Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
I am a passionate scientist with +10 years of proven track-record in achieving high quality results in challenging projects. My career dedication has always been to contribute to accelerating health innovation, especially for developing new technological frontiers in nucleic acid therapies. I am a highly communicative scientist facilitating teamwork and the success of collaborative projects, with excellent organizational and analytical capabilities. Committed to working closely with scientists, multidisciplinary partners, key stakeholders and leading developers in the RNA field to foster next generation therapeutics based on oligonucleotides and mRNA technology.
• Independently led an end-to-end small project combining nutrition and musculoskeletal health. Building a solid in-house network and coordinating interdisciplinary experts activities in support of the translation of a business opportunity into a new nutritional concept. • Setting up a consumer study and conducting its analysis to align the project plan with consumer needs and business objectives. • Managed meeting planning and execution to keep inform key stakeholders by clearly communicating results through dynamic reporting and providing recommendations for key issue resolution. • Identifying, approaching and negotiating with Nestlé business brands to get their support in further prototype development • Supported scientific and regulatory experts by analyzing and reporting on new trends in nutritional care market and gathering all relevant information and data (R&D, clinical studies and regulatory) to adapt our healthcare concept. • Successful project delivery to Nestlé's Accelerator Program to strict budget, deadline, and organization body guidelines
• Providing scientific leadership in an entrepreneurial context to develop an innovative therapeutic strategy with a neuroprotective application to delay photoreceptor death/blindness. • Data reviewing and reporting on preclinical and clinical studies as well as patent-based, to assess opportunities and related-risk about repositionable new chemical entities (small molecules and antisense oligonucleotides). • Proactively contributed to the design and execution of feasibility, validation and testing studies of antisense oligonucleotide drug candidates. • Participating in project reports, grant fundings, presentations and negotiation with upper management. • Led the financial arrangement within a consortium of 5 European partners (industry & academia) for a European grant application.
• Investigation of the mechanisms at the origin of retinal degeneration (epigenetics, DNA damage and repair) and testing of novel therapeutic targets on transgenic mouse model, retinal explants and cell lines. • Implemented efficient transcriptomic assays (PCR, RT-qPCR) supported by RNA-seq analysis identifying potential new biomarkers involved in the neurodegenerative timeline of a retinal dystrophy model. • Elaboration and design of experiments, by harnessing state-of-the-art molecular methods and cellular engineering techniques for the development of a promising unique therapeutic approach to be applied to multiple genetic disorders. • Conducted experiments for hit-to-lead studies of drug candidates.
• R&D project leader for early drug development: antisense oligonucleotide profiling & mode-of-action studies. • Development and optimization of high-throughput experiments for cellular, molecular and multiplex immunostaining to characterize lead compounds under GLP conditions. • Liaising with a pharma company as partner for preclinical studies of antisense oligonucleotide-based drugs: technology transfer, assist in assays automation and troubleshooting, maintaining complete and accurate records of study progress. • Providing technological expertise and scientific input for preclinical protocol development (PK, PD, safety) for RNA-based drug and operational activities conducted by a CRO • Supporting the team in defining project strategies, prioritizing work and resources to maintain fit-to-purposes quality environment and managed field-based project responsibilities as they pertain to the translational studies • Successful collaboration in biomedical projects: provided expertise in RNA biology, conducted gene expression and functional analyses to characterize RNA spliced products in genetic ophthalmo, neuro and kidney disorders, developed new biomarker and cell-based assays. • Led data management ensuring the quality grade expected for deliverables & IP documentation. Writing reports, publications & grants. • Collective responsibilities: in charge of the lab's stock-keeping material/reagents, and the management of the cell culture lab.