Basel Metropolitan Area
I am a Principal Scientist with over 10 years of experience in pharma R&D, specializing in translating complex science into actionable pipeline strategies and driving their execution. Beyond leading cross-functional matrix teams from screening through portfolio entry, I am deeply passionate about driving operational excellence through digital transformation and AI-assisted workflows: - Scientific Leadership: Direct cross-functional team efforts to drive strategic direction and portfolio impact. - Translational Scientist: Experience bridging the gap between bench and bedside, including the reverse translation of clinical insights back into discovery workstreams. - External Innovation: Led Search & Evaluation of external assets as well as management of partnerships with CROs, academic labs, as well as industry partners. -Strategic Communication: Combine deep scientific knowledge with digital workflows to translate complex preclinical datasets into high-impact narratives for senior leadership and governance committees. - Digital Platform Leadership: Served as a super-user and adoption champion for enterprise-wide platform rollouts, including Signals ELN and Genedata Screener, standardizing workflows across cross-functional teams. - AI-Assisted Productivity: Actively leverage AI tools for complex data analysis, scripting, and rapid literature synthesis. I thrive in ambiguous, fast-paced environments and pride myself on being a rapid, self-directed learner. Whether I am steering a cross-functional portfolio decision or introducing a new digital platform to my colleagues, my goal is always to empower teams and accelerate the delivery of novel therapies. Feel free to connect or reach out!
- Scientific Leadership: Quickly pivoted to a new disease area and coordinated and executed on a new strategy by designing, implementing, and optimizing HTS-ready assays as well as disease models. - Matrix Leadership: Directed a cross-functional project team from initial strategy definition through to the critical portfolio entry decision, managing risk and resource allocation within a complex matrix environment. - Strategic Communication: Translated complex preclinical datasets and strategic assessments into high-impact narratives, successfully preparing portfolio entry documents for governance committees and senior Roche leadership under tight timelines. - Digital & AI Integration: Championed operational standardization by serving as a super-user for Signals ELN and Genedata Screener rollouts, while actively integrating AI-assisted tools for rapid data analysis and literature synthesis.
- Translational Strategy: Directed the reverse translation of Phase 2 clinical insights into early discovery insights, successfully structuring ambiguous scientific questions into actionable, milestone-driven project plans as project leader. - Innovative systems: Performed a 6 month 50% rotation at the Roche Institute for Human Biology (IHB) in order to work on cutting-edge in vitro liver models (organoids, Organ-on-Chip) and evaluate their suitability for R&D efforts. - External Innovation: Led a strategic alliance with a partner, supervised several postdoctoral fellows achieving key publications and served as biology expert for several immune-related Search & Evaluation efforts. - Cross-Functional Execution: Built and steered collaborative teams spanning internal functions and external partners, ensuring strict alignment on strategic objectives and timelines across multiple fast-paced project teams. - Stakeholder Management: Consistently translated technical complexity into clear strategic messaging during presentations to senior leadership and external partners. - People Leadership: Acted as the de-facto line manager and primary mentor for two Research Associates, providing day-to-day task design and long-term career coaching.
- Biology Leader: Drove efficacy evaluation of anti-sense oligo (ASO) as well as siRNA-based drugs in vitro as well as in vivo; Lead in-house studies by desigining experiments, analyzing and presenting data and ensuring proper data management. Coordinated in vivo experiments with CROs and coordinating the study from start to finish, including cross-functional alignment to overcome logistical hurdles. - Quick adaptation: Led discovery efforts for SARS-CoV-2 antivirals including setting up appropriate in vitro models and identifying the right partners for external studies in an extremely fast-paced situation. - External Innovation: Acted as the Biology Lead for key Search & Evaluation activities, structuring and delivering integrated asset assessments by coordinating parallel workstreams across Safety, DMPK, and Business Development. - External Alliance Management: Drove external innovation by managing CRO collaborations and academic partnerships, monitoring project plans and ensuring quality and timeline adherence across organizational boundaries.
- Autonomous Project Delivery: Successfully led and delivered a self-directed research program in a premier industry setting, managing the project autonomously from conception to conclusion. - Computational Data Pipelines: Established robust computational data pipelines to accelerate scientific analysis, demonstrating technical fluency and data management capabilities. - Scientific Communication: Published key research findings in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals. - Supported project teams with in vitro data generation, consulting on immunological assays as well as set up of dedicated in vivo studies for asset efficacy and PK/PD evaluation
- Translational Research: Designed and executed impactful translational immuno-oncology studies, building deep, foundational expertise in tumor immunology and experimental design. - Immuno-Oncology R&D: Successfully learned key immunological techniques (multiparametric flow cytometry, ELISA, ELIspot) and identified potential immunotherapy targets. - Mentorship & Team Development: Mentored and guided junior researchers in experimental design, data analysis, and rigorous scientific methodology. - Global Engagement: Successfully communicated complex scientific findings by presenting research data at various international conferences.
- In-depth molecular biology experience: Designed and generated plasmids for overexpression in E. coli - Introduction to scientific documentation - General lab support (buffer preparation etc.)