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How t o do Clin ical Tr ials w it h a Cancer Drug
Interview with Dorte Klokker, Head of Clinical Operations at RochePAGE 6
Par t ner Insight s Featuring Accelerace, Novo Nordisk Regulatory Affairs and Roche PAGE 10
Building an Ant ibody Innovat ion Powerhouse
Exclusive interview with Genmab CEO, Jan van de WinkelPAGE 3
6th Issue | Spring 2018
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Cont ent s
6th Issue | Spring 2018
Cover photo designs by Mark Out r idge
Pictures taken by Jonas Krøner [email protected]
6 How t o do Clin ical Tr ials w it h a Cancer DrugA video interview about the purpose of clinical trials with Dorte Klokker, Head of Clinical Operations at Roche Denmark.
3 Building an Ant ibody Innovat ion PowerhouseJan van de Winkel, CEO of Genmab, attended the Copenhagen Life Science Summit as a speaker. We caught him for an interview.
7 Event Announcem ent sList of events to attend.
8 Shor t & SweetShort news in life science.
10 Par t ner Insight sFeaturing Accelerace, Novo Nordisk Regulatory Affairs and Roche.
16 Synapse Mem oryA look back at our past events.
17 Synapse InsiderEmily Barot opens up about the SCUK team.
22 Synapse Career Aid KitTips and tricks for students attending conferences
24 Synapse SaysIndustry professionals answer magazine readers' questions
21 The 13t h Danish Conference on Biot echnologyCoverage of the annual conference organized by Danish Biotechnological Society
20 Doing Business In Synapse was fortunate to have two team members attend Doing Business In 2018.
18 Synapse Connect UK 2018Andreas Obers from Synapse shares his experience with Synapse UK Connect.
Main Ar t icles In Ot her News
Event s & Shor t News
Career Help & Advice
Synapse Par t ner Insight s
Synapse Wit hin
Ext ras
27 iLAB - Int erdisciplinary Life-Science Applicat ion BusThe winner essay of the Copenhagen Life Science Summit 2018 competition
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Building an Ant ibody Innovat ion Powerhouse
At the Copenhagen Life Science Summit 2018, Jan van de Winkel, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the international biotech company Genmab A/S, held an inspiring presentation about building an innovative powerhouse. After the presentation, Synapse had the chance to talk with him.
Thank you for a great presentation here at the
CLSS 2018. We are curious to know what it is like to
be a CEO when you have a background in life
science?
?I think it actually helps, because biotech is about
both having an eye for the details, as well as for the
broader picture. The fact that I was the CSO for the
first eleven years helps, because I also learned a lot
about the business in those years, and it actually
gives a better, clearer, and more transparent way to
understand the business and think about the next
steps.?
How does Genmab stay in touch with the scientific
community and collaborate with academia?
?We are organizing a lot of lectures and
symposiums, next month we will open up a new
R&D facility in Utrecht. Before the official opening,
we have already organized an international
symposium earlier this week with amazing
speakers, as a clear signal that we want to
communicate with the outside world and attract
people from academic institutes, to really help us
think about how we can address treatment of
diseases in a better way. So we are very actively
working together with academia. Furthermore, as a
global company, we have great interactions with
different teams in Denmark, the Netherlands and
the US as well as academic interactions across
Europe and the US. These academic interactions
are always focused on certain disease targets or
certain scientific approaches. So we are already
involved in a lot of collaborations, and we will in
Written by Sven HollmannTeam Member of Synapse
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fact intensify our efforts for collaboration in the
coming time.?
What have been the biggest challenges for
Genmab in the company?s relatively short
existence?
?The challenge is that you are developing drugs
over a 10-year time frame and sometimes the
market does not give companies that time. Events
occur in the market; economic crises or other
crises, which then can make it very difficult for a
company to recapitalize. In the early days Genmab
needed a number of funding rounds, but
sometimes funding was not available due to the
macroeconomic situation. So the biggest challenge
was to ensure continued market support to help
develop the products and ultimately the company.
Like any other industry, it is all about the products
in the end. The challenge with biotech products is
that it takes such a long time to develop them, so
what you need is a very strong business plan, which
gives the business clear direction and focus.
Obviously there needs to be flexibility in that
business plan, because things do change over time,
especially in an industry such as ours with long
development timelines. So for Genmab, we have
recognized that we need to be well capitalized at all
t imes, so that the business is independent of the
market. Right now the company is in a state where
it is sustainably profitable with a growing income
stream, so from here we can build a stronger and
better company. To create this situation has
sometimes been challenging during the past
decade.?
As you said, Genmab is now very well-funded, but
how did Genmab avoid getting acquired by a
bigger player during the company?s early years?
?I think it is a combination of being very focused on
our future development and very clear in our
communication that our aim is to build an
independent strong biotech company. I think it
helps to ensure you are well capitalized, so as a
company you are less vulnerable to potential
takeover attempts especially during the early years.
The best defense for a takeover is a high share
price and Genmab?s stock did really well. We have
been very clear and transparent on the fact that we
want to create an independent business. There are
not many hostile takeovers in our industry. Usually
companies are acquired when they have signaled
that there may be better prospects for the
company by being part of a bigger entity. I believe
that we can build far more substantial value by
staying independent as an innovation powerhouse,
that is what our strength is. I do not see a scenario
where Genmab has thousands of employees, I see
a scenario where the company has maybe several
hundred very talented employees. Our motto is:
keep the brains inside and hands outside of the
company. What we mean by that is that we can
outsource some of the operational tasks, but keep
the knowledge and the strategy ? the intellectual
part ? inside the company. A good example is the
deal we have with Janssen [ Janssen
Pharmaceuticals obtained the exclusive global
rights to commercialize daratumumab from
Genmab in 2012]. Janssen is the military machine
for development and commercialization, and they
do that really well ? I have the deepest respect for
how they execute the development of
daratumumab and commercialization of the drug.
The Genmab team is not set up to do that, but I am
very proud of the fact that we created the
molecule. This is also our future strategy. To have
manufacturing and large clinical trials carried out
by CROs [Contract Research Organisations] and
other organisations under our guidance. I can see a
scenario where we would have a number of
preferred relationships with partners we know
really well. With CROs and CMOs [Contract
Manufacturing Organisations] so we have solid
relationships with them and really get to know the
employees from those companies that we work
with.So we create real relationships as you would
with colleagues in the same company.We have 16
partnerships, 6 with pharma companies and 10
biotech company partners. Our aim is to be a
preferred partner, that is, to be a partner of choice
for companies because we create such good
working relationships in our interactions. That is
how I see a future for our industry. That we are
connected and partnered so that biotech and
academia can build on ideas and processes
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together.?
To remain an innovative powerhouse, Genmab
will...
?Focus on what we are really good at and connect
with the outside world. For example on academic
groups for access to scientific knowledge and
partners for manufacturing of kilograms of
antibody, and for help in running clinical trials
(CROs). Then our own employees can concentrate
on specific critical work and strategy. We will be the
connector, we will be the spider in the web
basically.?
What advice would you give to your younger self?
?To young Jan as a student; believe in yourself,
follow your heart, and focus on where you can
make a difference. That is what every student
should do - life is too short, and I think people
should focus on areas where they truly make a
difference. Also, keep believing in yourself, you can
do much more than you think at times. And once
you believe in yourself and follow your heart, you
will have a great future.?
With high expectations from stakeholders,
patients, etc. how do you handle the pressure and
stress?
?Of course there is a level of stress, but I don?t feel it
has much of an impact on me. I create more energy
from my work than I actually put into it. I believe
that if you can say that, you are in very good shape.
I relax at the weekends by swimming and I would
love to be able to do that more often. Swimming
benefits all the muscles in your body and it has this
repetitive aspect, which allows me to think and
relax, whilst also keeping my my body in shape.
Hard work comes with the job, and by now I am
used to it. If I were not able to handle it, then I
would not do it and as I said, I still generate a lot
more energy from my work than I put into it, and
that makes me able to keep going and be energized
about the future.?
What did we not ask you, that you would like to
tell the people who read the Synapse Magazine?
?Bite into Life Science! Life Science is the most
exciting sector I can think of, and right now, you are
entering it at the right time. There are so many
exciting developments for example with
immunotherapy and biotechnology. The link
between the biotech industry and information
technology will catalyze revolutions in the future. So
focus on this fantastic area and try to make this
world a better place, by contributing to it.?
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How t o do Clin ical Tr ials
w it h a Cancer DrugA videointerview with Head of Clinical Opereations at Roche Denmark, Dorte Klokker who explains the purpose of clinical
trials and elaborates on what a cancer drug undergoes a within the different steps of clinical trials
Studying life science may give you a vast knowledge about how a pharmaceutical drug is supposed to go through the different phases of clinical trials before it gets approved and can be used by patients. But you might be curious about what exactly happens within each phase of the clinical trials and what a big pharmaceutical company as Roche has to be aware of during the process.
Synapse payed a visit to Roche Pharmaceuticals which is located in Hvidovre. Here we met with Dorte Klokker, Head of Clinical Operations at Roche Denmark. We asked her to share her insights and teach us more about the purpose and content of clinical trials.
Filmed and edited by Videokompagniet
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Event Announcem ent sNew events from Synapse and our partners
Jun 19th: Medicon Valley Alliance: Summer Reception
Jun 21st Talk på toppen - Hvordan bliver du gammel? (Danish)
Aug 13t h - Aug 17t h Synapse: BioBusiness Sum m er School 2018
Aug 20th Symposium om hel-genom sekventering med henblik på tidligt forebyggende sundhedsindsatser (Danish)
Aug 20th - Aug 22nd Conference: Preventing Overdiagnosis 2018
Aug 23rd Symposium: Future Perspectives, beyond whole genome sequencing in neonatal screening
Aug 26th - Aug 28th 18th Nordic Symposium on Catalysis
Apr 28th Fra læge til opfinder v/ Habib Frost (Danish)
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Here you have the latest life science news served short and sweet
Shor t and Sweet
Genm ab and Janssen suf fer com binat ion t herapy set back
Janssen, which obtained the exclusive global rights to commercialize daratumumab from Genmab in 2012, will discontinue a Phase Ib/II study of daratumumab in patients with non- small cell lung cancer. This marks a major setback for Genmab, since daratumumab will not be developed further and the company is unlikely to profit from the wave of interest in immunotherapies. Following the news, Genmab?s stock price dropped by around 20%.
Neither combination therapy improved the propor- tion of patients whose tumor size was reduced, and some even increased mortality- related events in the lung cancer trial.
Ant ibody t reat m ent for m igraine get s closer t o approval in t he EU
The first treatment specifically intended for heavy migraine is headed in the direction of the first European patients. After being approved in the USA, EMA?s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) granted a positive opinion on Aimovig (erenumab), developed by Novartis.
Aimovig works by blocking the signal molecule called CGRP, which exists around blood vessels in the brain. Two clinical studies have demonstrated that the drug is effective against both chronic and episodical migraine. The development of Aimovig is based on research made by Jes Olesen, professor, chief physician and founder of the Headache Center at Rigshospitalet in Glostrup, Denmark.
Regeneron sends Ebola-m edicine t o DR CongoControl of new Ebola incidents and quarantine for the existing ones is in full work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now another pharma industry player will be added to the mix. According to a press release from Regeneron, the company has sent its experimental treatment REGN-EB3 to the country, to be used as a treatment for patients who have already developed the disease. The drug is in its early stages, and has shown promising results in phase 1 studies. It joins the group of different disease interventions, under consideration for or already in use to control the Ebola outbreak.
Danes have invest ed 695 m il l ion DKK in Kåre Schult z
Private Danish investors have strong faith that Kåre Schultz will be able to turn around the Israeli pharma-giant Teva. According to a new report from the Danish National Bank, Teva has been the most popular foreign stock among private Danish investors since 2017. By the end of April 2018, 695 million DKK has been invested in the company.
?The main part of the investments in the company was made from September 2017 an ahead, which coincides with that the company gained a Danish CEO,? writes the Danish National Bank, with a reference to the news from the 11th September 2017, where Kåre Schultz announced his exit from Lundbeck.
Danish biot ech com pany Biosynt ia raises f inancing t o advance m icrobe engineer ing t echnology
Biosyntia, based in Copenhagen, has raised ?4M in Series A financing to continue developing its biosynthetic selection technology to produce complex compounds by fermentation. The funding was provided by both Sofinnova Partners, a new investor and leading European life science VC, and Novo Seeds, an existing investor.
The company has focused its efforts on the production of vitamins, which are still predominantly produced chemically. According to Biosyntia, its approach can reduce the cost and time it takes to develop a bioprocess to produce vitamins. The vitamins can then be used in a variety of products, such as flavors and feed additives. Biosyntia designs and engineers microbes to only grow if they produce the desired product in high quantities.
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Find addit ional inform at ion on:
ht t p:/ /www.synapse-connect .org/m ent orship/
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Par t ner Insight sFeat ur ing Accelerace, Novo Nordisk Regulat ory Af fairs and Roche
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entrepreneurs. In particular, it?s one-to-one advice, mentorship, access to industry experts, relevant serial entrepreneurs as well as access to a network of larger established companies and investors. To find out more about how Accelerace can help you with your business ideas please visit https://www.accelerace.io/ life
Accelerace won the award for best accelerator in the Nordics 2017 by Nordic Startup Award and has raised $1,7 million in investments from The Danish Growth Fund, Færchfonden and Symbion to help even more startups to scale their businesses. This investment will provide the additional resources Accelerace needs to expand its services to
Accelerace
A short introduction to Accelerace
* This material is sponsored by Accelerace
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A day in t he l i fe of a Novo Nordisk Regulat ory Af fairs graduat e
It is time we put a myth to bed
"Aren?t Regulatory Affairs professionals simply ?paper pushers???, I heard you (and countless others) ask. This is certainly not the case. You may then have retorted, ?Show me the money!? * Jerry Maguire throwback* . So, let us settle this once and for all.
When I was finishing up my PhD less than a year ago, I was not all too familiar with Regulatory Affairs (RA) or how a day may look like in the life of an RA professional. What do they really do if they?re not reading long documents or trawling through databases day in and day out? Now that I?m on the RA graduate programme, I will take this opportunity to unveil what one of my working days looks like at the Novo Nordisk Headquarters in Denmark. Of course, it does not entirely reflect that of a permanent RA employee, but it can be just as varied without all the extra graduate-associated tasks I have.
I currently work within the RA therapeutic
(anti-diabetic) insulins area, particularly on the older products. My work therefore centres on life cycle management activities (after the drug has reached the market) to ensure our drugs stay on the market. But a lot of things can happen that can have clinical and/or labelling impact on the drug(s); Does the safety profile of the drug change, are there studies on newer drugs using it as a comparator (which means more data on our drug!), what 's the progress on our trial observing its use in pregnant women or toddlers down to the age of 1 year? As you can see, a lot goes on even after a drug has reached the market!
Let 's take a look at one of the recent Tuesdays I had, and keep in mind I've left the specifics out regarding projects to make it more public-friendly - I just want you to get a feel for how one of our days could be divided up, and to illustrate how we are rarely just sitting/standing at our desks (at a push of a button our desks can transform into standing desks!).
[Extra snippets of info: EMA - European Medicines Agency; a risk assessment plan is routinely submitted to EMA to provide updated data to demonstrate whether the benefit-risk profile of the drug(s) in question remains
Written by Elisabeth Buhl ThubronPhD, Regulatory Affirs Graduate at Novo Nordisk
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favourable, and that sufficient routine pharmacovigilance activities are in place. Important/potential identified risks in the plan (and potentially the label!) may also be eradicated/minimised if there is enough evidence to support this.]
My impressions of the programme so far:
< 2 months in: Challenging. Overwhelming. Invigorating.
> 4 months in: Challenging. Invigorating. Rewarding.
It is a steep learning curve at first, but once you are caught up to speed with what RA is, what corporate life is like, what the Novo Nordisk processes and culture is all about, and after having met all of your training needs, you feel like a fully-fledged Novo Nordisk employee. You obtain larger responsibi- lit ies for tasks and projects, ultimately gaining a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
There are opportunities to meet and talk to colleagues not only within RA departments but also
across other departments. This is thanks to cross-functional meetings, seminars, and off-site team-building events. Importantly, with your support network of graduates (both old and new) from ALL of the programmes (marketing, market access, global procurement, European finance..) you are never alone - you regularly meet up for lunch, you live with other graduates, you explore the sights and smells of your new city together, and essentially learn from each other what tasks the other programmes are working on.
What happens after the first rotation?
Our second 8-month rotation is in fact abroad - the confirmed destinations this time round are a production facility in Chartres (France), the US affiliate in Princeton (U.S.), and the regional office for AAMEO (Africa Asia Middle East and Oceania) in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). This means a new learning curve, and a widening of our personal and professional horizons.. we could not be more excited!
Have I enticed you to apply? Deadline for the Novo
* This material is sponsored by Novo Nordisk Regulatory Affairs.
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Meet Benedict e, st udent and in t he m edical indust ryMedical devices: hot or not for a 22-year old student from CBS? We have asked Benedicte, who is working as a student assistant at Roche Diagnostics in Hvidovre.
Thanks to a large-scale civil engineering feat, Avedøre Holme was constructed in the 1960s and is tucked away behind the construction magnate Bøje Nielsen?s notorious office building from the 1980s, along the Amager motorway in Hvidovre Munici- pality.
Behind the the embankments in a landscape characterized by the striking profile of the old combined heat and power plant and the numerous much younger wind turbines, 9.000 people go to work every day.
As such, it cannot possibly be the 4,5 square kilometer industrial area with its grey concrete buildings that made the position as student as- sistant at Roche Diagnostics A/S on Industri- holmen 59 an appealing student job for Benedicte Schiersing.
What is it, then?
?The medical industry offers a plethora of different roles that are interesting for me.
I am probably not your average student in this magazine because my line of education is not within healthcare. I study International Business at CBS. That?s why the medical industry has another level of relevance for me,? explains Benedicte and continues:
?My studies encompass a broad array of subjects. I am working in marketing, so I primarily use the tools from my education that are suited for this purpose. But now that I?ve been with Roche for some time, my role has evolved and my tasks are becoming of the more digital variety and I am getting more involved with the business develop- ment part of the medical industry. This also gives me a great opportunity to develop and try out different roles within the industry. One of my friends is also working in the medical industry, and so far she has been working with IT systems and marketing, and she has considered the finance department. You always have the opportunity to develop, and that is not always the case in all industries. It is also a very knowledge-intensive in- dustry. I am very curious and fond of learning, so I like being around people who are different from me and have other competencies and experience. That is very rewarding.?
?Finally, it is also important to mention that I have chosen the medical industry because I am a firm believer in the practical value offered by the
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industry. That actually means a lot to me. To be working with something that I can vouch for and that is making a contribution to the community,? she emphasizes.
Was your choice of Roche a deliberate one?
?Yes, apart from the before-mentioned aspects of the medical industry that I find appealing, I have a very international perspective. I am very interested in international relations ? and the opportunities and the challenges they bring ? and this is also reflected in my choice of studies. That makes Roche ideal for me because of its global nature, so I get to explore the subject up close. I am in contact with a lot of different nationalities, not only when it comes to colleagues at the workplace but also with Roche employees in other countries. This gives me an insight into how different cultural backgrounds influence human interaction and the strategic ap- proach to marketing. You are also encouraged to apply for positions at Roche?s offices abroad, if you feel so inclined. That is why I am really happy with Roche and based on my knowledge of the com- pany, I?d love to work here. Actually, I do have a family member in Switzerland who did investments in biotech companies for Roche and she enjoyed that very much. That was also a contributing factor to my choice,? Benedicte affirms.
Is the medical industry accessible for students?
?Definitely. On the other hand, you shouldn?t under- estimate that I don?t understand the more medi- cally specific dimensions of the discussions, when the talk turns to instruments and assays. I think that most people in the medical industry with a CBS background can acknowledge that. However, that doesn?t imply that it is inaccessible, because there is quite a demand for strategic work. That is also the reason why more and more student assistants are being hired by Roche, which really highlights my point. And it does make it more fun to work here,? says Benedicte with a hint to the social aspect.
In the ideal world, what would you be looking for as a student and as a graduate?
?As a student I find it very helpful to be able to try out some theoretical stuff in real life. Not only to gain more knowledge, but more specifically to narrow down my scope of interest. As I said before, my line of education is very broad and I wasn?t exactly sure what direction to take. But because the medical industry and my job allows me to try my hand at different things I have been able to determine what it is that I want to work with going forward, and that is in a more strategic direction,? says Benedicte about the learnings she's picked up so far from her job, and she continues:
?It has also been very useful in helping me finding out what line of study to choose for my master?s degree. If I hadn't had this student job, I would not have gained that knowledge. That 's why I think it?s really important to have a study-related job instead of working in Irma; even if you are fairly assured about your interests, you may gain a certain degree of professional certainty.?
Have you been confirmed in your choice of trade and environment?
?I believe my student job has accomplished exactly what it set out to do: It has delimited my scope of interest and given me a firmer understanding of real life. And, besides, it 's nice to see what difference a product can make for a person. That 's why I have been ? and still am ? really happy about the medical industry, and I find it very exciting and brimming with opportunities. But at 22 I am, of course, also eager to try out new things. So I haven?t really made any final decisions about anything and I wouldn?t mind switching to another industry, if an interesting opportunity presented itself. Fortunately, strategy and business develop- ment are very ?industry-portable?, so you are not confined to the medical industry for the rest of your life, if that is something you fear. As a student it may be beneficial to choose a subject area in this category if you are a litt le uncertain of your choice of industry. That?s how you ensure flexibility,? concludes Benedicte.
With its 94,000 employees, the Swiss life science company F Hoffmann-La Roche ? or just Roche ? is one of world?s largest and leading companies. Furthermore, the company owns a number of af- filiates around the world, working under their ori- ginal names.
Here in Denmark, Roche is divided into four enti- ties; the research and development center Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, one of Roche's seven international research centers, situated in Forskerparken in Hørsholm, plus Roche Pharma- ceuticals, Roche Diabetes Care, and Roche Diagnos- tics, all domiciled in Avedøre Holme.
Roche has been globally recognized as the world?s most sustainable life science company by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for nine consecutive years.
Text: Lars Berendt
Photo: Henning Månsson
Caption: Benedicte Schiersing is a student assistant in the medical industry. And she?s happy with her choice.
* This material is sponsored by Roche
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Synapse Mem oryWe reflect on our most recent activities,
events and programs
Copenhagen Bioscience Lect ure: The Unfolding of t he Int est inal Microbiot a
We started our spring season with O. B. Pedersen and A. Bencard. Professor and Principal Investiga- tor, and Associate Professor respectively, both from The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research. They held a lecture within the field of microbiome research, where they talked about aspects like the human health, the micro- biome and how it impacts our culture.
Synapse present s: Today 's research, t om or row 's solut ion
For our next event, we wanted to come back to the key motivation for science: research; and its relevance in industry. For this event, we invited 5 speakers from different companies who presented state of the art research within their companies, such as Screening Assay or Formulation Research.
Synapse Connect UK 2018
Synapse brought 50 students to Cambridge and London to enjoy the one week-long seminar Synapse Connect UK. It was a great opportunity for studentsthem to learn from some of the world-leading companies and organizations, such as Lonza, GSK or EMBL. During the seminar, they dove into topics such as research, leading English view on research, entrepreneurship, IP and patenting. The event ended with a case competition. It was a week filled with learning, networking and fun!
This spring has been dedicated to enlightening the career paths for Life-Science Students in different fields such as research in the industry, the intersect between engineering/technology and life sciences. These exciting events were accompanied by several different Copenhagen Bioscience Lectures, and the spring season culminated with the one week-long seminar in the UK, ?Synapse Connect UK?.
Tech in Life Science
For this event, we invited speakers who focused on the world of technology and engineering revolving life science. They covered several aspects such as pharmaceutical production of medicines,the creation of medical devices and advanced diagnostic tools.. They offered the opportunity for students to gain insight into the different career paths one can pursue in the life science industry and the many ways science, engineering and technology intersect.
Copenhagen Bioscience Lect ure: How Does Public Skept icism Inf luence Science?
Klemens Kappel, Professor at KU, addressed how new and emerging life science and plant science technologies are often considered controversial among members of the public, despite scientific consensus that they can be used in safe and beneficial ways. He remarked how public skepticism has come to play a major role in regulation, funding decisions and developments of research strategies in the life science and plant
science industry.
Written by Adrian Ramon SantojaTeam Member of Synapse
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Synapse Insider
What ?s t he role of t he SCUK group w it h in Synapse?
The SCUK team plans the annual week-long seminar to the UK. This year we took 30 students with us and visited a wide range of companies in both London and Cambridge (for a full rundown of the trip see Andreas Obers? full coverage of the trip on page 18).
What is t he best par t of being in t he SCUK t eam ?
We are a great group of motivated, fun loving people (like the whole of synapse!). It was especially fun this year as we were a mix of SCUK newbies and veterans, so a lot of trust and teamwork went into planning this year, with the Oldies trying to calm down the Newbies. The best part by far was seeing all the participants enjoying the trip and getting to actually experience all the amazing things we had planned throughout the year.
When planning t he t r ip, where do you draw inspirat ion f rom ?
Our inspiration is usually drawn from reflection upon the previous trip ? looking at what worked and what didn?t, and then moving on from there. Throughout the history of SCUK we have always tried to keep in new an up-to-date for example this year we had an entire day dedicated to Big Data and the role that bioinformatics and data sharing will have on the future of life science.
In this issue of the Synapse Magazine, we have asked Emily Barot from the Synapse Connect UK team about what they do and
how it is to work there.
What s on t he SCUK agenda over t he com ing m ont hs?
We are just finishing our evaluations of the trip, with input from both participants and the SCUK Team ? from there we can start to plan next year, because it really does take a full year!
Explain t he SCUK t r ip in 10 words.
Companies in London and Cambridge, too much fun, lots learned!
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Synapse Connect UK 2018
The following day was spent at the Babraham Research Campus. CEO?s from F-star, Mission Therapeutics and Phoremost, alongside Allan Bradley, CSO from Kymab were pleased to share their career as a personal example ? this was highly appreciated as their diverse personality types enabled us to see the journey of becoming a leader from several different angles. Nonetheless of different approaches, communication and connection to people remain the leading driving forces. This is why everyone had the chance to network and talk with them individually.
The last day in Cambridge was spent with the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Europe?s home for biological services, research and training. The day was filled with interesting talks from ElixirNodeUk, Eagle Genomics and GlobalGeneCorp, all of which shared with us their mission to provide services for researchers and industry to better handle genomic data, and enable open innovation by Europe?s SMEs. Not only were the students inspired by company representatives, but also by Hannah Currant who spoke about her life as a PhD student at EMBL-EBI. This was especially interesting as Hannah explained to us that it is not required to be a hardcore bioinformatician to succeed in their programme. Finally, the participants were invited for an extensive tour around the modern and huge campus before heading off to London for another exciting three days.
The thrive of future professionals originates from connecting with industry at
its heart. This is why 30 life science students from Denmark joined Synapse for a week-long seminar in Europe?s greatest biotech clusters, Cambridge and London,
to connect with representatives from companies, organizations and universities.
Cam br idge
Starting off in Cambridge, the students had the chance to visit the Granta Park, which is home to leading life science companies, including MedImmune, Lonza and OneNucleus. Some of tTheir executives and department leaders were enthusiastic about sharing the vast opportunities available as well as diverse qualities needed from science graduates to succeed in the industry. But They also ellaborated on the challenges their companies companies face challenges and how the competition is highly driven by how well do they perform in recruiting and attracting the right talents. What skill or expertise is needed to stay at the top of this globally recognized biotech cluster? Tony Jones from OneNucleus saidys; ?Soft skills are getting more important and outcompete the ones with a specific expertise?.
Written by Andreas ObersTeam Member of Synapse
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London
The ties between participants and British students were strengthened on the first day in London by holding a joint event with the Science Innovation Union, a British student organization that ? similar to Synapse ? aims at closing the gap between academia and the life science industry. Four experts were discussing advances in immunotherapy and all the opportunities that CAR-T cell therapy holds for the future treatment of cancer. They actively engaged in a subsequent panel discussion and a networking session. The day finished with a fantastic night out in one of London?s famous bounce bars.
For the third year in a row, we were kicking off the next morning with the fellow student-driven society SynBIC at Imperial College to learn about SynbiCITE, which is dedicated to promoting the use of synthetic biology in industry. They support innovation & collaboration across over 30 universities worldwide, through their model: ?nucleate, incubate, accelerate?. After a morning learning about biotech start-ups, ventures and accelerators with RebelBio, SynbiCITE, ThinAirWater, CustoMem and DesktopGenetics at Imperial College, we were excited to spend the afternoon learning about innovative drug development at GSK with a guided tour around their campus, before ending the day with an exclusive event at TOPRA, where several regulatory
associates convinced some of our students that regulatory affairs can be a sexy option as a science graduate.
The final and most exciting day of all was spent at Wellcome Trust hosting our unique SCUK case competition. Following an introduction to Wellcome Trust and their graduate programme, our six SCUK case competition teams presented their creative solutions to a panel of judges from Wellcome Trust. For one month ahead of the trip, the teams had been working on a creative solution to rare diseases, lifestyle diseases, mental health, oncology, neglected tropical diseases or infectious diseases. With an amazing and constructive feedback from the judges, the Oncology team was awarded the winner as their T/Tabs solution to detect prostate cancer was innovative, had a large market and a clear funding model. This case competition was an immense learning experience and a lot of fun for everyone involved.
Besides this extensive, diverse and qualitative strong programme, the students were socially active in team building games, traditional punting in Cambridge and several fun nights out, which definitely strengthened our social networks. All combined, this week-long seminar is one of the best ways to bridge the gap between students and the greatest life science cluster in Europe, expand their networks and be inspired on various levels.
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Doing Business In
The two partner companies of the trip, BCG and
Novozymes, also had two representatives being
together with the participants for the whole trip. A
whole day was spent at Novozymes beautiful
affiliate in Kuala Lumpur, where the team got
introduced to the challenges that the Danish
biotech-giant faces in the region. In the vibrant city
of Singapore the team also made a visit to the top
modern BCG office in the middle of town, and
learned a thing or two about structured problem
solving and presentation skills. The trip ended with
a 24 hours case on how Novozymes with a digital
initiative could penetrate the local vegetable oil
industry, to sell more enzymes and optimize the oil
production in a sustainable way. Here the
participants got to use all the information that they
had gathered on the current macroeconomic,
economical and cultural trends in the two
countries. The setting for the case was just right, as
the groups were split into their own meeting room
in the BCG office in Kuala Lumpur, and work mode
was on for an intense day and night. All of this were
combined with a festive program, that made sure a
lot of fun was also a part of the trip. E.g. two days
were spent on a trip to the Malaysian jungle with
river rafting and hiking, plenty of lunches were at
small local street food shops and the team went
out and had fun in town on several nights.
It all culminated 14 days post arrival home, where
the team gathered at Novozymes HQ in Bagsværd,
and the different groups presented their solutions
for a very competent judge panel consisting of a
R&D Vice President and a Director of Digital
Transformation from Novozymes together with a
Partner and Managing Director from BCG.
What is DBI?
Doing Business In (DBI) is Djøfs annual case
competition and study trip, which is organized by
Djøf and 4 selected volunteers in close cooperation
with Novozymes and The Boston Consulting Group
(BCG). As a DBI-participant you are handpicked to
an array of unique experiences. With DBI you get a
once-in-a-lifetime possibility to travel to a foreign
country with representatives from Novozymes and
BCG as well as 29 other top students from all over
Denmark and from a wide range of disciplines.
With DBI you will, in groups of 5 across disciplines,
solve a complex real-life case concerning a real
challenge of Novozymes in the destination country
and get an exclusive insight to how business is
done in our destination country through e.g.
company visits and workshops.
Written by Sven HollmannTeam Member of Synapse
From the 16th to the 29th of March, Doing Business In (DBI) 2018 took place, and in Synapse we were fortunate enough to have two members participating in the annual case competition. 30 students from different fields and universities, got an unique insight into how business is done in Malaysia and Singapore, which were the destinations of this year 's DBI. The participants made visits to affiliates of companies like Carlsberg and Mærsk in the two countries, but also visited local companies like the bank Malaysian RHB, and a vegetable oil mill.
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The impressive program represented national and international research initiatives, companies and institutes, such as Former President Obama?s Precision Medicine Initiative, IBM Digital Nordic ? Watson, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Microsoft Research New England, the Sanger Institute UK, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. It also included leading Danish research institutes, such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, the Copenhagen University Center for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation Law, and researchers from the Danish Technical University (DTU), Aarhus University (AU) and Aalborg University.
Presentations ranged from big data in population health and genomics research, to implications for precision medicine and ways to expedite the drug development process. New methodologies in single cell analyses, new applications of high throughput genomics, new techniques in statistical mapping, and new and evolving legal issues in big data, were just a few of the topics covered across the conference through sessions, presentations, panel discussions, poster presentations and networking opportunities.
A real program highlight, Matt Might, Ph.D., captivated the conference with his presentation, ?The Algorithm of Precision Medicine?. A strategic leader appointed to the White House Precision Medicine Initiative by former President Barack Obama, Dr. Might shared how his son?s diagnosis of an ultra-rare genetic disorder led to his own pioneering efforts in precision medicine. Through his innovative utilization of social media, search engine optimization and novel drug re-purposing, Dr. Might leveraged research collaborations and his own profound understanding of computer science and pharmaceutical chemistry to find an effective therapy for his son within 6 years. This is unheard of within traditional drug development; typically the process takes 12-15 years, even up to 20. Dr. Might?s presentation powerfully reminded the audience of the human implications of the potential of big data and precision medicine.
Synapse was thrilled to collaborate with the Danish Biotechnology Society and to meet the engaged, ambitious MSc. students able to attend through conference scholarship. It was truly an inspiring and enlightening two days. Already we are looking forward to the 14th Danish Biotechnology Society Conference 2019, and are especially proud that a former Synapsee, Christoffer Lynge Halvorson, will be deeply involved in shaping the conference through his new role as the Chair of the Danish Biotechnology Society.
The 13t h Danish Conference on Biot echnology
This year, Synapse ? Life Science Connect partnered with the Danish Biotechnology Society to award 40 ambitious Master?s
students with scholarships to attend the 13th Annual Danish Conference on Biotechnology and Molecular Biology (DCB13). With a focus
on big data in biotechnology and biomedicine, the 2-day conference, held at
the Munkebjerg Hotel in Vejle, brought together students, researchers and
professionals from across Denmark and around the world.
Written by Melissa HermanTeam Member of Synapse
Photo taken by Valentijn Broeken
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Synapse Career Aid KitTips and tricks for students attending conferences
1. Plan ahead:
Review the program ahead of time, identify presentations you want to see and highlight speakers you would like to try to engage with. Consider how different presentation topics could complement one another, to give you the broadest understanding of an area or field. If you have work you know you?ll need to do while at the conference, consider waking up early or taking advantage of longer breaks within the program to complete it, instead of missing sessions, working during a presentation, or having an early evening. Especially with evening networking events, it can be difficult to judge how long they will last, and you don?t want to miss out on engaging with interesting people and having great conversations because you have deadlines.
2. Do your research:
Once you have identified speakers you would like to connect with, search them on LinkedIn, have an overview of their recent work/projects/papers, and consider one or two questions you would like to ask them if the opportunity arises. And returning to the point of planning ahead; you can even reach out to them ahead of time and suggest meeting for a coffee during the conference. This is a way to efficiently use both your and their time, since you are both there anyway, and to secure a chance to discuss for a longer period of time. Finally, though it is an easily overlooked detail, research and take advantage of the conference and accommodation venue as well! Is it very close to nature, perhaps the woods or a river? Suggest a walk with a speaker or coffee outside on a bench. Does it have a fitness center? Suggest to your peers that you start the day exercising together ? it?s important to connect with your academic peers as well. Not to mention a walk or some exercise is a great way to start the day or refresh between sessions.
3. Net work st rat egically:
After a presentation, speakers usually get surrounded by participants and colleagues eager to ask questions. Try to catch a speaker during a coffee break, meal time, or networking session ? they will likely have more time for you, and appreciate that your interest extends beyond the immediate moments after their presentation. And after you engage with someone, peer or speaker, and whether to ask a question or even in just a friendly conversation over lunch? add them on LinkedIn.
4. Ask quest ions dur ing present at ion Q&A sessions:
Yes, it can be intimidating to ask questions in front of a large audience ? but when you do, it makes everyone in the room aware of your interests and provides a great springboard for future conversations. Don?t be surprised if other participants approach you after the session ends, saying they found your question interesting and looking to discuss further.
5. Know your cur rent event s (aka st r ive for conversat ions t hat are bet t er t han t he weat her ):
While you should have specific people you would like to engage with, you never know who you?ll meet during ?down? times (such as meals or in the elevator) or when an interesting conversation will arise in between a presentation.
So for the next conference you attend, how can you make the most of your limied time between all the sessions and speakers? A little effort can go a long way! Below are few tips to make the most out of your time at a conference.
"Be yourself ? let your curiosity, passion and excitement shine through. You?re in the perfect place for it.".
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Oftentimes, these interactions can prove to be as interesting and valuable as the conference program itself? arguably if not more. And for these moments, do yourself and the other person a favour: be able to speak about more than the weather. If you?re attending a national or international conference, it can only help to be familiar with current events both within and outside your field of study ? politics, sports, business, tech, health, etc.
If you don?t regularly keep up with the news, try skimming the headlines of major newspapers/websites just before the conference so you at least have an idea.
Being able to speak on a wide variety of subjects allows you to engage genuinely and connect with those around you beyond the conference topic, while also demonstrating your knowledge.
And these conversations, the ones that are a little different, are the ones people remember!
6. Be k ind t o everyone, always:
To be clear, this applies for all of life, but especially at a conference. People remember how you treat them, not only at networking events. In the time before and after the official program, it can be hard to judge who is a speaker, who is the Ph.D student of a speaker, and who is a peer you will cross paths with again in the future.
Treat everyone with kindness and respect, always.
A great example ? in preparing to take a taxi from the train station to the conference, a man tried to secure a cab which had previously agreed to transport my colleagues and I, but was waiting for our last colleague to retrieve her bag. It was a bit tricky, because this was the only cab in sight, both he and our group were very short on time and we both had a meeting to attend.
We turned the situation into a friendly joke, and the man kindly agreed to take another cab. 15 minutes later, as we were checking in to the hotel, he
7. Last but not least : be conf ident , down t o ear t h and yourself :
Remember, speakers are people too and were once students themselves! And they would not have joined the conference if they weren?t interested in engaging with like-minded peers and future scientists. Have the confidence to ask questions, either in forum (as mentioned above) or one-to-one.Be down-to-earth and considerate in your approach; remember it?s a long day for everyone at the conference. And finnaly, be yourself - let your curiosity passionand excitement shine through. You're in the perfect place for it.
walked up to check in as well? and was one of the speakers!
From this instance, he and our group had an immediate familiarity, which we built on throughout the conference.
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Synapse SaysProfessionals in the Synapse network
answer our readers' questions.
Send yours to [email protected]
Janine Er ler
Professor at Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, UCPH
What set of skills do you think are the most important to acquire during one's
studies?
?I would say: time management skills; ability to apply textbook knowledge to
problem-solving; ability to use your imagination to think outside of the box
and challenge dogmas; self-discipline to undertake boring but necessary
tasks; self-motivation and drive to do your best and achieve the maximum
possible; and critically, develop healthy ways to deal with stress as it only
gets more challenging!?
Will Wr ight
Business Accelerator and Investment Manager at Accelerace
Management A/S
What set of skills do you think are the most important to acquire during one's
studies?
"The skills that allow you to better learn and adapt are going to be the most
valuable in the long run as the majority of your personal and professional
growth will come from this lifelong learning. Opportunities for this whilst at
university is attending cross-disciplinary courses to expose yourself to new
subject areas, taking on new projects outside your comfort zone as part of
student run societies, entering idea and case competitions such as iGEM,
Venture cup or innovation in action, gaining new knowledge through
summer schools or training new skills like coding using online courses such
as Edx.org or Coursera, Other opportunities are to engage with new cultures
on exchanges or with international students here, also well as gaining
insights from career mentors or experience from relevant study jobs or
internships. Of course last but not least the soft skills of networking,
teamwork and communication will always be an asset no matter what path
you choose.?
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Hans Genee
Co-founder and CSO of Biosyntia
What is the best way to approach a company for a master thesis?
?Never be shy to shoot an email and ask. At Biosyntia we have a lot of positive
experiences of hosting master thesis students and I know that many other
companies can say the same. Industrial thesis projects are mutually
beneficial, and typically as a student, you get to work on real-life challenges
and you learn and contribute at the same time. When being approached by
students I personally prefer to receive an email with a full CV and a
motivation letter. It 's critical that you show initiative without expecting a very
specific project since often the company will try to match your profile and
interests with the current needs of the company. It 's likely that you will not
get an answer to your first email. Then ask again and try sending it to another
person. No answer only rarely equals a rejection.?
Biosynt ia cur rent ly has posit ions for a m ast er t hesis!
Deadline: June 24t h 2018
https://biosyntia.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk01u8c/
Jesper Vind
Senior Science Manager at Novozymes A/S
What is the best way to approach a company for a master thesis?
?Before you venture on the journey for a master thesis, you will have to figure
out, what makes your heart tick faster. When you have given that some
serious thoughts, the next step is to scan the market for the companies you
could find interesting. Once that is done, you are in for a bit of research.
Preferably, you will find and read articles, written by employees from the
company, and which relates to the subject you are interested in. This will give
you some names on people, that you can contact in the company. With a bit
of luck, you can write directly to the employee (or via the corresponding
author), and state that you have read some of their articles and find the
subject interesting. You can ask, if they by any chance take master students,
and if that is the case, maybe you could have a small meeting over a cup of
coffee? This is a very direct approach, that works if you do some good prior
research. An alternative is to ask around among the teachers at the
university, and hear if any of them have experience with collaborations with
companies in the context of a master thesis. There should be a good chance.
A connection through a teacher often makes it easier to get the contact with
the company. Another possibility is to ask around among the older students,
to see if any of them are doing a master thesis at a company, and maybe
could introduce you. Often there will be spinoff projects from a master
student, that is about to finish, and whose work you can continue. The older
master student will also be able to provide you valuable information on how
it is to do a master thesis at the given company. All in all, there are a number
of ways to approach a company, but they all require some prior networking
and research.?
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M.Sc. Project - Synthetic Biology and Cell Factory Design and Development
Deadline: June 24th 2018
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Copenhagen Life Science Sum m itEssay Com pet it ion
As part of this year's summit, Synapse launched an essay competition where students could submit their take on how to improve interdisciplinarity within the life science environment.
Mads Krogh Larsen who studies Molecular Biomedicine at University of Copenhagen won with his essay about the "iLAB".
iLAB - Int erdisciplinary Life-Science Applicat ion Bus
World famous physician Albert Einstein once said: ?We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them? and this reflection unquestionably defines the need for more interdisciplinary collaborations in the academic and industrial areas of life sciences. But how do you involve students, professors, AND businesses in an innovative setting that generates synergy and out-of-the-box thinking? You put them on the Interdisciplinary Life-Science Application Bus (iLAB) and go on a road trip.
The Interdisciplinary Life-Science Application Bus is a concept idea of a bus that is specifically designed for creative thinking and group discussions. The bus would have tables with seating for four individuals at each table and huge windows all the way through the bus. Studies have shown that it?s easier to come up with ideas if the brain is focused on something else and in this case, it could be looking at the surroundings while driving through the Danish landscape.
The point of having groups of only four individuals at each table is that usually when academic and/or business ideas are discussed it?s either in a lecture setting or in a bigger meeting and by having smaller groups, you can purposely design and shape the dynamics of each group. One way to effectively do this is by applying the Z-model for problem solving and knowing every participant?s JTI profile before the event. This would give you the opportunity to proactively shape the groups according to the profile of each participant by doing a ?match making? between the different assets of each personality. During an event you could easily change the groups in this accessible and interactive setting and do a ?speed-dating? concept where the participants go through different discussions with different people throughout the event.
The overall idea is that the bus would contain different tools to spur creative problem solving and effective teamwork across all experience-levels but other than that, it?s up to the individual events to effectuate the unique mobile setting. The bus could be used to facilitate inter-university collaborations by driving between universities with participants from both institutions for experience-sharing on similar classes, or it could be used to host a symposium for PhD students, or a life science company could invite academic professionals and students on a discussion trip to get a new perspective on their products and you could end the trip at the company?s headquarters.
No matter if you want to facilitate a conference on the future of diabetes treatment, or the prospects of the gut microbiome, or the use of nanotechnology in medicine, the iLAB would be a perfect new way to spark some creative collaborations between every part of the Danish life science sector. And new thinking is exactly what we need to solve our problems.
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