Where Are They Now?
Joyce Tsang

Current Position: Partner for Proquest Investments, a healthcare-focused venture capital firm.

Duties: Finding prospective ventures to fund; managing these ventures to build value; raising money for the firm. "Many of the companies we invest in are in the early-stage of development with a scientific focus. I use many of the scientific principals I learned in molecular biology when evaluating new businesses."

Undergraduate Institution: Princeton University, where she received her bachelor's degree in the biological sciences and was the principal cellist in the Princeton Orchestra.

TSRI Graduating Class: '97

Thoughts on Graduate Study at TSRI: "The classes were effective in giving me a broad background. The interdisciplinary nature of the program exposed me to a lot of different areas, as did the lab rotations. Overall, it was a very good experience and it serves me well in what I do now."

Dissertation Title: "The Evolution of DNA-Cleaving RNA Enzymes."

Advisor: Professor Gerald Joyce, Department of Molecular Biology.

Her Adviser Comments: "The last thing I said [at the graduation ceremony where Joyce received her degree] was:

'Let me conclude my remarks by making a prediction (TSRI alumni association please take note): I predict that Joyce will be the first graduate of Scripps to become a CEO, most likely of a biotechnology company. I wish her well on the exciting road ahead.'

Six years later I stand by my prediction."

Business Experience: Tsang worked two years as a financial analyst for Wall Street firm Smith Barney before becoming a Ph.D. candidate at TSRI. After graduation, she worked at management consulting firm McKinsey & Company for two years, focusing on the health care field. "Consulting gave me broad business experience and helped hone my business skills," says Tsang. She joined Proquest Investments as an associate in 1999, and was promoted to partner in 2002.

Family Life: Married.

Extracurriculars: "Some people at TSRI might remember that I played the cello. Since then, I've started singing. I work mostly on operatic pieces."

 

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As partner in a venture capital firm, Joyce Tsang (TSRI class of '97) draws on her knowledge of both business and science.