Flatiron Health – Foundation Medicine Clinico-Genomic Database (CGDB). This regularly-updated, deidentified dataset includes patient outcomes data from Flatiron’s network of oncology clinics linked with comprehensive genomic profiling results from Foundation Medicine’s FoundationCore(TM) data platform. We feel that if we can help identify new therapeutic targets, support the development of new cancer drugs, and be part of ensuring that the evidence for those drugs gets in the right hands (i.e., clinicians, payers, regulators), we can help create new and better options for the patients that we are testing every day.

Over time, as data was proven to be an increasingly critical part of all our activities at Foundation Medicine, we made the important decision to ‘infuse’ our data teams throughout the organization. As part of that, I had the privilege of joining the Foundation Medicine Global Portfolio Strategy team, and help create a new team called the Data and Insights Delivery Team, or DataID, which is focused on what we can do with our data.

The DataID team has a global scope focused on how our data – and the insights that we can generate from it – impacts the entire precision medicine ecosystem. At Foundation Medicine, one of our primary services is to provide the highest quality comprehensive genomic profiling to as many patients as possible every day. In DataID, we build upon the service in two distinct but related ways. First, we focus on ways to better enable clinicians to make the best decisions in the most effective way possible across our efforts in Data Sharing and Integrations. We work to be part of clinical workflows via electronic medical record (EMR) integrations, help ensure the next frontier of clinical care by providing data back to cutting-edge researchers, and enable tools and services built on our data. Second, we bring together the data from many patients to make population-level real world data impact with our Real World Data Solutions. We create and provide these solutions in the form of products and services that leverage our unique ability to conduct data management, aggregation, and harmonization from the source, all in order to generate insights that can impact clinical, biopharma, and even Foundation Medicine research and development stakeholders.

As part of DataID, I am privileged to work with a great team that passionately lives our mission and all of our shared values. We recognize the importance of what we can accomplish together in order to impact people facing cancer in the future. A big part of our roles, typically, is that we get to work very cross-functionally with a lot of the other parts of the organization to develop and deliver our solutions. It is great to be connected in a way that allows us to chart the course and guide the journey for data at Foundation Medicine. And we try to have fun doing it!

To view open roles on our GPS team, click here.

Here from Naima, Director of Data Strategy Marketing on the Data Insights and Delivery team about how she develops our commercialization strategy for our data products that are derived from the outputs of our diagnostic tests.

A Day in the Life: Data Strategy Marketing

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000

I was always interested in science, primarily motivated by dad and my grandfather who both came from humble beginnings but broke down barriers to be able to work in public health and medicine. I chose to follow their path by taking advantage of opportunities to channel my passion for innovation and healthcare to make a community impact. I have personally been impacted by cancer. My father recently passed away from colon cancer, and at the same time of his passing, my mother was also diagnosed with colon cancer. I know the devastation that cancer can cause patients, but also how it impacts a patient’s loved ones. When I had the opportunity to join Foundation Medicine, particularly Global Portfolio Strategy (GPS), I was thrilled to become a direct part of the mission to transform cancer care.

I am currently the Director of Data Strategy Marketing and a part of the Data Insights and Delivery team within GPS. I am responsible for developing our commercialization strategy for our data products that are derived from the outputs of our diagnostic tests. My role is global in nature, focused on two customer segments: Clinical and Biopharma. For our clinical customers, including oncologists and academic medical centers, my work is to help ensure that they are aware of how our data offerings can help them use data to make informed treatment choices for patients based on their molecular profile. For our biopharma customers, the goal is again to make sure that they are aware of our available data solutions, and that our products can be used throughout the drug development lifecycle. It is an exciting opportunity because our data can make a real difference in patients’ lives.

Being a part of GPS, you have an cross-functional view of the entire business. I really love my role as it is wide ranging, working with multiple stakeholders within Foundation Medicine. On any given day, I might work with our insights team to obtain the latest data on the market environment, partner with our product development teams to collaborate on the development of our data products, or work with our commercial and biopharma teams to get an understanding of the receptivity of our data products to uncover the biggest opportunities to impact patient lives. I also participate in strategy sessions with our international colleagues to understand the needs of our customers outside of the U.S., and how our data products can provide the most value in different areas of the world. These partnerships and insights are used towards the development of our strategic commercialization plans to advance our data products.

My role allows me to integrate the science of oncology, incorporate the latest innovations, and develop strategy and utilize the creativity of marketing in my work. By being a member of GPS, I have the flexibility to make the best decisions and solutions to support the business, and ultimately, patients. Not only am I encouraged to come up with innovative ideas, but also given the space and resources to bring those ideas to reality.

GPS leadership and culture is a key factor in allowing me to thrive within my role and is demonstrated by everyone on the team. I have had the opportunity to work with a great set of colleagues who are passionate and all focused on the mission to transform cancer care. Not only are we focused on making important strides for patients, in parallel, there is also a priority placed on how we get the work done. There is an emphasis on collaboration, work-life balance, and a culture of gratitude. Even while currently working in this remote environment, I feel that I have a sense of belonging, the work that I do is appreciated and that I am able to bring my authentic self to work.

To learn more about the Data Insights and Delivery team, click here.

Team Spotlight: International Operations, Penzberg

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000

I joined Foundation Medicine, GmbH in May 2019, directly after completing my PhD, as an application scientist for international projects, based in Penzberg, Germany. From the very beginning, I was impressed by the fast pace of Foundation Medicine and the innovative spirit that moves our projects forward to offer each cancer patient the best care possible.

Within the first few months at Foundation medicine, I had already been involved in a technology transfer of one of our tests and had a chance to visit and strengthen our relationship with our partner laboratory in China. I have deeply enjoyed working in such an international environment. I also had a chance to lead another technology transfer from our headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts to our Penzberg site. The cross-functional collaboration necessary for this project was incredible, and the experience inspired me as I continued to move through my next roles, first as Manager for International Operations, and soon after, as a Senior Manager for International Operations.

During my career growth, coordination of the International Operations Team has continued, and currently, there are ten members of our team, reporting to Vera, VP, International Operations. As a Senior Manager, I further develop and acquire leadership skills as I lead a team of three employees, each of them committed to one or more projects within international operations.

When I think about the current International Operations Team, I think of the amount of diversity and team spirit that we have. We are a truly international team, comprised of different cultural backgrounds and varying previous work experiences. We each bring our unique work style into our projects, and our different perspectives, in order to create innovative solutions. This contributes to the success of our common mission, to transform cancer care. We have also worked to develop a strong sense of team belonging, which boosts the enthusiasm for what we do at Foundation Medicine and offers support for the obstacles we may face along the way. Only by collaborating as a team can we ensure our goals, and therefore, Foundation Medicine’s mission, can be accomplished.

Each member of the team has taught me something that has contributed to my professional and personal development. This follows my life philosophy that I can always learn something new or a new way of doing things from my colleagues. For example, I have learned how to refine my interaction and presentation skills according to my audience, cultural differences, or different backgrounds. I have experienced how much more powerful a message can be when it is communicated in an adjusted, fine-tuned style.

Working at Foundation Medicine is a privilege in many ways. Our work of providing personalized insights for cancer patients around the world is very meaningful to me. It keeps my motivation and commitment to the job very high, even in challenging times. Foundation Medicine GmbH is a fast-paced and growing company, and there are multiple opportunities for developing and rapidly advancing in your personal career path. This is a wonderful place for someone who is resourceful, ambitious and embraces change.

Career Development Story: Maja

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000

With an academic background of biotechnology and bioengineering and a fire inside of me to help the world in my own way, it only seemed natural to find myself with Foundation Medicine. Oncology has always fascinated me, and I knew very early on that I wanted to do something meaningful; something that would make a difference.

What is a typical day like in your role as manager of Accessioning & Client Services?

My main priority in my role is to keep operations up and running. This means supporting my teams with any requests or issues, leveraging resources, and making decisions. There are a lot of meetings around different operational or strategic topics I attend, and networking with colleagues in the U.S. and with colleagues at Roche is an important aspect of my job. I work on projects that have a huge impact on our Penzberg, Germany site, like the country transfer project, where I am collaborating with Roche and other stakeholders at Foundation Medicine to transfer more sample volume to the Penzberg site to support our ex-U.S. customers out of Europe.

Tell us about your journey at Foundation Medicine so far.

My journey at Foundation Medicine started in March 2018. I was the third team member in Client Services at our site in Penzberg. At that time, Foundation Medicine GmbH was a very small team and working here meant wearing many different hats. I contributed to building the Accessioning & Client Services teams and developing the processes that we use in that department today. In May 2019, I became the team lead, before being promoted to the manager position in July 2020. It is so thrilling to see Foundation Medicine grow from a small company with a start-up feel to such a large organization that still maintains the same sort of culture. It is even more exciting that I have been a part of this great journey so far.

How has leadership supported you in your career development?

In my career at Foundation Medicine GmbH, I have been supported and encouraged by my manager to grow and go beyond my limits. Leading two teams is something I have learned to embrace. It is a huge responsibility that I am proud of. Through my manager’s guidance and trust, I have been able to make decisions on my own and constantly develop my leadership skills.

What would you tell someone who’s considering coming to work at Foundation Medicine?

If you are looking for a job in a very innovative company and want to work with passionate, team-oriented and inspiring people, then Foundation Medicine GmbH is the right choice for you. We all love what we do and behind each test we process, there is a patient hoping to receive the best possible treatment. This is the reason why we get up in the morning.

A Day in the Life: Commercial Accessioning Technician

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 16:00:00 +0000

Prior to working at Foundation Medicine, I worked as a pharmacy technician in both the retail and hospital setting. I enjoyed the work; however, I eventually decided to explore other career paths. I came across the Accessioning Technician position at Foundation Medicine and was immediately intrigued. I didn’t know much about genomics, but I was fascinated by the idea of personalized cancer care. I admired the mission to help patients through comprehensive genomic profiling, and I’m glad I was able to join the Accessioning team.

I started as an Accessioning Technician back in 2019 and have been fortunate enough to learn and grow into my current position as the Accessioning Team Lead. One thing I love about the Accessioning department is how much we get to interact and collaborate with other departments across Foundation Medicine. Every day we work with Histology, Molecular, Specimen Return, Lab Operations Assistants, and Client Services, among others. We all rely on each other to ensure that our daily objectives are met to achieve our mission of transforming cancer care. I get to work with some amazing people. I’m always in awe of how creative everyone is and the innovative ideas they develop to improve and streamline our processes. 

The Accessioning team is the first point of contact for the patient samples that are received at Foundation Medicine. A typical day starts with the receipt and checking packages in our lab space, followed by the debulking process, which involves opening the packages, documenting quantity and sample type, and ensuring all necessary paperwork has been received. We then sort these samples based on both test selection and sample type to appropriately prioritize and proceed with entering all the information into our processing application. Once this is done, the samples are given a unique identification number to track their progress throughout the testing process. Attention to detail is extremely important to ensure that quality reports are delivered to oncologists, so that they can make informed decisions for their patients’ treatment. Our work is less technical in nature than further down in the testing process; however, it is essential to the delivery of high-quality results.

Since starting at Foundation Medicine, I have experienced a great deal of support from the leadership team at our RTP site. My supervisors and manager have always been encouraging and often ask what they can do to help me achieve my career goals. When the opportunity came about to become a team lead, I was hesitant because I knew it was a role that would put me outside of my comfort zone. My leaders reassured me that it was something I was capable of taking on and that it would be an excellent growth opportunity for me. I’m glad I listened to their advice, because I’ve grown and learned so much from this role. I haven’t finalized my long-term goals yet, but I know that this company will help me get there.

Fostering a Purpose-Driven Culture

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 16:00:00 +0000

Fostering a Purpose-Driven Culture: We are honored to be featured for the forth year in a row on Boston Business Journal's Best Places to Work List.

Foundation Medicine is a mission-centric company with a strong set of values that drive our people-first culture and enable employees to do their best work. For the third consecutive year, we are proud to be recognized by the Boston Business Journal (BBJ) as one of the Best Places to Work, alongside other leading organizations from across Boston. This award recognizes companies that go above and beyond to foster meaningful work environments for their employees – but more importantly, it reflects how our employees feel about working at Foundation Medicine.

Personally, as I enter my second year as Chief People Officer at Foundation Medicine, I am humbled to be part of a company that leads by example, puts people first, and encourages employees to bring their whole selves to work. We work tirelessly to create a diverse and inclusive environment, embrace our differences, and support each other so that together, we can uncover new innovations and advance precision medicine to help more people living with cancer.

As an organization, we are committed to delivering the best possible experience for the patients, physicians, and researchers we serve, and my goal is to embody that customer-centric mindset with our people.

As I reflect on this milestone, and look at how we can continuously improve our employee experience, I see a few important opportunities:

Creating personalized employee experiences with ANDEngage

We are committed to creating personalized, differentiated experiences for employees in order to foster a welcoming and supportive work environment. We do this by offering programming and benefits that enable professional growth and engage employees in unique and flexible ways, and by cultivating a culture focused on productivity, connection, belonging and community. To put these principles into practice, we align to our unique ANDEngage strategy focused on Attracting, Nurturing, Developing, and Engaging our employees so they can do their best work and bring their whole selves to work, every day.

I have seen first-hand throughout the pandemic how teams and employees at all levels have stepped up to support each other and our business during such challenging times. As a leadership team, we took time to understand how the pandemic impacted each of us and our teams. We recognized that employees were able to get great work done and deliver on our business goals while having greater flexibility and working from home. And while we had a flexible work policy pre-pandemic, we're now establishing a hybrid environment because we recognize that everyone’s needs are different, and we want to offer the flexibility to address that.

We also know that balancing work and family responsibilities has caused added stress for employees, so we’ve identified additional benefits to support them, such as expanding flexible work arrangements, increasing our paid sick time, adding an annual one-week holiday shutdown or floating winter break, and introducing summer Fridays.

Further, we’re committed to prioritizing employees’ overall well-being by offering a robust family support program that includes generous parental leave, expanded access to the Ovia Health app, and an onsite working parent community group. We also encourage mindfulness and meditation through the Headspace app, and are preparing to launch a comprehensive mental health benefit with Lyra which will expand access to resources, coaches and counselors. We also strive to foster an environment of well-being and continuous learning by supporting our people’s professional development and personal passions.

Beyond implementing new benefits and initiatives to Attract, Nurture and Develop our people, we are constantly looking for ways to keep teams engaged and connected to our values and mission. Our #Gratitude program allows employees to recognize each other or “send” kudos for work that supports our corporate strategy and exemplifies our organizational values. I’m proud to share that we collectively sent more than 228,441 recognition moments to colleagues last year.

Fostering a sense of belonging for all employees

Our ongoing commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) is a critical effort that is embedded in all our goals. We are dedicated to increasing diversity within our organization, and prioritizing initiatives that create a sense of inclusion for all employees.

This past year, we hosted a DE&I Fair featuring experts speaking on topics such as allyship and healthcare disparities. We’re also hosting learning sessions designed to address cancer disparities in the LGBTQ+ community, gender identity, and pronoun etiquette. And we’ve instituted “Leaders Live” sessions, where our executives hold discussions with national and local thought leaders on social justice issues and how to identify and address unconscious bias. 

I’m excited and encouraged by our efforts in this area, but I know there is more work to be done. In the coming months we’ll launch our first DE&I annual report showcasing some of the great work we have accomplished and areas we can grow and expand upon. We believe diversity of perspectives makes us a stronger organization, which ultimately allows us to advance our mission to transform cancer care.

Reinforcing Foundation Medicine company values

Our collaborative culture truly starts with every employee feeling engaged and supported. We recognize that the pandemic has changed the way we all work, which makes winning this award again this year even more meaningful. Throughout the pandemic, Foundation Medicine employees have remained agile and focused on our mission, while we as an organization have been intentional about supporting this rapidly-evolving work environment. With our brand-new headquarters in Boston’s Seaport district on the horizon, we are excited to be a destination for the top talent in Boston and look forward to bringing many diverse, driven individuals under one roof.

This award is a direct reflection of our employees, whose passion, innovation, collaboration and dedication to the patients we serve is truly unmatched. I want to thank our employees for choosing to be a part of this organization, for making it a Best Place to Work, and for all you do every day to improve the lives of people living with cancer.

A Day in the Life: Molecular Technologist

Thu, 05 May 2022 16:00:00 +0000

When my alarm clock goes off in the morning, it is go time. I like to be “lab ready” the second I walk in at 7:00 am, in case I have a busier morning. Most days though, I walk into the office space and am greeted by my friendly coworkers. Our Cambridge lab runs 24/7, so our third shift is wrapping things up as I open my laptop. During the height of Covid, I didn’t get to see team members on other shifts, so it is always nice to chat with them about how the night went.

You can always tell when the lab status schedule comes out. The conversation dwindles as everyone plans out their day. This schedule contains all the sample plates that need processing and who is responsible for getting them done. It also contains relevant laboratory support tasks needed, such as reagent preparation. One might initially think that working in the lab is primarily independent work, but at Foundation Medicine, we know that patients get their results faster when we collaborate and work together as a team. I always like to look at how busy my coworkers are, and help if I have the capacity.

Foundation Medicine has three tests that are used by oncologists and care teams in the clinic: our two FDA-approved tests, the tissue-based FoundationOne®CDx test and the blood-based FoundationOne®Liquid CDx test; and our FoundationOne®Heme test, for patients with hematologic malignancies, sarcomas or solid tumors where RNA sequencing is desired. We break these three tests down into several distinct steps in order to maximize efficiency: extraction, library construction, hybrid capture, sequencing, and three quality control steps. Through my years with the company, I have been encouraged to train and get to work in many of these areas. I aim to one day know them all! On any given day, you can find me processing in at least one of these areas.

I joined Foundation Medicine as Molecular Technician right after I graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Diagnostic Genetic Sciences. I spent my last semester interning at the Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies lab at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, which is where I was first exposed to next generation sequencing bench work. One of the most important things I learned in school is to think about the patient behind every sample. I have taken that mantra with me to Foundation Medicine. I treat every patient sample with the highest level of respect and attention to detail, as if the sample is of someone I know. This is a perspective that is key to being successful here. We work hard, and we know our efforts directly impact the lives of others.

Foundation Medicine is a fast-paced work environment and we are always looking for innovative ways to improve our lab processes. This may seem daunting, but employees can grow just as fast as the company. I started as a Molecular Technician and have progressed to a Molecular Technologist II in a little over two years. Much of this growth was the result of the support I received from my supervisors. They have always provided me with opportunities to excel. My skills in the lab have certainly come a long way from when I was an intern. Success here is not simply measured in the number of samples you process. We have four cultural values that we use as our guiding principles: patients, passion, collaboration, and innovation. By trying to embody these four values, I have learned how to speak up, ask for help, lead, and empower my colleagues to do the same. At Foundation Medicine, every employee can see their impact. Everyone on our team contributes to providing the highest standard of patient care and everyone has a voice.

Open Roles

Location Spotlight: San Diego

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 15:19:53 +0000

Located in Torrey Pines, the center of the San Diego’s life science cluster, Foundation Medicine’s California site is brimming with energy as it settles into its new space and gears up for continued growth.

In 2019, Foundation Medicine opened a facility in San Diego with the goal of expanding its Research and Development operations and overall testing capacity. The subsequent acquisition of Lexent Bio, Inc., a precision oncology company located in California, stimulated rapid growth. The site increased its headcount through the integration of an experienced team of clinicians, scientists and engineers with expertise in onco-multi-omics, which provides new capabilities to detect cancer and understand tumor biology in greater detail.

Since its inception, the San Diego site has grown to a cross-functional team of over 55, which consists primarily of R&D, Lab Operations, and Facilities professionals. The clinical Lab Operations team continues to grow, seeking out candidates with expertise in accessioning, licensed molecular and clinical lab scientists, laboratory management, laboratory quality systems, laboratory automation, process excellence, and medical.

Foundation Medicine’s new facility in Torrey Pines, which became occupied in Fall 2021, consolidates the company’s two previous California locations under one roof and includes more than 80,000 square feet of mixed-use space optimized for both Laboratory Operations and Research and Development. The site consists of both office and wet laboratory space that serve Foundation Medicine’s commercial and biopharma operations. The laboratory in San Diego was designed to support FoundationOne®Liquid CDx, Foundation Medicine’s FDA-approved blood-based comprehensive genomic profiling test, and the team is preparing to support the validation of its launch at the site. They look forward to leveraging this new state-of-the-art facility to accelerate Research and Development and expand Foundation Medicine’s existing liquid biopsy platforms to continue to transform cancer care for patients.

As the team continues to settle into their new environment, there continues to be cause for celebration. San Diego site lead Steven, Senior Director, Laboratory Operations, was recently chosen as a finalist for San Diego’s Next Top 40 Business Leaders Under 40 by the San Diego Business Journal. In early August, he will host the site’s official ribbon cutting for the new building in Torrey Pines. Steven and the team look forward to welcoming CEO Dr. Brian Alexander, and Chief Scientific Officer, Priti Hegde, to offer remarks, tour the new facilities, and celebrate this exciting milestone for Foundation Medicine.

To learn more about our San Diego site, and see open job postings, click here.

Behind The Scenes: Hackathon Planning

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 16:00:00 +0000

Each year, Foundation Medicine hosts a Hackathon, bringing together employees from different departments and geographic locations to create, innovate, and propose actionable solutions to evolve our business and improve how we work together to better serve our patients and partners. Hear from AriLee, Project Manager, Information Technology, and Erica, Senior Manager, Experience Design, about what it takes to put on this event each year and their takeaways from our 2022 Hackathon.

AriLee, Project Manager, Information Technology

Hello! My name is AriLee and I have been at Foundation Medicine for over two years on the Technology Team, and have had the pleasure of planning our most recent two Hackathons. When I first joined Foundation Medicine in 2020, I was excited to hear that one of my tasks would be planning a completely virtual company-wide event that encourages people to collaborate and work cross functionally. Each year, the Hackathon is an event that inspires employees to think outside of the box, empowers innovation, and allows team members to meet new colleagues by joining forces with shared ideas. After quite some time of being completely remote, the 2022 Hackathon really brought people together and boosted morale.

Hackathon planning begins approximately six to eight months before the event. Our Core Planning Committee brainstorms themes to hack, who needs to be involved, including judges, planning members, mentors, and patient advocates, entertainment, swag, and much more. Once the core team figures out the key pieces, we begin to grow our planning team and pick dates. This year, we decided to ask different team members throughout the business to help us plan, which ultimately increased cross-functional collaboration. Choosing a good date that allows employees throughout the business to step away from their everyday tasks to participate in this annual event can be a challenge. We need to be cognizant of all activities taking place throughout the business and find a date when we believe will allow for maximum participation. In order to choose a date, I work with our wonderful Executive Assistant Team to figure out when most Executive Team members and their teams are available. Usually, we need to explore at least three different dates before announcing it to the company.

Planning a completely remote event for hundreds of people located across the globe is no easy task, but luckily, we had a great planning committee two years in a row to help figure out the logistics. The biggest challenge of planning the first virtual hackathon was figuring out how team formation was going to work and how mentors (50+ people!) would be available to the teams. When we are in person, everyone is physically in the same room and can talk to each other to figure out who wants to work on what project, and mentors are available at the ready! We had to innovate in order to recreate this experience in a virtual environment. By our second completely virtual event, we had solved this hiccup completely by bringing on our Experience Design Team during the planning process. Michael, Manager, Experience Design, used Foundation Medicine’s virtual collaborating tool, LucidSpark, to create virtual rooms as a one stop shop for the event agenda, team formation, problem pitching, mentor specialities and availability, and ideas being hacked on.

Once all of the logistical details are set, the most fun part of planning comes—prizes, swag, and entertainment! We work with our partners to identify fun items we can send pre-Hackathon, and awards for our winners. Once we have swag identified, the planning team starts to think of entertainment for the event. We include brain break exercises such as yoga, meditation, or another activity that gives the participants a quick break when they might be stuck in a rut during their hacking, as well as entertainment for the participants and viewers to engage with while the judges deliberate (I love this part!) While remote, we had a magician via Zoom the first year and an origami making experience the second year. My origami is still stuck to my at-home monitor, and I smile every time I look at it, reminded of the Hackathon.

We have seen increased participation over the past two years that I have been part of the planning committee and I hope to see even more participation across the company in 2023. We will begin planning the 2023 Hackathon this fall, with a date to be set for Spring of 2023. I have not yet planned an in person or hybrid Hackathon at Foundation Medicine, but I am excited to see which route the planning team decides to take next!

Erica, Senior Manager, Experience Design

I joined Foundation Medicine as a Senior Manager of Experience Design in December 2021. I was excited to join the Hackathon planning team shortly after my arrival. After months of planning and coordinating the event with the committee, I was delighted to see how incredibly well this year’s Hackathon went. The level of effort and participation was inspiring and seeing all of the teams’ hard work come together was truly amazing.
When the first Hackathon day arrived, I was nervous anticipating the hiccups that might occur with such a big online event. But I think I speak for everyone at Foundation Medicine when I say that the 2022 Hackathon was a great success.

As an experience designer, I was particularly excited by the problem pitching portion of the event. I enjoyed watching the teams come together around common ideas. It was so motivating to see many people across different roles and backgrounds collaborate on solving difficult problems. The sense of unity and collaboration across the Hackathon teams was remarkable.

As AriLee mentioned, there are various themes for our Hackathon events. During the 2022 Hackathon, I supported teams in the patient track to help coordinate their practice pitches and facilitated their discussions with our incredible patient mentors. Watching the teams refine their ideas based on the mentors’ feedback was gratifying, and ended up in high quality, patient-centric final pitches.

The 2022 Hackathon was a great experience for me, and I look forward to participating again in the future.

Molecular Technologist: From Cambridge to San Diego

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 16:00:00 +0000

In college, I found out quickly that working in the laboratory was my happy place. When the opportunity arose for me to intern with Foundation Medicine in the summer of 2017, I instantly fell in love with the people, the passion and the mission. And I still feel those values shine through four years later.

Being Among Innovation At Its Core

I have distinct memories of my first interview with Vera, Director of Laboratory Operations, who still is one of my dearest mentors. During my first internship, the company was gearing up for the FDA approval of FoundationOne®CDx. It was an exciting time of dynamic change and being able to be a part of Foundation Medicine at that time was exhilarating. The second time around, the approval process had just been completed and I mostly worked on lab maintenance. It was inspiring and motivating to be around a company that was at a turning point in transforming cancer care.

What kept me coming back for three internships and eventually a full-time position was the leadership I found here. The high level of genuine support was something I hadn’t felt before. The way everyone approaches problem-solving and encourages out-of-the-box ideas is spectacular. If the answer is “no,” it is always followed by an explanation and determination to turn it into a “yes.” I always feel heard when I share my ideas, and everyone is always willing to help. Being in an environment where excellence in leadership is displayed at its core every day is a privilege. I love working alongside those kinds of leaders.

Working Alongside Fantastic Colleagues

One of my favorite parts of the job is my colleagues. Not only are they incredibly intelligent, but they’re kind and passionate. It’s amazing to see people from all backgrounds with different interests coming together for one common goal. Post-grad is difficult for everybody in terms of adjusting personally and professionally and I’m lucky that the community I’ve found at Foundation Medicine has made that transition easier.

One of my favorite memories was during Lab Week in 2019 during Casino Night. Not only was it a fun time with my coworkers as we celebrated all the work we do in the lab, but we raised a lot of money for charity called Family Reach that provides financial support for families dealing with cancer. Another reason why it is memorable is because it showcases that even in our events outside of work hours, we still recognize the important work we do and aim to give back in any way we can.

Projects Outside of the Lab

Besides the work I do in the lab, I’m also a part of a couple of programs and initiatives. One is a program that I started similar to an internship for full-time employees, where they spend three months in a different department than their own. Not only do employees get a chance to further their learning, but it encourages interdepartmental collaboration that only further strengthens our dedication to the important work we do. I was actually inspired by my own internship experiences and felt that full-time employees should also get the opportunity to learn in a similar way.

A New Journey

Something about me that hasn’t changed since the first day I started at Foundation Medicine is the constant urge to challenge myself. Therefore, I’m extremely excited for my move to the new San Diego lab, as well as my new position as Molecular Technologist II! I knew beforehand that a position in San Diego was a possibility, and now that the time has come to move, I couldn’t be more ecstatic.

I came into Cambridge’s well-established, developed lab in 2017 and being one of the first molecular technologists in San Diego will be something completely different than what I’m used to. I have no doubt that the transition will be challenging, but I’m ready and excited to take it on. Personally, I derive so much value from the work I do and having the chance to transfer that passion to San Diego is a thrill. I’m going to miss the people I’ve met in Cambridge very much, but I’m excited for what’s ahead.

Working at Foundation Medicine continues to give and provide so much for me personally and professionally, and it’s an honor to be able to give back through the important work we do in the lab every day.

Interns Use Their Passion to Give Back

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0000

Last month, Foundation Medicine’s 2022 summer interns gathered in their respective locations including Research Triangle Park, N.C., Cambridge, Mass., Boston’s Seaport, and San Diego, to create cards of support for cancer patients as part of the Interns Give Back event. Remote interns were also involved and received a packet of supplies so they could participate.

This was the first in-person intern event since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was an amazing time. Not only were we able to support the mission of Foundation Medicine, but we were able to meet fellow interns from across the company. As a returning intern who worked remotely last year, I was excited to finally be able to interact with other interns in person. It was also a welcome chance to reflect on the work we are doing here this summer.

I spoke to some of my fellow interns from various departments about their experiences both at the event, and at Foundation Medicine. It was yet another chance to connect with them and to take a step back to realize that even though we may not be working on the same projects, we’re all passionate about making a difference.

Caitlin, Translational Oncology and Clinical Reporting Intern

Caitlin is based in our Cambridge location and works with the Translational Oncology and Clinical Reporting (TOCR) team, focusing on the information in our Foundation Medicine reports. With her passion for genomics, this internship aligns perfectly with her academic background and her desire to have a career that gives back.

While making cards, she loved getting to interact with other interns. In her previous experiences, interns weren’t always as integrated or involved in the company as they are at Foundation Medicine.

This summer has taught her that you don’t necessarily have to work in a patient-facing career to have an impact on them. What keeps her excited and motivated is seeing the advancements in genomics over the last 20 years, and how much more we could know 20 years from now.

Nikolay, Decision Sciences Intern

Nikolay is interning with Foundation Medicine for the third time this summer. His desire to help make the world a better place has led him to pursue a PhD in Applied Mathematics. He hopes that his education and experiences will allow him to offer all that he can to the world.

To him, if you can do something to make someone’s life better, even marginally, you should do it. Decorating these cards was a way for him to show support to people who are facing hardship. It may seem like a small thing, but there’s a ripple effect.

What keeps him coming back to Foundation Medicine is the chance to do something that could have an impact on patient lives. “Everyone is understanding of the fact that we’re all contributing to the common purpose of helping patients,” he said.

Victoria, Legal Associate Intern

Working with the Legal and Compliance department, Victoria supports the team with researching policies and laws that affect our work. Her role includes staying up to date with the impact of local and federal legislation on Foundation Medicine’s products and services.

The Interns Give Back event was a reminder for Victoria that the simplest and smallest actions make a huge impact. It was a chance to reflect on the unique opportunity she’s been given and how lucky she is. Making these cards was her way of paying that good fortune forward.

For Victoria, working alongside passionate people at a place that encourages new ideas and voices has been a privilege this summer. “I think it’s important to be a part of a company that not only wants to teach interns the ins and outs of their corporate structure, but also finds extreme value in exposing interns to the true purpose of the work – and that is to be a valuable resource for patients,” she said.

Jack, Lab Operations Intern

For Jack, being able to work in a lab and shadow the team that is at the center of what Foundation Medicine does is extremely gratifying. He enjoys working alongside his fellow interns, in what he describes as an engaging shared learning experience. He has gotten the chance to learn the basics of sample processing, reminding him of the importance of our work.

From Jack’s perspective, to give back means to take part in bolstering the community you’re trying to help, no matter how small or large the action may be. He finds it important to offer his support and recognize that no one is alone. In whatever role you play, it’s important to stay involved.

One thing he’s learned in the last few weeks is that though he’s at the center of Foundation Medicine’s work, every single aspect and department across the company is essential. Everyone brings their own strengths and works together to contribute toward our mission.

Owen, Financial Planning and Analysis Intern

The opportunity to align personal and professional goals with a company that is making an impact in cancer care is what attracted Owen to Foundation Medicine. Working on the corporate side of the organization, Owen has been able to learn and contribute to the business despite not having a traditional science background.

Something as simple as making cards is a powerful thing. It reminds him of what he’s working for every day. Even if his work doesn’t directly impact cancer patients, his knowledge and skills indirectly contribute positively to our mission. Making cards was another way of offering support in a different manner.

For Owen, it all comes back to having a common purpose. It was one of the main reasons he wanted to get involved with work at Foundation Medicine. Now in the midst of his internship, he feels the close-knit community among the employees every day. With the welcoming culture and his personal connection to cancer, he’s grateful to be here.

Personal Reflections

Having done a lot of writing in my life, both personally and professionally, my favorite part has always been writing about the experiences of others. Getting to connect with fellow interns from different and similar walks of life has been an immense joy. After my questions were answered, it was so natural to slip into conversation about life outside of work.

I think it’s important to step back and recalibrate from time to time. It’s grounding to get fresh perspectives from fellow interns, mixed with the expertise of my supervisors and colleagues. Talking to other interns and connecting over the underlying feeling that we all want to make a difference was powerful and left me hopeful for our generation as we enter the workforce.

If I’ve learned anything from my time as a returning intern at Foundation Medicine, it’s that no matter what job I have in the future, it has to be meaningful. I will miss a lot of things about my time here, but working alongside people who are kind, intelligent and passionate will be what I miss the most. As I enter my last year at Boston University this fall, I am grateful to have had such a positive experience at a company that took a chance on me and values the diverse ideas interns bring.

Team Spotlight: Diagnostic Development and Validation, R&D

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0000

When the Diagnostic Development and Validation (DD&V) Team at Foundation Medicine arrives for work each day, they are stepping into roles that epitomize the company’s value of collaboration. The team operates as a bridge between Product Development and Laboratory Operations through their focus on late-stage product development, validation, and transfer of knowledge. The team’s mission is to ensure that Foundation Medicine’s laboratory tests are safe and effective, enabling important diagnostic insights for partners and patients. Their collaboration with different partners across the company contributes to technical expertise within Foundation Medicine’s design and development process for new and existing products.

The leaders of the DD&V team came to Foundation Medicine from a variety of backgrounds, but consistent across the team is the way that the mission and the people drew them in. “I really wanted to work in a place where there was a lot of collaboration and openness, and that’s been the case here at Foundation Medicine,” Marbie, associate director, DD&V shared. “The team I interviewed with was collaborative, passionate, and smart,” added Haifa, associate director, DD&V. Both Marbie and Haifa have seen those qualities carried beyond the interview process and through all the work that the team does.

The team designs and implements processes and improvements into Foundation Medicine’s tests and uses that knowledge to validate our products, as well as to inform our Lab Operations teams. “I like to say that this is the purest implementation of the scientific method,” Brett, director, DD&V said. “The only way you fail in academia is if you get no data, versus in patient management, hypothesis testing and the rigorous process is critical – because the information from our tests is used to inform treatment decisions for patients.”

With such a complex portfolio of comprehensive genomic profiling tests, the DD&V team needs to make sure that they are not siloed in their work, and that they collaborate cross-functionally and communicate well across the company. They are essential to new approvals and improvements, from the launch of new products to companion diagnostic (CDx) approvals, and adjustments and improvements to our tests.

“We’re involved in new approvals from the very beginning, and at any given moment there are many of them. Completing projects for CDx claims and announcing them to the world to show how they can help patients is incredibly fulfilling,” shared Shannon, director, DD&V. “We have a lot of things we are working on that we hope are going to make a huge impact for patients,” he added.

“I’ve been here for over seven years, so I was here before we launched our FoundationOne®CDx product. The common thread from when I joined through now is the team spirit and people’s willingness to step in and help where help is needed, understanding the greater mission,” shared Joel, director, DD&V. “Working as a team to get things done ultimately helps the company. For the original FoundationOne CDx submission, everybody rallied to help where they could, and through the FoundationOne®Liquid CDx submission in 2020 where they did the same. I’m seeing the same commitment every day in DD&V as we work cross-functionally to achieve our goals.”

The team members have supported each other as they’ve been challenged by the many uncertainties of COVID, while adapting to the ever-changing nature of the work they are doing. Each of DD&V team’s leaders spoke to the way the team is constantly ready and eager to learn, adapt, and flex to the needs of the company. DD&V prides itself on the way they cross-train and support their team members, empowering them to build their skills and develop within their roles.

The team recently enjoyed an outing in Boston, taking turns driving during a Duck Boat Tour

While they are hard at work collaborating on their jobs, they also come together to celebrate one another outside of their work. The team is big on cake and pizza parties, and always takes a moment to have fun. “Half an hour a week can make a huge difference,” said Haifa, “Having fun is important for team building and for getting to know each other outside of our day-to-day jobs.”

DD&V is constantly innovating, and everyone is looking forward to continuing to impact the lives of cancer patients, while collaborating with partners both within Foundation Medicine and externally. “We come to work to be able to make a difference,” explained Haifa, “I think that’s what drives us, and I feel that our team does that on a daily basis.”

Interested in joining the DD&V team? To see open job postings, click here.

Furthering My Knowledge: My Experience in an R&D Rotation Program

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000

The Beginning

While studying for my PhD in viral genomics at Harvard University, I wanted to explore opportunities outside of academia to use my passion and knowledge to benefit patients. I heard about Foundation Medicine through a mutual friend who worked there (and still does). She suggested I look into the cancer genomics research department.

In early 2018, I met another Foundation Medicine employee at a networking event and he offered to put me in touch with the head of cancer genomics research. I reached out to see if they would be willing to take on a graduate student intern. At that time, the official internship program at Foundation Medicine had not yet been formalized. I am very grateful that the team offered me a chance to further my learning. I immediately found a place where I could combine my passion for research and my desire to work in industry.

Opportunity to Advance My Learning

Most of my day is filled with research, such as analyzing sequencing files. Through that process, we come up with novel research questions. I enjoy the fact that I get to be involved in choosing projects to take on. The research we do is exciting and collaborative, with everyone’s determination and knowledge contributing to our important work.

After three years at Foundation Medicine, I found that while I became an expert on my team, I often didn’t know the specifics of what other departments were working on. There were times when I would finish the research portion of a project, and as it moved through to development, I wouldn’t hear about it again. I’m a naturally curious individual, so I’ve always wanted to understand what other teams do and how our work fits into the collective effort.

So, when Sally, associate director of Lifecycle Product Development (LPD), offered me an opportunity to rotate with her team, I was immediately interested. Going on this rotation would mean working temporarily within the LPD team for a three-month period. I received the support of my manager to leave cancer genomics for a few months and embarked on my rotation.

The Experience

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the new role, but I was eager to begin. I learned that the LPD team acts as a central hub, collecting and disseminating information to and from many different departments. With their scientific expertise, they facilitate conversations, identify gaps and plan meticulously for next steps. Not only did I get to do significant work on multiple projects, but I was able to broaden my knowledge of many other teams at Foundation Medicine.

A highlight of my experience was presenting on the work I did to my colleagues on the cancer genomics team. Everyone was so interested in what I had learned, and they enjoyed hearing about the inner workings of the LPD team, affirming the fact that I work with curious and perceptive people.

In a company that works in tandem to contribute to one common mission, I loved being able to connect the dots of how all our work comes together. I hope that bringing my expertise to the LPD team helped them just as much as their expertise helped me as I returned to cancer genomics. Being able to bring a different perspective to my team has only strengthened our research and findings.

Moving Forward

Just like when I started as an intern, there was no official rotation program when I joined the LPD team temporarily. I am excited to see that they’re now building out rotation programs across the company, so that more employees can learn through these exchanges. It’s wonderful to work somewhere where feedback is not only heard, but often implemented.

The opportunity to work on and learn from another team for an extended period was a privilege. I’m grateful that Foundation Medicine provides an environment where employees can further their personal and professional passions. I hope to continue learning something new every day, whether in another rotation or by simply talking to people across the company about their work. When we work together, we support each other in achieving our mission of transforming cancer care for our patients and partners.

FMI Thrive: A New Way to Nurture Our Employees

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000

At Foundation Medicine, we believe that a holistic approach to wellbeing is critical to ensure our employees are thriving at work. Creating a positive work environment that prioritizes our people enables us to have the greatest impact on patients, our partners, and the community.

Earlier this year, we introduced our ANDEngage way of working, focused on Attracting, Nurturing, Developing, and Engaging employees. Through ANDEngage, we create personalized employee experiences, empowering our employees to do their best work and bring their whole, authentic selves to work each day.

Fundamental to the nurture aspect of ANDEngage is finding ways to support employees’ and their families’ wellbeing in new and diverse ways. In response to the many unanticipated challenges each of us has faced over the past few years, and the everyday challenges we each continue to encounter, Foundation Medicine is committed to tackling employee wellbeing head on.

We recently launched a new wellbeing program called FMI Thrive. Through FMI Thrive, we offer a comprehensive approach to self-care, with a robust network of support, flexibility, and a variety of resources to help employees prioritize their needs. FMI Thrive encompasses a myriad of benefits available to Foundation Medicine employees and their families. Included under this umbrella are mental health resources, fertility, pregnancy and parenting support, and physical wellbeing programs.

An integral part of our commitment to employee welfare has been the adoption of Lyra, a company working to transform behavioral health care through technology. Lyra can be broken down into three main components – Lyra Health, Lyra Essentials, and Lyra Learns, all of which are available at no cost to our employees and their families.

Lyra Health is a global mental health benefit that allows employees instant access to a comprehensive range of mental and behavioral health benefits, such as coaching and counseling. Lyra Essentials offers a library of well-being resources from Lyra Health, including audio meditations, videos, and written content from mental health professionals. It is an on-demand service available anytime, anywhere. Lyra Learns is a resource that offers research-based courses, virtual workshops and live facilitated discussions around mental health topics, with topics changing each month.

Lyra provides confidential and personalized care services that include emotional support, mental health coaching, substance abuse intervention, and financial planning resources, among others. It’s a flexible program that allows employees and their families to take the lead, addressing any emotional and mental health needs how, when, and where they need that support.

FMI Thrive and Lyra Health personify the nurture aspect of ANDEngage. When we discuss nurturing our employees, we need to think outside of the traditional mold. This has meant identifying these additional benefits through the FMI Thrive program, and specifically, exploring ways that we, as an employer, can support the mental welfare of every Foundation Medicine employee.

The resources that each person at Foundation Medicine chooses to utilize will all be different. But we are committed to doing our part to offer our employees and their families the tools they need to support themselves as whole people, and to remain resilient in the face of an ever-changing and challenging world. When we do this, everyone who works for and with Foundation Medicine benefits.

The platform we are building for FMI Thrive will allow us to continue to grow this program and evolve as our employees needs change. We continue to explore new ways to nurture wellbeing, and we hope that this service continues to empower our employees and their families to become the best versions of themselves.

Team Spotlight: Regulatory Affairs

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000

If you’re looking for a team at Foundation Medicine with a cross-functional reach, you need not look any further than the Regulatory Affairs team. The team serves a critical role as a collaborative, results-driven partner, driving development and supporting the launch of transformational products, as well as influencing the global regulatory and policy environment in which they operate. The Regulatory Affairs team is situated at the intersection of many aspects of the business, including laboratory operations, research and development, technology, commercial, and legal functions. They offer key insights, strategy, and support to bring our products to market, serving our patients, physicians, and research partners both in the U.S. and in ex-U.S. markets.

Performing a critical function throughout a product’s lifecycle, Regulatory Affairs leads pre-market strategy, drafts regulatory submissions, and ensures post-market compliance for Foundation Medicine. “When I first joined the team about five years ago, there were only three or four people on the team, and now we’re a team of over 20,” explained Juan, Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs. “Now, with a larger team, we work on even more than companion diagnostic (CDx) approvals or licensure. We partner with biopharma companies and work on platform improvements to ensure we have state of the art products on the market, among other things,” she continued.

At Foundation Medicine, there is a focus on including our Regulatory Affairs team from the very beginning of our product development processes. “We’re heavily involved from a product strategy standpoint from the beginning, and I think that’s key,” shared Varun, Director, Regulatory Affairs. “It shows that firstly, there’s an appreciation for regulatory affairs in the organization, but it also shows that the organization is thinking about what it takes to demonstrate the high quality of our products for physicians and patients.”

The regulatory affairs team’s primary remit is the final step of getting and keeping our products on the market. Being involved from the beginning ensures a more effective and optimized process that prioritizes our patients and partners.

The team works hard to enable patient access to improved and novel platforms through their support of the development and launch of our transformational products. “Our products are also available in many countries outside of the United States,” explained Juan. “We need to make sure that we are compliant with the regulatory bodies in those countries, especially because the field of companion diagnostics is still new and evolving in many places,” she added.

They also collaborate to influence the regulatory and policy environment, interacting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies worldwide. “We are a liaison between our scientific teams and different regulatory bodies, like the FDA,” explained Melissa, Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist. “A lot of what we do isn’t very black and white. We get to be creative and innovative while meeting regulations and compliance standards,” added Varun. 

Because of their broad reach and collaborative nature, the team is constantly striving for improved processes and operational excellence. “We listen to input from a variety of people – and often, they have different ideas of how things should be done,” shared Melissa. “We need to be able to see their perspective and assuage their concerns."

The feedback that the team gathers comes from both internal and external partners, and because they often sit on the cutting edge of the regulatory field, problem solving as a team is key. “We grow a lot closer through collaborating and thinking through requests from our partners to ensure everyone is happy with the result,” explained Alyssa, Manager, Regulatory Affairs. “Sometimes there is an education component of that, where we need to explain that there is a different way a process should be done from a regulatory perspective,” she added. “One of the best experiences is making it through our projects and feeling a sense of accomplishment when we’ve been able to take everyone’s feedback into account.” 

Regulatory Affairs team members pride themselves on their ability to sit with the unknown and work together to come up with a solution that benefits all of their stakeholders. The process, they say, at times can be a challenging one, but in the end, providing creative and successful solutions as a team is impactful and exciting.

“I could go on about how many times we’ve been one of the firsts in terms of regulatory approval for a particular therapy type or biomarker. It’s just really exciting to be a part of that,” added Varun. “I think the key part of that is not just the cutting-edge nature of our work, but also the teamwork behind it to strategize and identify how we can best work together with our internal and external partners to find the right path for our products.”

The team has grown in 2022 and continues to grow as the scope of their work expands. The mission-centric approach and the opportunity to work in a cutting-edge field has attracted employees with a wealth of knowledge and a variety of backgrounds. “It’s nice to work for a company that you can be proud of when you tell people what the mission is,” explained Melissa. “A lot of us are fairly new to the company, but the way we’ve come together to share information and learnings and to make it a team atmosphere has built cohesion and support.”

The Regulatory Affairs team looks forward to continuing to function as an agile world-class organization, negotiating successful solutions with health authorities and providing measurable value to our patients, clinical partners, and internal colleagues. As our products evolve, so will the team, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of Foundation Medicine’s offerings throughout their entire lifecycle.

To learn more about open roles on the team, click here.

Foundation Medicine in the Community: Together in TEAL

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and on September 18, 2022, Foundation Medicine recognized and honored patients by participating in the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s (NOCC) Together in TEAL walk at Carson Beach in South Boston.

Participants in Together in TEAL raise money to support the programs and initiatives of the NOCC’s four pillars: early awareness, quality of life, research and community outreach. Foundation Medicine’s team came out in the hopes that together, we can achieve a future where no woman ever loses her life to ovarian cancer. Several Together in TEAL events took place around the country, and Foundation Medicine was proud to be a teal market partner, sponsoring this year’s event in Boston.

Joyce, Program Manager, Corporate Program Management Office, participated in the event with her mom Kathy, who was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in the fall of 2016. Their team “My ovary is gone... but not forgotten” was comprised of family and friends who came together to support not only Kathy, but the community that has gotten her through so much.

“It’s just really important for my mom to do this and be a part of this community that has really rallied around her, and to help other women who are in similar circumstances,” Joyce explained.

Joyce’s journey to Foundation Medicine was in part inspired by what her mother went through during her treatment. “A huge attribution to my mom still being here and doing as well as she is, is that we understand the mutations and the specifics of her cancer, and her care team is able to find the right treatments for her. It’s a really powerful thing,” she said. “Knowing that we are creating tools that physicians can use to support their patients in their cancer journeys is inspiring and motivating.”

She is grateful to be a part of a community like Foundation Medicine that steps outside of the office and lab to be there for patients, caregivers, physicians, and partners. “It’s such a great community. We’re all here for a reason, and we all know we’re here for a reason. Knowing that that support extends outside the lab and the confines of our offices is really empowering. When my family saw Foundation Medicine was sponsoring the Together in TEAL walk, they were excited to see that support extended. I know my mom is jazzed about the fact that the company where I’ve worked for almost three years is one of the sponsors for this event.”

“It gives you a sense of true connection to the work that we do to remember that we’re not just dealing with patient samples, but we’re dealing with real patients, their families, their caregivers, their clinical teams, and even the biopharma industry. It’s humbling to remember and see the impacts that we make every single day represented by the people who are at this walk.”

Team Spotlight: Epic Scrum Team

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000

In February of 2020, I was given the opportunity to form a brand-new team that would be working on a new strategic initiative at Foundation Medicine, a pioneer in molecular profiling for cancer. This project would allow doctors to order our molecular profiling tests directly from the electronic medical record (EMR) systems that they are familiar with. In August of 2021, Foundation Medicine announced a partnership with Epic, the most widely-used EMR vendor in the United States, to integrate its comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and other testing services with Epic’s electronic EMR system. With over 250 million patients with an existing record in Epic, as well as 50% of Foundation Medicine’s ordering providers and 35% of U.S. oncologists using Epic, the intent of this integration was to help healthcare providers more easily order Foundation Medicine tests, review test results, and give more patients access to targeted treatment options.

This integration will enable clinical teams to place orders for Foundation Medicine’s CGP tests and receive and view results directly within their existing workflow in Epic’s EMR. With this approach, Foundation Medicine can offer a single integration to the network, instead of bespoke connectors to individual institutions. This type of integration also simplifies the onboarding of new customers. All of the software and configurations required to send and receive an order are delivered as part of the existing Epic update distribution model. All the customer needs to do is enable the functionality when they are ready.

On June 8, 2022, Foundation Medicine officially launched our first integration with a customer site using Epic, and additional accounts have already begun to integrate with Foundation Medicine, and more will continue to integrate in the coming months.

The Project

This project allowed us to problem solve and figure out how to integrate with customer EMRs in a holistic way. The goal was first and foremost to connect Foundation Medicine to Epic. However, in the process, we also were working to create a framework to allow other EMR vendor integrations to be simplified and to shorten the implementation time from years to months.
The biggest challenge was how to translate Foundation Medicine’s current operational flows on orders and results to a structured model that could be implemented in an EMR system. Our order and result practices are specific to Foundation Medicine and have evolved over time. EMR systems implement generic and simplified workflows that can handle both simple diagnostic tests, like a blood test, and complex assays like our NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) tests. In addition, EMR systems typically allow you to create order forms and workflows. Finally, some of our processes to solve order problems, data requirements and result delivery are very complex, and this integration required a lot of creativity, problem solving and cross-functional collaboration.

We also had to figure out how to balance the work we were doing to integrate with Epic, and the work that we would need to reuse for other integrations. We were able to accomplish this goal by carefully crafting our integration platform so that it can continue to serve us in the future.

The Team

I asked some of my colleagues on the Epic Integration team to describe some of the reasons they chose to come to work at Foundation Medicine.

Vijay – Principal Software Engineer

“I had been working in the healthcare industry in the past and was looking for a company in a similar space. What attracted me to Foundation Medicine is its global presence and that it’s headquartered here in Boston. I was also impressed by the company’s culture and the people during the interview process. What is cool about working for Foundation Medicine is collaborating with friendly and helpful people. It’s a great feeling to know our work impacts people’s lives in a positive way.”
 
Paul – Senior Software Engineer

“I was attracted to Foundation Medicine because of our mission to transform cancer care. The things I like most about the company are the work, the people and the culture. My work is interesting, meaningful and challenging. The people I've met are friendly, helpful and good at what they do. The culture at Foundation Medicine fosters a sense of value and I feel appreciated working here”

Mark – Software Engineer III

“Foundation Medicine attracted me with the fact that they help cancer patients navigate their diagnosis and provide answers that could lead to personalized treatment options. I have always worked in development within the medical industry and many of my good former coworkers led me to believe I would like it here. Starting on a new team and on a new project here at Foundation Medicine has been a blast. Answering the unknowns and developing a robust system that will hopefully stand the test of time has been very rewarding.”

Philip – Software Developer Engineer in Test

“I’ve worked in the healthcare search space for five years. I wanted to join Foundation Medicine because of the interesting work and mission. I like the problem solving involved with the job, the continual learning, and working with the team”

The Future

As we look ahead to the future, we are excited to finalize this new integration platform. Our goal is to complete all the designed functionality beyond our work specific to Epic, and systematically move all our other integrations to this new model.

The team will also be supporting all the other software development teams as they collaborate to build the different modules and functionality of the entire platform and migrate existing integrations to the new code. We are all working together with the end goal of enabling healthcare providers to more easily order Foundation Medicine tests and bring precision cancer care to more patients around the globe.

Medical Perspectives on World Cancer Research Day

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0000

At Foundation Medicine, we’ve spent more than a dozen years conducting cutting-edge research within the oncology space, reinforcing the understanding that cancer is a disease of the genome. Our products and continued advancements are the result of our passion to serve as an essential partner in cancer care. In recognition of World Cancer Research Day, we reflect on how key advancements in oncology research impact the work that we do each day.

For many at Foundation Medicine, contributing to advances in cancer research was the catalyst that brought them to the company. For Dr. Julia Elvin, SVP and Laboratory Director at our Cambridge site, this started with her undergraduate degree in molecular biology, which turned into the pursuit of an MD/PhD degree, and eventually, a residency and fellowship in gynecologic pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. While at Brigham and Women’s, Julia was part of a team that made key discoveries about the origins of ovarian cancer. They carefully studied ovaries and fallopian tubes removed for risk reduction from women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome and inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

Julia thought she could bring these advancements from the research bench “to the bedside” through practicing diagnostic pathology in the community setting. However, she quickly realized that the cancer biology research she was so excited by during her training wasn’t yet impacting the care of her patients.

“These women receiving the diagnoses of ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer were still getting essentially the same therapy used for the past 30 years, even though we had started to understand their tumors better,” she explained. “And that was a kind of wakeup call to me ... I didn't want to be part of the ‘old guard’ that was still okay with the way we were practicing gynecologic, pathology and oncology.”

Similarly, Sonja Alexander, a medical science liaison with Foundation Medicine, was practicing as a nurse practitioner working in a busy gynecologic oncology practice. She too was observing that her patients’ standard of care wasn't advancing as quickly as the science.

Both Julia and Sonja were hopeful for advances that would extend their patient’s survival and improve their quality of life. The possibility of contributing and working towards identifying new and improved treatment options available for more patients brought each of them to Foundation Medicine.

Julia joined Foundation Medicine in 2014, inspired by the idea that Foundation Medicine would offer the path to translate the scientific knowledge that she knew existed into a diagnostic tool that could benefit patients.

Sonja was introduced to Foundation Medicine by her work as a nurse practitioner, often learning from experts like Julia about how she could get her patients tested and what the genomic results revealed about their unique tumor. “They really wanted to be a partner, not just a vendor,” Sonja recalled. Foundation Medicine provided opportunities for her to become more educated and informed about comprehensive genomic profiling, and Sonja joined the company’s speaker's bureau before joining the company full time as a medical science liaison in 2019.

Now, at Foundation Medicine, Sonja extends that same helping hand—offering more information—to new providers in similar positions. “Hopefully, I’m helping even more patients than would have been possible as a nurse practitioner by speaking with these providers and sharing education and awareness,” she said. A day in her role is typically filled by spending time speaking with patients and physicians, helping them to better understand the insights provided by Foundation Medicine tests to help with treatment decision making.

Julia fills a different role at the helm of our Cambridge lab, overseeing the testing of patient’s tumor samples and propelling research advancements with her team of pathologists. “What's different about Foundation Medicine is that we are interacting with so many patients in so many areas of the world every day. We are building up experience and knowledge, including seeing rare events that can be truly instructive,” she explained. In her position, she is deeply ingrained in ensuring the consistency and functionality of our labs, and continuing research.

Both Sonja and Julia are driven by the understanding that what we know today could change tomorrow. Though their roles within the company vary greatly, their passion, commitment to patients and spirit of innovation is shared. And while they each have many different tasks to complete in their day-to-day work, research underscores all that they do. While Sonja shares meaningful updates from the latest research out of a medical conference with providers, and Julia is helping our labs maintain consistency to ensure we can participate in the trials that advance that same research.

“Being the person that does a lot of this education and awareness work, we have to always stay current and up to date on the latest and greatest,” Sonja explained. “We’re trying to build that relationship where providers can come to us and ask us questions, and to see us as a resource that is always current on the newest science, research, and innovation.”

“I think what amazes me most is that we are still discovering,” Julia shared. “Even to see the effects of the treatments that we're using today and watching how those interact with tumor biology and individual patient biology to basically cause an evolution of those tumors. It's almost like being the modern Darwin in the Galapagos Islands, but in real time today. We’re watching tumors evolve, and then responding, thinking of ways to fight that tumor evolution.”

And while science advances, so does Foundation Medicine. For both women, it’s important that the company continues to stay at the cutting edge of research, to advocate for advancements in care, and to avoid seeing the stagnation that they were met with before the existence of comprehensive genomic profiling. “I think we need to keep pushing that needle forward and understand how we can advance science to learn more,” Sonja explained. “Research eventually turns into standard of care.”

“One of the great privileges of my job is being a part of this fantastic team at Foundation Medicine,” Julia shared. “To see my team’s passions unfold, and to be able to share information and ideas with them makes me hopeful for the future.”

While research impacts each of our jobs in unique ways here at Foundation Medicine, it drives each of us forward in our pursuit for the best for our patients, physicians and partners. “We all bring our own niche specialty, but ultimately, we just want to help patients. It’s this company of experts together that that can make that change,” said Sonja.

Day in the Life: Raising Awareness Around Precision Medicine

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 16:00:00 +0000

With a passion for education, advocacy, and awareness, Henry was drawn to the role of Medical Science Liaison (MSL) at Foundation Medicine. He got his start with a PhD in integrative biosciences from Tuskegee University in Alabama, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in the lab of Dr. Christine Lovly. It was working in her lab that he was first introduced to the company and a career as an MSL at Foundation Medicine, a pioneer in molecular profiling for cancer.

Upon the conclusion of his fellowship, the transition from academia to industry had Henry grappling with the question of how he could give back to his community. He not only wanted to find a way to thank the people who helped him reach his goals, but also wanted to inspire the people around him to pursue similar careers in medicine.

Henry co-founded his organization, Black in Cancer, with a friend “almost by mistake.” It wasn’t something that the two planned on creating – they just wanted to bring together like-minded individuals in their community. Now, Black in Cancer is a thriving organization that aims to increase representation within cancer research and medicine through mentorship, education, advocacy, and awareness. They recently partnered with Cancer Research UK (CRUK) to host their Black in Cancer Conference, empowering the next generation, in London.

Henry’s experiences with Black in Cancer directly translate into the way he works as an MSL at Foundation Medicine. One of the most important skills he brings with him is the way that he communicates. “As scientists, we talk about complex things all day with each other, and can easily understand one another. But when I am talking to anyone else, I need to be mindful that I don’t use scientific jargon. In order to break things down, I try to ensure that I am explaining the science at a level that anyone in my family, including my ten-year-old nephews, could understand.”

In addition to communication, the experience that Henry has gained as a leader in Black in Cancer has helped him in his interactions with cancer care teams, including oncologists, pathologists and nurses, as he offers guidance and support as an MSL. These skills, combined with his passion for the field, have helped him to become a powerful force in advancing the impact of comprehensive genomic profiling.

In Henry’s role, he is often doing the same kind of things during the day that he does off the clock with Black in Cancer – educating and inspiring doctors and future doctors about the power of precision cancer care.

“During my recent travels as an MSL, I gave a talk to medical fellows and got to provide them with more information on cancer genomics,” he recalled. “Seeing the gratification from the fellows as they got to learn more about this complex topic was incredibly rewarding. Knowing that I am better informing the people who are directly working with cancer patients is a highlight of the job.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and for Henry, this means an important opportunity for education and advocacy. “I think most people don’t understand what they want to do in their career, even if they’re already doing it,” he said. “Having awareness months can spark students’ interest, especially when it comes to cancer research, in areas they never knew about. Cancer is so heterogeneous, and differences in cancer open a variety of avenues for research and medical professions. These months not only shed light for patients, but also for physicians and future scientists, who may not know what they want to do, but are open to these conversations about what the future could hold.”

Of course, cancer awareness months also offer a great starting point for conversations with patients, caregivers and providers. “These months introduce important opportunities to have hard conversations,” Henry explained. “When it comes to breast cancer awareness month, this is particularly important, especially because Black women often have worse outcomes. Nobody wants to talk about that – nobody wants to talk about death, or a cancer diagnosis. But once you do, you can figure out more about the disease, like what is it? And why is it affecting my family member?”

Henry says that these conversations during awareness months have the possibility to turn into tangible action. “Sometimes it opens doors for people to get tested, which in turn brings about avenues for early detection and chances to ask the right questions of our doctors. Especially when it comes to Breast Cancer Awareness, I think it’s all about making people comfortable with the idea of asking what uncomfortable questions, including about mammograms, family history, and how the disease affects certain populations.”

“Conversations about race and cancer in particular are difficult to have,” he continued. “But they are so needed, because there will be no progress without talking about it. Foundation Medicine is opening doors to partner with organizations in these areas, and in turn, more people will have the chance to be introduced to comprehensive genomic profiling, especially our underserved populations.”

Henry looks forward to growing in his role at Foundation Medicine and in Black in Cancer, as he continues to educate, empower and drive awareness. Through his passion, he continues to make a difference with patients, providers and students alike, one person at a time.

Behind The Scenes: Social Media

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 20:51:31 +0000

Social media plays a role in many, if not all, of our personal lives. We scroll through the feeds of friends and colleagues across Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn – liking, commenting and sharing content. However, the process for creating posts as a social media manager isn’t just “pick a picture, write a quick caption and post” like it may be for personal accounts. It takes a lot of planning in advance, working across different functions, and a willingness to remain flexible, because social media moves so fast.

As almost anyone would tell you, there is no typical day at Foundation Medicine, but for me every day starts off with checking my social media content calendar for upcoming content we have planned. My calendar serves as my guide to the status of social posts – whether they are still in ideation stages, are in the development process with colleagues on other teams or are ready for finalization with my Creative team counterparts. For every post that goes live on Foundation Medicine’s social media accounts, each aspect is thoughtfully created, from the look, feel and design of the visuals, the captions that accompany them and the call to action of where we want our audiences to go for more information. When it comes to final execution and scheduling, the time and day of the week plays a key role in determining when to publish content to ensure optimal engagement. It’s all a game of chess trying to determine important company milestones, awareness days and social media trends, analytics, timing and the right call to action, to align on the perfect post.

As I strategize, I typically plot out content that ensures we are capturing a good mix of cultural, educational, scientific and industry related topics that will resonate with our audiences. This requires a lot of cross-functional collaboration within the company, such as Clinical Development, R&D, Biopharma and Legal, as well as reaching out to individuals externally, including patients and partners, about the work they are doing or their firsthand experiences. It’s perspectives like these that make Foundation Medicine’s social media channels so unique. Social media provides us with a platform to tell stories – stories from patients, employees, partners and healthcare providers, that often go beyond the lens of one perspective and can be tied to the work that we are doing to transform cancer care.

Additionally, I am always on the lookout for any new trends on social media to help inform our content strategy and ensure that we are using our social channels to the best of their ability. I recently had the opportunity to attend the Ragan 2022 Social Media Conference where I learned from social media experts on the latest and best ways to engage with audiences and I am excited to put those learnings into practice.

Everyone at Foundation Medicine is so passionate about our work and brings with them a distinct perspective based on the role they play and the function they are a part of. I love helping to uncover unique stories and viewpoints in my role, which provides me the opportunity to learn from so many people with diverse backgrounds, expertise and passions. Our social channels work to connect with our audiences through these stories, bringing our cutting-edge science to people’s screens through blogs by employees, scientific information in research publications and eye-capturing visuals.

The job is not without its challenges. One of the key challenges I face in my role is exactly what content to promote and develop (there are just so many great things happening here that we don’t have enough time or space in a month to share it all!). Every content pitch I receive is carefully considered as I try my best to plan for it to be featured on our social channels in a timely manner. There is a flip side to a challenge like this, and that is that there is never a lack of content, and we are never without great ideas. Social media is always moving and evolving, and our content is as well. Just because something may not make it in front of audiences now, doesn’t mean that we can’t keep the idea for the future.

Seeing our audiences engage with content that I have had a hand in creating is my favorite part of the job. Every time a like, share or comment comes through our notifications, it makes me smile and reminds me just how much our employees and external audiences enjoy and relate to what we are posting. We never post just for the sake of posting, and always put a lot of time and effort into thoughtful content for our channels that continue to educate, and advance our mission, centering around patients, providers and partners.

Having had the opportunity to work in two different roles during my time at Foundation Medicine, I feel truly privileged to play a role in helping craft the Foundation Medicine story for our external audiences and to be a part of our dedicated External Communications team that puts so much effort into ensuring that Foundation Medicine shares inspiring and engaging content. Being the social media manager is fun, fast-paced and rewarding – never a dull day.

And to end, a shameless plug– if you don’t follow us on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn yet, give us a follow now!

Day in the Life: The Importance of Real-World Evidence in Men’s Health Research

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 16:00:00 +0000

“One of my mentors instilled the importance of perfecting a pitch, and I took it to heart. So, when someone asks me what I do at Foundation Medicine, I tell them: 'My team uses genomics and outcomes data from the last decade to optimize cancer treatment for patients in the next decade.’”

Ryon Graf is a Director of Clinical Development and Head of Real-World Outcomes Research. His team makes use of the Foundation Medicine – Flatiron Health Clinico-Genomic Database (CGDB) with clinical, pathological, outcomes, and genomics data from over one hundred thousand patients. His team’s primary role is to generate insights from these data that can be useful for patient care. Doing so requires a unique intersection of skills, including data science, biostatistics, genomics, and clinical acumen, among other things.

“It’s impossible to be an expert in all of these areas, so my team are generalists” he explained. “It requires a certain amount of humility and courage to constantly understand one’s limits, and to reach out and seek someone else’s expertise, because someone is always going to be a little bit better in one of those key areas. It’s full of healthy challenges and very rewarding.”

Ryon is a veteran of the San Diego biotech startup realm. Prior to Foundation Medicine, he was part of the team that developed a liquid biopsy diagnostic product that is used to improve a critical decision in the care of men with metastatic prostate cancer. “I was part of a wonderful jazz band of senior scientists of various disciplines and backgrounds. We proudly took a product concept all the way to Medicare reimbursement in less than 5 years.”

Before the hop into biotech, Ryon defended his PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, doing most of his dissertation research at the nearby University of California San Diego (UCSD) Moores Cancer Center. While he was mostly a laboratory scientist during the course of his research, he was able to glean exposure to the clinic at the UCSD School of Medicine through a program called Med-into-Grad.

“I studied clinical oncology and a bit of pathology, and while I am in no way sufficiently qualified for these tasks, my time in the clinic helped me to understand how impacts can be made in treatment decisions and what information is useful for physicians. It inspired me to pursue a career where I could generate practical insights to improve patient care. I became obsessed with evidence, and generating sufficient information of value for real-world use,” Ryon explained.

That in part led him to his current role, where he and his team turn real-world data into real-world evidence: insights that are valuable enough to be used to inform clinical practice. He and his team examine gaps in knowledge, the decision-making process in the clinic, and collaborate with healthcare providers to distill that information into key decision points that might be improved making use of the CGDB. Ryon’s approach is largely informed by the time he spent working within prostate cancer research and diagnostics in the startup realm.

This often leads to insights that are shared via abstracts at medical conferences with the oncology community. Ryon’s team, along with clinical collaborators at academic medical centers, recently won Best Genitourinary (GU) Poster at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting in Paris in September of 2022. The team examined the treatment of de-novo metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC), hypothesizing that the presence of mutations in one specific gene, found about 10% of the time in men with prostate cancer, would lead to greater effectiveness of newer hormonal agents. Using CGDB, they observed that this was indeed the case, while men treated with standard chemotherapy did not have that extreme benefit. The study was simultaneously published in Clinical Cancer Research. The results are clinically valuable, because there were previously no molecular diagnostics to aid this critical treatment decision.

Other work by the team includes helping determine when immunotherapy may be a better option than chemotherapy, when there might be sufficient signal for liquid biopsy (tumor profiling from a blood draw), when archival biopsies (biopsies collected before cancer advances to other parts of the body, usually with primary tissue) can be valid, and more. Moving forward, Ryon sees a future where insights from databases such as CGDB can support a wide array of useful insights for patient care.

“Gold standard randomized controlled trials do not exist for many critical treatment decisions. This is where real-world evidence can really help.”

With November marking Men’s Health Awareness Month, Ryon puts his team’s research in context: “Most of the research we do is valuable to men who already have an advanced prostate cancer diagnosis,” Ryon explained. “But the amount of progress in the last 10 years has been utterly astonishing in terms of new drugs and diagnostics. Deaths due to prostate cancer have dropped by half since 1990, and that is due to many small things that add up – better screening, better surgical techniques, better radiation, better drugs, and better diagnostics – all little pieces of progress from efforts of thousands of researchers.”

For the team, advancing men’s health means real-world evidence that allows for improved treatment of prostate cancer: to extend life and quality of life. This includes the work they are doing that spans from their cutting-edge research presented at ESMO, to their work in determining good signal for liquid biopsy and appropriate times to use archival biopsies. Each small piece adds to progress in the field.

Ryon emphasizes what he’s learned from patients: “At Foundation Medicine, we seek to add years to lives of cancer patients. One of the things I’ve learned from patients is the importance of also adding life to years. Time is everything to a patient with metastatic cancer. I’ve learned how incredibly valuable they see their time here, and to give a cancer patient more time is to give somebody time well lived. We all have the capability of living that way, even if we don’t have cancer.”

As Ryon and team continue to drive forward this research to improve patient care, they carry that mentality with him, adding life to their years through their connection to Foundation Medicine’s mission and the work they do each day.

Ryon recently moderated a LinkedIn Live event titled "How Two Prostate Cancer Patients’ Search for Answers Led Them to Genomics” with the Bryce and Brian (pictured above with Ryon). View the recording of the video here.

Foundation Medicine's Inaugural Week of Service

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 17:54:58 +0000

From November 14-18, Foundation Medicine took part in our inaugural Week of Service in the U.S., giving back to the local communities that we call home. Beginning this year, Foundation Medicine’s Giving Week, which had historically happened in November and encouraged employees to give back to one partner organization, evolved into a Week of Service, providing employees with the opportunity to directly serve their communities.

“Previously, we had no program at Foundation Medicine dedicated to volunteerism. This program is in response to our passionate employees who are eager to get out and serve their communities,” explained Millie, manager of events and community engagement.

Throughout the week, there were a variety of offsite, onsite, and remote volunteer opportunities available to employees during the workday in communities local to each of our U.S. sites, including Boston, Research Triangle Park, and San Diego.

“When selecting organizations for the Week of Service, we wanted to provide opportunities that served a broad range of populations and aligned with our Foundation Medicine values,” Millie explained. “We also wanted to maintain a focus on local impact.” Millie shared that nearly 300 employees registered for Week of Service volunteer opportunities across all Foundation Medicine U.S. sites.

Organizations where groups of Foundation Medicine volunteers gave back included the following:

Boston, Ma.

Food For Free
Community Servings
Pine Street Inn
Cradles to Crayons
Boston Living Center
Household Goods
Science Club for Girls (on-site opportunity)
The Wily Network (on-site opportunity)

Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
Diaper Bank of North Carolina (on-site opportunity)

San Diego, Calif.

Feeding San Diego
Serving Seniors
The Monarch School (on-site opportunity)

Hear from some of our volunteers about their experiences in the community:

Elle, a supervisor in client services in San Diego, spent time volunteering with her team at Feeding San Diego. “We packaged meal after meal learning in detail which schools will be provided with the resources that Feeding San Diego provides. It was not easy but extremely encouraging to know that we are helping to fill the very basic need for nourishment through our efforts.”

Mimi, sr. manager, corporate communications, in Research Triangle Park (RTP), joined her colleagues in volunteering at the Durham Food Bank. “It was so great to come together and volunteer our time to the Durham Food Bank. Together, our dedicated RTPers packaged over 11,000 pounds of food donations, which is enough to provide 9,400 meals to those in need.”

Patricia, principal quality engineer, and a group of eight other Foundation Medicine employees, spent time at Cradles to Crayons in Newton, Ma., packing up items for kids in need. “Together, we mighty few managed to pallet up two of the largest Community Agency orders ever received by Cradles to Crayons, including hundreds of books, diapers, boots, winter jackets, and clothing for newborns through teens.”

James, lead of people analytics, volunteered as part of a group of 15 Foundation Medicine employees, helped pack produce boxes at Food For Free in Somerville, Ma. to be delivered to families experiencing food insecurity in the greater Cambridge area. “Everything was organized into an assembly line that started with people building boxes, followed by a bunch of stations where we added various types of produce, before finishing with people packing up the boxes and loading them onto pallets. I was at the potato station (with colleague Hanna) where we loaded a total of 3,600 potatoes into 360 boxes.”

Kathryn, an account executive, and remote employee took time to give back to the Heartland Cancer Foundation (HCF), an organization local to her that she regularly volunteers with in Lincoln, Neb. “During Foundation Medicine’s week of service, I helped the decoration committee for our upcoming gala inventory our current stock of decorations and organize the storage unit where these decorations live — a group of five women gathered and completely unpacked, inventoried and repacked HCF’s 14x14ft unit one evening. It was a long but fun night filled with lots of laughter – we have a lot more work to do before the event in March, but I’m really looking forward to the event and hope we can break some fundraising records so that even more patients can benefit from HCF’s services,” she shared.

Zoya, a graphic designer, visited Household Goods in Acton, Ma., where volunteers painted, vacuumed, and prepared items for families in need. “I even got to put my sewing to the test and patch a couch,” she shared. “Our host at Household Goods was wonderful and really tried to understand our strengths. It was awesome to see how our extra hands went a long way in helping people get what they need for their homes.”

Anu, supervisor, access operations, participated in two events, packing STEM Kits as part of our on-site offerings, and serving meals at Boston Living Center. “For the STEM Kits, we had clear instructions on how to pack them, and were able to see what the kids would be able to make from the kits. Being in a science-driven/healthcare industry, it is nice to see how we can support the younger generations to pursue careers in science.”

“Serving meals at the Boston Living Center was also very special. We were met with a thoughtful team of volunteers that help keep the Boston Living Center filled with great energy and positivity. Our group was fortunate enough to help prepare and serve a warm, healthy meal to the local community,” she shared.

Aaron, sr. statistical scientist, was part of a group of volunteers who went to Pine St. Inn in Boston. “We packaged rolls and assembled a whole bunch of Caesar salads for meals to be served across Pine St Inn's locations. Afterwards, they gave us a tour of the building and talked about their mission, history and approach.”

Erin, associate director, external communications volunteered at Community Servings in Jamaica Plain, MA., an organization that makes healthy meals for people living with chronic conditions. “The organization was impressive. They spend a lot of time planning meals that meet all different dietary restrictions and volunteers are able to seamlessly integrate into the prep and packaging process. It was well organized, clean and the staff was so friendly.”

For Millie, creating an opportunity for employees to serve their local community, volunteering herself, and hearing from employees about their experiences has been a highlight of this inaugural Week of Service. “We have an exciting 2023 planned for our community efforts. We are sponsoring multiple local events, engaging our Employee Resource Networks (ERN) in the local community and we plan to hold our second Week of Service in the spring.”

In reflecting on their experience, Foundation Medicine employees expressed gratitude for the chance to give back to their local communities. For many, it introduced them to new colleagues and new organizations in their local areas. “While giving back to the community, I expanded my personal Foundation Medicine community by meeting colleagues in departments way outside my sphere,” Patricia said.

In some cases, it even opened new avenues for Foundation Medicine employees to give back to their community on their own time. “I am looking forward to helping Household Goods in the future outside of Foundation Medicine’s week of service,” said Zoya.

“Overall, it was great to meet some colleagues on different teams and work together to help the broader community,” James shared. “Volunteering my time felt meaningful and it was nice to see the impact in person. Foundation Medicine’s annual Week of Service is an outstanding evolution of Giving Week from years past.”

Award received in recognition of Foundation Medicine's partnership with Life Sciences Cares, honoring the inaugural week of service activities.

Behind The Scenes: Promotional Review

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 20:20:30 +0000

December is an apt time for reflection, as many of us choose to look back on the past year and ahead to what lies next. As 2022 draws to a close, it has me reflecting on the impressive year shared with colleagues here at Foundation Medicine. As a senior project manager, overseeing our Promotional Review Committee, I see a broad range of projects pass through my hands – or rather through our online review system – and out into the world to share our mission and science.

Promotional Review Committee (PRC) at Foundation Medicine is composed of my colleagues from the compliance, regulatory, legal, and medical teams. The people who make up this committee are folks that I work with day in and day out. On any given day, we review a huge variety of projects and items that are essential to our business. This includes anything from a presentation, to sales email templates, to kit packaging, and our social media posts about products. Through our work, we get to see all corners of the company, a unique opportunity to see both a broad and detailed view of what is going on at Foundation Medicine. With so many moving pieces, we want to make sure that everything we see is given appropriate attention to ensure we are creating content that is accurate, compliant and resonates with our audiences.

While sitting on Promotional Review Committee might offer a broad and varied view of all that is going on at Foundation Medicine, it is also a chance to see each detailed piece that goes into making what we do a success. One of the coolest parts of my job is seeing the many components of one project come together to form a whole. For example, when we launch a new product, PRC sees the related sales content, presentations, social media posts, and more.

With a steady workflow of promotional materials needing review, there is never a dull day on PRC. With each project, it is my job to work across teams with material owners and submitters to ensure timelines are met and comments from PRC are addressed. While we try to adhere to a standard approach for review, each piece is different and may include additional steps prior to approval. Connecting all the dots and ensuring that everyone is aligned on a piece of material can present its challenges, but it is rewarding to see the final, polished product at the end of it all.

At the heart of everything that comes through PRC are our patients – and that shines through in the many impassioned conversations shared in review meetings each week. As we sift through the important pieces of different launches and items, and with all the back and forth that the review process brings, we are always keeping our patients in mind and how the final piece will impact them.

What stands out most as I reflect on the key milestones we have reached together in 2022 is the passion that weaves its way through every single project. In our careers, it’s really easy to get caught up in the day to day, but I think when you take a step back, and look at what drives us forward, it’s all about who we serve and our passion for our patients. I am grateful to serve in my role here at Foundation Medicine and to get to work hands-on with so many impactful projects, and I look forward to what lies ahead in 2023.

Black History Month 2023: Celebrating Black Achievements With a Focus on Health Equity

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000

February is Black History month and serves as a time of focus, celebrating and acknowledging the achievements and contributions African Americans have had in the history of the United States. This year, Foundation Medicine’s Black, African, and Hispanic Alliance (BAHA) Employee Resource Network led a series of educational activities and sessions that reinforces our commitment to health equity as well as diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Black Brilliance

Every week in February, Foundation Medicine featured a Black Scientist both internally and externally on social channels to share further information on individuals whose discoveries and contributions have impacted the scientific field. Katherine Johnson, Alexa Candady, Lonnie G. Johnson, Jane C. Wright were just a few Black Scientists that were highlighted during Black History Month. The Black Highlights series was an opportunity to increase awareness and educate our workplace community on the scientific advances made by Black people in the US.

It’s All in the Data

On February 15th, during BAHA’s general body session, Dr. Douglas Mata, Foundation Medicine’s lead pathologist and the lead author in the New England Journal of Medicine publication Disparities According to Genetic Ancestry in the Use of Precision Oncology Assays, presented highlights from this recent piece of research. Using Foundation Medicine’s cancer genomic database, FoundationCore®, researchers examined the use of Foundation Medicine’s next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays according to genetic ancestry of patients. The researchers retrospectively analyzed 620,500 solid-tumor and liquid-biopsy samples, representing patients from all 50 states, that had been submitted to Foundation Medicine for sequencing between April 2013 through September 2022. Key findings from the data show that the number of patients who underwent NGS testing increased with time, and, in particular, the use of NGS among underserved racial and ethnic groups also increased. The data indicates that, while there are still disparities in cancer outcomes, access to NGS testing is heading in a positive direction for all traditionally underserved racial and ethnic groups, particularly for patients with African ancestry. The meeting also continued in the theme of Health Equity and included a robust and frank group discussion on three articles: Racial and Ethnic Health Care Disparities, Coffee Lowers Risk of Heart Problems and Early Death, Study Says, Especially Ground and Caffeinated and Gene Discovery May Explain Why More Women get Alzheimer’s Disease than Men.

Courage Will Not Skip This Generation

On February 22, BAHA held an event “The Other America: Injustices in Health” featuring Dr. Michael Curry. Dr. Curry is the President & CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, which represents 52 health centers, serving over one million patients out of over 300 practice sites. Dr. Curry is an authentic change agent. His presentation reviewed the stark data that exists today in America regarding health inequities. Social determinants of health, cancer, maternal and infant mortality due to disparities, were some of the many startling statistics shared during the session. On the positive side Dr. Curry highlighted the formation of the Health Equity Compact, an organization that brings together over 50 Black and Latin leaders across hospitals, health centers, payers, academic institutions and public health – to advance health equity in Massachusetts.

With engagement with the Foundation Medicine community, and our partners, this month has been a reminder to continue to celebrate Black achievements and continue to focus on health equity throughout the year.

Earth Month 2023: Celebrating our Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Efforts

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Earth Month is celebrated annually in April to raise awareness around the environment and serves as a reminder of our commitment to making Foundation Medicine a leading sustainable business. This year, we celebrated the month through some key activities and moments, bringing employees together to clean up our local community as well as launching a new web page featuring our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts and goals.

A Passion for Sustainability from Our Employees

Foundation Medicine and its employees have always been committed to environmentally sustainable and green practices within our offices. Beginning in 2012, several employees launched the "Green Team" to discuss their shared interest and passion in making Foundation Medicine an environmentally friendly business, with a focus on making our office and lab practices more sustainable. Garrett, employee of 12 years and founding member of the original Green Team, explained that the group encouraged green practices such as bringing in reusable plates, cups and utensils by posting signs around the office. In 2021, Sustain, an Employee Resource Network (ERN), was founded to continue the mission of establishing sustainable practices in an official capacity.

Our Continued Commitment to Sustainability

As we honor the original mission of the Green Team through Sustain, Foundation Medicine is also committed to creating a sustainable future for our business within our communities. Our new headquarters, being constructed in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood, is working towards achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation and ensuring the responsible sourcing of utilities. In addition to our efforts in clean and renewable energy, our laboratory waste has been treated with sustainable disposal methods since 2021. Last year, we were able to minimize our waste stream, with more than 96% of laboratory waste in the U.S. diverted from landfills and treated via recycling and other reclamation technologies.

In celebration of Earth Day this year, Foundation Medicine participated in a community service clean-up through Keep Massachusetts Beautiful, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that strives for a “clean, green and litter-free" Massachusetts. Employee volunteers spent time cleaning litter from streets and parks in the area surrounding our office at 150 Second Street in Cambridge.

Environmental, Social and Governance Efforts

As we continue to serve as a leader in our communities, we are committed to reducing our overall environmental impact, investing in programs that bring equity and inclusivity to our patients and employees, and continuing to lead with ethical business practices across the organization.

Visit our newly launched ESG web page highlights to learn more about our ongoing efforts and initiatives.

Annual Week of Service 2023

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000

After a successful inaugural Week of Service in mid-November of 2022, Foundation Medicine proudly held our second annual Week of Service in the U.S. last month. This week featured a range of ways for Foundation Medicine employees to help give back to their communities, through activities at our office locations, on-site at community organizations or remotely.

Employees engaged with organizations local to our U.S. sites (Boston, Research Triangle Park and San Diego), including:

Boston, MA:

- Community Servings

- Food For Free

- Hygiene Kit packing for Boston Healthcare for the Homeless (on-site)

- ReVision Urban Farms

- Thompson Island Outward Bound

Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC:

- Card Writing for Children with Cancer, distributed by MIB agents (on-site)

San Diego, CA:

- Card Writing for Children with Cancer, distributed by MIB agents (on-site)

- Feeding San Diego

- Serving Seniors

Our volunteers spoke about their experiences giving back to their communities for the second year:

Boston

While there were multiple groups of Foundation Medicine employees that spent time volunteering at Revision Urban Farms in Dorchester, MA, Melissa, Sr Manager, Internal Communications spoke about her time spent volunteering there: “I had a wonderful experience with FMI's second annual Week of Service at Revision Farms in Boston. Our work at the Farm consisted of planting seeds and seedlings, setting up irrigation hoses and reorganizing their greenhouse. It was a lovely chance to meet other Foundation Medicine employees and talk about the work that we do, while getting our hands dirty and giving back to our community. I am so grateful for the opportunity and look forward to doing it again next year!”

Another group of Massachusetts based Foundation Medicine employees volunteered at Thompson Island, an island in the Boston Harbor, where they assisted with the maintenance and conservation of the island’s wilderness to prepare for upcoming Outward Bound student programming. Teodora, Sr Product Owner shared that “It felt kind of like we were at summer camp, and it was nice to connect with fellow Foundation Medicine employees. We spent the day helping to clean up their path for a 5k race as well as the beach area for when their students arrive. I actually personally know a lot of people who did this program as kids, so it was nice to be able to give back to it.”

Food For Free in Somerville, MA helps to provide year-round food programs to groups who are at the highest risk of food hunger. Sarah, Executive Assistant, volunteered with colleagues to assist packing produce boxes for families in the greater Boston area that are facing food insecurity:“It felt really good to be able to help out in our local community while also spending time with colleagues, some of whom I got to know for the first time that day! Week of Service is always such a meaningful way for employees to spend time together and another example of what makes Foundation Medicine is a special place. In just a few hours, we packed approximately 360 boxes of fresh produce for food-insecure residents in Greater Boston.”

Community Servings in Jamaica Plain, MA was another organization that many Foundation Medicine employees spent their time at during our Week of Service. Here they helped assemble meals from scratch for critically ill people and their families. Employees spent their time helping to prepare meals were both nutritious and met the medical needs of the individuals receiving them. Alanna, Specialist, Right to Operate, volunteered here and said that “Week of Service is one of my favorite events that Foundation Medicine does. This year I chose to volunteer with Community Servings. I was drawn here because food is a passion of mine and I strongly believe everyone deserves access to healthy and delicious meals. Being able to help support the Community Servings mission was a fun and wonderful experience and I hope to volunteer there again this year.”

San Diego

Employees at our San Diego site spent time volunteering at Feeding San Diego, where they helped to package meals for local schools, assisting in the organizations goal to work towards ending hunger through food rescue. “It was an incredibly rewarding experience and one that required a strong team effort,” said Angelina, Executive Assistant. “I was delighted to discover that everyone involved was able to find their own place in the operation, whether it was packing food, organizing resources, or getting ready for shipments. It was remarkable to see how smoothly we were able to achieve our goals. Overall, it was a great reminder of the power of community, and I felt a deep sense of pride in being able to contribute to such a meaningful cause."

Serving Seniors, whose mission is to help low-income seniors live fulfilling and healthy lives, is another organization Foundation Medicine employees visited during this week. Not only does this organization aim to help impoverished and homeless seniors have access to meals, but they also aim to assist them with other avenues that will help them thrive including housing, learning programs, and health and social services. Brian, Inside Sales Specialist, who volunteered here said that “It was such a rewarding experience getting to meet both the regular volunteers at Serving Seniors San Diego as well as the recipients of the meals. Everyone was so grateful and full of joy and it gave me a much needed reboot from my regular routine.”

On-site Office Opportunities

Foundation Medicine also offered on-site volunteer opportunities for employees to participate in during this week. At our San Diego and Research Triangle Park (North Carolina) sites, employees had the chance to decorate cards accompanied by encouraging notes which would be passed along to children with cancer. All decorated cards will be distributed by MIB Agents, a leading Pediatric Osteosarcoma Nonprofit.

At our Cambridge location, employees participated in building female hygiene kits for the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. Within two hours employees, including members of our executive team such as CEO Brian Alexander, were able to put together over 300 kits for this cause.

Remote Opportunities

Our remote employees were also given the chance to participate in our week of service. Jen, Key Account Manager, volunteered at CommunityHealth, an organization based in Chicago whose mission is to provide quality services to people that lack essential health care. Jen reflected on her time spent volunteering here: “In response to the current migrant crisis here in Chicago, CommunityHealth has been setting up field health care stations at the precincts where migrants are staying, to await placement in Chicago. The health care stations provide basic health care screening and triage with opportunities to consult with a provider re basic health care needs and enroll patients into the free community health clinic as established patients. As a Spanish speaking nurse, I was able to assist in this process.” Jen also stated that “I feel grateful to work for a company that not only permits their employees to serve in this capacity but encourages us to do so on volunteer days such as earlier this month.”

Foundation Medicine’s annual Week of Service is part of the expansion of our Community Engagement efforts and our FMI in the Community Program. This program aims to increase Foundation Medicine’s impact on our local communities by partnering with community organizations to support their missions, and provide employees with the support to give back and serve.

Celebrating Pride Month 2023

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0000

As a company, we celebrate PRIDE month annually to honor and support the LGBTQIA+ community and acknowledge our employees' authenticity, while showing our commitment to cultivating a sense of belonging for all, and our ongoing dedication to our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts. Our Employee Resource Network (ERN), PROUD (Promoting Representation, Openness and Understanding of Diversity), led a variety of events throughout this month, ranging from educational sessions, social gatherings, and viewings of LGBTQIA+ films. Employees at our Boston, Research Triangle Park (RTP) and San Diego locations had opportunities to celebrate in person, while remote employees were able to join in on virtual celebrations.

Boston Pride Parade for the People

Members of our PROUD ERN joined colleagues, family members, partners and friends at this year’s Pride festival and parade in Boston, hosted by Boston Pride for the People. Sporting a Foundation Medicine PROUD banner, rainbows and smiles, our employees contributed to the 10,000+ participants.

Shae, Talent Acquisition Coordinator, speaks on her experience marching in the parade: “I had an incredible time marching with Foundation Medicine. I’ve never marched in a parade during Pride month before, and it was such an amazing feeling seeing all of the people watching and cheering. My partner marched with me and having his support along with all the support and encouragement from fellow colleagues and the opportunity Foundation Medicine provided us with to be able to participate in this event was so great. The feeling of getting to the end of the parade is one I’ll never forget!”

Out! Raleigh

Later in the month, employees at our RTP site had the opportunity to show their pride at the “Out! Raleigh” festival. This event was full of local vendors and artists, live entertainment, food and drinks, and many family-friendly activities. Employees in RTP were able to celebrate PRIDE and the LGBTQIA+ community while connecting with each other.

Buttons, Bracelets and Ice Cream in Cambridge

At our 150 Second Street office in Cambridge, MA, employees were able to express their creativity with a Pride Button Making event. Employees created buttons from preset designs made by the Foundation Medicine creative team, which included the option to make pronoun buttons, or buttons from their own, original designs. This event brought colleagues together and allowed them to show up as their authentic selves where they could express their own unique identities.

In addition to our button making activity, employees came together for an ice cream social and rainbow bracelet making, creating bracelets that comprised the colors of the LGBTQIA+ flag.

Pride Movie Discussion: 'But I'm a Cheerleader!'

Employees from all locations met over Zoom to discuss the cult classic LGBTQIA+ film ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ starring Natasha Lyonne. This Zoom discussion focused on how the LGBTQIA+ community is represented in media and gave members the opportunity to analyze the film and discuss challenges that individuals in the community face.

Ovia and Lyra Presentations

Foundation Medicine’s total rewards team invited Lyra, our mental wellbeing benefit that is provided to employees and their families, to hold a virtual event open to all employees. This event titled “LGBTQIA+: Cultivating Inclusion and Belonging in the Workplace” focused on how companies can help cultivate and create workplace environments that are supportive. FMI’s family health benefit partner, Ovia, also held a presentation titled "Alternative Pathways to Parenting", which dove into LGBTQIA+ family building options, and provided a plethora of valuable insights.

Celebrating our LGBTQIA+ Community, during Pride Month and Beyond

In June and beyond, we are committed to providing a safe and inclusive place for all employees to be their most authentic selves every day. Through programming, open discussions and gatherings within our Foundation Medicine community, we strive to continue to listen, support and learn.

Spotlight: 2023 Summer Interns

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 17:00:47 +0000

At Foundation Medicine, our work to transform cancer care spans across many different functions and teams. From our colleagues working to process samples in the lab, to those working directly with physicians, biopharma partners and patients, it takes an entire, multi-talented team for us to make our impact. Our efforts would not be fully accomplished without the time, effort and passion that our interns bring to each of our teams.

We’re privileged to have several interns joining us this summer, working across many of our departments. We caught up with some of our interns and asked them what brought them to Foundation Medicine this summer and what they have enjoyed and learned from their internship thus far.

Soumya, Automation Engineering Intern

“I came to Foundation Medicine this summer because the opportunity to work at this organization seemed so unique in its field. The passion and drive at Foundation Medicine is contagious and I was able to catch on to it as early as my interview. The work being done here is groundbreaking and I wanted to be a part of an organization that was at the forefront of cancer genomics. I picked Foundation Medicine because I knew, even as an intern, I could have the opportunity to directly help improve patient sample processing. I have greatly enjoyed the amount of collaboration across teams and departments. It is so important for people from all areas to come together to create seamless processes and hearing those conversations has been so educational to me. Learning the amount of work that goes into the patient sample journey is astonishing and as an automation engineering intern, learning how automation plays a key role in this journey is vital to my work here. Knowing that the work I do will help real people is very rewarding and a true motivation to put my best foot forward. Patients, innovation, passion, and collaboration are at the top of every conversation here. I am incredibly grateful to be working alongside people who are transforming the field of cancer care every day.”

Savannah, Laboratory Operations Intern

“I decided to join Foundation Medicine for my 2023 summer internship because the program was offering practical and useful laboratory experience and knowledge of molecular techniques and processes that can be used in a variety of laboratory and research settings going forward, including opportunities to shadow almost all departments involved in sample journey! I’ve really enjoyed working for Foundation Medicine! It is very inclusive and encouraging, and it’s clear that the team genuinely wants us interns to grow and learn from this experience. Everyone has been so welcoming to us and has been willing to jump in and lend a helping hand when the interns need support or guidance. I have learned so much about a sample’s journey through processing and testing and the impact of these processes on patients’ lives, as well as how to ask quality questions to help myself and my peers learn.”

Ibrahim, Software Engineering Intern

“I decided to join Foundation Medicine for the summer because it’s a young company with an ambitious mission statement that it really stands up to. So far, I’ve enjoyed being able to work with my fellow interns on our summer project. It’s been fun getting to know them and having the opportunity to work together in a self-led group. On top of that, I’m given tickets on the engineering team I’m in within the company and I’m able to learn about the software that makes certain company functions work. My team gives me information on how the different software components work with each other and they give me hands-on work to learn about the architecture and make changes within it.”

Charlynne, Strategic Initiatives and Process Excellence Intern

“Deciding to join Foundation Medicine for my 2023 summer internship was one of the best decisions I've made. What drew me to Foundation Medicine was not just the company's reputation or the scope of work it does. But also, its underlying values, passion, and impact to society. I wanted to be part of a community that shares strong values, drives innovation, and is passionate about making a positive difference in society. From the very first day of my internship, I have been warmly welcomed and have had countless opportunities to grow. Every day has been different, full of learning and discovery. The culture here at Foundation Medicine is unlike anything I've experienced before and the unique, well-thought-out structure of the internship program stands out to me. Everyone I've worked with seems genuinely invested in ensuring that I'm not only enjoying my time here, but that I'm also gaining invaluable knowledge and skills. While I didn't have a background in healthcare, I've been diving into it headfirst and loving every moment.”

Anirudh, Lab Operations Intern

“While sifting through summer internship opportunities, I came across Foundation Medicine’s Lab Operations intern opening. Within five minutes of reading through the company’s core values and job role, I was convinced that this was where I needed to be for the summer. Learning the entire patient sample journey and understanding each department’s role has been an amazing experience. It has provided me insight, not only into Foundation Medicine’s workflow, but how biotech companies operate. Understanding how accessioning communicates with the histology department and extraction portion of lab operations, why certain processes are in place and how everyone shares this constant mindset of optimization are small things that I would not have picked up in any other environment. Additionally, the resources within the company are amazing. I have been able to reach out to so many people in different departments that interest me and spend dedicated time understanding the work they do and how they got to where they are.”

Anjali, Software Engineering Intern

“This is my second summer as an intern at Foundation Medicine and there are two things specifically that influenced my decision to come back. The first is how much I was able to learn and grow last summer through the projects I was given. As a software engineering intern, I was given challenging projects that helped me learn so many new technical skills. All my tasks allow me to be directly involved with the team, so I’ve been getting to work on code that my team is working on, participate in stand ups, and sprint planning. Something that I think is really unique about a technical internship at Foundation Medicine is that we have the opportunity to work 50% on projects given by our manager and 50% on a shark tank project. In the shark tank project, the tech interns work together to further develop a project inspired by an idea from the annual company hackathon. We then get to pitch our idea and present our progress every few weeks. I really enjoyed this project last year and am excited to do it again this year because it helps us immerse ourselves into the company. The second reason as to why I came back to Foundation Medicine is the people. Everyone at Foundation Medicine is extremely knowledgeable and I’ve had the opportunity to hear and learn from individuals across different jobs, departments and how they work together. As interns, we’re constantly encouraged to keep asking questions and to keep exploring. I knew coming back this summer I was going to be further challenged in my work and given some more incredible opportunities to grow.”

Dev, Information Technology Intern

“Choosing Foundation Medicine for my 2023 summer internship was a decision influenced by several factors, especially since I had an amazing experience last year. I was deeply moved by Foundation Medicine’s values and their genuine care for both their employees and patients, something I had the privilege to witness firsthand during our patient advocacy meetings. The real-world impact of the intern projects, presented at the annual hackathons, demonstrated the company's commitment to innovation and continuous learning, which I found inspiring. My internship has been an enriching experience, with the opportunity to delve deeper into Azure AI and large language models, broadening my technical skills and giving me a glimpse into the future of AI in healthcare. I've enjoyed the camaraderie among the interns at intern events and community initiatives. I’m beyond thankful to have such an amazing experience!”

Priyanka, Reimbursement Intern

“I decided to come to Foundation Medicine for my Summer 2023 internship because I can see myself growing professionally in this position. Working for an organization that is helping to bring access to targeted therapies to people is extremely crucial. In the team I am working under, the goal is to get Foundation Medicine’s tests to vulnerable populations which is something I am very passionate about. I have really enjoyed my internship so far and have learned so much. Everyone I work with has a unique expertise base and it’s been such a valuable experience to learn from them. The collaborative and innovative approach and strategy for decisions made have been one of the most interesting parts of the internship.”

Bringing in Fresh Perspectives and Pursuing Our Passion Together

Our 2023 intern class brings together individuals with various perspectives and expertise that have only added to our Foundation Medicine community. Through intern events at our office sites, our goal is to help foster a community and space for our interns to bond, gather and connect with each other outside of the workplace.

We hope that our interns have a great rest of their summer and continue learning and growing with us as we all continue working together in our mission to transform cancer care.

Interns at our Research Triangle Park site bonded at an escape room outing

Our Boston site interns gathered together for a Duck Boat tour around this city and the Charles River

Benefits Spotlight: People Manager Development Program

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000

At Foundation Medicine, we believe that great people management is one of the golden keys to enabling our mission of transforming cancer care. When Foundation Medicine people managers are at their best, they create the best possible, personalized employee experience and help unlock the full potential of their direct reports.

In recognition of the impact that great people management has on our mission, we created the Foundation Medicine People Manager Development Program (PMDP). Through PMDP, all people managers have access to customized training programs, forums, mentor/mentee opportunities, and unique tools and management practices that drive high engagement and performance. The goal of PMDP is to enable Foundation Medicine to be the leader in clinical care and research by developing and enabling the best people managers in life sciences. Through our ANDEngage model (attract, nurture, develop, and engage) and our PMDP we are enabling our managers and their direct reports to do the most rewarding work of their lives.

Fundamental for enabling our people managers to create a differentiated experience for their direct reports is a set of core competencies that the PMDP is designed to strengthen. No matter what location, function, or department one may work in, building strength in these core competencies ensures we are universally growing the skills and behaviors most essential for giving our employees a great experience and achieving our mission.

Our special people manager role orientation program gives all externally hired and internally promoted people managers a learning experience to accelerate acclimation to their new role, our expectations of them, the PMDP, and the essential people policies, practices, and programs. From the voice of a recent program participant, “This program was awesome – it was great to hear of all the support managers have in their role at Foundation Medicine. The materials covered were perfect…I loved the interactive components!”

It’s critical that our people managers adapt their approach to meet the unique styles and preferences of their individual direct reports. For that reason, emotional intelligence training is foundational to PMDP. We also believe in fostering a manager as coach approach. To that end, in partnership with one of the most respected coaching firms in the country, our unique coaching certification program equips people managers with a set of highly practical coaching skills they can use in regular conversations to empower and develop their direct reports every day.

As for what’s ahead, we’re excited to launch a new program to all people managers this fall that will provide them with the skills to build a foundation of trust, psychological safety, and inclusion with special emphasis on effective delegation, feedback, and communication practices.

If you're pursuing a people manager role, you can have confidence that Foundation Medicine will help you leverage your existing strengths and challenge you to get even stronger. If people management is something you're considering in the future, know that we are committed to equipping you with best-in-class, in-role development opportunities to set you up for success from the start. If you're pursuing an individual contributor role, in addition to trusting that your manager will be well trained to give you exceptional experience, you’ll have your own unique professional development opportunities through facilitated programs and unlimited access to the world’s largest digital course collection.

Foundation Medicine in the Community: Fundraising is for Everyone, but it May Require Floaties

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Author: Nick, Medical Reporting Curator

A Community Approach to Cancer Research

My introduction to genetics, science and cancer care started when I was in college. A lot of my electives centered around the idea of cancer genetics and learning more about how that biology works a bit differently than some other genetic systems. Laboratory experience was a degree requirement as part of my major and during my sophomore year I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with a pediatric oncologist whose lab focused on looking at different immunotherapy techniques for various pediatric cancers. The project I assisted with focused on neuroblastoma. Through this work, I was able to get my feet wet in learning about how the cancer community looks at research and how they conduct different research techniques. I was also able to really understand how it's a very big community approach and is not so much of an individual aspect of “We're trying to be at the forefront” but rather “We're all in this together, we're trying to learn from each other, and we're trying to put new data out there so others can learn from what we've learned”. This “all in this together” mentality really stuck with me, and as I continued my undergraduate studies, I decided to pursue a fellowship to immerse myself into this work further. When applying, I was asked to write a mission statement, a brief summary of what was driving me to pursue the fellowship. For some inspiration, I took to social media and posted about the work I was doing, interested in any reactions I’d receive. I ended up getting a picture sent to me from an old classmate of mine of her cousin, who was about 3 or 4 years old, who had neuroblastoma. The picture was of him going through chemo, holding up a drawing of a superhero that he made, and saying, “Thanks for helping me get through this cancer”. I now had a picture I could look at and say, “If he's willing to go every day to get his chemotherapy done, I sure can show up to the lab every day and give my 100%, because I know that's what he's doing.” This moment still sticks with me and became my inspiration, and why I want to show up each and every day. It made me realize that the cancer community of course has a very strong scientific and medical backing, but behind it all, there's a strong, robust support system of patients who are extremely courageous and inspiring.

This idea of working within the collaborative cancer community really resonated with me even further. After graduating from college, I went to the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and worked in their cancer clinical trials office, which is where I got introduced to Foundation Medicine. I helped coordinate the molecular tumor boards, which meant that I would collaborate with different individuals from Foundation Medicine on finding unique patient cases, and different genetic alterations that some of our physicians were interested in learning more about. After my work at MCW, I started my current position at Foundation Medicine as a medical reporting curator after initially inquiring about any potential internship or practicum opportunities required as part of a master’s degree in public health. My department, Translational Oncology and Clinical Reporting (TOCR), consistently works with genetic reporting and clinical reports and report out the different science studies and clinical trials available. As a medical reporting curator, I am responsible for ensuring information on test reports are accurately reflected – such as looking at the different mutations listed, updating different mutation statistics, prognostic information, or rearrangements that need to be named in a specific way, and making sure that therapy texts, new clinical trials that come out with new data on different therapies, and new FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approvals are also captured where appropriate. This role is a perfect encapsulation of everything I've been through from my undergraduate degree to the research coordinator position and has broadened my thinking, and my passions, in working with those within the cancer community.

Bringing Together Personal & Professional Passions

My professional interests in cancer care came together with my personal life when I decided to pursue an Ironman triathlon. For background, an total Ironman is 140.6 miles, which breaks down into a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a marathon (26.2 miles for running) with the average time being just around 12 hours to complete. With my initial goal of completing an Ironman there was one slight problem – I had no idea how to swim. So, in January 2022, when I got the idea, I joined a gym that had a pool, jumped in with floaties on, and taught myself. With swimming being just one portion of the entire race, I also had to ensure that I had a good routine going to prepare myself for the other parts. Since October 2022, to keep me on track with my workout and goals, I’d post each week on my Instagram to prepare for the race in September 2023.

In addition to this personal component, I wanted to tie all of this hard work and training to something even bigger. When I signed up to do this, I had this idea of “What if we could make this race bigger than just a race? We could make this something that I can rally around, something where I can feel like I'm impacting people's lives” and that's how I came to the idea of wanting to fundraise for a cancer organization. With this idea, I talked with my Principal Investigator from undergrad and asked what he thought would be a good cancer organization to fundraise for. He mentioned the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) as one of the larger cancer organizations that would be able to help someone like me, who wanted to get started in fundraising, with the resources and support to get involved. Throughout my preparation for the Ironman, I had regular check-ins with a member of LLS who acted as my liaison for the fundraiser. Any questions I had about getting the fundraising page organized, or getting different fundraiser ideas such as posting on Facebook, posting flyers, working with restaurants to do fundraiser nights, have all been answered by this support system. Patient advocacy organizations, such as LLS, have resources that can really help a fundraiser get off the ground, and I am so grateful for the partnership and help they have provided me.

After months of preparation, the day finally came. One of the goals I set for myself was to be mindful of the experience and take it all in - after all, you only get one first ironman. I also wanted to keep all of the passion I put into the LLS fundraiser and the 18 names of patients, angels and survivors – and the many others – on my jersey top of mind and as my main motivator throughout. This came to be very useful during the race.

As I reflect on race day, I have several thoughts and emotions looking back:

- The timing isn’t what matters most, it’s what happens along the journey that I’ll remember moving forward. One part of me was a little bit disappointed that I did not hit the “goal” time that I had set going into the race, but this disappointment is quickly overshadowed by the immense joy that I have when I can say “I am an Ironman.”
- No matter how much you prepare, sometimes things turn out differently, but you make the best of it and keep pushing. When I started the marathon, I was feeling amazing and was right on track for my goal time. The race spirits had other plans for me (and that is okay!). Around mile 9, I felt my stomach start to turn and cramp; I think many runners know this feeling. The next 17 miles were tough, and I had to mix in a little walking in between jogs to keep my stomach from hurting any more. As I would run by crowds of people or when people saw me walking, they would often point to my jersey and say, “Do it for those names” – it really gave me chills when I would hear that, and it instantly helped me get back to a run.
- Hitting a wall isn’t fun, but having motivators and a purpose will get you through it. As nighttime came around, I was on my second half of the marathon and was approaching the infamous mile 20. If you ask any ironman athlete (or marathoner for that matter) they will tell you that around mile 20 is when you likely “hit a wall.” I still struggle to put into words the feeling that I felt between miles 20-22 where it was pitch black from nighttime, and I hit my wall in the race. I could not really see where the running path was, and I felt my whole body go numb as I zig-zagged on the path, which was quite terrifying. However, those names written on my chest and all of my fundraising efforts got me through it all, and I never once thought of quitting. Even at the darkest and toughest moment of the race, I kept moving forward one foot at a time. It really felt like the mission and purpose behind the fundraiser started coming full circle at that moment. As I got to mile 25, one mile until the end, I saw my dad was waiting for me and he began to run alongside me. As we got closer to the finish line, he kept repeating to me, “Do it for the names on your chest.”

When I finally made it to the finish line, it was truly a surreal moment. I got to ring a bell to signify all the training and determination is ending in accomplishment. As I approached the bell, all I could think about was the special bell that many patients hopefully get to ring signifying their successful completion of cancer treatment. To this fundraiser with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, to the work that we do every day at Foundation Medicine, and to the many cancer patients that will go through a cancer diagnosis, I say, “Let’s keep ringing that bell!”

Fundraising is for everyone!

If you are thinking about fundraising but don’t really know where to start, I think that’s the best place to be because the hardest part for a lot of people is having the interest to begin in the first place. Once you have that interest, the worst thing you can do is nothing. Reach out to the organization that you are interested in fundraising with, make a plan, and work towards that goal because it will all be worth it in the end. If you have the interest and the passion, everything else just falls into place, and with the help of the organization and you leading the vision you can really accomplish amazing things!

Any fundraising you do is good fundraising. You may see stories of a person raising $100,000, and that’s great but it’s also sometimes not practical, but if you can raise $500 or $1,000 that’s great fundraising money that they didn’t have before that they now have to do something with, such as being able to grant a particular research project. No amount is too little to help the cancer community keep performing the vital research that is needed to help these patients.

If you would like to support Nick’s LLS fundraiser, you can do so here: https://bit.ly/NickIronman

Foundation Medicine in the Community: Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2023

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:50:23 +0000

As part of our mission to transform cancer care, we are proud to support patients and caregivers within our extended community through programming and events both in and out of the office.

This September, in honor of ovarian cancer awareness month, members of our team came together to learn, connect and have meaningful conversations with each other and the ovarian cancer community.

Foundation Medicine employees came together on September 10, 2023, for the second year in a row, to participate in the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s (NOCC) Together in TEAL walk in South Boston. Together in TEAL, which celebrated its 25th anniversary of the New England event this year, brings participants together to raise money for NOCC’s mission towards preventing and curing ovarian cancer. With our employee participation doubling from last year, Foundation Medicine proudly sponsored this year’s event and the continued hope for a future in which no one loses their life to ovarian cancer.

Surrounded by runners, walkers, and an immense sense of hope, employees from all different departments at Foundation Medicine helped contribute to and support this strong community.

Greg, Mgr, External Communications, also participated in Together in TEAL for his second year. “This year's Together in TEAL event brought out a bunch of colleagues, partners, friends and family members in support of the ovarian cancer community. The rain held off and it was a lovely morning for a walk around the beach in South Boston. Being able to get out into the community at walks and events like this really ties back to the work we all do at Foundation Medicine each and every day. I am so glad that I had the privilege and honor to be at the walk this year”, Greg stated.

Joyce, Program Manager, Corporate Program Management Office, and her mother Kathy, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the fall of 2016, participated in the event together again this year.

In preparation for the event, Foundation Medicine held a virtual lunch & learn session in partnership with our UPLIFT (Unleashing the Potential, Leadership and Impact of Female Talent) employee resource network. In this session, Joyce and Kathy were joined by Danielle, New England Regional Manager at NOCC, and Sonja, Associate Dir, Medical Science Liaison at Foundation Medicine for a discussion focused on ovarian cancer awareness. Sharing their knowledge and their professional and personal experiences with ovarian cancer, this session aimed to educate and bring awareness to this disease, while supplying employees with information and tools, and bringing attention to NOCC’s four pillars that their initiatives support: early awareness, quality of life, research and community outreach.

Kathy shared a bit about her experience with ovarian cancer and about advocating for herself prior to her diagnosis in 2016, and the treatments, trials and medication that she’s experienced, along with what her new normal has looked like since then. She also talked about the changes she’s seen now as a person living with ovarian cancer compared to during her career in nuclear medicine. “Education and research I think are the most valuable things to learn” Kathy mentioned when reflecting on her experiences.

Joyce, in her response to being a caregiver for her mother, mentioned how thankful she is for the Foundation Medicine community.

Community involvement is one of the many ways that Foundation Medicine continues our mission to transform cancer care. We strive for a continuous effort to build our culture and live our values: patients, passion, collaboration and innovation.

You can find our blog post and read about last year’s Together in TEAL event here.

Patient Impact for Penzberg Computational Biology Team

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:40:30 +0000

In June 2021, I embarked on my journey with Foundation Medicine as a Molecular Technologist. Over the next six months my passion for genomics grew and I was focused on understanding the complexities of the genome and wanted to put that into practice. This led me to enroll in a Genomic Medicine Master’s program at the University of Queen Mary in London. Towards the end of 2022, armed with newfound knowledge and a burning desire to contribute more, I approached Foundation Medicine seeking a change. Having gained valuable experience, I was sure that I wanted to dive into the world of computational biology. The opportunity came knocking in July 2023 when I joined the Computational Biology team in Penzberg as a Clinical Bioinformatics Analyst.

This work includes the curation and analysis of genomic data to guarantee the relevance and accuracy of genomic information. Additionally, I get to work with others on a variety of cancer-related projects by helping with the comprehensive investigation of genomic data. Under the guidance of my director, Thomas, and manager, Julian, as well as coworkers, I am able to gain a thorough understanding of the intricacies of genomic data and how it affects patients. I am excited that, for the third year in a row, Foundation Medicine GmbH was named a “Top Company” by Kununu. The feedback revealed that our Penzberg site has a very modern working culture, which is defined by four important dimensions: work-life balance, collaboration, leadership, and strategic alignment.  

At the end of the day, the work that I do on the computation biology team truly ties back to the work that everyone at Foundation Medicine does for patients. The Penzberg team recently, had the opportunity to meet with a cancer patient who had undergone Foundation Medicine testing. The patient was invited to share her story and how our test had made a difference in her treatment experience.

Hearing this testimonial from an actual patient was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Her experience underscored the importance that my colleagues and I have in personalizing cancer treatments, improving outcomes, and offering hope to those going through cancer diagnosis and treatment.  From this experience, our daily work took on a new meaning. Hearing this story tied together the real impact of our work and reinforced for me the genuine significance of genomics in personalized medicine and targeted therapeutic approaches. These encounters remind us that every line of code and analysis has the power to make a real difference in patients' lives.

Receiving such feedback from patients is a profound motivator for me. It reinforces the importance of my work, reminding me that behind every data point, there's a human story, a life to be impacted positively. It fuels my determination to continually innovate and push the boundaries of bioinformatics, striving to make a meaningful difference in the fight against cancer. Knowing that my efforts contribute to transforming lives is a driving force that keeps me passionate and dedicated to my role here at Foundation Medicine 

Paving a Path to Success and Bringing Family Along for the Ride

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Rasheedah — Senior Manager, Assay Development

Twenty years ago, I attended a biomedical certificate program that changed the trajectory of my career. As my first introduction to the biotech industry, it inspired me to combine my passion for helping others with my love of math and science, and to pursue a meaningful career in the life sciences industry. At the time, I was a single mother of four, unsure if I would be able to complete college at all, but I went on to get a job right after graduation. The program showed me that a career I love was within my reach and gave me the foundation I needed to succeed.

I find a familiar resonance with MassBio’s Bioversity program; an opportunity similar to the one that gave me my start in biotech. The first of its kind in Boston, this program was created to give underrepresented communities access to training and employer connections in the life sciences industry. The training will be at no cost to students and a stipend will be provided to support them. It’s wonderful to know that this door to the life sciences industry has been opened to people in my community who are curious and full of potential. This program will be a pivotal experience for those who discover their passion for biotech, like I did, and leave them with the skills they need to succeed. It was a pleasure to be interviewed for the Bioversity blog where I expanded on my connection to their mission. I’m proud that our company is partnering with MassBio to support this initiative that is so close to my heart.

My career at Foundation Medicine began in accessioning in 2018. After earning my bachelor’s degree, I went on to become a technologist in the molecular lab in 2020. A year after that, I accepted an opportunity at a different company but found my way back to Foundation Medicine less than a year later — a decision that was driven by a long list of things that brought me back to this special company. For me, Foundation Medicine is more than just a workplace. It’s a diverse community where everyone’s unique strengths are embraced, voices are heard and perspectives are appreciated. I’ve been at companies where I was the only woman or person of color on my team; a sad reality for the year 2023. Those experiences stand in stark contrast to my time here. This is an inclusive space where I feel comfortable bringing my whole self to work, knowing I’ll be respected and accepted. No matter who you are, you’ll be able to find your place and grow in this incredible community we’ve created.

Along with the culture, I’m proud of the work we do here — it’s personal. Having lost loved ones to cancer, I approach every sample with a sense of urgency and compassion, treating each one as if it belongs to my own family or friend. In my current role as the Senior Manager of Assay Development, my team and I share a dedication to ensuring timely results. We support each other in meeting tight deadlines — a testament to our teamwork and determination to execute with patients in mind. My team gives me many reasons to feel proud of them, and I can’t tell them enough how much I appreciate their hard work.

I would encourage anyone to consider pursuing a career at Foundation Medicine because I can personally attest to the positive experience they will have and the impact that they can make. I even try to rally my own family to come work with us because I know they would love it. In fact, I did successfully recruit my cousin! He is now a Senior Experience Executive in the client services department and he really loves his job. As a deeply caring person with over 20 years of management experience, I knew he would be a perfect fit, not only for this role, but for Foundation Medicine. He is constantly thanking me for encouraging him to make that career change. I feel very strongly about our company; inclusivity, passion and respect amongst my colleagues are things I don’t take for granted.

As we gear up for our move to the new HQ, planning our transition has become central to my day-to-day responsibilities. Over the coming months, I will be collaborating with various teams to ensure a seamless relocation of our assay development team. To guarantee that our work in the lab is uninterrupted, we’ve strategically structured the move in three phases. It’s an intricate process of orchestrating the move of equipment, ordering supplies and meticulously filing lots of paperwork. My colleagues’ eagerness to pitch in along the way has been incredibly helpful and shows our collective commitment to executing this move. The opportunities that await us in our new lab, including advanced automation and updated systems, will be a great reward when the move is complete. It’s a challenging task, but I’m proud to be a part of this coordinated effort that will propel us towards the future of cancer care in our next chapter in Boston’s Seaport District.

Lab/Life Parallels: Connecting a Childhood Dream, Career Journey & Cancer Triumph

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Tristen, Assay Development Senior Scientist

The journey that led me to my career in genomic cancer research is marked by unexpected connections between my professional and personal life. It began with my childhood fascination with forensic science, sparked by Patricia Cornwell’s crime fiction novels. The first connection, a full-circle moment: Cornwell herself came to tour the office of my very first job in science. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the field I have dreamt about since I was a kid, for the ways it has shaped my life in return and for the impact we make in cancer care at Foundation Medicine.

Early on, I was inspired by Cornwell’s main character to become a medical examiner, but college and graduate school broadened my interests within forensic science instead. In 2005, after earning my master’s degree, my first job was as a forensic DNA analyst at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in New York City. I performed DNA testing for the purpose of body identification, forensic paternity and kinship analysis of remains from the devastating attacks on 9/11. This job also led me to meet my husband, who volunteered to sift through the rubble of the World Trade Center, and I volunteered to work on data review for identification of the remains that were found — responsibilities that we approached with a deep sense of honor and dedication. These experiences are important chapters in our careers that we will never forget. Our shared experience of contributing to such meaningful and moving work created a common interest in DNA analysis which led us on parallel career paths. My husband and I decided to move to Boston together to pursue them. In our new city, I transitioned into research with an interest in learning more about standard operating procedures and how to best improve them. Surprisingly similar to lab operations, the strict regulations and methodologies of my work at the medical examiner's office prepared me well for my future in genomic research.

I held two other research positions before finding my way to Foundation Medicine in 2018. I had heard good things about the company, but I first came across them myself at a career fair where I instantly connected with the assay development team. On that day, I got a strong sense of the employees’ dedication, passion and excitement about leading innovation in cancer care. My first impression of the company has remained accurate throughout my years here. Commitment to our mission of transforming cancer care is the thread that connects us all and allows us to collaborate so well — supporting each other in meeting tight deadlines and continually growing together. I started out as a scientist, then scientist II and am currently a senior scientist in assay development. An aspect of my work that I had never experienced before joining Foundation Medicine is the ability to see how it directly impacts the guidance of patient care on a daily basis. From experimental design to execution and data analysis, I’m hands-on throughout the entire process. Having such an involved role on a team that is constantly at the forefront of cancer research is an incredible thing to be a part of.

I have always had a passion for our patients, but my perspective shifted suddenly when I, very unexpectedly, became a patient myself. In 2020, I got a CT scan to determine the cause of pain I had been having on my right side and as an incidental finding, a tumor was spotted on my left kidney. My surgery to have it removed was quickly scheduled for a couple of months later. After the surgery, the tumor was confirmed to be renal cell carcinoma — the same disease I had been examining at work during those months between my diagnosis and surgery. This whole experience was surreal and connected me to our patients even further. I got Foundation Medicine’s biomarker testing done and discovered I had a mutation that could be germline and was recommended further testing. It was determined that my cancer was a random occurrence, not a germline mutation. I had been worrying about what this would mean for my children, so I was thankful for this peace of mind during such a mentally challenging time.

My personal experience with cancer has given me a new outlook on the work we do at Foundation Medicine. As someone who has undergone intense post-cancer monitoring (first every three months, then six, now yearly and moving quickly to every five years), I have a strong appreciation for the research my teammates are doing on the projects focused on less invasive monitoring approaches. I’m grateful that my career journey brought me to genomic cancer research, and I take pride in the work we do, knowing firsthand the positive impact it can make on a patient’s treatment journey.

Behind the Scenes: Crafting the Meaningful Design of Foundation Medicine’s Boston Headquarters

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:00:00 +0000

As I began the tour of Foundation Medicine’s new headquarters on my first day at the company, I was struck by the thoughtful details of the building’s design. I was fascinated by the spaces taking shape as I toured the HQ during its final stages of construction. Even then, it was evident that this design fosters connection and encapsulates the spirit of our work. Foundation Medicine’s Creative Director, Katie Noyes, shared insight into the design process that laid the groundwork for our future in Boston’s Seaport District. 

Katie has worked on this project with our facilities team and a team of external architects for over five years, dedicated to creating an inviting home base for our company. Katie brings a wealth of expertise to her role with strong design and brand experience — from having an art school education and curating art exhibits, to building immersive brand environments during her career through previous involvement in other building design projects. Off paper, Katie’s innate creativity, keen eye for aesthetics and caring nature make her a moving force in crafting an impactful interior design. Her meticulous approach is apparent in her work. She personally approved fabric and tiles, chose artists to feature in pieces throughout the building and thoughtfully selected quotes for our walls. These choices quickly add up, amounting to a space that reflects our company’s ethos.

Katie Noyes (right) pictured with artist Liz Roache.

The interior design of our headquarters speaks directly to our core values: patients, passion, collaboration and innovation. Each floor embodies a unique theme, carefully crafted to represent the many facets of our mission to transform cancer care. These themes are connected through the prism of patients, representing the essence of our company, where patients are at the heart of everything we do. Our headquarters is a place where people can find inspiration all around them. 

Down to its architectural framework, our new headquarters encourages collaboration by creating spaces to innovate, engage, focus and learn. One remarkable aspect of their design is the abundance of areas that facilitate chance meetings — a key word in contemporary architecture which describes encounters that occur outside of typical workspaces. Our building’s shared spaces include dining areas, outdoor spaces and the “TechPort”, our company’s own IT support service area. These amenities offer opportunities to foster connections that spark new ideas and partnerships. Additionally, each team had a part in designing the neighborhood workspaces on their floors, personalizing their experience based on their unique needs. Another architectural choice made to encourage chance meetings is the interconnected floors that are joined by open stairwells to promote collaboration between teams. This blend of curated environments both inside and outside of workspaces ensures that our headquarters is meaningful and motivating, creating opportunities for growth as a company. 

In the shared spaces, Foundation Medicine proudly showcases a range of inspiring installations (coming soon) that serve as reminders of our collective journey. These pieces embody our strong sense of connection; to our mission, each other and the patients we reach. Among these installations, the Patient Stories Wall stands as a testament to the individuals whose experiences drive our mission. The Belonging Wall represents authenticity, empathy and inclusivity — the tenants of belonging ingrained in our culture. The Foundation Medicine History Wall commemorates our company’s significant milestones with archived items like our first tests and kits. The Patent Wall proudly displays the many patents that our company secures each year. These installations are reminders of our progress that inspire us to continue leading the transformation of cancer care. 

Me with one of the quotes Katie chose for our HQ!

As we highlight installations throughout our headquarters, one piece emerges as a powerful symbol — the mural on the TechPort wall created by local artist and patient advocate Liz Roache. For Katie, the choice of who to entrust with this mural was clear. Liz incorporates a profound connection to cancer care in her work and beautifully translates her vision into her unique style of art. A renowned color expert, Liz designed this piece to pop in contrast to the rest of the building, bringing a vibrant energy to the space. Liz’s mural is a heartfelt love letter to the employees at Foundation Medicine and a beautiful reminder of our company’s purpose.

Foundation Medicine’s headquarters was a vision brought to life by many inspired and passionate minds. Katie’s creative direction guided the uplifting interior design that captures the sense of passion and pride we hold in our meaningful work, continually inspiring us all. Our new Boston headquarters is a place where people are drawn to be. Its design fosters collaboration, innovation and a shared dedication to our mission, setting the stage for our future of transforming cancer care.  

Black History Month 2024: Honoring Black Excellence in Healthcare and the Arts

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Foundation Medicine proudly celebrates Black History Month as a time to honor the rich heritage, achievements and contributions of the Black community. Throughout the month, we featured various spotlights, educational sessions and activities organized by our Black, African and Hispanic Alliance (BAHA) Employee Resource Network. BAHA supports our goals to address issues that affect communities of color, promote cultural awareness and reinforce diversity, equity and inclusion in every aspect of our work. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging that honors the Black community and celebrates diversity all year long.

In the spirit of collaboration and unity, our Employee Resource Networks (ERN) came together to curate a series of spotlights highlighting historic figures from the Black community that left their mark on U.S. History. The Veteran’s Service ERN (FMI Vets) highlighted Carl Brashear, the first African American Master Diver in the U.S. Navy that overcame numerous obstacles and became a symbol of perseverance. UPLIFT, our ERN focused on supporting women, chose Shirley Chisolm, the first Black woman elected to the US Congress in 1968 and the only woman sworn in that year. The PROUD ERN chose Barbara Jordan, a lawyer, congresswoman and scholar who was also one of the first African American and LGBTQ+ women elected to Congress in 1972. BAHA highlighted oncologist and humanitarian Dr. Edith P. Mitchell, a senior flight surgeon who served in the Air Force and Air National Guard for 36 years. She was the first woman physician to rise to the rank of brigadier general and was a driving force in addressing cancer disparities. These incredible figures serve as powerful examples of Black leaders whose legacies continue to inspire us.

One of the main events of our Black History Month was the panelist speaker presentation titled “Lived Experiences of Healthcare Providers” featuring two esteemed healthcare professionals in oncology: Nicole T. Tasker, APN FNP-BC and Samantha Charles, DNP APRN FNP-BC. Nicole provides extensive care to gynecology oncology patients and Samantha specializes in comprehensive care for gastrointestinal oncology patients. The panelists candidly shared their personal experiences in the field and examined critical topics such as healthcare inequities for people of color and the effects of various disparities: financial, environmental, socioeconomic, cultural and structural. This presentation also shed light on Foundation Medicine’s proactive efforts to address health equity challenges. Our initiatives include leveraging our unique data sets to inform health equity research and promoting awareness of Foundation Medicine’s testing services while addressing obstacles to access. These valuable insights spark meaningful conversations that can help drive positive change in healthcare equity.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, employees across our Boston, Cambridge, San Diego and Research Triangle Park sites came together to celebrate the importance of community through a special letter-writing activity. Throughout the week, employees wrote messages of joy and gratitude in support of Letters Against Isolation, an organization that aims to bring comfort to the elderly in our communities. Additionally, in RTP and San Diego, employees had the opportunity to enjoy delicious treats from local Black-owned bakeries. This initiative was an important reminder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s timeless message, “everybody can be great … because anybody can serve.”

The theme of this year’s Black History Month activities was “African Americans and the Arts.” BAHA showcased a different Black artist each day of February to celebrate their talent and honor the impact each artist has made on our cultural landscape. BAHA also curated a Spotify playlist and collected and shared recipes of African and African American origin. Lastly, BAHA organized a book club featuring the memoir, “To Free the Captives: A plea for the American Soul” by Tracy K. Smith, “a stunning personal manifesto on memory, family, and history that explores how we in America might, together, come to a new view of our shared past.” These activities were engaging ways to admire and share Black art this month.

Foundation Medicine’s Black History Month celebration offered meaningful opportunities to learn, reflect and bring our community together as we honored the Black community. We are reminded of the importance of continued collaboration and action towards our year-round goal of fostering belonging for all — within our organization and beyond.

Lab Week 2024: Celebrating Our Medical Laboratory Professionals

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Every April, Foundation Medicine gets the chance to do something we love: celebrate and honor the lab team members at the heart of our commitment to transform cancer care. Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, or “Lab Week,” is a celebration of the amazing lab professionals in healthcare. This week is especially important at Foundation Medicine because we are proud to commend our remarkable lab team members and their crucial work that directly impacts patients every day. Our employees went all out for this year’s national theme: “Barbie: The Lab is Everything.” The week’s many events showcased our community spirit and gratitude for lab teams, along with our ongoing commitment to innovation.

Foundation Medicine celebrated its lab teams with events across all locations — Boston, Research Triangle Park, San Diego and Penzberg. In addition to the extensive planning, the success of these events was largely due to the enthusiastic participation of our employees, who were eager to show their gratitude for their colleagues. Lab Week kicked off with vibrant events at each site that set the tone for the week. Main events like a Lunch and Learn and a patient speaker session offered meaningful moments to reflect on the positive impact our teams have. Other activities like a bake-off, barbeque, pizza party and cornhole tournament offered a chance to connect and unwind. These events were special opportunities to strengthen our community outside of the lab, providing the team members with a well-deserved break while they enjoy the recognition they deserve.

A highlight of Lab Week 2024 was the unveiling of a creative and spirited Barbie themed music video that our employees had been excitedly preparing for weeks. From costumes to dancing, our lab teams did not hold back! This playful project showcased their creativity and reflected our company’s strong team spirit and camaraderie. It's a peek into the shared joy and vibrant personalities within the lab community and an illustration of the passion they bring to their roles, capturing the essence of why we celebrate this week.

Our lab team members help to continue driving our passion for innovation through their dedication to ensuring that all lab processes are conducted with quality in mind. Megan Uozumi, an automation engineer at our San Diego location, exemplifies this dedication. She shares that working at Foundation Medicine is uniquely rewarding because of the close connection we have in supporting patients and their healthcare providers with information needed to help inform treatment planning. The field of oncology is an ever-changing environment, but Megan and her team effectively adapt and overcome challenges by setting their sights on an end goal: delivering results more quickly. This drive is what inspires the work that our lab teams do every day.

Megan Uozumi (left) and Michelle Xi Mei Juele during Lab Week festivities in San Diego.

The automation engineering team is currently working on advancing automation processes with a goal of helping redefine our capabilities, aiming to create a “lab of the future” that accelerates processing times. This is just one of the innovative advancements that our teams are working on. Every day our incredible lab professionals are working on providing even more critical information to patients and their healthcare teams, allowing for further informed treatment decisions.

It's clear why we take such pride in celebrating the lab team members who are pivotal in our work to transform cancer care; they give us countless reasons to do so. We look forward to the promising future of our labs, fueled by the passion and ongoing commitment to excellence that our team members hold.

Computational Biology: How Our Team is Pushing the Boundaries of Cancer Research

Wed, 29 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Foundation Medicine’s Computational Biology team (Comp Bio) is an interdisciplinary group that develops innovative diagnostic tools using the latest advancements in science. Their work drives the transformation of cancer care and helps distinguish our company as leaders in the industry. Comprised of computational biologists, molecular biologists, software engineers and other skilled specialists, the team leverages their wide range of expertise with our robust datasets to enhance our understanding of next generation sequencing (NGS). Gain insight from three Principal Scientists — Andrej Savol, Neil Peterman and Justin Newberg — about Comp Bio’s role in driving innovation at our company. Each scientist brings their unique expertise and perspectives to the team, united by a shared commitment to advancing cancer research.

Passion for impacting patients in a meaningful, lasting way resonates with every member of the team. As Justin proudly states, “We are lucky to have a clear purpose.” Patient impact serves as a guiding force through the natural challenges of product development. “This purpose creates a culture built on, ‘what we’re doing here is truly powerful and serious,’” Neil attests. The team’s dedication to our mission shapes their day-to-day efforts and long-term goals; working on results for patients today helps lay the groundwork for breakthroughs in the future. Justin states that at our company, the mission is direct and motivating in a positive way, “and that’s what is really exciting about Foundation Medicine.” Whether it’s a new project or challenge, this team is driven by the knowledge that their efforts can truly make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.

Comp Bio’s passion for their work is magnified by its remarkable ability to impact patients, making their efforts all the more rewarding. This is what initially drew Andrej to Foundation Medicine, “I like that we are turning what we find into something actionable; something a doctor or care team can use, and a biopharmaceutical company can rely on.” The team’s commitment to translating their work into actionable outcomes is evident in all aspects. Neil builds on this idea with insight about how their team does this so effectively; he explains that many companies have ambitious goals but lack resources, and others have the resources but lack innovation. Neil points out, “at the nexus of those categories is Foundation Medicine, which has been making a deliberate effort to develop innovative technology by dedicating resources, organizing the teams and cultivating the culture necessary to make that happen.” By these means, our company makes a measurable impact on patients and continues to inspire innovation for the future.

As pioneers in cancer research, we have attracted a team of Comp Bio experts who are committed to pushing the boundaries of science. Neil states, “We are striving to change how cancer is treated. We are re-envisioning the way patients and doctors can understand and navigate a cancer diagnosis. We are determined to meet our ambitious goals and are prepared and eager to do the work necessary to pull them off.” Their ability to consistently set and achieve new goals is proven by the development of our expanding portfolio. They seek to improve current products and develop new complex systems, revolutionizing how we approach cancer care. Collaborating closely with Research and Development, the team strategically tackles challenges, examines all viable solutions and aims to uncover any new information in their path. They are working to demonstrate the utility of our testing in earlier stages of disease and to advance our monitoring technology by detecting a patient's response to therapy through a simple blood draw. Their pursuit of innovation sets the stage for growth and bright possibilities for the future.

Foundation Medicine’s extensive data sets uniquely position our company at the forefront of cancer research. With access to over 600,000 de-identified patient tumor samples available for research through our FoundationCore database, “our potential for finding clinically relevant subpopulations of patients and conditions is significant,” per Andrej. Our research is further distinguished by our more than 125,000 linked patient profiles in the Flatiron Health-Foundation Medicine Clinico-Genomic Database (CGDB), which equips our team to further analyze how genomic information impacts patient outcomes. The advanced insights that Comp Bio gleans from this data set fuel the development of more precise treatment options that can help more patients. This information, coupled with our scientists’ ability to leverage it, is an invaluable asset to the advancement of cancer research.

Through their dedicated efforts, Foundation Medicine’s Comp Bio team continues to make significant strides in cancer research, with the goal of delivering breakthroughs that help more patients in the future. Their pursuit of excellence and mission-driven approach is evident in their accomplishments and fuels their commitment to pushing the boundaries of cancer research in the future.

Unlocking Potential: How Leading with Heart Drives Our Accessioning Team

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 14:39:33 +0000

In her five years at Foundation Medicine, Accessioning Supervisor Bianca Justafort has excelled in her roles, driven by a genuine love for helping others. This compassion is equally evident in her dedication to patients as it is in her impact on those around her. She graciously advocates for every member of her team, raising them up with her as she grows. Bianca’s earnest pursuit of personal and professional development makes her a role model for women of color in STEM and all future leaders of the company. Her career journey serves as a testament to the power of resilience and the impact of leading with heart.

Before finding a second home in the lab, Bianca worked as a clinical nursing assistant (CNA) for 12 years with the dream of one day becoming a nurse. However, her career path took an unexpected turn after a severe car accident. She searched for a way to continue her passion for patient care without the physical demands of bedside care, leading to her first lab role. This was a big change — but Bianca’s compassionate approach to her work remained the same. Although she couldn’t see the faces of the individuals she was helping in her new role, handling every sample with careful attention gave her just as much joy as when she would brighten a patient’s day at bedside. As a CNA, Bianca remembers telling patients that their samples were in good hands in the lab and the teams were doing everything they could to get their results back quickly. Since transitioning to the other side of patient care and taking this responsibility on herself, Bianca ensures every sample is handled with the utmost care, always keeping the patients in mind. She has seen first-hand the impact her work has on patients, and that’s exactly what fuels her.

Bianca found that her skills and heartfelt approach aligned perfectly with Foundation Medicine’s mission to transform cancer care. Since joining the company five years ago, she has been promoted from Accessioning Tech II to Accessioning Lead, and now holds a pivotal role as an Accessioning Supervisor. She started her journey in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and relocated to our San Diego headquarters in 2022, where she has continued to flourish. Bianca aims to show up as her best self everyday, maintaining an openness to the unexpected and tackling every challenge with grace. Her strong communication and collaboration skills are instrumental in driving innovation within her team, fostering a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement. Resilient and dedicated — she is a key contributor to her team’s ongoing success.

Extending her impact far beyond the lab, Bianca became closely involved with our employee resource network (ERN), UPLIFT, after attending its opening event in Boston in 2019. UPLIFT, which stand for “Unleashing the Potential Leadership and Impact of Female Talent,” has a clear vision: to empower women with the resources and opportunities to achieve success on their own terms. After the opening event, she returned to RTP inspired and determined to unleash her own potential, eventually becoming a co-chair of the ERN. A fire sparked within her; she signed up for a course on how to negotiate for yourself — the first of many strides she made in personal development. Bianca cherished these opportunities, grateful that Foundation Medicine invests in the growth of their employees, not just in science, but for their own well-being. Bianca nurtures a community of belonging and empowerment by organizing educational sessions and curating events that give members the opportunity to connect and learn from each other. This passion for bettering herself while advocating for others illustrates Bianca’s strong leadership, setting the stage for her impactful role as a people manager at Foundation Medicine.

Bianca’s skill for leading people is another trait that stems from her genuine care for others. She expertly manages women and men of diverse backgrounds — a task she takes on with pride for working at a diverse company. A key tool in Bianca’s management approach is the Enneagram personality test, offering insights used to deeply understand and address the unique needs of every member of her team. She values the test as an unbiased resource that enables her to tailor her leadership to everyone carefully and effectively. In addition to connecting with every member of her team individually, Bianca inspires the whole group by bringing a positive energy to the workplace. Along with her innately bright spirit, her positive energy is charged by her early experiences at the company. She has noticed the impact of successful women in leadership and has experienced caring managers that made her feel truly seen, like Jami DeBrango-Palumbo and Tiara Pitt. She followed in the footsteps of these exemplary leaders who reinforced her belief in her own potential for success. She strives to offer the same attentive and energizing leadership that has helped her, making her an effective and beloved people manager.

Bianca’s story is one of personal and professional growth. As a woman of color of Haitian descent, excelling so quickly didn’t always seem possible to her. Before Foundation Medicine, she hadn’t experienced opportunities to grow and develop, or seen examples of women rising in the ranks at her previous roles. Now that she has done it herself, she’s a strong advocate for her colleagues and empowers them to pursue their goals with the same passion and determination. Her ability to overcome adversity and channel her energy into career triumphs makes her an exceptional role model, paving the way for future leaders at Foundation Medicine.

Celebrating Pride Month 2024

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Each June, we celebrate Pride Month annually to honor and support the LGBTQIA+ community. This year, our employee resource network (ERN) PROUD (Promoting Representation, Openness, and Understanding of Diversity) led various events across our Boston, Research Triangle Park (RTP), and San Diego offices for all employees to commemorate the month through various pieces of programming and educational opportunities.

Here are the highlights:

Celebrations in Our Local Communities

As part of our celebrations this year, Foundation Medicine employees were honored to join in on local festivities near our US office locations.

First up was the Boston Pride for the People Festival and Parade, where PROUD ERN members, colleagues, family and friends joined more than 10,000 parade participants in celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. Our colleagues had the opportunity to walk in the parade that culminated at the Boston Common for a festival full of activities during a bright and sunny day in downtown Boston.

Our Research Triangle Park employees had the opportunity to come together to celebrate during Out! Raleigh Pride, a full-day festival in downtown Raleigh filled with live entertainment, local vendors and artists. During the festivities, Foundation Medicine’s very own Caitlin DeGrose, Senior Automation Engineer, performed with the Triangle Pride Band. The Triangle Pride Band is committed to providing accessible, high-quality music experiences to the LGBTQ+ community and their allies in central North Carolina. 

Internal Programming and Discussions

In addition to participating in external events, PROUD hosted several internal activities offering the opportunity for all employees to come together.

In advance of the Boston Pride Parade, PROUD hosted a button and bracelet making event at our headquarters in Boston. The event allowed employees to show up and express their most authentic selves by designing their own custom buttons and bracelets that they could wear to the Pride festivities. Attendees also had the chance to enjoy a special rainbow ice cream bar while having the chance to mix and mingle with colleagues.

To celebrate PRIDE and commemorate Juneteenth, our PROUD and BAHA (Black, African and Hispanic Alliance) ERNs came together for a hybrid discussion of the documentary film “Brother Outside: The Life of Bayard Rustin.” The documentary recounts the life of Bayard Rustin, an openly gay civil rights activist who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington.

To close out PRIDE month, we had one last celebration at our Boston headquarters on our new roof terrace! PROUD ERN members, along with leaders from around Foundation Medicine, came together to cheer for another fabulous Pride month filled with lots of fun, laughs, and, of course, pride.

2024 Most Loved Workplaces for LGBTQ+ Employees

Our commitment to our LGBTQIA+ employees is celebrated during June, but it extends beyond PRIDE month to every day of the year. We strive to provide a safe and inclusive place for all employees to be their authentic selves every day.

In recognition of our efforts, Foundation Medicine was named one of the 2024 Most Loved Workplaces® for LGBTQ+ employees. The list recognizes organizations from around the globe that champion LGBTQIA+ inclusion and honors organizations for their commitment to creating a workplace where LGBTQIA+ employees not only feel respected and valued but can thrive and be their own authentic selves.

We’re so proud to be recognized for our efforts in cultivating an environment that promotes a sense of belonging and empowers employees to be their authentic selves and reach their full potential.

Celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community in June and beyond

With additional programming, open discussions and future gatherings for the Foundation Medicine community, we look forward to continuing to celebrate and support our LGBTQIA+ employees as well as finding opportunities where we as an organization can continue to grow, learn and listen to ensure everyone feels a sense of belonging within the organization.

Milestones in Remission — An Interview with Account Executives, Megan and Ethan

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:45:32 +0000

At Foundation Medicine, our commitment to transforming cancer care is driven by a wholehearted connection to the cause. This mission is meaningful for all of us, but for those who have battled the disease themselves, the connection is deeply personal. We’re proud to celebrate the significant cancer-free milestones of two of our esteemed Account Executives, Megan Clifford and Ethan Hawes. Join us in honoring the strength and resilience of these remarkable individuals as they share their inspiring journeys and invaluable contributions to the transformation of cancer care.

Personal Cancer Stories

Megan's journey with cancer began at the age of 11, when she was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma — young for such a serious diagnosis. She received comprehensive treatment at Stanford in California: chemotherapy, radiation and various surgeries aimed at sparing her organs. During a formative period of her childhood, this early battle with cancer shaped her outlook on life and how her story might unfold. Her treatment was completed within six months, and she has had no evidence of disease since then. However, Megan notes that cancer experiences are often life-long. The treatments she received in 2003, which have since improved for this kind of diagnosis, led to risk of developing secondary cancer types. Megan vigilantly follows healthcare guidelines by undergoing regular screenings, blood checks and other health assessments to monitor for any lingering effects of treatment. Now 20 years cancer-free, her courage and resilience shine through as she shares her story, exemplary of the long-term dedication to health that cancer survivors face.

Ethan's cancer journey began at the age of 21 during his junior year of college. He was studying abroad in Spain when he decided to begin training for a marathon in Madrid. While training, he began experiencing gradual hip pain which intensified over time. He completed the marathon despite the pain, but it became unbearable two weeks later. Upon returning to the US in the summer of 2013, he found himself unable to put any weight on his hip. An X-ray revealed something suspicious, and a biopsy later confirmed it to be a plasmacytoma, a tumor of plasma cells of bony or soft tissue, in his hip. Further tests uncovered another tumor: which changed the diagnosis from a solitary plasmacytoma to multiple myeloma, a blood cancer found in the plasma cells in the bone marrow. In 2013, he underwent chemotherapy and radiation to treat an apple-sized tumor and surgery to stabilize the fracturing hip bone. Ethan commemorates the date of the successful stem cell transplant on June 23, 2014, as his point of remission. He shares his insights on an often-overlooked part of many cancer patients’ stories: time after remission, where he continued to feel the impact of his diagnosis. His hip did not heal, leading to a total hip replacement in 2016 to regain the quality of life he had lost over the preceding three years. The profound impact these events had on Ethan’s life has left every day of his journey vividly timestamped in his mind. He has now been cancer-free for 10 years since his point of remission, showing incredible strength every step of the way.

Holding the harvested stem cells following conditioning chemo right before the transplant in June 2014

The Career Paths That Led to Foundation Medicine

Megan's career has been shaped by her childhood experience with cancer, drawing her to supporting the oncology field in various ways. Her early battle with the disease fueled a passion for supporting cancer patients and survivors. In college, she worked in a psychosocial oncology lab that focused on how cancer survivors in college relate to their peers. Her commitment to oncology extended beyond academics; she volunteered at a nonprofit camp in Colorado, offering adult cancer survivors a week-long adventure in the mountains. Prior to joining Foundation Medicine, she worked in the clinic and screened patients for life changing clinical trials, utilizing genomic information to aid in testing novel therapies for cancer treatment. Her positivity and support of others has made a lasting difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.

Megan's experiences brought her to Foundation Medicine where she continues to make a difference. Facing the disease she has personally battled can be a double-edged sword, but she gains inspiration and deep fulfilment from the opportunity to help others. She’s proud to know that her work directly helps patients and their families by offering them hope and options. Reflecting on her own treatment 20 years ago, Megan is grateful to be a part of an era where diagnostic tests and services are available and more patients can be helped. The sense of purpose and the chance to impact the lives of cancer patients drives her every day at Foundation Medicine.

For Ethan, it was not long after his hip replacement that he realized he wanted to support the field of oncology, starting with medical device sales. He was determined to be as close to the patient as possible to pay it forward by helping others who were going through what he had endured. From medical device sales to vaccine sales, he is driven by a deep intrinsic sense of motivation to work with and help patients. Ethan was once hesitant to share that he previously had cancer, worried others might question his strength — now, he sees it as his greatest strength, stating that he wouldn’t change his story if he could. His experience has changed his perspective, helping him build incredible relationships with oncologists and our partners and inspiring him to transform cancer care. He feels humbled by the opportunity to work in this industry and cherishes every chance to make a positive impact, always mindful of his journey and the perspective it has given him.

When the opportunity at Foundation Medicine arose, it felt like the perfect fit for Ethan. The company culture is what immediately stood out; its size allowed for thoughtful collaborations across functions and the passion and dedication that his colleagues embodied was evident from the start. What really fuels Ethan is the memories of being a patient in Boston, the same territory he now covers as Account Executive. He gets chills thinking about his days of recovery after his stem cell transplant, exhausted, getting up from the bed and looking outside the window down onto the city of Boston and watching people walk effortlessly up and down the street. Now that he's on the other side of the patient experience, he is inspired every day by his full-circle journey. Ethan expresses immense gratitude for being healthy, alive and part of an organization dedicated to transforming cancer care.

Looking Toward the Future of Diagnostics and Beyond

Megan and Ethan are both very excited about what the future may bring both in the oncology space and at Foundation Medicine. Megan emphasizes that we are at a critical time for diagnostics. She is hopeful about our ability to meet patients’ needs and is proud to be a part of a company that is leading the charge in this area. Given her history, she wants to be at the forefront of oncology care because she is mindful that diseases can come back. She acknowledges that although there is never a good time to have cancer, right now patients have the most options available, and she's excited to be a part of the important work being done.

Ethan echoes Megan's sentiments. He is proud to be part of a company that provides a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality tests that can help provide patients and their healthcare teams with insights and information needed. Additionally, Ethan is grateful to be a part of an organization that values the voices of employees who have battled cancer themselves. This collective commitment to innovation and patient care fills both Megan and Ethan with pride and optimism for the future of the important work being done in oncology.

We are grateful to have Megan and Ethan on our team at Foundation Medicine. Their choice to work with us and offer their valuable perspectives as cancer survivors has touched countless lives in meaningful ways. They inspire us all with their exemplary strength, passion and good spirits which radiate throughout our teams and fuel our mission. We are incredibly fortunate to have them share their stories and unwavering dedication with us. As we celebrate their milestones — Megan’s 20 years cancer-free and Ethan’s 10 years cancer-free — we honor their resilience and gracious contributions to the transformation of cancer care.

Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon at Fenway Park in 2022

Bioversity: Creating Opportunities for All in Life Sciences

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 16:00:00 +0000

At Foundation Medicine, we value the communities we’re a part of and recognize the importance of making a meaningful impact within them. Through our partnership with Bioversity, we honor this commitment by creating opportunities for underrepresented communities to get involved in the life sciences.

Bioversity is a free, non-profit training program designed to prepare local Boston residents for entry and mid-level careers in the life sciences industry. In just 8 weeks, graduates develop technical skills, soft skills and knowledge of the Biotech industry that will leave them ready for employment and continued assistance with career placement. This innovative program is dedicated to creating an equitable life sciences industry that reflects the patient communities it serves. By providing career opportunities to all, Bioversity is opening doors for those who may not have a scientific background but are eager to enter rewarding careers while making a meaningful impact in the industry.

Foundation Medicine became readily involved with Bioversity in the early stages of the program due to our shared mission to give back to our community and create opportunities within our teams and across the life sciences industry. Fostering a diverse and inclusive culture and supporting individuals’ personal and professional growth are central to the culture of our company. We are also incredibly passionate about the work being done in biotech and committed to supporting those who feel called to join the force. Bioversity is making a remarkable difference in the city we are proud to call our home base, and we are proud to offer our resources to support the members of the program.

To further support Bioversity’s mission, Ian Ide, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Foundation Medicine recently joined its Board of Directors. As part of this team, Ian hopes to provide input into ways Bioversity can partner effectively with other companies in the Life Sciences space and help evolve the program for continued growth and success. He has also enjoyed providing opportunities for our Lab and Talent Acquisition employees to volunteer with Bioversity in meaningful ways, including participating in interview training and job fairs for Bioversity students. As an added benefit, he has seen many biotech companies engage more with each other, strengthening the network for each other and the graduates.

Two of the graduates from the inaugural Bioversity class who joined Foundation Medicine — Christina Jones and Lazaro Rivera — share insight on their experience in the program and transition into our company. These individuals are resilient and dedicated, bringing exceptional talent and passion that fuels our mission. Their empathy, drive and skillset make them valuable additions to our team.

Pictured: Christina and Lazaro with Foundation Medicine Lab and Talent Acquisition employees at the inaugural "Celebrate Bioversity" event in August 2024

Christina: Client Services Associate at Foundation Medicine

Christina’s transition into biotech began after enduring difficult health challenges of her own; she suffered a brain aneurysm and a stroke in 2022. Immediately upon recovering, Christina courageously pursued her interest in being on the other side of patient care. She enrolled in Bioversity, driven by the goal of helping other patients.

Bioversity proved to be a transformative experience for Christina. What she found most remarkable about the program was the genuine dedication of its mentors in seeing their participants succeed. This encouragement gave her a renewed sense of hope and motivation to uncover all that she is capable of — something she feels particularly grateful for as a minority and a woman.

Christina chose to join Foundation Medicine for our commitment to diversity, empowerment of women and investment in our employees. Christina has a background in customer service, which made moving into a Client Services role feel like a natural fit. She utilizes her previous experience and strengths as well as the new tools and insights gained from Bioversity. She reports that the comprehensive training, including one-on-one sessions and shadowing opportunities, created a smooth transition into her new role where she feels supported by every member of her team. Reflecting on her journey so far, Christina marks enrolling in the Bioversity program as the best choice she has ever made.

Lazaro: Molecular Lab Assistant at Foundation Medicine

Lazaro's transition into biotech was inspired by the desire to create meaningful change in his life and channel his energy into something he is passionate about. He was looking for a career that offered stability and fulfillment, making the biotech field the natural fit given his long-standing interest in math and science. Coming from a background in food and beverage service, his proven skills as a hard-working team player have carried over into the lab.

During the Bioversity program, it came as a surprise to Lazaro to learn that he could master the skills needed to contribute and succeed in a lab — something that seemed intimidating before. He also gained an understanding of the biotech industry: what to expect and tips to succeed. The experience created a solid foundation for him to build on and a lasting support system from the Bioversity community. Lazaro praises the program as a powerful way to create change in your life and would encourage anyone to apply.

Lazaro was drawn to Foundation Medicine by his connection to our mission. His mother's recent battle with cancer motivated him to start his new career as a Molecular Lab Assistant in the field of oncology. Truly passionate about his new line of work, he looks forward to coming to the lab every day. His dedication and enthusiasm are evident in his daily interactions and the positive energy he brings to the lab. He is motivated by the patient centered focus of his colleagues and values the recognition he receives in the supportive team environment. For Lazaro, this role provides a profound sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, making his start in life sciences a deeply rewarding experience.

Foundation Medicine proudly partners with Bioversity and welcomes graduates like Christina and Lazaro from the program onto our team as part of our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace and helping to open doors for underrepresented communities. We believe in the transformative power of providing opportunities and resources to the program to support those passionate about making a difference in life sciences. Through our partnership with Bioversity, we aim to make the industry inclusive and equitable, ensuring everyone has a chance to contribute to and benefit from advancements in biotechnology.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage with Food, Fun and a Focus on Cancer Health Equity

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

As a company, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month annually to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of those who make up the Latino and Hispanic communities. Acknowledging the backgrounds and traditions of our employees plays a large role in our ongoing commitment to cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our Black, African, and Hispanic Alliance (BAHA) employee resource network (ERN) led a variety of events throughout this month, ranging from educational sessions, social gatherings, and even a Latin dance class!

To commence the celebrations, BAHA welcomed all US employees to try tasty treats and get to know ERN members in our Boston and Research Triangle Park (RTP) sites. Employees got the chance to try traditional Latin foods, including pastelitos, croquetas, and yuca bites.

Following these gatherings, BAHA and our Medical Affairs team hosted a company-wide medical educational webinar featuring speaker Ruben A. Mesa, MD,FACP who is the first Latino Director of any NCI-Designated Cancer Center, the President and Executive Director, Atrium Health Levine Cancer, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a world-renowned oncology experts. In this role, Dr. Mesa oversees all efforts related to cancer practice, research, and education across the Atrium Health system. The event welcomed all Foundation Medicine employees and was moderated by Jennifer Eubanks MS, RN, OCN, Strategic Account Manager and BAHA Chair of Finance and Jennifer Mills, PhD, VP of Medical Affairs.

Dr. Mesa began with sharing some tidbits about his Cuban-American background and acknowledging the diversity of the Hispanic community with “many different experiences, influences, and genetic influences.” His talk further delved into the work he has done throughout his career, such as his work in addressing health disparities and contributing to cancer health equity by reducing barriers to education, health screening, clinical trial access, and treatment options.

He notes that genomic testing has “evolved from being a luxury to being essential…for treatment planning and for the proper identification of eligibility for clinical trials” as well as targeted therapies. Lack of access to genomic testing limits treatment options in so many ways. Without this testing, patients may not be eligible for personalized treatment options such as clinical trials. Dr. Mesa reports that clinical trials have significantly evolved throughout his career, but we still have a long way to go to achieve true equity. He shares the importance of having them reflective of our general population stating, “if we are not testing the drugs with the people that are going to be receiving them, then we are flying blind in terms of knowing whether these therapies are going to be safe or whether they are going to be effective.” Consenting processes, disparities in education of testing and cancer treatment, strict eligibility criteria, and language barriers can also limit access to underserved communities that may be able to benefit from precision medicine.

Watch the full webinar below!

Some final activities honoring Hispanic Heritage Month included trivia and a Latin dance class led by Sindy Ortiz Pimentel, Sr. Clinical Program Lead and BAHA lead. This month and beyond, we are committed to providing an inclusive place for all employees to be and celebrate their most authentic selves. Through programming, open discussions, and gatherings within our community, we strive to continue to listen, support and learn from each other.

An R&D Rotation Experience as a Statistical Programmer

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Shumeng Zhang, Bioinformatics Scientist II

As a natural learner with strong curiosity, I am always interested in the work that different teams do at Foundation Medicine to support our mission of transforming cancer care.

I have been with Foundation Medicine for almost three years as a Data Management Scientist II in the Data Management team and initially learned about the internal rotation program during my employee onboarding. Towards the end of last year, Wenshu Li, Senior Biostatistician, reached out to me about an upcoming rotation opportunity in the Platform Biostatistics team in R&D as a Statistical Programmer. I was very excited about this opportunity because it allowed me to expand my knowledge of Foundation Medicine’s work and practice the skills learned from my master’s degree in statistics. I also wanted to explore and understand more deeply what biostatisticians do at Foundation Medicine.

Initially, I was unsure about the hiring and application process, but with the support of my managers, I was able to quickly figure out the process. The process was simple and required an updated resume and application submitted through the job listing on the rotations page of our internal career site. Next steps involved a formal interview with team members on the Platform Biostatistics team. After a few days, I received an offer to join the rotation program. From start to finish, the whole process was very smooth, and I am very grateful to have received support from my managers when I approached them with this opportunity.

My rotation provided me the opportunity to work on different projects and to interact with colleagues across the organization. The Platform Biostatistics team mainly supports the data analytics activities of development and validation studies and publications. My main responsibility during the rotation was to support the development of a configurable prototype for analytical validation standardization, which can improve the consistency, efficiency, and accuracy of statistical analysis for analytical validation. I also shadowed several development and validation studies. I learned to write SAPs (statistical analysis plans), perform statistical analysis, prepare validation reports, and handle FDA submissions and responses. I also participated in internal meetings with development and validation project teams to gained insights into the product development cycle and design review. I would like to express my gratitude to Wenshu Li, Derek Brown, and the rest of the team for their mentorship and support during my rotation.

Moreover, I was able to bring my data management and bioinformatics skills to the Platform Biostatistics team, helping resolve data-related problems. My rotation also bridged the gap between my previous team and the Platform Biostatistics team, helping streamline processes and reduce handoffs as the two teams collaborated on projects.

After the rotation came to an end, I was able to bring back this new knowledge to my current role and encourage team members to be more involved in project meetings. This helps the team get insights into projects, support requests from biostatisticians more effectively, and gain visibility into multiple different teams. This has helped to foster closer collaboration between the two teams. I am thankful for the experience, and I hope to have the opportunity to do another rotation on another team one day!