Industrial Careers Expo - October
2012, University of Sheffield
Dr Ian Birch-Machin
Career Summary (1)
• University of East Anglia (1979-1982), BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences
• Department of Microbiology, University of Sheffield (1983-1986), 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)
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 (2/12present)
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
MRC
• Laboratory Management
• Budget Management
• Financial Systems & Transactions
Tasks performed
Syntaxin
Title
Principal Scientist
Organisation Biotech
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
MRC
Lab & Budget Manager
Research Institute
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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
Qualifications and skills required and
those gained
Syntaxin
MRC
Qualifications/ • PhD
skills required • Molecular biology
• Protein purification
• Research experience
• Line management
• Phage display
• ELISA development
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Qualifications/ • Line management
skills gained
• Resource management
• Project management
• Budget management
• H&S
• Intellectual Property
• Risk analysis
• Use of accountancy software
• Risk analysis
• Business continuity
Budget management
Laboratory management
H&S
Intellectual Property
Skills as a researcher and those gained
Skills gained as a researcher
Additional skills
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Taking the opportunity:
• To line manage
• To project manage
• To attend courses – internal &
external
• To be mentored
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
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
Formal interview comprising:
• Interview (panel of 4, 30 min)
• Tour
Comparisons to academic research
Comparison to
academic research
Syntaxin
Positives
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Negatives
• Not as secure
• Termination of projects at
short notice
• Pensions not as good
Fast/dynamic
Development of new skills
Team working
Varied
Contributing to health
Higher salary
Share options
MRC
• Contributing to health
• Development of new skills
• Varied
• Separated from science
Career path and career progression
Syntaxin
Career progression
Senior Scientist
MRC
Limited in current role
Principal Scientist
Career opportunities
within organisation
Limited in small biotech
Opportunities in:
Movement to other
biotechs/pharma using
experience/expertise
gained
• MRC Regional Centre
• MRC Head Office
• University of Oxford
Thank you
Any questions please?