Head of Development Loves the Impact of Industry Work

Name: Eleni Samaridou (she/her)

PhD: Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2015

What was your main area of research?

My PhD and postdoctoral studies focused on the design and the development of nanosized delivery vehicles based on polymeric or lipid excipients to enable the efficient and targeted delivery of therapeutic macromolecules (proteins, peptides or nucleic acid - based drugs) to the target issue and fight diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, and liver diseases among others.

What is your current job?

I am Head of the Early-stage Formulation Development and Process design team for Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany.

I am responsible for supporting developers with the preclinical development of lipid based solutions (lipid nanoparticles) for the delivery of their RNA based therapies and vaccines and the smooth transfer to the clinical development phase to streamline their pathway to the market.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I love working in a team of great scientists and seeing the impact of our work on the life of patients.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

• Strong network and interaction with experts in the field.

• Valuable experience and understanding of the different requirements for tissue specific delivery of therapeutics.

• Experience in valuable analytical techniques to identify critical quality attributes for high performing delivery systems.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

Throughout my academic career (PhD and postdoc), the research projects that I was involved in were part of large collaborative consortia with experts in the field from both industry and academia. This gave me the opportunity to interact and learn from the best.

I also actively participated in conferences to stay up to date with the emerging trends and expand my network which was valuable as well.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

Network recommended me for the position

PhD graduate ➡️ postdoctoral fellow ➡️ 1st position in industry as Scientist in technology development ➡️ 2nd position in industry as Scientist in preclinical process development

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

• Build strong expertise and use every opportunity to work alongside acknowledged groups in the field which can open doors for their career development.

• Build a strong network.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

It was clear to me from the first moment that I wanted to pursue a career in industry. The reasons were mainly the proximity and the possibilities offered in industry for your research to reach the patients. However, academia offers a different level of flexibility and innovation that industry may lack.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Opt for a PhD in industry where you can get the experience of both worlds.

Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?

Hard work, collaborative spirit, life-long learner