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Meet the 2020–2021 LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellows

This fellowship, formerly known as the LifeArc-AUTM Fellowship, empowers graduate and post-doctoral academic life scientists to take control of their careers and transition into the field of technology transfer. 

Since completing the fellowship, our 2020–2021 fellows have secured exciting technology transfer roles across prominent institutions.  

Here is what our class of 2020–2021 had to say about their experience as a LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellow. 

LifeArc Fellows sat around a meeting room smiling and laughing

Judit B Csere, Strategic Alliances Manager, Cancer Research UK 

Why I joined the programme

I was a third-year PhD student at the Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University when I realised that a lab-based career was not for me. Technology transfer was one of the fields I could see myself working in because it is intellectually challenging, highly collaborative, and has a positive societal impact. I was inspired by how technology transfer combines science, law, and business expertise to drive innovation. Coming across the LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship was like finding the needle in the haystack: I was very excited to find an opportunity to put my foot in the door and get some training and experience in the field. 

Reflections on the programme

Becoming a fellow meant a warm entry to a supportive, welcoming professional community. I received amazing support from the coordinators, mentors, and other fellows throughout the programme. The fellowship provided the perfect bridge I needed to move from a lab-based PhD into a technology transfer role. I learned about how technology transfer is done in the US and Europe and took up an internship at the technology transfer office of St George’s University London to get some experience – a few months later I was offered an innovation and intellectual property officer role.  

Headshot of Judit B Csere

Lucia Coral, Search and Evaluation Translation Executive, Cancer Research Horizons 

Headshot of Lucia Coral

Why I joined the programme

I heard about the fellowship through a past fellow I met at a technology transfer conference whilst working as a knowledge transfer manager at the National Cancer Institute CRO in Aviano, Italy. A year later I applied to the programme, to help me become a better professional and to help my team expand our international network and to receive technical guidance. 

Reflections on the programme

Becoming a LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellow is prestigious and even if you work for a small office, you will be recognised by the international community as a proactive, passionate, well-connected and skilled professional. As an AUTM student member and ASTP member, I could access professional development resources and interact with the community. The fellowship gave me the confidence to go through the selection process with Cancer Research UK.  

Ugochim Stefany Eduputa, Consulting Associate, Charles River Associates 

Why I joined the programme

During my internship at Dundee Drug Discovery Unit, I had a few networking chats expressing my interest in technology transfer and someone suggested I apply for the LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship. After discovering more about LifeArc and the scheme, I believed it would be a huge opportunity for entering this career path. 

Reflections on the programme

My highlights were being part of a cohort which shared a common passion for technology transfer and the opportunities to hear from current experts in the field about their career journey and development. Throughout the programme, I learned about the various aspects of technology transfer through the conferences and speaker meetings and gained an understanding of which areas would be best suited to me. Through the programme, I was able to secure my current role as a life science consultant, working with pharmaceutical industry clients to understand the evolving landscape in different therapeutic areas and how scientific innovations contribute to advancing patient care. 

Headshot of Ugochim Stefany Eduputa

Alinda Fernandes, Senior Manager, Business Development, AviadoBio  

Headshot of Alinda Fernandes

Why I joined the programme

I came across the LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship whilst researching career routes outside of academia. I knew that fellows who pursued this programme have successfully transitioned careers, and I wanted a role in which I could use the skills and knowledge I had gained during my PhD and as a postdoctoral researcher. Technology transfer was appealing as it would enable me to continue to follow my passion for making a positive impact on patients. 

Reflections on the programme

The fellowship opened doors to networking and increased our theoretical knowledge of technology transfer, enabling me to be confident in this new area. I enjoyed the exposure to the different people in technology transfer (both new professionals and veterans). There is still a lot to learn as I am essentially entering a new profession but I am enjoying this exciting new journey! The good news is there are plenty of opportunities to transition out of the laboratory.  

Ana Gomes, Co-Founder and CEO, mPixl Technologies 

Why I joined the programme

Prior to the fellowship, I was working as a research scientist at the Francis Crick Institute, with an interest in translation. I had gone through the typical path of bachelor, PhD and postdoc and could not see myself becoming a principal investigator. I started to see the real-world applications that the experiments we were doing could have, but I did not know how to make the jump from the lab to the translation office. A colleague and previous fellow working on The Crick translation team informed me about the fellowship. At first, I was hesitant as I was unsure if I could manage it all (current work, study hours, family time), but then I considered what I had to gain from the opportunity and was delighted when I was accepted.  

Reflections on the programme

The programme has definitely influenced my thinking about the career direction I want to take. Each fellow is assigned two mentors: a buddy and a more senior mentor. With each week my confidence grew, and I applied for a place in the KQ Labs start-up incubator, got in, and launched my own start-up. I am now a CEO of an early-stage company, mPixl Technologies. Without the fellowship programme, this would have been unthinkable. 

Headshot of Ana Gomes

Tansi Khodai, Senior Enterprise Manager, University of Liverpool  

Headshot of Tansi Khodai

Why I joined the programme

Towards the end of my postdoctoral research position, I was keen on changing career paths and my friend who had worked for LifeArc recommended the fellowship. Once I learned more about this field, I was immediately drawn to it as it offered the potential to stay close to the science whilst experiencing the impact it would create – something I had really missed as a bench scientist. 

Reflections on the programme

The fellowship was a real turning point in my career – by the end of it, I was very sure that technology transfer was the career path I would like to pursue and had the confidence to make the change. The support and mentoring we received was incredible. LifeArc were patient, and caring and helped me to understand the practicality of the technology transfer landscape. Furthermore, the resources in the form of materials, access to conferences, courses, and the opportunity to interact with high-achieving professionals were pivotal in developing a good understanding of the field. Finally, the icing on the cake was the flexibility of the course that allows one to test the waters before jumping straight into it! 

Aljona Kolmogorova, Entrepreneurial Lead, The Babraham Institute 

Why I joined the programme

Before joining the fellowship, I had recently completed my PhD at the University of Manchester. I was interested in developing my business know-how and becoming more involved in delivering innovative health technology to benefit society. I heard about this fantastic programme at an online career event, but the real driver came when I was interviewing for a commercialisation associate role where one of the interviewers recommended that I apply for the LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship to obtain more formal training in this field. 

Reflections on the programme

I expected to learn and challenge myself with formal training in technology transfer and gain advice on how to break into the field – but my expectations were by far exceeded. In addition to the online training resources, we had a professional seminar series in which top technology transfer professionals gave us insights into their fascinating career journeys. The fellowship not only enhanced my skillset but also helped me break into a competitive industry.  

Headshot of Aljona Kolmogorova

Monique Liddar, IP & Innovation Executive, King’s College London 

Headshot of Monique Liddar

Why I joined the programme

I had just started moving into the technology transfer field as an enterprise & IP administrator and realised there was a lot to learn about the profession, so I sought out training opportunities for those who are new to the field. I came across the fellowship, and felt it was a perfect fit for me; within two months of being accepted onto the scheme, I was promoted to enterprise & innovation manager.  

Reflections on the programme

The programme has been invaluable to my career development, leading to a promotion at my previous organisation and enabling me to secure my current role in a larger team with a broader portfolio. Speaking to many key stakeholders helped build my confidence and learning from their experiences has been important in understanding how university technology transfer offices work. I will take everything I have learnt with me throughout my career and will always be extremely grateful for being awarded a place on the programme! 

Ada E. Salataj, Postdoctoral Associate in Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine 

Why I joined the programme

Before joining the programme, concepts such as commercialisation, intellectual property, invention disclosure or entrepreneurship were completely new to me, but this prestigious fellowship provided an opportunity to dig deeper and approach those subjects in detail. 

Reflections on the programme

The programme provides everything you need to introduce you to the technology transfer world: intensive training, the AUTM Annual Meeting, insightful webinars, and nurturing mentorship. This fellowship helped me realise that technology transfer can transcend the boundaries of different cultural and economic backgrounds by bringing together people with a shared passion for innovation and research commercialisation.  

My advice to other potential fellows? If you are struggling to choose between academia and industry, consider the technology transfer path as it is a combination of both! The flexibility and the broad opportunities that the field offers are unimaginable.  

Headshot of Ada E. Salataj

Ilaria Volpi, Business Development Associate, Cancer Research Horizons 

Headshot of Ilaria Volpi

Why I joined the programme

I was working as a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of Dundee and our technology transfer office advertised the LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship. Two colleagues of mine enrolled in the previous years, so I had the chance to hear directly from them about their experience and I became more interested in the  
the real-world impact that technology transfer can have.   

Reflections on the programme

I not only gained valuable theoretical knowledge of the technology transfer field, but I made connections that have been really valuable for helping to move my career into this area. The programme gave me the knowledge I needed to apply for positions in technology transfer, and I went on to work as a research analyst at UCLB.  

* The fellows’ titles reflect the positions held at the time this blog was compiled in November 2024; an up-to-date job title could not be found for Ada E. Salataj.

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