Careers in Biomedical Research
Science Careers Save Lives— Find Your Path From High School to PhD
Biomedical careers exist at multiple education levels, meaning students can enter the field in different ways, and biomedical research has careers in a vast number of fields and areas. Largely, such careers support the process of helping to improve human and animal health.
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What is Biomedical Research?
As a science:
- Understanding how the body works
- Studying diseases
- Developing treatments, medicines, and vaccines
As a career:
- Treat illness
- Improve quality of life
- Protect both human and animal health
As a purpose:
- Collaboration between teams of many roles
- Innovation and new discoveries every day
- Impact in saving lives worldwide
Why Does It Matter?
Biomedical research has helped:
- Develop vaccines (COVID-19, polio)
- Treat diseases like cancer and diabetes
- Improve animal health and welfare and help support endangered species
- Advance technology like prosthetics and imaging
- Create preventative treatment so many people or animals never get sick
Many Pathways, Many Opportunities
There is a place for everyone in biomedical research. You can enter this field right after high school, through technical training, with a college degree, or with advanced degrees (PhD, MD, DVM).
Whether you love animals, technology, medicine, or lab science,
There is a career path for YOU.
High School Diploma Careers/GED
Lab Assistant / Lab Aide
Cleans equipment, prepares materials
Animal Care Technician
Feeds, monitors, and cares for research animals
Kennel Technician (Research Facilities)
Maintains animal housing and environments
Pharmacy Technician
Assists with medication preparation
Research Compliance Support
Assists with compliance documentation
Medical Records Technician
Organizes patient and research data
Certificate / Associate Degree
Clinical Research Assistant
Helps run clinical trials
Biotechnology Technician
Performs lab experiments
Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)
Tests blood and tissue samples
Histology Technician
Prepares tissue samples for study
Veterinary Technician
Assists veterinarians in research and care
Animal Health Technician
Monitors animal well-being and treatments
Pharmacy Lab Technician
Supports drug development labs
Compliance Specialist
Works with an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, processes protocols for research projects