NIDA, ORTCD is thrilled to highlight Dr. Timothy Mackey in this newsletter. He was a past winner of the NIDA Start an SUD Startup Challenge, where S-3 Research was born. S-3 Research is a public health data science company that has successfully commercialized SUD-related technology solutions that have been used by both public and private sector clients. Read about Dr. Mackey’s interesting career as both a Principal Investigator (PI) and CEO, as well as his advice for individuals interested in alternative research career paths.
Do you have any advice for early career scholars or investigators who may be interested in alternative research career paths like yours?
Absolutely, a lot of us are trained to narrowly focus on academic achievements and things that will advance to faculty promotion (e.g., number of publications, academic and university service, etc.). But I think it is equally important to think about activities and goals that can serve both research objectives and translational opportunities outside of academia as a lot of times our research outputs aren’t as important as we think outside of university settings. Thinking of how your research can translate to a tangible technology solution, product, or professional service, and not leaving that translation to others, but putting in the hard work of doing it yourself, is critically important. That includes simple things, like making sure people understand the implications of your research outside of your field and communicating it to the media, policymakers, and building a professional network of stakeholders who can bring you opportunities at the right time. For us, it was years in the making of committing to research translation that created an opportunity for us to participate in a code-a-thon, win a challenge award to start our business, leverage our network of people that watched and supported our research, and eventually develop a suite of technology tools that are now used by government agencies and other clients. The research entrepreneur path is also super tricky, we’ve had plenty of pivots, close calls where we almost went out of business, and both big disappointments and crucial successes. You have to put in the hard work in order to create opportunities and then be prepared and ready to respond. Changing your mindset to understand you are not only “an academic” but will need to play lots of different roles and learn new things is critical to succeeding and also enjoying the process.
Is there anything you would have done differently at the earlier stages of your research career?
Yes, lots of things, though I think I was fortunate as before my graduate studies I came from over a decade working in industry, so I knew how businesses worked, the office work culture, and how different the public sector is from the private sector. Despite knowing all of this, when I first started as a research faculty, I thought I could put that type of work behind me and enjoy a smooth path to becoming a tenured faculty. Little did I know that being in a soft money position is just like owning and managing your own business, and that some of the lessons you learn about self-preservation, managing a lab, and constantly looking for funding, are decent traits in an entrepreneur. That said, I wish I would have been more flexible with opportunities as they arose instead of clinging on to the singular goal of surviving in academia and not wanting to leave where I was comfortable. Things worked out, but they were probably much harder. When you start your career if you are willing to be uncomfortable and try new things, I think this leads to unique opportunities that your foreclose on when you don’t take those chances.
Given your unique educational training and background, can you share about how you transitioned into a career in product development?
I unfortunately have not transitioned completely to entrepreneurship and continue to work two jobs! Right now I am an Adjunct Faculty at UC San Diego and the CEO of my small business company S-3 Research. Despite my career advice and story above, I have had a hard time leaving my role as a PI at the university and still very much enjoy conducting research, publishing, and teaching. However, it is extremely hard to navigate university rules and procedures when it comes to outside activity, and most either chose to stay in academia or completely commit to their startups/small businesses. Though I see synergies between the two, I also love seeing my company grow, shape its culture, and reward the great people I work with when success arises, something that I think is much harder to do when you run a lab at a university. In the context of product development, though I worked in industry in the past, you only learn through doing. So we’ve learned through the process of prototyping, building an MVP, conducting customer validation and iteration, and then continuing to evolve the product through client acquisition and continued product innovation. NIH iCorps also helped accelerate our learning in business development, which you then really learn when you directly apply it in the real-world.
What has been the biggest rewards/challenges in taking this route of conducting research?
Hands down the biggest reward of this route of becoming a faculty and entrepreneur has been the people I’ve met who have supported me and the great team of collaborators and co-workers we’ve assembled. This includes our small but mighty S-3 team which includes former undergraduate and graduate students that have been through the entire journey of ups and downs with the company. When you invest in people’s future and have a shared goal and purpose, you can truly accomplish great things and also be versatile as a small company to take advantage of opportunities others can’t. The people I work with are the best reward I could ever have. The greatest challenges are the extreme highs and lows of the business. One day you might lose the largest contract the company has ever had even though your performance is outstanding, and the next day find a new opportunity that not only saves the company but also opens up new possibilities and growth opportunities. You have to be level headed and just keep putting in the hard work to make sure you can navigate these big shifts, particularly in uncertain funding and policy environments that everyone is facing today.
Is there anything you would like to share with the NIDA research training community about opportunities in translational research and/or your journey?
Yes, for our NIDA research community, the people at NIDA OTIPI are absolutely amazing. Simply put, we worked hard, but none of our success would have been possible without their help. NIDA OTIPI staff have been with us from day 1 and never stopped supporting and believing in us. Our company, and the technology services we provide everyday, would not exist without their commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and small businesses. It’s a great investment in science, society, and business, these NIH SBIR-funded companies create jobs, develop tech that advances public health, and ultimately can save lives. We owe our NIDA OTIPI colleagues a great deal, so please take advantage of any chance you get to interact and learn from them. They are critical to your success!