Careers in Discovery

This week on Careers in Discovery, we sat down with Marco Schmidt, CSO of biotx.ai, to talk about AI, Biotech, and the future of drug discovery. Marco’s career has taken him from Biochemistry to Biotech start-ups, where he’s using causal inference to reshape clinical trials and drug development. We explored the evolution of AI in science, the rise of tech-bio companies, and why he believes this is...

This week on Careers in Discovery, we’re joined by Tommi Kainu, Chairman of GlyProVac, a Biotech developing bacterial vaccines with the potential to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Tommi’s career has taken him from medicine and research to consulting at BCG and leadership roles in Biotech. He shared insights on GlyProVac’s work, why commercial thinking is key in drug development, and lessons from...

This week, Emma spoke with Martijn Van De Bunt, Chief Scientific Officer at Cytoki Pharma, a pioneering Biotech in Denmark developing IL-22-based therapies for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. Martijn shared insights from his journey from medicine and academia to leading a lean, globally connected Biotech team advancing transformative therapies. Martijn discussed the pivot...

This week, we welcomed Jordi Carreras-Puigvert, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Phenaros, a Swedish company revolutionising drug discovery at the intersection of artificial intelligence and life sciences. Jordi shared his journey from personal tragedy inspiring a career in science, to leading a cutting-edge platform combining high-content microscopy and AI to accelerate therapeutic deve...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, Emma sits down with Henri Huttunen, Chief Scientific Officer at Herantis Pharma, a Finnish biotech developing ground-breaking therapies for Parkinson’s and related neurodegenerative diseases. Henri shares the exciting progress on their next-generation molecule that crosses the blood-brain barrier and their innovative approach to tackling the challenges of c...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, Emma is joined by Arvid Söderhall, the first employee and project lead at Empros Pharma, as he shares his unique journey from physicist to biotech innovator. Arvid unveils the vision behind Empros Pharma’s pioneering work to combat obesity with a pharmaceutical approach to gastric bypass surgery. Emma and Arvid’s conversation delves into the evolution of Em...

This week on Careers in Discovery, we’re joined by Jonas Dyhrfjeld-Johnsen, Chief Development Officer and Managing Director at Acousia Therapeutics, a company developing innovative therapies to preserve and restore hearing. Jonas shares his journey from academic Biophysics to Biotech leadership, reflecting on the importance of adaptability and continuous learning. We discuss Acousia’s groundbreaki...

Could microglia hold the key to treating neurodegenerative diseases? This week on Careers in Discovery, Emma Hobbs is with David Gray, Chief Scientific Officer at Vigil Neuroscience, who is pioneering new approaches to harness the brain’s immune system. David shares his unique career journey, from aspiring author to leading drug discovery programs at Pfizer and now in Biotech. He reflects on the p...

This week on Careers in Discovery, we’re joined by Rodrigo Santos, CTO of clock.bio, a company pushing the boundaries of cellular rejuvenation to tackle age-related diseases. Rodrigo shares the fascinating work happening at clock.bio, including their hypothesis-free approach to uncovering rejuvenation factors and the creation of their “Atlas of Rejuvenation Factors.” We also got to hear about Rodr...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, we had the pleasure of talking to Jen Fortune, Chief Operating Officer at Precede Biosciences. Jen shared her fascinating journey, from a PhD in chemistry to consulting, big pharma, and now driving operations in a cutting-edge liquid biopsy company. Her story is one of curiosity, grit, and seizing opportunities alongside incredible people. We also explored...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, we’re with James Field, the founder and CEO of LabGenius, as we discuss his remarkable journey from PhD student to biotech entrepreneur. James reveals the vision behind LabGenius, a company harnessing the power of machine learning and protein engineering to transform therapeutic antibody discovery. Our conversation explores the challenges of early-stage ent...

This week on Careers in Discovery we’re with Katie Binley, CSO of Ikarovec, a gene therapy company tackling chronic eye diseases like geographic atrophy and age-related macular degeneration. Katie shares Ikarovec’s incredible journey—from starting out in the middle of a pandemic to securing a £5 million funding extension—and how a small, tight-knit team made it all happen. Katie tells us all about...

In this week’s episode of Careers in Discovery we’re talking with Lucas Arruda, CSO at CuraCell, a biotech on a mission to push the boundaries of cancer treatment using TIL (tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte) therapy. Lucas shares how CuraCell is working to expand TIL treatment beyond "hot" tumours like melanoma to tougher "cold" tumours, including prostate cancer—offering hope for patients who often...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, we're joined by Lindsay Davies, Chief Scientific Officer at NextCell Pharma. Lindsay’s work focuses on harnessing the potential of umbilical cord-derived cells to treat autoimmune diseases, especially type 1 diabetes. She shares her inspiring journey from academia to leading cutting-edge cell therapy trials, driven by a commitment to patient-centred science...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, we welcome Torleif Gjølberg, CSO and co-founder of Authera, a biotech innovator transforming antibody and albumin-based therapeutics. Torleif takes us through Authera's journey from its academic beginnings in Oslo to becoming a revenue-generating company with a clear mission: to drive therapeutic innovation. He reflects on his path from molecular biology to...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, we’re joined by Christian Code, Chief Technology Officer at Dianox, as we explore how his career journey took him from being a young science enthusiast in Canada to leading a cutting-edge biotech startup in Denmark. Christian opens up about the unexpected path that led him into the world of diagnostics and therapeutics, where he and his team are now using A...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery I sit down with Simon Young, VP of Translational Science at C4X Discovery. Simon’s career has taken some fascinating twists and turns, from veterinary medicine to electrical engineering, and eventually into diagnostics, drug discovery and precision medicine. He shares how those experiences have shaped his approach today, and how staying flexible, taking on n...

This week on Careers in Discovery, I'm joined by Dr Peter Pack, an influential figure in the Biotech industry whose journey has taken him from Germany to the dynamic Biotech landscape of the UK, where he now operates as a strategic partner and advisor to Private Equity firms and startups. In our conversation, Peter shared his diverse experience, including his time as a CEO for nearly 20 years and...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery we sit down with Adam Glen, co-founder of Unicorn Biotechnologies, to talk about his journey from academia to building a biotech company that’s tackling one of the biggest pain points in life sciences: manual cell culture. Adam shares the frustrations that led him to start his own company, explaining how his experiences in academia and industry shaped his vi...

In this episode of Careers in Discovery we’re joined by Volker Herrmann, CEO of Sonata Therapeutics, for a fascinating conversation about his journey from a cardiologist to a biotech leader. Volker shares the moments in his career that led him to question the traditional approaches in medicine, which sparked his innovative thinking at Sonata Therapeutics. He discusses the company's unique approach...

In this week’s episode of Careers in Discovery, we sit down with Marcin Paduch, Head of Platform Biology at Metaphore Biotechnologies. Marcin shares his insight into the exciting work happening at Metaphore, where they’re using the power of biomimicry and machine learning to develop new therapeutics. He explains how their MIMIC platform helps tackle tough therapeutic challenges, particularly in ar...

In this latest episode of Careers in Discovery, we sit down with Alistair Henry, the new Chief Scientific Officer at UCB, to talk about his remarkable 26-year journey with the company. Alistair shares his passion for science and how it led him from a curious teenager to a leader in drug discovery, working on ground-breaking projects in immunology and neurology. Alistair opens up about the exciteme...

This week on Careers in Discovery, we're delighted to be joined by Kenny Duncan, SVP of Chemistry at Accent Therapeutics, where we explore the evolving landscape of drug discovery and the critical role chemistry plays in advancing new therapies. Kenny takes us through his incredible career journey, from his early passion for chemistry to becoming a leader in Boston’s thriving biotech industry. We...

Could AI be the key to reducing the high failure rate in drug discovery? This week on Careers in Discovery, we explore this critical question with Richard Law, Chief Business Officer at Exscientia, who has been at the forefront of integrating AI into the Biotech industry for decades. Richard shares his fascinating career journey, from his early days as a Computational Chemist to his current role l...

This week I’m joined by Hazel Jones, CEO of Enhanc3d Genomics. Hazel shares her journey from her early days in Biotech to leading a company at the cutting edge of 3D genomics. We explored Hazel's career path, her transition into a CEO role and her insights on leadership, the significance of networking, and balancing professional and personal life.