MMS Holdings launches science internship at Wayne State

MMS Holdings is helping beef up the talent pipeline in Metro Detroit with the creation of a science internship program at Wayne State University.

The Canton-based clinical research organization specializes in regulatory submission support in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries. For the company, filling the local talent pipeline with more STEM graduates does nothing but help its bottom line.

"It's a good way to collaborate with the university so we have a healthy pipeline of college graduates," says Prasad Koppolu, vice president of MMS Holdings.

The Broadening Experience in Scientific Training program will focus on providing workplace opportunities at MMS Holdings for graduate students in the scientific fields from Wayne State University. These paid positions will focus on the areas of regulatory operations, medical writing, data management, clinical programming, and pharmacovigilance. The hope is these internships will open doors to a growing number of opportunities in the scientific research realm.

MMS Holdings has a staff of 500 people globally (including 80 in Metro Detroit) that primarily work on regulatory submissions for drug development. It has completed 45 new drug development applications in its seven years. The company has hired about 15 people over the last year, including positions in medical writing and clinical programing. It currently has two summer interns from the Broadening Experience in Scientific Training program, and is looking at adding co-op students to the program.

"Each year we could have around six people," Koppolu says.

Source: Prasad Koppolu, vice president of MMS Holdings
Writer: Jon Zemke

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