Why Study Biochemistry?
Biochemists work in the biomedical, biotechnological, pharmaceutical, agricultural research and chemical industries, as well as at university-affiliated research laboratories, hospital laboratories, and government research facilities. They support our understanding of health and disease; contribute innovative information to the technology revolution; and work with chemists, physicists, healthcare professionals, policy makers, engineers and other professionals.
Why Study Biochemistry at Eastern?
Biochemistry majors at Eastern develop a broad range of basic scientific knowledge, outstanding laboratory skills, superior quantitative analysis skills, and the ability to express scientific information in verbal and written forms. Faculty from the Physical Sciences and Biology departments teach this interdisciplinary major, including core requirements and electives. A variety of internship and undergraduate research opportunities provide hands-on learning opportunities and inform classroom learning. A minor in Biochemistry is also available to students in other majors.
Salary Potential
* U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Hands-on Learning
Undergraduate Research
Shayne Sampognaro ’19 uses a High Performance Liquid Chromatography instrument to isolate and purify a compound that has potential medical applications.
Biochemistry Club
The Biochemistry Club fosters scientific collaboration, education and professional opportunities in the field of Biochemistry. The club promotes undergraduate research opportunities, encourages career exploration and elevates community awareness.
Internships
Biochemistry majors have interned at Bayer USA, the CT Department of Environmental Protection, Hamilton Sundstrand, Mystic Aquarium, Pfizer and other scientific organizations.
Career Options
Students who pursue undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry can have rewarding and successful careers in a variety of professional fields, including:
- Biochemical research
- Biopharmaceuticals
- Biotechnology
- Dental school
- Forensic science
- Genetics
- Graduate school in life science
- Medical school
- Proteomic research
- Veterinary school
Successful Alumni
Recent Eastern students who earned a bachelor’s degree or a minor in Biochemistry are at the following companies and professional/graduate schools:
- Dartmouth College
- Yale University
- Phoenix Environmental Laboratories
- Pfizer
- Alexion Pharmaceuticals
- Tufts University of Veterinary Medicine
- Wesleyan University
- Protein Science
- University of Chicago
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute
In the News
$500k grant aims to increase STEM diversity and retention
November 28, 2023
Minority students applying to Eastern Connecticut State University in 2024 who plan to major in the sciences or mathematics will be recruited for a new STEM mentoring program funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.
Biochem students use supercomputers to study complex disease treatments
September 18, 2023
Three biochemistry students at Eastern Connecticut State University are expanding their understanding of how supercomputers can be used to solve complicated health issues, under the guidance of Kedan He, assistant professor of chemistry and the only computational chemist at Eastern.
Alumni Testimonials
Biochemistry
Djenerly Massena ’24
Djenerly excelled as an undergraduate researcher, from completing a fellowship in computational chemistry to publishing a paper in a scientific journal. A native of Haiti, she aspires to be a neurosurgeon or research physician. “It’s no exaggeration to say that my professors at Eastern have guided me to be the best version of myself as a current student and a lifelong learner.”
Rubius Therapeutics
Nick Shoenfelt ’11
Biochemistry major Nick Shoenfelt is a senior manufacturing manager at Sanofi. “Eastern’s biochemistry program provided the scientific knowledge on which my career was built. It allowed me to get my foot in the door, as I had a deep understanding behind the manufacturing process.”
Biochemistry
Justin Piro ’05
Justin received his Ph.D. at Dartmouth College, and is Director-Neuroinflammation & Glial Biology, at Alkermes.
“The majority of my classes at Eastern included a strong lab component. I was doing what scientists do — getting outside of the classroom and working with the latest scientific equipment. Eastern really set the groundwork for me.”
Alcami
Jackie Lagasse ’14
Biochemistry major Jackie Lagasse is a senior operational excellence specialist at Tolmar.“My biochemistry and physical chemistry classes enhanced my scientific problem-solving skills, which I use daily while developing or troubleshooting methods.”
Biochemistry
Luis Flores-Gomez '24
Expanding his understanding of how supercomputers can be used to solve complicated health issues, Luis co-presented a research poster at the MERCURY conference in summer 2023 at Furman University, titled, “Identification of Novel Inhibitors Against Alzheimer’s Disease Using Multi-Task Neural Networks-Based QSAR.” MERCURY (Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry) provides undergraduates with networking opportunities, and access to high-performance computing.
Wesleyan University
Zane Lombardo ’16
Biochemistry major Zane Lombardo is pursuing a PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry at Wesleyan University. “Eastern was a great place for me to study biochemistry because the small class sizes allow for an abundance of individual attention from the extremely knowledgeable faculty. It also allows for plenty of opportunities to get your hands dirty in several different lab courses.”
Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences
Kirby Madden-Hennessey ’15
Kirby earned her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at the University of Connecticut and is a research scientist at Enrich Therapeutic, Inc. “Eastern is a good place to study biochemistry because of its great science building and small lab sizes. This really allows students to build meaningful relationships with their peers and professors.”
