Talk about AI revolution: Vedant Shah built GPT tools that power Moderna’s AI transformation as an intern

Widler Casy
6 days ago
4 min read

"Our mission is to deliver the greatest possible impact to people through mRNA medicines." — "***Our mission is to deliver the greatest possible impact to people through mRNA medicines."***

Biotech Intern Newsletter: Spotlight on Vedant Shah

Welcome to this edition of the Biotech Intern Newsletter. Today, we are thrilled to feature Vedant Shah, whose on site internship at Moderna reflects how curiosity, adaptability, and data driven thinking can shape the future of biotech supply chains.

Internship Snapshot

Company: Moderna

Location: On site

How It Started: “I learned about the internship through Moderna’s Careers page.”

Vedant joined Moderna as part of the Global Supply Chain Planning team, where he supported efforts to improve material planning data and processes while building custom GPT tools to advance AI integration across the supply chain.

A Day in the Life

At Moderna, Vedant’s work revolved around understanding how supply chain systems connect across functions. “I supported Moderna’s Global Supply Chain Planning team by improving material planning data and processes, and building custom GPT tools to advance AI integration across the supply chain.”

Through this experience, he gained a deeper appreciation for how technology and human collaboration intersect to keep operations agile and effective.

Lessons from the Experience

Biggest Learning: “At Moderna, I learned how a GMP supply chain operates end to end, how materials flow, how planning decisions are made, and how cross functional teams collaborate in real time. Working with live biotech datasets and functional systems showed me that agility is mission critical. The most valuable takeaway was the role of data quality, cleaner data produces clearer signals, sharper forecasts, and more efficient execution. I also saw how AI is reshaping supply chains, enabling teams to make decisions faster and with greater precision.”

Best Advice Received: “The most impactful advice I received was to embed Moderna’s mindsets into my day to day work, act with urgency, behave like an owner, and digitize wherever possible. Treating every task with ownership sharpened my decision making and accountability. Working with urgency ensured that projects moved forward and delivered timely results. And leaning into digitization and automation lifted efficiency and quality.”

Wish I Had Known: “Before starting, I wish I had a deeper playbook for getting the most out of GPTs and embedding them into everyday workflows. Understanding best practices such as how to structure tasks, iterate prompts, and connect models to existing processes would have helped me scale automation and insight generation even faster.”

Fun Moments and Growth

Most Fun Experience: “One of the most memorable parts of the internship was experiencing fall in Boston, crisp weather, vibrant neighborhoods, and that unmistakable New England atmosphere. A standout moment was catching a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The ballpark’s energy and the city’s sports culture made it a perfect way to unwind and connect with the local community.”

Biggest Struggle: “My biggest challenge was starting without prior GMP or biotech experience. In my first week, I built a fast learning plan around shadowing every team connected to material planning, from warehouse receiving and labeling to logistics, manufacturing walkthroughs, and production planning. This immersion converted acronyms and procedures into real workflows and business context. The lesson was clear, be proactive, get close to the process, and learn directly from experts.”

Short Story of Growth: “In week one, the GMP world felt like a new language. Instead of staying behind a screen, I put on a safety vest and shadowed every team that touched material planning. Living Moderna’s mindsets of urgency, ownership, and digitization turned confusion into a learning plan. The struggle became a compass, get close to the process, learn from experts, and translate insight into everyday habits.”

Behind the Scenes

Who Made It Memorable: “I owe my success to the people who invested in my growth. My manager and director created the opportunity and set me up for impact through regular touchpoints, clear guidance, and by involving me in unique projects and real world scenarios that stretched my skills. My team provided timely feedback and hands on support whenever I needed it, which accelerated my learning curve and confidence.”

Resource I Wish I Used More: “I wish I had tapped into internal documentation and SOPs even earlier. The good news is I still have a few months left in my co-op, and I plan to dig deeper into those resources to accelerate context and execution.”

Advice for Future Interns

Words of Wisdom: “Approach your internship like a focused learning sprint. Be curious, ask questions, and spend time with cross functional partners to understand how the work really gets done. Then translate those insights into small, functional projects that solve a real problem. Keep notes, document your assumptions, and iterate quickly. Most importantly, stay proactive and coachable, seek feedback early and often.”

What Interns Should Focus On: “Interns should focus on learning through action. Spend time understanding how decisions ripple across functions, get close to the data and the process, and build small solutions that make work faster or clearer. At Moderna, the clearest compass is patient impact, when you anchor your work to how it ultimately serves patients, your priorities sharpen and the motivation to deliver follows naturally.”

Additional Advice: “Be curious and take ownership of your learning. Every project, big or small, is an opportunity to turn concepts into outcomes that create value for the team.”

Rapid Fire

Coffee or Tea: Coffee

Meetings: In person meetings

Mountains or Beaches: Beaches

Closing Thoughts

Vedant Shah’s experience at Moderna shows how curiosity, adaptability, and ownership can drive growth in one of the most dynamic areas of biotechnology. From mastering supply chain systems to building GPT powered tools, Vedant turned challenges into opportunities for innovation and learning.

His advice to future interns is simple yet powerful: stay proactive, stay curious, and learn through action.

Do you have a story that can inspire the next generation of biotech professionals? Submit your experience to the Biotech Intern Newsletter today.

Connect with Vedant Shah on LinkedIn to follow his journey in biotech.