Careers in Discovery

"Scientists are the best entrepreneurs, they just don't realise it. You're constantly begging for money, asking for your research to be published and speaking at conferences - that's sales, marketing and PR right there."

For our last episode of 2019, we're delighted to be joined by Jason Mellad, CEO and Co-Founder of StartCodon, the Cambridge Life Sciences Accelerator. 

The son of a scientist and an entrepreneur, Jason went into consulting after his PhD in Medicine, then Tech Transfer and Business Development, before becoming the CEO of Cambridge Epigenetix, where he led a complete pivot and fundraising round to change the fortunes of an already successful company.

Along the way, Jason's learned a huge amount about career development, entrepreneurship, why everyone should get some sales experience, the make up of a successful founder, the fantastic opportunity in UK biotech and more - he shared this all with us on Careers in Discovery.

Enjoy!

"Don't wait for someone else to manage your career for you, don't be afraid to experiment with it, and be true to yourself."

Chris Williams started her career as a research scientist at one of the world's largest Pharmaceutical companies, but as time went on she found herself increasingly drawn to projects that involved culture and change management. 

Now Managing Director of Questae Coaching & Consulting, Chris joined us on Careers in Discovery to talk about her career and how she's approached it, including:

👩‍🔬 Why the right culture is so important in science

👩‍🔬 How to take an experimental approach to your career

👩‍🔬 Putting your head above the parapet and disagreeing, or saying "no"

👩‍🔬 Taking responsibility for your career

Enjoy!

"One shouldn't underestimate the time it takes to turn a business into a business, how long it takes to actually take a salary out, and how long the road to success can be."

After a career in big Pharma, Gary Allenby and his two co-founders launched Aurelia Bioscience, a highly specialist Bioassay and Screening Service CRO. We took a deep dive into Gary's entrepreneurial journey, making this a must-listen for anyone out there thinking of going it alone.

Gary talked to us about:

🥼 How technology is broadening the horizons of drug research

🥼 Being a "technology butterfly"

🥼 Why the bravest person in a start-up is the second to join, not the initial founder

🥼 What it's really like starting a Contract Research Organisation from scratch

Enjoy!

"Make the jump before you're forced to. In the end, it'll probably work out." 

Alun McCarthy has spent his career at the very cutting edge of genetics research and its application to drug discovery. With an international career spanning multi-national blue chips and brand new startups, Alun is now VP of Novel Target Biology & Genomics at C4X Discovery, a biotech company embracing technology in its pursuit of novel therapies. 

As we discussed his career, Alun shared his thoughts on: 

🧬 Technology in drug discovery, and how C4X are using virtual reality to design the molecules of the future 

🧬 The role of serendipity in shaping careers 

🧬 Why small companies are more fun 

🧬 Embracing learning, finding mentors and throwing yourself into new things 

Enjoy!

"Sometimes those horrible moments in life, when you feel crushed, are actually where the best things come from, and they build you as an individual." 

Caroline Barelle, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer at Elasmogen, has spent her career in drug discovery, spanning academia, biotech, big Pharma and back again. This breadth of experience has given her a unique perspective on the industry, and she joined us on Careers in Discovery to share her career journey. 

We discussed: 

💫 Collaborations and playing to your strengths 

💫 The differences between academia, biotech and big Pharma 

💫 The importance of the people around you 

💫 Why forgiveness is better than permission 

Enjoy!

“To be successful, you need to maintain focus and not be distracted by technology. Use it, but don’t be driven by it.”

Mark Treherne is a highly experienced CEO and Chairman, whose varied career has seen him view the Life Sciences industry from all angles. From academic research to big Pharma, from founding one of the UK’s first contract research organisations to a stint as CEO of the Life Sciences Organisation at UK Trade and Industry, Mark’s breadth of knowledge is truly unique.

Now CEO of Cellesce, a company expanding organoids for cancer research, Mark joined us on Careers in Discovery to talk about:

👁‍🗨 The early days of contract research

👁‍🗨 The differences between academia and big Pharma

👁‍🗨 Collaboration in science

👁‍🗨 What makes a good CEO

Enjoy!

"The magic bullet doesn't exist. You are the only person who can make the right decisions about you and your career, so you have to take the responsibility."

Dan Gooding is the CEO of Nuformix, a novel drug development company using co-crystal technology to repurpose existing medicines to treat new conditions.

Following a PhD in Biochemistry, Dan immediately moved into a career at the commercial end of science, and told us his story on the latest episode of Careers in Discovery.

We covered:

💎 The process behind great sales and business development

💎 Starting and running your own business

💎 The importance of resilience and determination

💎 The value of networking

Enjoy!

"In the world we live in today, where everybody's lives & careers are very visible on social media and the internet, there is this impression that successful people and companies are only ever on an upward trajectory. I think the reality is that building a company or having an impactful career is just really hard sometimes, and when the going gets tough, it doesn't mean you're doing something wrong - it's just part of the learning process."

Emma Sceats is the CEO of Isogenica, a synthetic antibody company enabling drug discovery programs around the world. Emma sat down with us on the latest episode of Careers in Discovery to discuss:

💡 How a fascination with marine biology (and particularly sharks!) led to a career in life sciences

💡 The importance of developing non-technical skills

💡 Getting out there and talking to people to find out where your passions lie

💡 Why networking is so important for graduates and academics

Enjoy!

"Age is the biggest risk factor for a wide range of diseases, so if we target age, can we also prevent and even reverse these conditions?"

This is the question which led Daniel Ives to found Shift Bioscience, an innovative biotech company using mitochondria to slow and potentially eliminate the effects of aging.

As a young, mission driven founder, Daniel shared what he's learned in the first two years of his entrepreneurial journey, including:

🕛 How Aubrey de Grey's book "Ending Aging" influenced his career

🕦 The epigenetic aging clock, and the impact of mitochondria on biological age

🕚 Reducing the pace of aging in mice by 40-60%

🕥 The importance of remaining flexible and open-minded

🕙 How to focus on the problem and keep making progress towards it

Enjoy!

"There's no-one talented enough to do the whole thing themselves. This is a team game, and you have to ask for help along the way."

Steve Gardner, CEO & founder of RowAnalytics, joined us on the latest episode of Careers in Discovery. After meeting his co-founder by answering a question posted on LinkedIn, Steve set about applying a powerful algorithm used to tackle a huge range of real-world problems to the challenges of healthcare.

In this insightful interview, Steve talked about:

💥 The state of AI in drug discovery

💥 Why diversity is so important to success when building a company

💥 The future of personalised medicine, and what it means for the Pharmaceutical industry

💥 His learns and insights from his NINE start up companies

Enjoy!