In this episode, I talked with Dr. Leila Jaffar, CEO of Nuclidium, where she shares her journey from a childhood influenced by her father's passion for science to becoming a leader in the biotech industry. She discusses the challenges she faced during her career, including personal and professional, and her transition from academia to industry. Leila elaborates on the mission of Nuclidium, focusing on the development of copper-based diagnostics and therapeutics for oncology. She also emphasizes the importance of company culture, the impact of every team member, and the lessons learned in leadership and hiring.

Here's what you're in:

• What is the goal with Nuclidium?
• How can networking becomes crucial for career advancement?
• Why did you decide to go down the founder route?

Timestamps:

02:08 Journey into Life Sciences

04:26 Dealing With Career's Lowest Point

09:31 Getting A Job After Finishing PhD

11:09 Founding of her Own Company

14:37 Nuclidium and What Sets It Apart

21:55 Why Join Nuclidium - What is its Culture?

24:22 Lessons Learned Through Hiring and Managing People

27:38 Quickfire Questions

About Leila

Dr. Leila Jaafar, CEO of Nuclidium, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical working on copper-based diagnostics and therapeutics. Dr. Leila is also the co-founder of LinaThera, which is partnered with Nuclidium and focuses on the production of medical radionuclides. Prior to joining Nuclidium, she was the CEO of Swiss Nuclides for 5 years and Program Manager at Areva for 6 years. Outside of her professional role, she plays the violin and loves to read in her free time.

Connect with Leila

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leila-jaafar-605642130/

Company Website: https://nuclidium.com/

About Me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.

In this episode, I talked with Roger Waltzman, Chief Medical Officer at Indaptus Therapeutics, discussing his career, overview of Indaptus, the development of Indaptus’ lead candidate, and the challenges of cancer treatment. We explore the benefits of a multi-targeted approach in immunotherapy, the story, and the lessons he learned from the failed Phase 3 trial of Vadimezan. Roger also serves as a Board of a non-profit organization called GoDocGo which provides low-cost cervical cancer screening in low-middle income countries and its impact.

Here's what you're in:

• What are other lessons from the Vadimezan Phase III failure?
• What is unique about Indaptus?
• Why are so few companies focused on multi-targets and instead focus mostly on targeted therapy?

Timestamps:

00:38 Introduction and Career Background

02:16 About Indaptus' Broad Immune Stimulant

05:08 Advantages of a Broad, Multi-Targeted Approach

10:08 Why Companies Don't Do Broad, Multi-Targeted Approach

13:44 Vadimezan and its Science

16:06 Learning Experiences from Clinical Trials of Vadimezan

21:58 Insights About Rushing the Trials into Phase III

26:53 GoDocGo: Inexpensive Cervical Cancer Screening

About Roger

Roger Waltzman is a Chief Medical Officer at Indaptus Therapeutics, where he leads the Phase 1a/b immuno-oncology program. Indaptus develops anti-cancer and anti-viral immunotherapy products, with its lead candidate, Decoy20, currently in Phase 1 trials. Indaptus' proprietary platform utilizes non-pathogenic bacteria and has patent protection in 32 countries. Before Indaptus, Dr. Waltzman held CMO roles at Molecular Templates and RegenX (now Inspirna), and he spent nine years at Novartis, where he led clinical development teams, including the Jakavi collaboration. Dr. Waltzman also holds an MD from Brown and an MBA from Columbia. He serves as a Board of a non-profit organization called GoDocGo which provides low-cost cervical cancer screening.

Connect with Roger

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-waltzman-021bb91/

Company Website: https://indaptusrx.com/

Organization: https://www.godocgo.org/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.

In this episode, I spoke with Gertjan Bartlema, the co-founder Populus Bio and CEO of Immodulon Therapeutics. Over 20 years in big pharma at Celgene/Amgen and then moved into the fast pace world of biotech. From here, he has been challenging the status quo and asking the question “Is our current drug development approaches sustainable?”. Gertjan highlights the need for better clinical trial designs and the importance of making objective decisions based on data. He also offers valuable insights for aspiring executives on leadership and team dynamics.

Here's what you're in:

• How many drugs fail end-points due to Bad Leadership?
• Why does Gertjan believe sequential and traditional drug Development can kill innovation within Drug Development?.
• What advice does Gertjan give to those wanting to become a CEO?

Timestamps:

02:53 The Abraxane Course Correction

06:03 Gertjan’s Journey into Life Sciences

10:40 Leaving Celgene and New Ventures

15:50 Bayesian Statistics in Clinical Studies

19:27 Mistakes Companies Are Still Making Today

25:38 The Ambitious People

35:46 Advice for Aspiring Executives

About Gertjan

Gertjan Bartlemais co-founder of Populus Bio and current CEO of Immodulon Therapeutics which is running cancer trials focusing on a broad spectrum immunomodulator. He is a global biotech executive with extensive experience in EU and US operational roles and he is a member of founding Celgene EMEA management establishing EU footprint and launching Revlimid. Prior to joining Immodulon, he was the Chief Business Officer of Vico Therapeutics, and spent 12 years with Celgene, where he led the trial of Revlimid. Gertjan holds MSc in Economics from Maastricht University.

Connect with Gertjan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gertjan-bartlema/

Populus Bio: https://populusbio.com/

Immodulon Therapeutics: https://www.immodulon.com/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.

In this episode, I discuss the three most common reasons hiring managers reject candidates, focusing on aspects that are often within the candidate's control. I highlight the importance of cultural fit, alignment of interests, and clarity in communication during interviews. I give tips to improve your interview performance and avoid common pitfalls that lead to rejection.

Here's what you're in:

• How cultural fit can be influenced by candidate behavior?
• How using vague terms like 'strategy' can lead to misunderstandings?
• Why building rapport with interviewers is crucial for success?

Timestamps:

01:09 Background Story

03:37 Not a Good Cultural Fit

07:29 Candidates Going To Get Bored/ Not Hands-on Enough

12:01 Not Giving Straight to the Point Answers

16:52 Summary

About Me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

In this episode, I talked with Caroline Vermeulen, Recruitment & HR at Eminence, as she discussed into the details of the hiring process, highlighting the value of putting candidates first. She gave insights on common mistakes in recruiting, the importance of authenticity in communication, and the relationship between hiring managers and recruiters.

Caroline and I also shared stories of both our best and worst hiring experiences, emphasizing out the need for clear expectations and good communication. Our conversation wraps up with a round of quickfire questions, providing more tips on recruitment best practices.

Here's what you're in:

• What are the most common hiring mistakes and how does that affect things later on?
• How long should a CV be? How long should an interview be?
• To give or not to give controversial feedback to candidates?

Timestamps:

01:50 Introduction and Career Background

03:16 Caroline's New Mission: candidate-first

06:19 Common Mistakes in Recruitment Processes

09:31 Importance of Authenticity in Communication

11:11 Communication Strategies with Hiring Managers

16:35 Building a Smooth and Clean Recruitment Process

22:43 Best and Worst Experience in Recruitment

34:00 Quickfire Questions and Insights

About Caroline

Caroline Vermeulen is a Recruitment & HR at Eminence. She has an educational background of Bsc in Life sciences/Biotechnology, has over a decade of experience in the industry, including early-phase trials for generics, cell and gene therapies, immunotherapies, and pain medications, and has helped over a thousand candidates find jobs as a recruiter. Transitioning from agency to corporate recruitment, she faced challenges due to the complexities of corporate structures and the challenges in communication. Now, she is excited to launch her new business, candidate-first.com, focused on delivering quality candidate responses.

Connect with Caroline

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinevermeulen1/

Website: www.candidate-first.com

About Me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.

In this episode, I talk about the importance of asking intelligent questions during job interviews. I share insights from my experience coaching candidates, emphasizing how well-structured questions can show enthusiasm, knowledge, and fitness for the role. I cover the types of questions to ask, how to structure them effectively, and the timing to maximize impact. I also discuss the importance of understanding the hiring manager's needs and building rapport throughout the interview process.

Here's what you're in for:

• How to ask intelligent questions in an interview?
• What are the types of questions can you focus on?
• Which stages of the interview is the best time to ask the questions?

Timestamps:

01:51 Interview Strategies

03:25 The Situation

06:39 The Three Main Topics of the Questions

10:13 Examples of Questions to Ask

11:09 How to Ask Iintelligent Questions

21:25 Summary

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

In this episode, I talked with Troels Jordansen, chairman at KELI Therapeutics, where he discusses the ongoing recession in the biotech industry. He shares insights from the Advanced Therapies Congress in Lisbon, highlighting investor optimism and the importance of smart hiring and team building in biotech companies.

Troels shares valuable lessons learned from past experiences, including the need for companies to secure sufficient funding and the significance of having the right people in key positions. The discussion also covers Troels' interest in the hair care market, highlighting its increasing connection with biotech.

Here's what you're in:

• What do people forget during the good times?
• Why this recession is not the worst?
• What are the big mistakes companies are still making?

Timestamps:

02:17 Introduction and Career Background

07:43 Biotech Recession and Insights from the Advanced Therapies Congress

12:46 Strategies on Reaching Out to Investors

18:13 The Challenges of Being in a Hiring Position

21:16 Finding the Right People for the Team

25:50 Lessons from Past and the Current State of the Biotech Inddustry

28:36 Exploring the Hair Care Market

About Troels

Troels Jordansen is the Executive Chairman at KELI Therapeutics, a stem cell and gene therapy company based in Lithuania, with nearly 30 years of experience in international healthcare of which about 25 years focusing on tissue engineering and cellular therapies. Though not a scientist, his commercial expertise has led him to roles in pioneering companies like Genzyme and Isotis, where he contributed to major innovations and IPOs. Troels has a marketing and management background earned from Copenhagen Business School and Aarhus Business College.

Connect with Troels

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troelsjordansen/
• Website: https://keli.eu/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
• Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.

In this episode, I talked with Sophie, a leader at the Italian pharmaceutical company Bracco, about her experiences and learnings at the Harvard’s negotiation course. Sophie shares her experiences attending the course, highlighting the immersive nature of the program and the diverse backgrounds of participants. We discuss her key takeaways from the course, including the importance of gathering information and maximizing value in negotiations.

The podcast also covers practical strategies for negotiating salaries and promotions, emphasizing the importance of understanding one's value and the company's perspective.

Here's what you're in:

• Where do people go wrong in negotiation?
• Is Trump a good negotiator?
• How could the Harvard Negotiation Course benefit people working in clinical research?

Timestamps:

01:41 Introduction to Bracco and Career Background

04:40 The Harvard Negotiation Course Experience - What's in it?

12:26 Key Takeaways from the Course

18:29 The Qualities of a Good Negotiator

20:42 How Good Negotiators Do Negotiation

26:44 Negotiating Better Salaries and Promotions

30:15 Final Thoughts on Negotiation

About Sophie

Sophie He is the Head of M&A and Partnering at Bracco, the globally leading players in diagnostic pharmaceuticals. She has over a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has been heavily involved in M&A and business development, which goes with her passion of negotiation. Prior to her roles in pharma, she gained experience in consulting and banking. She holds a PhD from MIT and NUS (National Univeristy of Singapore), has recently attended a Harvard Course, and is a CFA holder.

Connect with Sophie

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-he-phd/

Website: https://www.bracco.com/

Harvard Course Link: https://www.exed.hbs.edu/changing-game-negotiation-competitive-decision-making

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch his firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/

Website: https://www.discera-search.com/

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.