1. Rita Ferreira 18.11.2014 Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion and does not reflect that of Pfizer

2. My career  “Licenciatura” (4 year) in Biology - University of Aveiro, Portugal  MSc in Biotechnology - De Montfort University, UK  6 month placement at the Immunology Department, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands  PhD in Transcription Regulation – Cell Biology Department, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.  Post Doc (1 Year) – Cell Biology Department, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands  Post Doc (6 years) – Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, UK  Senior Scientist, Pfizer Neusentis, Cambridge UK

3. Why leave academia and go to industry?  Limited career opportunities in academia. What I want to do: continue to work in the lab Post Doc Senior Post Doc PI Post Doc forever? Rare positions Dependent on grants and publications One option left: Industry

4. AcademiaIndustry Academic environment Freedom of research Unrestricted sharing of data Availability of funds for research can be restrictive Your results dictates your future work Achievements based on publications Long working hours and weekend work Short term contracts and uncertain future Limited access to conferences and talks Research dependent of portfolio requirements Publication restrictions due to IP concerns Funds for research not restrictive More structured work – pre set goals and timelines Achievement based on accomplishment of pre-set yearly objectives A lot more paperwork and meetings More stable working hours and no weekend work Permanent positions and job stability Better pay, extra benefits and yearly bonuses. Academia vs Industry – Pros and Cons

5. Source: European Sites Database Pfizer’s R&D presence in the EU  Neusentis  The Clinical Research Unit in Brussels is Pfizer’s site for Phase 1 studies in Europe  Grange Castle has a Biotherapeutics Technologies Team  Sandwich’s Pharmaceutical Sciences group supports the mid and late-stage portfolio  Rare diseases and Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (London)  Pfizer’s Business Units (headquartered in Walton Oaks, UK) also support R&D activities in Europe through clinical trials and external collaborations Worldwide R&D 5 Pfizer Research & Development in Europe

6.  Launched in April 2011,as the consolidation and development of Pain & Sensory Disorders and the Regenerative Medicine portfolios  ~130 people with ~100 lab based scientists  Location:  UK: 7 miles south of Cambridge. 40,000 square feet of office & lab space  US: Durham, North Carolina (former Icagen – specialized in ion channel drug discovery) 1.Pain, Sensory Disorders and Channelopathies 2.Regenerative medicine 3.Expertise in Ion Channels and Solute Transporters About Neusentis http://www.neusentis.com/

7. Clinical Research Drug Safety & Toxicology Project Team Pharmaceutical Sciences Clinical Statistics Clinical Pharmac ology PharmacoMetrics Chemistry Plate based pharmacology Cell Biology Molecular Biology Electrophysiology In vivo Pharmacology Informatics Human cell platform Ex-vivo biology PKPD, ADME Exploratory Cell Biology Molecular Biology Bionformatics Genetics Pharmacology New target How Neusentis operates Early target investigation Portfolio-driven investigation  Each scientist has allocated projects.  A lot of collaboration with scientists from other areas.  Parts of the work are outsourced.

8. The day to day life as a senior scientist  Working on several projects at the same time.  You expected to manage your project independently.  Your intellectual input is indispensable for the progression of the project.  You may have managerial roles: supervision of students, junior scientists and post-docs

9. Career paths in industry Associate Scientist Senior Associate Scientist Scientist Senior Scientist Entry level for PhD Principal Scientist Senior Principal Scientist Associate Research Fellow ) Senior Research Fellow The Research Career Ladder  Parallel career ladders available for other areas (Development, Managerial, etc).  Possibility of forward and lateral career progression.  Continuous career development encouraged.

10. How is my performance rated January : Objectives/Goals setting Objectives/Goals for the year written down Achievements based on quarterly deadlines July: Mid Year review Objectives/Goals reviewed and adjusted as required Feedback obtained from relevant co-workers December: End of Year Review Objectives/Goals reviewed Feedback obtained from relevant co-workers Performance rated Impact of bonus calculation and pay rise for next financial year

11. Career progression Career development career development plan set up when starting job. What you want to achieve? What you need to do? What your manager can do to facilitate it? Career development plan reviewed every year. Promotion Requires nomination from your manager. All nominations reviewed every 6 month by committee

12. Transition from academia to industry  1 year searching for a position  2 interviews; no response for most of my applications (not even an automated email!)  1 offer (almost 2 month after my first interview) Interviews for industry positions: 1.Phone interview 2.Face to face interview My advice:  Apply for jobs that are relevant to your skills.  Tailor you CV and cover letter for the position you are applying for.  Write you CV in a clear way, with the most important information easy to see.  Include you publication in your CV and highlight the transferable skills relevant for the job you are applying for.  Don’t get desperate if you don’t receive a timely response after each of the interviews. The process takes much longer than in academia.