Basel, Basel, Switzerland
For ten years I was the entire commercial operation of a biotech company, sole contact for 80+ research laboratories across 14 countries, responsible for every sale, every training, every troubleshooting call, every distribution negotiation. The product was a perfusion bioreactor. I am a biomedical scientist by training — PhD, University of Basel — with 17 years in translational oncology and tissue engineering. The science is not a credential I carry separately from the commercial work. It is how I do the commercial work. 📍 Basel, Switzerland · Swiss C-permit · Open to new opportunities in FAS, scientific BD, or customer success
The scientific focus was making laboratory models that actually resemble the biology they're meant to represent: perfused, multicellular, patient-derived where possible. - Led R&D across multiple funded programmes; supervised and mentored PhD students through experimental design, execution, and publication - Served as scientific and operational interface for national and intenational funded consortia (SNF SINERGIA, NCCR-MSE, H2020 MSCA-ITN SINERGIA) Research contributions (full career): - 37 peer-reviewed publications; co-first author ×2, co-last ×2, co-corresponding ×2 - Co-investigator in grants >CHF 2M (H2020 MSCA-ITN, SNF Sinergia, NCCR-MSE, INTERREG) - Developed perfusion bioreactor applications
- Developed and optimized 3D tissue and tumor models within perfusion-based bioreactor systems to investigate stromal–tumor and bone–tumor interactions. - Established and maintained complex primary cell cultures, including stromal, osteogenic, and cancer-derived tissues, under dynamic culture conditions. - Managed day-to-day lab operations, including procurement, equipment maintenance, and protocol standardization. - Supervised Master’s and PhD students, providing technical guidance, training in 3D culture methods, and support in data interpretation and presentation. - Collaborated closely with surgeons, pathologists, and bioengineers to translate clinical and biological insights into preclinical model design. - Supported the validation of bioreactor prototypes in partnership with Cellec Biotek AG, contributing to iterative product refinement and proof-of-concept studies.
- Developed and optimized 3D tumor models using cell lines or primary tissue, forming organoids or grown in bioreactors. - Collaborated closely with surgeons, pathologists, and bioengineers to translate clinical and biological insights into preclinical model design. - Ensured compliance with ethical and biosafety standards for handling human-derived materials and animal experimentation (LTK1/LTK2 license).
Cellec Biotek was a Basel-based medtech spin-off producing the U-CUP perfusion bioreactor. From 2016 onward I was the company's sole operational resource, running all commercial, technical, and scientific activities independently. Commercial results: - 80+ academic and industrial customers served across 14 countries (Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific) - 44 Starter Kits and ~692 Disposable Kits sold; managed all pricing, quotations, and logistics in CHF and EUR - Strategic pharma accounts acquired in Switzerland, Japan, and the US - Distribution agreements negotiated and managed in China and Japan - Digital campaigns reaching 350,000+ contacts via LinkedIn and Facebook - Authored annual business reports (2016–2024) including sales data, market analysis, and customer acquisition/retention rate modelling (CAR/CRR) Technical application support: - On-site and remote training at customer institutions across Europe and North America - Primary support contact for international customers on system configuration, troubleshooting, and protocol adaptation Scientific representation & dissemination: - Represented Cellec Biotek at international conferences including EACR (Berlin, 2014), Swiss Society of Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine (2015), European Cancer Congress (Vienna, 2015), ECTS (online, 2020), and TERMIS-EU (Manchester, 2023) - Co-organised and co-presented scientific webinar hosted by React4Life (2023) on optimising tissue development through perfusion bioreactor technology R&D and product development: - Developed novel applications of the U-CUP system, including tissue chunks perfusion culture and patient-derived tumour models - Supported patent prosecution across multiple jurisdictions (US 2019, EU 2021, JP 2021, CA 2022) for WO2015181185A1; coordinated approval process as commercial rights holder - Contributed to product improvement initiatives, including pump evaluation and scaffold optimisation
The day to day activities involved in running a Chemist’s
Research Project: Investigation of cellular and molecular events related to carcinogenesis induced by exposure to xenobiotics