Dr Graffeo has joined the faculty of  Northeastern University working with the College of Science to expand its MS in Biotechnology.  The MS in Biotechnology is a Professional Master of Science (PSM) degree, an innovative graduate degree designed to allow students to pursue advanced training and excel in science while simultaneously developing highly valued business skills without acquiring a PhD or MBA. PSM programs are characterized by instruction in advanced science or mathematics, business courses, and a graduate co-op providing a real-world work experience. The biotechnology enterprise concentration integrates business and management skills with the science of biotechnology. Students learn the fundamental concepts of leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation, financial decision making and marketing. They gain teamwork, management, and business development skills in the process and graduate prepared to become scientist-managers.

Dr Graffeo will be developing and teaching the following two courses.

Managing & Leading a Biotech Company (BIOT5225) (3 SH)

Managing projects and personnel in a technology based organization is best carried out by those who combine the technical knowledge of their industry with the insight into the best practices for working with groups of highly educated, and often very experienced people. The biotechnology industry is strongly dependent on the concept that knowledge is always shared and ownership is collective. As the fundamental organizational mantra is teamwork, the principles of managing in this environment are key to achieving important goals. How to accomplish this and make decisions that drive innovation and success have common threads with other technology based industries, but with the added complexity of the scientific challenges facing the biotechnology industry.

Biotech Entrepreneurship (BIOT5226) (3 SH)

Biotechnology by its very nature is an innovative multidisciplinary industry. This is especially true for the biopharmaceutical industry in which the process of discovering new drugs and new drug targets requires novel approaches to solving difficult questions about disease processes and human health. This course focuses on the essential nature of innovation in the biotech industry, exposes students to the basics of creating startup organizations, explains the key role of business planning in enterprise creation, describes means for assessing risks, making choices from available options and how to measure success. Various business models, outsourcing work and establishing strategic partnerships are examined.