Careers in Discovery

Dan Tardiff, CAMP4 Therapeutics

What does it really take to progress from bench science to leading a Biotech platform as Chief Scientific Officer?

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, Daniel Tardiff, CSO at Camp4 Therapeutics, shares a candid look at building and scaling science inside an early‑stage biotech. From his foundations in RNA biology to advancing antisense programmes for haploinsufficiency-driven neurodevelopmental disorders, Dan unpacks how translational judgement is developed over time, not taught.

Key takeaway: Career progression isn’t about having perfect answers. It’s about making credible decisions under uncertainty and bringing others with you as the science scales.

Adrian Gabriel Torres, Aptadel Therapeutics

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, Adrian Gabriel Torres, Chief Scientific Officer at Aptadel Therapeutics, talks about developing RNA aptamer–based cancer therapies and leading scientific strategy in a preclinical biotech start-up. Adrian also shares his journey from academic research into industry, reflecting on the differences between academia and biotech, learning new skill sets, managing teams, and making career decisions along the way.

Rachel Abbott, Pan Cancer T

This week on Careers on Discovery, we’re joined by Rachel Abbott, CEO of Pan Cancer T.

Rachel shares her journey from academic science into biotech leadership, reflecting on the pivotal moments that shaped her career - from early setbacks at university to working on T‑cell therapies that reached patients, and ultimately stepping into a first‑time CEO role. We discuss Pan Cancer T’s work developing next‑generation T‑cell therapies for solid tumours, and the challenges of translating complex science into the clinic.

She also reflects on confidence, resilience, and why saying yes to opportunities before you feel ready has been a defining theme throughout her career.

Ignacio Moraga, TECregen AG

This week on Careers in Discovery, we’re joined by Ignacio Moraga, CSO and co‑founder of TECRegen.

Ignacio shares his journey from Madrid to the Pasteur Institute, Stanford and Dundee, and now into biotech entrepreneurship. We talk about his work regenerating the thymus to rejuvenate the immune system, the science that inspired TECRegen, and the emerging opportunities in healthy ageing and immunotherapy.

He also reflects on navigating academia, the importance of resilience, why understanding “how the game is played” matters for early scientists, and what ultimately drew him from a successful academic career into building companies.

Sarah Almond, NRG Therapeutics

This week on Careers in Discovery, we’re joined by Sarah Almond, VP of Translational Biology at NRG Therapeutics.

Sarah shares her journey from early lab work to leading translational science on a first in class neurodegeneration programme. We talk about the serendipity that shaped her career, the importance of early hands-on experience, and how redundancies opened unexpected doors.

Sarah reflects on leadership; from learning to give difficult feedback, to the responsibility that comes with shaping people’s day to day wellbeing, to the power of listening when managing teams. She also discusses adapting to biotech’s fast pace, navigating uncertainty, and the mindset needed to thrive in a small, mission driven environment.

Jonathan Levenson, FireCyte Therapeutics

This week on Careers in Discovery, we’re joined by Jonathan Levenson, CSO at FireCyte Therapeutics. Jonathan shares his unconventional journey from early curiosity about biology to a career spanning neuroscience research, Biotech innovation, and scientific leadership.

We explore his transition from academia to industry, the lessons he learned building discovery platforms and leading translational programs, and how embracing storytelling and stakeholder alignment shaped his leadership approach.

Jonathan also takes us inside the creation of FireCyte - from reimagining the retina as a window into neurodegeneration to navigating an early scientific pivot that reshaped the company’s direction. His experience is a compelling reminder that breakthrough progress often starts with challenging assumptions and following the data.

Eline Koers, AAB Therapeutics

From academic deep‑tech to the front lines of Biotech entrepreneurship - Eline Koers’ journey is a masterclass in courage, clarity, and reinvention.

After years immersed in structural biology and membrane protein folding, Eline realised she wanted her work to have real‑world impact. That shift pulled her out of academia, into translational science, and eventually into founding AAB Therapeutics - a company engineering extracellular vesicles to solve one of oncology’s biggest challenges: getting drugs where they need to go.

In this conversation, Eline shares the turning points that shaped her path, discussing the importance of curiosity, timing, and daring to step into the unknown - even when the success rate is small and the learning curve is steep.

A brilliant episode for anyone considering a move from academia into Biotech, or thinking about building something of their own.

Marc Damelin, Alphina Therapeutics

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, Tyler is joined by Marc Damelin, Chief Scientific Officer at Alphina Therapeutics.

Marc shares his journey from physics undergraduate to Biotech leader, and how a love of problem‑solving gradually drew him from yeast genetics into human disease and ultimately into drug development. After a decade in big pharma working on antibody–drug conjugates, he steps into Biotech leadership, first at Mersana and now at Alphina, where he’s pioneering a new class of ADCs built around NAMPT inhibition.

Along the way, Marc reflects on choosing industry without having a clear plan, understanding what makes a role the right fit, and why being truly data‑driven is one of the most important habits a scientist can develop.

An open, forward‑looking conversation about evidence, judgment and the momentum that comes from backing the right ideas at the right time.