Howard University Amgen Pharmaceutical Fellowship 2026-2028

Overview of the Howard-Amgen Fellowship Program

The Howard University Amgen Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship Program stands as one of the most prestigious post-doctoral training opportunities available to PharmD graduates seeking careers in the biopharmaceutical industry. Established in 2022 through a pioneering partnership between Howard University College of Pharmacy (HUCOP) and Amgen, one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies, this two-year fellowship provides an exceptionally deep immersion into pharmaceutical industry operations, regulatory science, and medical affairs.

The fellowship offers three distinct specialization tracks—Global Medical Affairs (GMA), Global Regulatory Affairs and Strategy (GRAAS), and Global Patient Safety (GPS)—each designed to develop the specific competencies required for leadership roles in these critical functions. What distinguishes this fellowship from many industry training programs is its explicit focus on developing not just technical expertise but leadership capacity. The program prioritizes candidates who demonstrate the potential for C-suite progression, reflecting a vision that goes beyond entry-level placement to long-term career trajectory development.

For PharmD graduates evaluating their post-doctoral options, the Howard-Amgen fellowship represents a rare opportunity to combine the academic rigor and mission-driven culture of a historically Black university with the global scale and scientific ambition of a world-leading biotechnology company. Fellows gain practical training, strong mentorship, and exposure to high-impact projects across multiple therapeutic areas—building a professional foundation that opens doors across the pharmaceutical industry. Students exploring other advanced professional programs may find helpful comparisons in our guide to MIT’s approach to industry-connected education.

Howard University and Amgen Partnership

The collaboration between Howard University and Amgen represents a strategically significant partnership that embodies Howard’s ambition to excel as a leading institution in teaching, research, leadership, and service both locally and globally. Initiated in 2022, this partnership was built on shared commitments to scientific excellence, diversity in the pharmaceutical workforce, and the creation of new knowledge through cutting-edge research and scholarship. The partnership also emphasizes a strong dedication to community service and an ongoing commitment to professional growth for participants at every level.

Howard University, founded in 1867, holds a unique position in American higher education as one of the nation’s most distinguished historically Black universities. The College of Pharmacy has built a reputation for producing pharmacists who combine clinical excellence with a deep commitment to serving underserved communities. This mission-driven approach to pharmaceutical education aligns naturally with Amgen’s stated commitment to putting patients first and finding solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people’s lives.

Amgen, established in Thousand Oaks, California, on April 8, 1980, as Applied Molecular Genetics Inc., has grown into one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies. The company focuses on serious diseases and areas of high unmet medical need, using cutting-edge science, technology, and human genetics to identify new therapies. This focus on innovation and patient impact creates an ideal environment for fellowship training, as fellows work alongside scientists and business leaders who are actively developing treatments that address some of the most challenging health conditions affecting patients worldwide.

The fellowship structure reflects the depth of this institutional partnership. Fellows have access to opportunities across academia, biopharmaceuticals, clinical practice, corporate settings, and regulatory environments—building a multi-dimensional professional foundation that prepares them for diverse career paths within the pharmaceutical ecosystem. This breadth of exposure is particularly valuable because modern pharmaceutical careers increasingly require professionals who can navigate across functional boundaries and understand how different parts of the industry interconnect.

Global Medical Affairs Fellowship Track

The Global Medical Affairs (GMA) fellowship track prepares PharmD graduates for one of the most dynamic and strategically important functions in the pharmaceutical industry. Medical affairs professionals serve as the bridge between clinical science and commercial strategy, ensuring that healthcare providers and patients have access to accurate, balanced, and scientifically rigorous information about therapeutic products. The GMA track at the Howard-Amgen fellowship provides comprehensive training in this critical function through direct involvement in real projects with genuine business impact.

Fellows in the GMA track develop expertise in scientific communications, medical strategy, and medical science liaison (MSL) operations. They work on projects ranging from product launch support to the development of medical education materials and the execution of advisory board meetings with key opinion leaders. The training encompasses both the scientific foundations of medical affairs work and the strategic skills needed to influence clinical practice and formulary decisions through evidence-based engagement with the medical community.

Second-year fellow Stevens Alfred, PharmD, MBA, RPh, described his experience in the GMA track as an opportunity to “strengthen my expertise in medical affairs while contributing to projects that improve patient outcomes.” He highlighted work that included “supporting product launches, collaborating with MSLs and cross-functional teams,” and gaining “firsthand experience in medical strategy and scientific communications.” His testimony emphasizes what he calls the fellowship’s focus on “leadership, health equity, and professional development within a diverse” professional environment—values that reflect both Howard University’s institutional mission and Amgen’s corporate culture.

The GMA track is particularly well-suited for PharmD graduates who are intellectually curious about the science behind therapeutic development and who enjoy communicating complex medical information to diverse audiences. Graduates of this track are positioned for roles including Medical Science Liaison, Medical Director, Scientific Communications Manager, and eventually Vice President of Medical Affairs—reflecting the C-suite trajectory that the fellowship program is designed to support.

Global Regulatory Affairs and Strategy Track

The Global Regulatory Affairs and Strategy (GRAAS) fellowship track addresses one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most essential and intellectually demanding functions. Regulatory affairs professionals are responsible for navigating the complex landscape of drug approval processes across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring that new therapies reach patients as quickly as possible while meeting the rigorous safety and efficacy standards required by regulatory authorities including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international equivalents.

Fellows in the GRAAS track gain hands-on experience with regulatory submissions, labeling requirements, post-marketing commitments, and the strategic planning that determines how companies approach regulatory pathways for new products. This work requires a unique combination of scientific knowledge, legal understanding, and strategic thinking—qualities that the fellowship is specifically designed to develop through mentored participation in real regulatory projects with meaningful consequences for patient access to therapies.

The track’s effectiveness is demonstrated by the career outcomes of its alumni. Ericka A. Lassair, PharmD, RPh, PMP, who completed the 2022-2024 fellowship cycle, now serves as US Regulatory Manager for Inflammation at Amgen. Jessica Nwabuoku, PharmD, from the 2023-2025 cohort, progressed to Global Regulatory Manager for Obesity at Amgen. DessyAnn Julien, PharmD, another 2022-2024 fellow, became Regulatory Labeling Manager for Gen Med/Inflammation. These outcomes demonstrate that the GRAAS track provides not just training but a genuine pipeline to senior regulatory positions at one of the world’s most important biotechnology companies.

For PharmD graduates who are detail-oriented, analytically rigorous, and interested in the intersection of science, law, and public policy, the GRAAS track offers a career path with exceptional long-term prospects. Regulatory affairs is one of the fastest-growing specializations in the pharmaceutical industry, driven by increasing complexity in global regulatory requirements and the growing pipeline of novel therapeutic modalities including gene therapies, biosimilars, and precision medicine products.

Global Patient Safety Fellowship Track

The Global Patient Safety (GPS) fellowship track prepares PharmD graduates for careers in pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring—the critical function that ensures ongoing evaluation of therapeutic products throughout their lifecycle. Patient safety professionals are responsible for detecting, assessing, and managing adverse events associated with pharmaceutical products, working to protect patients while ensuring that healthcare providers have the safety information they need to make informed prescribing decisions.

Fellows in the GPS track receive comprehensive training in adverse event reporting, signal detection, risk management planning, and safety communication. They work with real pharmacovigilance data and participate in safety review processes that have direct implications for how products are labeled, monitored, and ultimately used in clinical practice. This hands-on exposure to the full pharmacovigilance lifecycle—from individual case safety reports to aggregate safety analyses—provides a depth of training that is difficult to replicate outside of a structured fellowship at a major biopharmaceutical company.

The GPS track’s success in preparing fellows for senior roles is exemplified by William Nampaso, PharmD, who completed the 2023-2025 fellowship cycle and was appointed Global Safety Manager for Rare Disease at Amgen. His trajectory from fellow to safety management in a specialized therapeutic area illustrates the program’s ability to accelerate career development in ways that traditional entry-level positions typically cannot match. The rare disease focus of his current role also highlights how fellowship training can open doors to niche therapeutic areas where expertise is particularly valued and career growth opportunities are abundant.

Patient safety is increasingly recognized as one of the most important functions in the pharmaceutical industry, with regulatory authorities worldwide expanding their requirements for post-marketing surveillance and risk management. For PharmD graduates who want to make a tangible impact on patient outcomes while working at the intersection of clinical science, regulatory compliance, and data analytics, the GPS track offers a compelling and future-proof career path. Similar emphasis on safety and outcomes-focused training can be found in programs at institutions covered in our guide to EPFL’s computational science programs, where data-driven approaches to complex systems are also central to the educational mission.

Howard Fellowship Application Process and Eligibility

The Howard University Amgen Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship Program seeks candidates who embody a specific profile of excellence that goes beyond academic credentials. The program prioritizes PharmD graduates who demonstrate not only strong clinical and scientific knowledge but also superior written and verbal communication skills, openness to mentorship, and—critically—leadership potential with the capacity for C-suite progression. This emphasis on leadership trajectory reflects the program’s ambition to develop not just competent practitioners but future industry leaders who will shape the pharmaceutical landscape.

While the brochure does not detail a standardized application process with specific GPA cutoffs or test score requirements, the selection criteria make clear that the program is highly selective. Candidates must demonstrate a genuine passion for improving patient lives through pharmaceutical innovation, a track record of academic excellence during their PharmD program, and the interpersonal qualities needed to thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced industry environment. The fellowship’s focus on health equity and diverse leadership also suggests that candidates who bring unique perspectives and experiences to the pharmaceutical industry may be particularly valued.

Prospective applicants should research the specific application timeline and materials required by visiting the Howard University College of Pharmacy fellowship website. Given the competitive nature of pharmaceutical industry fellowships and the program’s growing reputation, early preparation is advisable. Building a strong application typically involves securing strong letters of recommendation from pharmacy faculty, developing a clear narrative about career goals in the pharmaceutical industry, and demonstrating relevant experience through rotations, research, or industry exposure during the PharmD program.

Career Outcomes and Alumni Success

The Howard-Amgen fellowship has already produced a cohort of alumni who have secured significant roles within Amgen and the broader pharmaceutical industry, demonstrating the program’s effectiveness as a career accelerator. Gabriel Lake, PharmD, from the inaugural 2022-2024 cohort, became Scientific Communications Manager in Cardiovascular within the Global Medical Affairs function. His progression from fellow to a specialized management role in a high-priority therapeutic area illustrates how the fellowship compresses what might normally be a five-to-seven-year career development timeline into the two-year fellowship period.

The diversity of roles secured by alumni across all three tracks speaks to the breadth of preparation the program provides. In regulatory affairs, fellows have moved into positions spanning multiple therapeutic areas including inflammation, obesity, and general medicine. In patient safety, alumni are managing global safety profiles for rare disease portfolios. In medical affairs, graduates are leading scientific communications for cardiovascular programs. This cross-therapeutic diversity means that the fellowship not only trains specialists but creates professionals with the breadth of knowledge needed for senior leadership roles that require oversight across multiple product lines.

The career trajectories of Howard-Amgen fellows are particularly notable because they demonstrate advancement within Amgen itself—suggesting that the fellowship functions not just as a training program but as a genuine talent pipeline for the company. This alignment between training and hiring creates a powerful incentive for fellows to invest fully in the program, knowing that exceptional performance is directly rewarded with career advancement at one of the industry’s most respected companies. For professionals evaluating graduate and post-doctoral options across disciplines, our analysis of Rice University’s business programs offers perspective on how other top institutions connect academic training to career outcomes.

About Amgen: Mission, Values, and Culture

Understanding the organizational culture at Amgen is essential for prospective fellows, as the fellowship experience is fundamentally shaped by the company’s values and operating philosophy. Amgen’s mission—to serve patients—is not merely aspirational but is reflected in concrete organizational behaviors and decision-making processes. The company was established on April 8, 1980, in Thousand Oaks, California, and has grown to become one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies while maintaining a culture that centers on scientific integrity and patient impact.

Amgen’s value system is built on eight interconnected principles that govern how the company operates. Being science-based is paramount—the company expects all decisions, across all functions, to be made through the application of the scientific method rather than through subjective or emotional reasoning. This commitment to evidence-based decision-making creates an environment that is intellectually demanding but deeply satisfying for professionals who value rigor and objectivity. The value of competing intensely and winning drives a culture of high performance where complacency is actively discouraged, even in the face of previous achievements.

For fellowship participants, the values of trust and respect, teamwork, and collaboration are particularly relevant. Amgen explicitly states that “every job at Amgen is important and every Amgen staff member is important,” creating a culture of inclusion that values diverse perspectives and individual initiative. The company’s commitment to working in teams reflects the reality of modern pharmaceutical development, where cross-functional collaboration is essential for translating scientific discoveries into approved therapies. Fellows who thrive in this environment tend to be those who are intellectually curious, comfortable with ambiguity, and energized by collaborative problem-solving.

The emphasis on ensuring quality and being ethical provides fellows with a professional standard that shapes their approach to work throughout their careers. These values are not abstract concepts at Amgen but are embedded in daily operations through training, performance evaluation, and organizational accountability. Fellows who internalize these standards during their two-year training leave the program with not just technical skills but a professional identity rooted in scientific excellence and ethical practice—qualities that distinguish them throughout their pharmaceutical careers.

Why Howard University for Pharmaceutical Training

Howard University’s role as the academic partner in this fellowship program brings distinctive value that extends beyond traditional pharmaceutical education. As one of America’s most distinguished historically Black universities, Howard brings a legacy of excellence in health sciences education that is deeply connected to the pursuit of health equity—a priority that is increasingly recognized as essential to the pharmaceutical industry’s future. The College of Pharmacy’s commitment to producing leaders who combine clinical excellence with service to underserved communities creates a fellowship culture that is both professionally demanding and socially conscious.

The HUCOP’s institutional mission to excel in teaching, research, leadership, and service—both locally and globally—provides a framework for fellowship training that goes beyond technical skill development. Fellows are expected to develop as leaders who can influence not just their immediate work environments but the broader pharmaceutical industry’s approach to diversity, equity, and patient access. This leadership development dimension is what the program means when it describes selecting candidates with “capacity for C-suite progression”—it is looking for future executives who will bring both technical expertise and values-driven leadership to the highest levels of the industry.

Howard’s national and international reputation also provides fellows with a professional network that extends well beyond Amgen. The university’s alumni community, which includes leaders across healthcare, government, and academia, offers fellows connections and mentorship opportunities that can shape their careers for decades. For PharmD graduates who are committed to making a meaningful impact on patient outcomes while advancing representation in pharmaceutical industry leadership, the Howard-Amgen fellowship offers an unparalleled combination of scientific training, professional development, and mission alignment.

The pharmaceutical industry faces a critical need for diverse leadership at all levels, and programs like the Howard-Amgen fellowship play an essential role in building the pipeline of talent needed to ensure that the industry reflects the patients it serves. By choosing Howard as its academic partner, Amgen has signaled its commitment to addressing this need through concrete action rather than aspirational statements—creating a fellowship that produces leaders who are both technically excellent and deeply committed to equitable health outcomes. Those interested in how other leading universities approach professional development may find useful parallels in our coverage of the Cambridge MBA’s approach to leadership training.