‘Camper’ gets affirmation scientists can make life better

The Novartis International Leadership Camp, BioCamp for short, is an annual workshop that gives promising graduate students in the fields of natural sciences and business administration the opportunity to learn from top scientists and executives.

It is designed to help students understand trends and challenges in the biotechnology and life science sectors, as well as gain firsthand experience about starting and running a biotech company.

Henson Lee Yu and I were among 60 students from leading universities in 21 countries and territories who participated in the 2012 BioCamp in August in the Novartis Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

The three-day workshop was packed with lectures and discussions led by Novartis chief executive officer Joseph Jimenez, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Rolf Zinkernagel, and Novartis AG board member Ann Fudge, among others.

It was both humbling and inspiring to interact with the scientists and executives, who lead Novartis in developing breakthrough medicines to address unmet patients’ needs.

One of the workshop highlights was the case study competition on how to start a biotech company and develop and launch a pharmaceutical product. Students were divided into eight teams, with each team crafting a compelling presentation on a hypothetical start-up company and its “product” to secure funding from a “panel of venture capitalists.”

My teammates were from Austria, Greece, Japan, Pakistan, Switzerland and Taiwan; some had science backgrounds, others business and management.

Our hypothetical biotech company, Ston-Age, presented our breakthrough product, an early detection kit for Alzheimer’s disease. Our team won the competition.

BioCamp broadened my perspective on how my work as a scientist pursuing basic research was crucial in the context of translational medicine.

To be given a bird’s eye view—and what a view it was!—by notable scientists and executives of how scientific research could benefit society was a rare opportunity for Henson and I.

BioCamp removed the barriers between scientists and business executives, paving the way for cooperation and collaboration.

My BioCamp experience has motivated me to continue studying to find ways to address patients’ needs.

I also want to share the BioCamp lessons I learned with other young Filipinos, especially undergraduate and graduate science students, and to encourage them to use their knowledge and skills for the benefit of humankind.

The author has Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Science in Biology (major in Cell and Molecular Biology) degrees from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She interned at Universita degli Studi di Padova in Italy. An instructor at the UP Diliman Institute of Biology, she is currently taking up Master in International Health at the UP Open University.