Dr. What Now?

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Mar 2024

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We explore the exciting world of post-PhD careers in Life Sciences. Join us each episode as we interview a different guest who has left academia and successfully navigated the post-graduate world, and delve into their experiences and insights.

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14 recent

March 13, 202442 min

Dr. Liesbeth Ceelen, Biotech leader and CEO of BioLizard

In this episode, Dr. Liesbeth Ceelen, Biotech leader and CEO of BioLizard, takes us on her incredible journey from scientist to entrepreneur, sharing her passion for the vibrant start-up and scale-up environment. Her extensive experience spans operational, quality, project management, scientific leadership, sales, and business development across various biotech and healthcare companies. If you're considering a career in Biotech, particularly in BD and management, or being a freelance consultant, this episode is a must-listen! “Don’t stop learning” “Dare to jump, just do it (...) even if it is not always easy to find the right job” “Don’t have too many doubts about yourself” and “Don’t be afraid of failure” “A ‘no’ you have a ‘yes’ you can get” Connect with Dr. Ceelen Dr. Ceelen’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liesbethceelen/ Time points: 00:39 Introducing Dr. Liesbeth Ceelen 01:57 Dr. Ceelen’s motivation to do a PhD and her PhD journey 03:41 How Dr. Ceelen decided her next steps after her PhD, which doors were opened 05:50 PhD transferable skills that helped Dr. Ceelen to succeed in her first job in Pharma industry 08:13 Dr. Ceelen transition from Pharma to the startup ecosystem 13:17 Moving from scientist to BD and strategy roles - advice on training and learn at the job 15h47 Journey as a freelancer consultant and as a CEO of BioLizard 19h35 BioLizard business concept 21h20 Day at work - “every day is different” 24h12 Impactful experiences as a CEO of BioLizard 25h28 “Roses and thorns” as a CEO 27h13 BD strategy in Biotech in practice 29h28 5-year-planner” or “go with the flow”? 30h47 Dr. Ceelen piece of career advice 33h32 Advice on extra training for someone with affinity with BD and consulting 35h53 How to choose the next career path 37h12 Are you interested in joining BioLizard? Listen to the skill set and expertise that BioLizard is looking for 40h45 Connect with Dr. Ceelen

January 24, 202437 min

Dr. Theresa Wang, consultant at Boston Consulting Group

In this episode, Dr. Theresa Wang, consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of consulting, offering a firsthand account of what it's like to navigate this dynamic job. Dr. Wang guides us through her career journey and shares practical tips and empowering lessons drawn from her own experiences. Whether you're contemplating a career in consulting or seeking guidance on your existing path, Theresa's insights offer practical and helpful perspectives. “You shape your own path, even if it is not completely obvious how the shape is” “I also really like the slogan dream, dare, do. Especially after your PhD, the world is wide open for you - you can try a job, you can see if it works for you. If it does, great! If it doesn't, you have new info and can move on, also great! I've seen people be petrified by wanting to choose the right thing whereas the right thing to do is to simply choose.” “If you decide that you want to do consulting, I would dedicate quite a bit of time to practicing for the interview, both the personal fit part but also the case interview. Again, lots of resources on the internet - I would make sure you feel comfortable with the format before going to interviews!” “I think knowing in which environment you thrive is very important” Connect with Theresa Theresa’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jue-theresa-wang/ Time points: 00:38 Introducing Dr. Theresa Wang 01:47 Theresa’s motivation to do a PhD and her PhD journey 06:33 How Theresa decided her next steps after her PhD + learn about Graduate Consulting Club 11:53 Which transferable skills did Theresa gain in the PhD in order to succeed in consulting? 14:25 Theresa’s role as a consultant at BCG 21:55 “Roses and thorns” as a consultant 26:22 Career ladder in consulting 27:42 “5-year-planner” or “go with the flow”? 30:07 Theresa’s piece of career advice 31:39 What can help early-career scientists decide on a career choice? 33:22 Which kind of profile BCG /consulting firms are looking for? 35:47 How can people connect with you?

November 14, 202341 min

Dr. Tiago Faial - Chief Editor at Nature Genetics

In this podcast episode, Dr. Tiago Faial, chief editor at Nature Genetics, sits down with Zoé for a candid conversation about his career path and advice for young scientists. They cover topics like the decision to step away from academia for a better work-life balance and finding roles that align with your personal values. Dr. Faial also shares his thoughts on the changing landscape of scientific publishing, particularly focusing on open access and peer review. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Faial emphasizes the importance of considering personal fulfilment alongside skills when choosing a career path. He encourages listeners not to succumb to peer pressure and shares insights on what he looks for when hiring editors for his team. "I read a tremendous amount during my PhD and postdoc. I just devoured papers...I would go to as many lectures as I could ...I loved journal clubs...I loved discussing papers...I think that's what helped me during the interview" "You should think carefully about the skills that you have but also what ultimately makes you happy and fulfilled", "don't just follow a career path because of peer pressure or because your supervisor is telling you to do something" Time points: 00:35 Introducing Dr. Tiago Faial 02:00 Tiago's motivation to do a PhD 03:30 How Tiago found his PhD experience 08:30 Should you go to America to do a Postdoc? 14:45 What Tiago was thinking at the end of his postdoc 17:40 What helped Tiago get a job as an editor 20:30 Explaining the role of an editor 24:30 The importance of team work 26:15 A typical work day for Tiago 28:45 The challenges of open access and peer review in publishing 33:00 Tiago's advice to PhD students and postdocs 36:30 Questions sent in from listeners: How far out of their PhD work can someone stray? What are you looking for when you interview for new editors? To contact Tiago: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiago-faial-9b6568a3/ Email: tiago.faial@us.nature.com

October 19, 202335 min

Dr. Elsa Martins and Dr. Francesca Tessaro - Clinical Science Fellows at Roche

In this episode, we're joined by not one, but two distinguished guests: Dr. Elsa Martins and Dr. Francesca Tessaro, both serving as Clinical Science Fellows at Roche, Switzerland. Together, we delve into their journeys, exploring how their PhD experiences paved the way for successful careers in the corporate world. We unravel the different dynamics of working in a multinational corporation versus the academic realm. Our conversation takes a deep dive into the day-to-day responsibilities of Elsa and Francesca in their roles within late-stage clinical development, offering invaluable insights into the pivotal work they contribute to drug development. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to gain an insider's perspective on careers in clinical science. “What I enjoy the most is working as part of a team where you are collaborating with different people.” “I like the fact that the work that we do might potentially benefit patients. This is something very rewarding.” Time points: 01:10 Elsa's introduction 02:15 Francesca's introduction 03:20 Elsa's PhD experiences 05:30 Francesca's experience and skills she gained during PhD 07:30 Elsa's skills gained during PhD 09:20 How they decided their next steps after PhD 15:30 What the "Clinical Science Fellow" role is 17:30 A typical day as a clinical science fellow at Roche 23:15 Working hours 24:15 Roses and thorns (what they like vs. dislike or find challenging) 27:00 Advice for PhD students or Postdocs 30:45 5-year plan or go with the flow? 32:45 Elsa and Francesca's advice for getting a job in clinical science

September 26, 202342 min

Dr. Victor Bustos - COO at Refoxy Pharma and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Apollo Health Ventures

From investing in age-related healthcare companies to co-founding one. In this episode Inês chats with Victor Bustos, co-founder and COO of Refoxy Pharma, about venture capital & biotech at the interface of aging research. “Whatever your next step could be, choose your boss not the job” “The most important thing by far that anybody can do is networking, and I know this is easily said …it can be like a hobby, this is a very active thing that you have to do” “it’s also important to interact with peers and try to understand how they are thinking about their future … because you may not find things that you wanna do, you might, but also you may find opportunities that you have never considered”

September 13, 202342 min

Dr. Mark Springel - venture capital Senior Associate at Vida Ventures

In this episode, Zoé sits down with Dr. Mark Springel, a venture capital senior associate at Vida Ventures in Boston. Mark discusses his experiences during his PhD at Harvard Medical School, his venture capital career so far, and offers advice for those interested in the field. He highlights the importance of curiosity and drive over business knowledge and encourages listeners not to be overly fixated on a single career trajectory, as he believes there are many rewarding opportunities for those interested in biotech. “The idea that business experience is required for jobs in industry is really probably not so correct” “[PhD students are…] bright, motivated, ambitious, and those qualities go further in my view … than any resumé you might have established by working at a company for a few years” “Don’t be so set on a particular path.... there are lots of things you could do which you would probably love and be successful doing." Mark’s email address: Mark@vidaventures.com Mark’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-springel Time stamps: 00:40 Dr. Mark Springel Introduction 01:50 Mark’s PhD experience 04:25 Extracurricular activities during Mark’s PhD 06:55 Experience at Harvard office of technology development 10:00 How Mark was deciding his next steps at the end of PhD 15:05 Mark’s fellowship at Vida Ventures and how he got it 18:25 Staying at Vida Ventures after fellowship 20:50 Different roles and career progression at a venture capital 24:00 Day-to-day as a VC investor 28:10 Roses and thorns of the job 30:45 Mark’s advice to young researchers 33:30 Mark’s advice for getting into Venture capital 41:30 How to connect with Mark Springel.

August 15, 202336 min

Dr. Katie Roberts - Scientific Writer at the University of Oxford

In this episode, Zoé speaks to Dr. Katie Roberts, Scientific Writer at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford. Katie and Zoé discuss finding the part of the PhD that you love (thesis-writing for Katie), imposter syndrome and whether we really need a career plan. Katie studied Biological Sciences at the University of Oxford before earning her PhD in Cell Biology at The University of Manchester, UK. Her PhD focused on the inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB, in the context of inflammatory diseases and cancer. After completing her PhD, Katie pursued a career in Scientific Writing, firstly working as a Medical Writer for the Medical Communications company 7.4 Limited in Oxford. Next, Katie joined Bio-Rad laboratories, as a New Product Coordinator and then a Marketing Communications Specialist, before becoming Content Manager at the Research and Development company OXGENE in 2021. Shifting back to an academic setting, Dr. Katie Roberts is now a Scientific Writer at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford. It is a great talk for our listeners particularly those who pursue a career as a scientific writer. Connect with Katie on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-roberts-13458586/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/K_J_Roberts Timestamps: 00:35 Dr. Katie Roberts introduction 02:20 Why Katie wanted to do a PhD 03:20 Katie's PhD experience 04:50 How she decided her next steps following her PhD 06:50 What Medical writing entailed 09:45 Katie's experience at BioRad 15:00 Katie's experience as Content Manager at OXGENE 16:45 What skills from PhD helped her in these roles 18:20 Current role as Scientific Writer at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology. 20:10 From Company to University and Academic Settings 23:00 Typical day at work 25:00 Roses and thorns of the job 29:00 Katie's general advice for PhD students 33:50 Specific advice for those who want to go into scientific writing 35:10 How to connect to Katie

August 1, 202324 min

Dr. Akira Ohkubo - Science communicator at Miraikan Museum

Dr. Akira Ohkubo joins Zoé in this episode to talk about inclusive science communication at The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo. Akira studied Biotechnology in his home country of Japan. He then moved across the world to France for his Master’s at the University of Strasbourg, before doing his PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Akira’s PhD was in the lab of Prof. Jean-Claude Martinou where he focused on mitochondrial RNA processing. During his international academic journey, Akira was inspired by exchanging ideas, especially across cultures, and after his PhD he combined his passions for communication and science and is now working as a Science Communicator at Miraikan in Tokyo. Read Akira's recent article to learn more about making museums more accessible to everyone: https://tinyurl.com/mru5ux57 You can connect with Akira via LinkedIn: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/akira-ohkubo-94ba71b3 Time stamps: 01:50 What was your PhD about in a nutshell? 03:10 How was your PhD experience? 04:00 What skills did you gain during your PhD? 09:20 How did you decide next steps you would take after PhD? 11:30 Describe your current role as Science Communicator at Miraikan 12:20 What are your main responsibilities 13:15 What kind of events do you organize at the museum? 14:40 How did you apply for the role? 17:00 What are your roses and thorns? 19:45 What advice would you give to an early career researcher? 21:40 Do you believe in 5-year-plan or go with the flow? 23:30 How can people get in touch with you?

July 18, 202339 min

Dr. Susanna Gobbi - Postdoctoral Fellow at Roche

Dr. Susanna Gobbi did her PhD in Neuroscience at the Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics in Switzerland where she developed a clinical research project focused on obesity in women. During her PhD, Susanna joined Roche as a RiSE PhD intern for one year and then kept working as an Imaging Biomarker Data Analyst while finishing her PhD. She is now a first year PostDoc at Roche, working on Alzheimer’s disease and brain functional connectivity. In this episode of Dr. What Now? she talks to Ines about her passion for neuroscience, doing research in industry and her advice for PhD students to explore outside their bubble. “Don’t be static, explore, don’t be afraid to learn about new fields!” “Take as many opportunities as you can during your PhD to understand what you like”! You can contact Susanna on LinkedIn: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/susanna-gobbi Time stamps: 00:40 Susanna Gobbi Introduction 01:50 Why did you choose this field and pursue a PhD? 05:00 How was your PhD experience? Pros and cons 08:00 RISE program at Roche 11:50 After RISE continued working part-time at Roche 15:20 Is there a switch in mindset from academia to industry? 18:05 How did you decide your next steps? 20:10 Applying for post doc 21:50 Criteria to get a post doc at Roche 24:40 Typical day at work 27:40 Roses and thorns 30:25 What advice would you give? 34:30 5-year-plan or go with the flow? 36:50 Is your idea to stay at Roche? 39:00 How to contact Dr. Susanna Gobbi

June 13, 202326 min

Dr. Martha Cooper - Senior Scientist in Data Science at Microba Life Sciences

Dr. Martha Cooper studied Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, UK. She then moved to Australia in 2016 where she did her PhD at the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine. Martha’s PhD focused on computational immunology to profile anti-parasitic immune responses in humans. After a Postdoc investigating immunity to malaria infection, using data mining and biostatistics, Martha started at Microba Life Sciences in 2021, where she is now a Senior Scientist in Data Science. Dr. Martha Cooper chats to Zoé about her career journey, from learning to code during her PhD, searching for a team-focused work environment and her current role as Senior Data Scientist at Microba Life Sciences in Australia. She shares insights into the different benchmarks of success in industry vs academia and her advice on following our own interests. “Find what you enjoy and really work on developing those specific skills” You can connect with Martha via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-cooper-56b3a9216 Github: https://github.com/MarthaCooper Time stamps: 01:30 Martha's PhD experience 04:40 What were you looking for in a career after your PhD? 08:45 Martha's current role. What is a Senior Scientist in Data Science? 10:35 What is your typical day? 14:00 What skills from your PhD do you use in your current job? 16:50 What are your roses and thorns? 20:50 What advice would you have for PhDs and postdocs? 23:20 5-year-plan or go with the flow? 24:30 How would you suggest applying for similar jobs? 25:45 How to get in contact with Martha