Biostatistics, big pharma, healthcare, etc

[mathCon]

Hi anyone,

 

I'm planning to apply to PhD programs in biostatistics (mostly) and bioinformatics this fall and have some questions about the research I want to pursue. I'm most interested in statistical genetics, computational methods for functional genomics, bayesian statistics in genetics, and basically most research centered on analyzing massive amounts of DNA. However, right now I am ambivalent as to whether my career path will lead me to academia, and worry about the job market to which these research interests could take me.

 

I've been looking around at lots of job postings for details in this regard, and have been trying to  look up the typical career trajectories from the programs I have in mind, but am hoping someone here has additional insight. Are statistical and computational genetics largely academic? Do the industries that draw many biostaticians, like big pharma or healthcare, choose only people who have done PhD research in clinical trails or closely related areas? How diverse can the research backgrounds for people going into industry be?

 

Thanks