The pharma, biotech and medtech industries offer a wealth of job and career opportunities, but recent graduates and early-career professionals are often unaware of the many options available to them in the life sciences. This article briefly overviews the many job possibilities in the industry, including a link to a recently published book for those wanting an insider’s guide to further employment prospects.
Silicon Valley investment gurus have long promoted the idea that startups should ‘fake it till you make it’ to become successful. The infamous fall of Theranos is a perfect showcase of how this attitude can turn into a disaster. We take a closer look at this philosophy of exaggeration and weigh up the merits of ‘fact vs. fiction’ when life sciences entrepreneurs are dealing with potential investors.
Patient data can be extremely helpful for improving health. If properly utilized, valuable insights can be generated, leading to better care for all. To do this, we need a way to overcome the incompatibility of information systems used by different healthcare providers, so that we are able to conduct large-scale research projects using data from multiple sources. The key to this lies in implementing data standards, such as OMOP and FHIR – specific methods developed for the storage, sharing, and interpretation of healthcare data.
Nicky Deasy is Co-Founder and former Managing Partner at The Yield Lab Europe, one of the largest early-stage venture capital funds in the EU focused on the intersection of sustainability and agtech. Since stepping back from the day-to-day running of the fund, she is an Investment Committee Member at biotope by VIB, as well as advising a number of startups and investment funds focused on improving the environmental and carbon footprint of the agrifood industry. She shares her thoughts on how innovative ag- and food-tech startups can help us tackle climate change.
Bankruptcy, closures, and layoffs – oh my! But it’s not all doom and gloom for the biotech boom. Innovation is still in demand, and although the VC landscape is changing, companies are still able to find funds.
After recovering from metastatic colon cancer, Stefan Gijssels became a patient advocate dedicated to improving the healthcare system that saved his life. As Chair of the Belgian Patient Expert Center (PEC), he has helped to establish a training program turning patients into patient experts who can provide stakeholders like hospitals and companies with valuable insights during the innovation process.
Everyone in the investment business is familiar with the phenomenon of technology hypes. These trends tend to come and go like inevitable tidal waves, and it’s easy to get swept up in the furious rush. But should you go with the flow, or are you better off swimming against the tide of technology trends?
The biotech industry is suffering from a serious talent shortage, with start-ups in particular having an increasingly hard time filling C-level positions. Yet despite this difficulty, many job searches are failing to look beyond the industry’s stereotypical candidate, throwing their hands up in despair when the typical white middle-aged man can’t be found to fill the role. In broadening the search to include more diverse candidates – including women and people with different ethnic backgrounds – we will not only help to address the talent shortage but also strengthen the start-ups themselves. So how can a company build and maintain a more diverse management team?
Unprecedented collaborations between different pharmaceutical companies have resulted in extraordinary progress for HIV patients over the past four decades. From the first ever treatments, to single pills and now even long-acting injections, treatment options have come a long way. In this interview, Dr. Theresa Pattery (Head of Disease Management Programs at Janssen Pharmaceutica) tells us of this long journey and talks about the role of drones and phones in the world-wide fight against HIV.
The application of data science in the early stages of drug development is not new – progress in algorithms and computing power has been ongoing for years. We have reached the point where we have to reflect on the road travelled and look forward to upcoming opportunities and challenges. To further pave the way and reach the top in health data science, stakeholders will have to find each other and work together. Once everyone is on board, data science knows no bounds!
The pharma, biotech and medtech industries offer a wealth of job and career opportunities, but recent graduates and early-career professionals are often unaware of the many options available to them in the life sciences. This article briefly overviews the many job possibilities in the industry, including a link to a recently published book for those wanting an insider’s guide to further employment prospects.
Silicon Valley investment gurus have long promoted the idea that startups should ‘fake it till you make it’ to become successful. The infamous fall of Theranos is a perfect showcase of how this attitude can turn into a disaster. We take a closer look at this philosophy of exaggeration and weigh up the merits of ‘fact vs. fiction’ when life sciences entrepreneurs are dealing with potential investors.
Patient data can be extremely helpful for improving health. If properly utilized, valuable insights can be generated, leading to better care for all. To do this, we need a way to overcome the incompatibility of information systems used by different healthcare providers, so that we are able to conduct large-scale research projects using data from multiple sources. The key to this lies in implementing data standards, such as OMOP and FHIR – specific methods developed for the storage, sharing, and interpretation of healthcare data.
Nicky Deasy is Co-Founder and former Managing Partner at The Yield Lab Europe, one of the largest early-stage venture capital funds in the EU focused on the intersection of sustainability and agtech. Since stepping back from the day-to-day running of the fund, she is an Investment Committee Member at biotope by VIB, as well as advising a number of startups and investment funds focused on improving the environmental and carbon footprint of the agrifood industry. She shares her thoughts on how innovative ag- and food-tech startups can help us tackle climate change.
Bankruptcy, closures, and layoffs – oh my! But it’s not all doom and gloom for the biotech boom. Innovation is still in demand, and although the VC landscape is changing, companies are still able to find funds.
After recovering from metastatic colon cancer, Stefan Gijssels became a patient advocate dedicated to improving the healthcare system that saved his life. As Chair of the Belgian Patient Expert Center (PEC), he has helped to establish a training program turning patients into patient experts who can provide stakeholders like hospitals and companies with valuable insights during the innovation process.
Everyone in the investment business is familiar with the phenomenon of technology hypes. These trends tend to come and go like inevitable tidal waves, and it’s easy to get swept up in the furious rush. But should you go with the flow, or are you better off swimming against the tide of technology trends?
The biotech industry is suffering from a serious talent shortage, with start-ups in particular having an increasingly hard time filling C-level positions. Yet despite this difficulty, many job searches are failing to look beyond the industry’s stereotypical candidate, throwing their hands up in despair when the typical white middle-aged man can’t be found to fill the role. In broadening the search to include more diverse candidates – including women and people with different ethnic backgrounds – we will not only help to address the talent shortage but also strengthen the start-ups themselves. So how can a company build and maintain a more diverse management team?
Unprecedented collaborations between different pharmaceutical companies have resulted in extraordinary progress for HIV patients over the past four decades. From the first ever treatments, to single pills and now even long-acting injections, treatment options have come a long way. In this interview, Dr. Theresa Pattery (Head of Disease Management Programs at Janssen Pharmaceutica) tells us of this long journey and talks about the role of drones and phones in the world-wide fight against HIV.
The application of data science in the early stages of drug development is not new – progress in algorithms and computing power has been ongoing for years. We have reached the point where we have to reflect on the road travelled and look forward to upcoming opportunities and challenges. To further pave the way and reach the top in health data science, stakeholders will have to find each other and work together. Once everyone is on board, data science knows no bounds!