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An inside perspective on being a researcher

Stepping stones to expertise: The European Competence Framework

Sooner or later, every researcher probably comes across the ERA (European Research Area) Talent Platform, whether as a budding scientist or a seasoned veteran. I was recently reminded of the interesting resources the platform provides, such as a variety of EU competence frameworks. These frameworks were developed by the European Commision as a tool to assess and develop one’s transferrable skills to help build inter-sectoral careers. Needless to say that, with eager curiosity, I delved into “The European Competence Framework for Research Managers (RM Comp)” to discover how the skills required for my tasks as a laboratory manager overlap with those listed in the framework and to see which nuggets of wisdom I might find to share with you.

Posted by Amy Hillen

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Swedish spring and the sunglass paradox

One might say that you haven’t fully experienced spring – unless you have lived through a full Swedish winter, or winter in a high latitude country for that matter. Once the temperatures venture into the plus area, and you catch the first rays of the non-warming, early spring sun on your face, you know that you have made it. Yet another winter in the books. 

Posted by elodieeiffener

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White flag on stick with text

Following curiosity: A journey through epidemiology and innovation

Dr. Taulant Muka is a medical doctor and epidemiologist whose career has spanned academia, pharmaceutical industry, and entrepreneurship. Today, he combines his academic work with innovation as co-founder of Epistudia, a startup dedicated to making evidence-based medical education more accessible for healthcare and life science professionals.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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orange detour sign on sidewalk, with arrow to the left

“Be curious, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to take a detour”

When I first reached out to Carolina Kiesel, PhD, on LinkedIn, she replied almost instantly with a friendly mix of emojis 👏👍😊 and a message that perfectly captured her warm personality: “Yes, I have a little different journey than many others! Several KI students have interviewed me over the years 🙂 Of course I can help — maybe next week?”
Read more about Carolina Kiesel’s transition from academia to pharma and beyond in this career portrait.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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graphs of the stock market

Research is like a long-term investment in stock market

Professor Linheng Li is internationally recognized for his pioneering research in adult stem cell biology and cancer niche dynamics. Beyond his scientific achievements, he is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of researchers. Many of his former trainees now lead independent research programs around the world. Read more about his career in this portrait written by Sadaf Fazeli.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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Corner of a game of chess

From Medicine to Strategy

Dr. Baoyi Zhou is a Competitive Intelligence Manager at Pfizer China, with a career spanning medicine, academia, and strategy consulting. Before joining Pfizer, he worked as a Senior Life Science Specialist at L.E.K. Consulting. Baoyi holds a PhD from Karolinska Institutet, with a research exchange at Harvard University, and is also a licensed physician in China. In this Q&A you get an insight into the evolution of Dr. Baoyi Zhou.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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Construction of bridge

From Bench Science to Building Bridges

Volker M. Lauschke moves between academia and industry with unusual ease. From 3D human tissue models to startup ventures, his career threads discovery and application without pretending the workload is light. In this conversation, he talks frankly about trade-offs, structure, and why ambition – not field – drives competition. This informational interview distills practical lessons for PhD students and postdocs eyeing careers that span research and business: how to prioritize, when to take risk, and how to design a portfolio that can produce both steady progress and big swings.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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Connected data points illustrating big data

From Bench to Builder

A wet-lab immunologist turned data scientist, Paulo Czarnewski is building atlas-scale disease models (and a company) to make clean, harmonized data the shortest path to discovery. In this Q&A, Paulo explains the jump from academia to startup life, the discipline of milestones and deliverables, and why “clean data” is the real accelerator for precision medicine.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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computer generated image of mycobacterium tubercolosis

The Science of Biosafety and not forgetting

Antonio “Tony” Rothfuchs describes his work simply: “I work on airborne transmission of tuberculosis.” But behind that modest introduction lies an academic career built step-by-step at Karolinska Institutet (KI), with formative years abroad, and a central role in shaping how KI conducts high-biosafety research today.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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two white tablets

Causal Inference and Academic Freedom

Recently Viktor Ahlqvist studies received significant international attention. His work demonstrated that the use of paracetamol during pregnancy is unlikely to cause autism in children. The findings gained particular visibility after the claim of Donald Trump that paracetamol use in pregnancy is driving rising autism rates.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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Three crumpled yellow papers on green surface surrounded by yellow lined papers

A perfect role for nerds who are extroverts

Christina Neofytou is currently a Medical Liaison Manager for Biogen; a role otherwise referred to as Medical Science Liaison (MSL), which is tailored for her science skill set and drive. From early on in her scientific training, she developed an interest in science communication, particularly to connect with fellow researchers and forge collaborations between academia, industry, and the clinic.

Posted by natalievonderlehr

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