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In this episode of Life Science Success my guest is Benedicta Durcan, CEO of Afrobodies. Her work experience has been in complex industries and environments spanning 12 years in Private Sector globally and 8 years in Public Sector in South Africa. I am an Upstream Oil & Gas and Maritime industry Specialist. I am an innovator and contributor in the field of STEM.

• Benedicta Durcan is the co-founder and CEO of Afro Body, a biotechnology company in South Africa that produces biological products for global consumption, including novel antibodies.
• Benedicta's background is in chemical engineering, and she has worked in the oil and gas and energy sectors before starting Afro Body with co-founder Dr. Peter Durkin.
• Afro Body's antibodies are recombinant alpaca antibodies used in life science research, diagnostics, and therapeutics for various diseases.
• Benedicta's role involves stakeholder management and engagement, raising initial grant funding, building a team, finding collaborators and partnerships, and expanding the company's global reach.
• Companies and researchers come to Afro Body for custom antibodies to study specific proteins, detect or test for the presence of molecules or bacteria, or develop treatments for diseases.
• Benedicta is inspired by the passing it on philosophy and believes in leaving a legacy for her children.
• Benedicta is concerned about the geo policies, global economics, and competing priorities that exacerbate inequalities, particularly in access to lifesaving medicine.
• Benedicta is excited about traveling and continually expanding her world and perspective.

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In this episode of Life Science Success my guest is Jason Mundin, MBA who is the CEO of Ubiquigent.  Jason has over 30 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He joined Ubiquigent in 2015 as Commercial Director, becoming Managing Director in 2018 and CEO in 2021. 

• Jason Mundin is the CEO of Ubiquigent, a biotech company that focuses on drug discovery
• They have taken the company from a loss-making biotech to a profitable one.
• They are now focused on becoming a drug discovery-focused therapeutics company.
• They are actively engaged in securing inward investment.
• They are concerned about the state of funding for the life sciences industry.
• They are excited about the potential of their programs and the value they can bring to the industry.
• They believe that innovation is necessary due to limited resources and are constantly looking for ways to be innovative.
• They are excited to attend conferences and connect with people who are interested in their work.

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In this episode of the Life Science Success Podcast my guest is Pavel Printsev.  Pavel is the Director of Business Development at Bridge Biotherapeutics. Prior to joining Bridge in early 2021 he was working at a South Korean VC firm. Pavel’s academic background is in Organic Chemistry and worked as a Research Scientist for several years. Since then, he has been active in advancing scientific development through global partnership, collaboration and investment between South Korea and the rest of the world.

 

• Bridge Biotherapeutics is a small to mid-size Biotherapeutics company founded in 2015.
• They have clinical-stage assets in nonsmall cell lung cancer, ulcerative colitis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
• They also acquired a next-generation biosensor detection company, which is a thousand times more sensitive than the current commercial ECL biosensor device.
• Bridge Biotherapeutics is focused on maximizing resources and following the path where they see the most opportunity.
• Pavel Printsev is inspired by people who have become masters in their respective fields and are dedicated, motivated, ambitious, and do not give up.
• Concerns include the gap in research and unmet medical needs for indications that may not be profitable.
• Pavel is excited about the advancements in AI and deep learning, gene editing, and precision medicine.

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In this episode of Life Science Success, my guest is David Baram.  David Baram is the co-founder and CEO of Emendo Biotherapeutics. David has taken Emendo from the pre-seed stage through multiple financing rounds and a successful acquisition in 2020.

• Don Davis, PhD, MBA interviews David Baram, PhD, CEO of Emendo Biotherapeautics
• Mendo is focused on developing gene editing therapies for rare and prevalent diseases, including cardiovascular diseases.
• They discuss the challenges of managing a company with different interests at play, including investors and patients.
• They touch on the potential of AI and the need for regulation and control.
• David shares his motivation and excitement in achieving his goals and seeing his inventions materialize.

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In this episode of the Life Science Success podcast my guest is Robert Bruchet.  Robert is a General Manager - Middle East & Africa at Ethypharm. He applies a deep understanding of commercial levers to maximize the P&L and drive growth. Demonstrated leadership across multiple functions (marketing, sales, market access, and public affairs) and general management.

• Rob Bruchet discusses his work in the pharmaceutical industry in Africa and the Middle East
• He talks about the challenges of expanding a business in that region, particularly with established brands and price pressure
• Bruchet emphasizes the importance of diversity in those markets, noting the wide range of languages and cultures
• He also shares his experience working in Dubai and the sense of adventure that drove him to move there
• Bruchet enjoys the opportunity to create something new and make changes in his work, and he is motivated by the drive and ambition of younger people in the industry

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The interview discusses challenges faced by at-home diagnostic companies, including differentiation from competitors, market education, and lack of direct billing code. Opportunities for growth in the at-home healthcare market are highlighted, while concerns include the blurring of personal and work life and potential for overcommitment. Exciting developments in technology, particularly in digital health and medtech, are noted as improving quality of life for individuals.

• Challenges faced include differentiating from competitors, educating the market, and lack of direct billing code for at-home diagnostics
• Opportunities include growth as at-home healthcare becomes more mainstream
• Concerns include the blurring of the line between personal and work life and the potential for overcommitment
• Exciting developments in technology, particularly in the digital health and medtech fields, improving quality of life for individuals

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In this episode of the Life Science Success Podcast my guest is Chris Anderson.  Chris is a seasoned Pharmaceutical Professional with more than 20 years of experience in multiple fields within the Industry.

 

• Don Davis and Chris Anderson discuss the regenerative medicine industry
• Chris highlights the need for partnerships between companies and government entities
• The challenges of ensuring compliance and patient safety in a new and evolving industry are discussed
• Chris talks about being inspired by the people and ideas in the industry
• They both express excitement about the potential for future advancements in regenerative medicine and other areas like AI.

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In this episode of the Life Science Success podcast, my guest is Dr. Scott Wagers.  Scott is the CEO of BioSci Consulting, the author of Assembled Chaos, and the host of Beyond Publications podcast. (Consortium Whisperer)

 

• Dr. Scott Wagers helps people develop consortium projects to speed up the realization of the future of medicine.
• The translational gap is the delay between research findings and clinical implementation, and it takes about 17 years to cross.
• The bottleneck in the translational gap is the resistance to change and the lack of adoption.
• AI has the potential to free humans to focus on what they're really optimized for, which is creativity, pattern recognition, and working together.
• The human mind is optimized for certain things that AI can free us to focus on.
• Collective thinking of a bunch of different people is a very powerful computer in its own right.
• Leadership isn't just at the very top level; it's at every level, down to the PhD student who writes an outline or an SOP.
• Beyond Publications is a podcast about going beyond publications and pushing through the translational gap.
• Patients inspire Dr. Scott Wagers, and the translational gap concerns him.
• The dynamic of collective thinking and working together excites Dr. Scott Wagers.

 

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This week on the Life Science Success Podcast my guest is Nathan Clark.  Nathan is the co-founder of Ganymede and is passionate about biotechnology. He is at the frontier of biology and engineering, and has merged his profound knowledge in this field with business development to reimagine data infrastructure in the life sciences.

 

• Nathan Clark discusses his company's goal to become the infrastructure for the life sciences industry
• The industry is moving slowly in terms of digital transformation and data integration
• The complexity of data in the life sciences industry is a unique problem that requires a science of managing that complexity
• Instrument manufacturers are inhibiting connectivity by putting all their data into different formats
• The goal is to create a centralized data lake that can be mapped together and linked
• The complexity of the industry and the slow pace of digital transformation concerns Nathan Clark
• Nathan Clark is excited about the potential for scientific advancements in the life sciences industry, including understanding epigenetics and how biological systems interact with each other

 

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The Happy Engineer 🎧 Top Podcast Host || Helping Thousands of Engineering Leaders Reach the Next Level (without Suffering Burnout) || World's Best Lifestyle Engineer || CEO & Career Coach 

 

In this episode of Life Science Success, my guest is Zach White.   Zach is the host of the Happy Engineer Podcast, and he is also a career coach who is helping thousands of engineering leaders reach the next level without suffering burnout. 

 

• Zach White discusses the challenges that engineers face in their careers, including continually increasing demands and the need to balance leadership development with technical knowledge.
• He also discusses the importance of mindset and coaching to help engineers achieve their goals and find fulfillment in their work.
• Zach is inspired by seeing clients take courageous steps and achieve what they previously thought was impossible.
• He is concerned about the impact of financial systems and policies on the economy and the need for continual learning in the face of rapidly advancing technology.
• Zach is excited about travel and the opportunity to experience new places and cultures.
• The Happy Engineer Podcast, hosted by Zach, focuses on helping engineers build their careers, balance their lives, and find happiness along the way.