1. Industrial Careers Expo - October 2012, University of Sheffield
Dr Ian Birch-Machin

2. Career Summary (1)
University of East Anglia ( ), BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences
Department of Microbiology, University of Sheffield ( ), PhD Thesis title: Studies of typing bacteriophages 77, 52A and 47 of Staphylococcus aureus
Post-Doc Research Associate, Dept. of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge (5/87-6/91)
(1 publication)
Post-Doc Research Associate, Dept. of Paediatrics, Addenbrooke’s Hospital (7/91-6/93)
(1 poster presentation)
Post-Doc Research Virologist and Team Leader, Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, Suffolk (7/93-6/00)
(2 patents, 9 publications (3 1st author), 2 International Conference oral presentations, 3 poster presentations)

3. Career Summary (2)
Post-Doc Research Associate, Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge (7/00-12/02)
(4 publications (1 1st author), 1 poster presentation)
Post-Doc Research Associate, Dept. of Anatomy, University of Cambridge (1/03-12/05)
(2 publications (1 1st author), 1 International Conference oral presentation, 1 poster presentation)
Research Scientist, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, MRC, Cambridge (1/06-4/06)
Principal Scientist, Team Leader, Project Leader and Manager, Syntaxin Ltd (5/06-3/11)
(1 patent, 1 publication, 1 therapeutic in development with others in backup/follow on or Proof of Concept)
Laboratory and Budget Manager, Functional Genomics Unit, MRC (2/12-present)

4. Syntaxin
Discovery research management (Leader of Target to Lead Group)
Discovery research (Senior Scientist and promoted to Principal Scientist, July 2009)
Project Leadership and Management
Intellectual Property
Early stage development
Facilities/Operations

5. MRC Laboratory Management Budget Management
Financial Systems & Transactions

6. Tasks performed Syntaxin MRC Title Principal Scientist
Lab & Budget Manager
Organisation
Biotech
Research Institute
Tasks
Leading team of Discovery scientists
Monitoring work output, quality, deadlines
Project leadership
Project management
Attending project meetings
Attending scientific meetings
Planning work packages
Designing proteins
Lab work
Writing reports
Receiving goods in
Procurement
Procurement training
Managing capital spend
H&S
Risk Analysis
Business Continuity
Budget monitoring
Financial planning
Travel arrangements
Managing works
Arrangement/monitoring maintenance contracts

7. Qualifications and skills required and those gained
Syntaxin
MRC
Qualifications/skills required
PhD
Molecular biology
Protein purification
Research experience
Line management
Phage display
ELISA development
Budget management
Laboratory management
H&S
Intellectual Property
Qualifications/skills gained
Resource management
Project management
Risk analysis
Use of accountancy software
Business continuity

8. Skills as a researcher and those gained
Skills gained as a researcher
Additional skills
Planning and executing research
Experimental skills
Scientific writing
Utilisation of new techniques
Flexibility
Team working with colleagues
Collaboration with external labs
Supervision of students – lab
Supervision of students – academic
To make mistakes and learn from them
Taking the opportunity:
To line manage
To project manage
To attend courses – internal & external
To be mentored

9. The recruitment process
Syntaxin
MRC
Application in response to advert
Approach by recruiter
Formal interview comprising:
Presentation
Interview (panel of 3, 1 hour)
separate interviews with 2 founders (30 min)
Tour
Lunch
Interview (panel of 4, 30 min)

10. Comparisons to academic research
Comparison to academic research
Syntaxin
MRC
Positives
Fast/dynamic
Development of new skills
Team working
Varied
Contributing to health
Higher salary
Share options
Negatives
Not as secure
Termination of projects at short notice
Pensions not as good
Separated from science

11. Career path and career progression
Syntaxin
MRC
Career progression
Senior Scientist
Principal Scientist
Limited in current role
Career opportunities within organisation
Limited in small biotech
Movement to other biotechs/pharma using experience/expertise gained
Opportunities in:
MRC Regional Centre
MRC Head Office
University of Oxford

12. Thank you
Any questions please?