PharmaCamp 2023
Drug Discovery in the era of Precision Medicine and Digitalization
13-15 September 2023,
Location: Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine (SITEM),
Freiburgstrasse 3, 3010 Bern
Compete with other young professionals and students in a pharmaceutical case challenge. Show your skills to leading pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland and win the award.
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Registration is closed​
ABOUT
PharmaCamp in Bern bridges top young talent and the pharmaceutical industry. The goal of the event is to provide ambitious students, PhDs, PostDocs and recent graduates with an opportunity to showcase their creative problem-solving and presentation skills in front of the top pharma companies and give them a platform to compete with their peers. On the other hand, the companies will have a perfect opportunity to meet the most prospective young minds and their potential future coworkers/employees.
The event consists of two parts. First part is open for public, who will have a chance to learn about new trends in pharmaceutical industry by experts from the field of personalised & precision medicine. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of the pharmaceutical industry and the intersection of technology and medicine. In the second part of the two-day event, a realistic case-challenge from pharmaceutical industry will be presented and the selected participants (registrations via the Google form in the "Apply now" button) will be divided into balanced groups.
On the second day, selected participants will have the opportunity to enhance their skills with a dedicated workshop on public speaking. This workshop will provide valuable insights, techniques, and tips to enhance participants' presentation skills and public speaking abilities, helping them effectively convey their ideas and engage the audience.
Teams will be given dedicated time to brainstorm innovative solutions and prepare their presentations, culminating in the morning session on the third day. Each team will have the chance to convince an expert panel that their solution is the most impactful and promising. The winning team will not only be awarded a prestigious cash prize of 2,000 CHF (to be divided among team members), but they will also earn eternal glory and fame for their exceptional problem-solving abilities. In addition to the team prize, PharmaCamp will recognize individual excellence. The Best Presenter Award will honor the participant who delivers the most compelling and captivating presentation, receiving a prize of 250 CHF. Furthermore, the Social Media Engagement Award will celebrate the individual who demonstrates outstanding activity and impact on social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, also receiving a prize of 250 CHF.
Industry Visit
Current and former participants of the PharmaCamp can sign-up for an industry visit to Roche. More information will follow soon.
SCHEDULE
DAY 1 (September 13)
Open to public
Time | Event |
|---|---|
09:15 - 9:45 | Registration (only for the selected participants) |
09:50 - 10:00 | Introduction |
10:00 - 10:45 | Prof. Dr. Mark Rubin: Precision Medicine in Cancer |
10:45 - 11:00 | Coffee break |
11:00 - 11:45 | Prof. Dr. Stavroula Mougiakakou: Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for disease self-management and treatment personalisation |
11:45 - 12:00 | Cecilia Molina: Partner pitch: Talent kick |
12:00 - 13:30 | Lunch break |
13:30 - 14:15 | Dr. Tierry Schlama: From early phase to full-scale manufacturing. An overview of Biocatalysis at Novartis Pharma. |
14:15 - 15:00 | Dr. Camille Peitsch: Under one roof: treatment research, development and production in Switzerland |
15:00 - 15:30 | Coffee break |
15:30 - 16:15 | Dr. Anke Arnold-Tugulu: The role of regulatory affairs: present and future |
16:15 - 16:30 | Mark Illi: Partner pitch: Sitem |
16:30 - 17:15 | Introduction to challenge section. Presentation of the challenge cases, groups formation. |
17:20 - 18:00 | Networking |
DAY 2 (September 14)
Closed event for the selected participants
Time | Event |
|---|---|
09:00 - 10:30 | Beginning of the case challenges |
10:30 - 12:00 | Working in teams |
12:00 - 13:00 | Lunch break |
13:00 - 15:00 | Dr. Carina Schey: Workshop on public speaking |
15:00 - 18:00 | Working in teams |
18:00 onwards | Networking |
DAY 3 (September 15)
Closed event for the selected participants
Time | Event |
|---|---|
09:30 - 10:30 | Project presentations (teams 1-3) |
10:30 - 10:40 | Coffee break |
10:40 - 11:40 | Project presentations (teams 4-5) |
11:40 - 12:15 | Jury discussion |
12:15 - 12:45 | Award |
12:45 - 12:55 | Closing remarks and end of event |
13:00 onwards | Lunch and networking |
SPEAKERS
Stavroula Mougiakakou holds a Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. She is currently leading the AI in Health and Nutrition laboratory at the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research Bern, Switzerland. Her research interests include artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision and their application in prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment personalisation of acute and chronic diseases. Over the last years she successfully involved herself and her research group in many competitive national, European, and internationally funded R&D projects, resulting in numerous publications, a number of patents, and several technology transfer activities.
Prof. Dr. Stavroula Mougiakakou
Associate Professor, University of Bern
Dr. Anke Arnold-Tugulu has over 15 years of experience in the leadership in pharmaceutical industry. Currently she is the Head of Regulatory Affairs at Azafaros working in the area of rare lysosomal storage disorders. She has solid experience across various therapeutic areas (Immunology, anti-infectives, cardiovascular, ophthalmology, transplantation, oncology, pulmonary, haematology) and all stages of drug development, from entry into human to post marketing. She also worked with orphan drugs and rare diseases. She is also a Co-Founder of the NovoNexile AG : NovoNexile.com. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anke-arnold-tugulu-phd-up-976b014/
Dr. Anke Arnold-Tugulu
Head of Regulatory Affairs at Azafaros
Director of the Department for Biomedical Research (DBMR) and head of the management board. Prof Rubin was the founding director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-leader of the All of Us program (U.S. National Precision Medicine Program) for New York City before being recruited to Bern
Prof. Dr. Mark Rubin
Director of the Bern Center for Precision Medicine
Camille Peitsch joined InnoMedica in February 2017 and after a while she took over the Research and Development team. As a molecular biologist, she contributes to InnoMedica with her experience in the visualization of nanostructures and cellular transport mechanisms as well as in method development and establishment. This knowledge enabled her to explore the structural design and mode of action of InnoMedica's liposomes and to work with the team to develop further medical applications for the nanotechnology platform. Since January 2022, Camille Peitsch is a member of the management as Head of Research, Development & Commercialization.
In 2012, Camille Peitsch completed her master's degree in molecular biology at the University of Basel. After that, she did her PhD at the Institute of Anatomy of the University of Bern and wrote her thesis under the guidance of Prof. Benoît Zuber under the title "Cutting Edge Electron Microscopy for Calcium-Dependent Exocytosis and Trypanosome Morphology Studies". During this research, she developed a method for isolating the cell periphery for cryo-electron microscopy and completed her PhD in March 2017.
Dr. Camille Peitsch
Head Research, Development & Commercialization, InnoMedica Schweiz
Thierry Schlama has 24 years experience in chemical processes and innovative technologies development. He started his career in 1997 at Rhone Poulenc, developing new routes to pharmaceutical intermediates and has been instrumental in the industrialization of the Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution technology invented by E.Jacobsen lab and Buchwald amination through strong collaboration with Harvard University and MIT. He joined Novartis in 2006 where he held different roles within Chemical R&D organization. Recipient of the Novartis Innovation Award (VIVA) award in 2017, Thierry has been instrumental in building strategic partnerships, creating innovation platforms, and leading biocatalysis implementation within CHAD organization from early to full scale manufacturing. Author of several publications, patents and book chapters, Thierry holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Strasbourg and he’s passionate of changing the way we do organic chemistry using the power of enzymes.
Dr. Thierry Schlama
Director of the Biocatalysis activities in Novartis Chemical R&D.
JURY PANEL
Nadine C. Martin is Head of Innovation Management at sitem-insel AG since 2015. Her particular interest goes to Open Innovation in the Life Science sector and she focusses on activities that inspire an innovation culture for all stakeholders to think and act out of the box in order to translate better and faster. She holds an MD and a specialist degrees in Anaesthesiology and in pharmaceutical medicine and a certificate in Innovation Management. She has a long standing experience in pharmaceutical industry and served on boards of professional associations, and as VP on the Board of LIH and now heads the Scientific Council of the FNR, besides being an expert judge and mentor at MassChallenge Switzerland”.
Dr. Nadine C. Martin
Head of Innovation Management at sitem-insel AG
I am a senior scientist within the Translational Epidemiology team at Bristol Myers Squibb in Switzerland. My work focusses on enhancing and transforming real world and omics data and running statistical analyses utilizing real world evidence combined with genomic features to support research questions in the preclinical space..
Dr. Jonas Walheim
Senior Scientist within the Translational Epidemiology team at Bristol Myers Squibb
In 2020 Daniel received his Ph.D. in Chemistry and Molecular Sciences from the University of Bern under the supervision of Prof. Jean-Louis Reymond. His main research interest is efficient machine learning and data visualization applied to natural sciences, focusing on the intersection of chemistry and biology. After a two-year stay as a permanent research staff member at IBM Research in the Team of Teodoro Laino working on machine learning for biocatalysis, he started as a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Pierre Vandergheynst at EPFL. Over the last 5 years, Daniel has authored and co-authored more than 20 papers on the application of AI to chemistry, ranging from chemical synthesis prediction to exploration of chemical synthesis space and development of novel methods for computational analysis of drugs, biomolecules and metabolites.
Dr. Daniel Probst
Scientific researcher in AI for chemistry, EPFL
I am a senior scientist at Bristol Myers Squibb with a strong background in immunology and extensive hands-on experience in data science. I began my career in the telecommunications industry, where I worked in several projects as a data analyst. Driven by a passion for healthcare, I transitioned to the pharmaceutical sector, leveraging my expertise in data analysis to advance research and development programs. My unique blend of molecular life sciences knowledge and data analytics skills enables me to address scientific questions in a targeted manner while keeping the research question at the forefront. In the current role, I’m contributing to the integration of multi-modal real-world data in research programs, supporting evidence-based decision-making.
Nives Rombini
Senior Scientist at Bristol Myers Squibb
Dr. Sarah David
Scientific Advisor, Novartis
Dr. Alessia Villois
Formulation Project Leader at Novartis
Stefanie Dobitz is Innovation & Startup Advisor for Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences at the University of Bern and Inselspital, Bern University Hospital. Her focus is on supporting and connecting people for their innovative and successful entrepreneurial journey. Stefanie earned her doctoral thesis from ETH Zurich studying the synthesis and biological evaluation of oligoproline-based peptide ligands for tumor targeting, and holds a CAS in innovation management. Prior joining the University of Bern, Stefanie worked as sales manager for a Swiss CDMO, wherein she supported the pharma and biotech industry in the lead finding of future drug candidates, medical devices, as well as cosmetics.
Dr. Stefanie Dobitz
Innovation & Startup Advisor for Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences at the University of Bern and Inselspital
David Roura Padrosa is the co-founder and CEO of inSEIT AG, a startup affiliated with the University of Bern, specializing in rational biocatalyst immobilization.
He completed his PhD in chemical biology at the University of Nottingham in 2019 and continued his research in applied biocatalysis at the University of Bern under the supervision of Prof. Paradisi. David's research focused on discovering new biocatalysts and their application in synthesizing valuable chemicals, with an emphasis on biocatalysis and flow chemistry. More recently, he also developed novel bioinformatic tools and workflows to optimize enzyme immobilization protocols. He received the BRIDGE Proof of Concept fellowship from the Swiss National Foundation, an individual scholarship that supports early career scientists in bridging the gap towards the creation of Swiss-based startups. This recognition underscores the potential of inSEIT to drive innovation and contribute to the growth of the biotech industry.
Founded in 2022, inSEIT AG builds upon cutting-edge bioinformatic workflows to unlock the full potential of immobilized enzymes, thereby enhancing the repertoire of available enzymes for the chemical industry. The company's vision is to provide advanced biocatalytic tools, particularly in the areas of chiral molecule synthesis and late-stage functionalization. With a clear commitment to advancing sustainable chemistry and delivering impactful innovations, inSEIT has already created a toolbox of immobilized enzymes and advanced in the validation of its bioinformatic tools.
Dr. David Roura Padrosa
CEO and co-founder of inSEIT
Dr. Jonas Zeller joined InnoMedica Holding AG in 2013 as Head of Finance and Administration. He brings experience in Financial Management, and was a lecturer of Business Valuation at the University of Bern and the Bern-Rochester Executive MBA program. He obtained a doctorate from the Institute of Financial Management at the University of Bern, where his research examined the interaction between age and economic efficiency of enterprises. Prior to his doctoral thesis, he had a role as an analyst in the Economic Research Department at Credit Suisse in Zürich. His graduate studies were at the University of Bern and the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester in New York.
Dr. Jonas Zeller
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of InnoMedica Holding AG
Camilla Calastra
Marketing Manager
PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP
Dr. Carina Schey
Consultant Health Economist
Carina is enthusiastic about effective communication, especially in the medical and scientific world. As a Consultant Health Economist, she knows all too well the need to be a succinct, persuasive, and effective communicator.
Carina’s real passion is mentoring people to become better speakers. She loves listening to their speeches and finding ways in which they could use their unique skills to enhance their delivery and their messages. She has mentored many people and continues to do so internationally.
Competing in public speaking contests keeps her communication and presentation skills well- honed for her work. In her professional life, Carina has presented her work on the economics of rare diseases at many international conferences and at the European Parliament. Carina sits on the expert panel for several scientific advisory boards for charities, and as non- executive director for healthcare organisations.
Carina’s workshop will include:
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Effective use of one’s voice
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How to appeal to an audience
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Opening and closing a pitch
ORGANISING TEAM
Ph.D. Researcher at UniBE in systems biology. Passion for science, philosophy and travel. Challenges have been a boost to learning.
Sigma Pradhan
Coordinator
PhD student in PharmaTech. Passionate about science, mental health & recycling. Most importantly, I love being around people - learn and connect with each individual and new situation.
Dr. Marianna Carone
Co-founder and strategic advisor
Ksenia Kapitanova is a PhD student at UNIGE, exploring the role of S100A4-expressing smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis
Ksenia Kapitanova
Coordinator
Head of the Innovation Office at the University of Bern. Holds a MA in Modern History and Political Economics from the University of Fribourg, and a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Ottawa, Canada.
Sebastien Hug
Strategic Advisor
When I am not occupied holding a pipette or writing my PhD thesis, I love dedicating my time to work in NGOs and create platforms to bring people together.
Dr. Gregor Bordon
Co-founder and strategic advisor
Anastasia Sveshnikova is a recent PhD graduate in computational systems biotechnology. Currently, she is working as a software developer in the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.
Dr. Anastasia Sveshnikova
IT Manager
PhD researcher in Enzyme Engineering and Flow Biocatalysis at the University of Bern. When I am not occupied performing enzyme-catalysed reactions, you can find me in the Wallis moutains where I enjoy hiking, bivouacking, ski-touring, climbing, or having a couple of beers with friends.
Laurianne Pillet
Marketing Manager and Media Designer
I am a master's student studying Immunology at the University of Bern. I am greatly interested in medicinal chemistry, drug delivery, and targeting. I am mostly occupied with traveling, sketching, or reading books near Aare in my free time.
Garima Yadav
Communications Manager
I am a pharmacist, freshly graduated with a PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology, and passionate about science communication. When I am not in the lab, you will find me performing on a stage, or working on my latest project to spread science in a fun way!
Dr. Adèle Rakotonirina
Communication Specialist
Biotechnology Student at ETH Zürich, currently based in Basel. I am interested in bioinformatics and synthetic biology and their applications in translational science. Having participated in the Pharmacamp 2022, I am excited to continue this great event and create new opportunities for participants. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucawitte/
Luca Witte
Volunteer
PhD Researcher in Cell Biology at the University of Bern. When I am not at the microscopes, I love reading, hiking and exploring the beautiful Swiss outdoors. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasundhara-rao-b26333161
Vasundhara Rao
Volunteer
Camilla Calastra
Marketing Manager
COLLABORATORS
SPONSORS
