Researcher blogs

Written by Wen Zhong, PhD student at Karolinska Institutet and participant of the course “Career Skills for Scientists” during the spring term 2026.

Quick Facts

• Name: Magnus Berglund
• Position: Chief Technology Officer at Key2Brain and Founder of BeMa BioConsulting AB
• Year of PhD defense: 1999

Magnus Berglund is a neuroscientist with a PhD from Uppsala University and extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry. His career spans both academia and industry, including roles at major companies such as Eli Lilly and Sobi, where he worked for over 17 years in drug discovery and translational science. Today, he is involved in the growing biotech company Key2Brain, contributing his expertise in bioinformatics and molecular interaction analysis. With a career shaped by both opportunity and adaptability, Magnus offers valuable insights into the transition from academia to industry and what it takes to succeed in a collaborative, goal-oriented environment.

To start with your journey, could you tell us a bit about your academic background and how you first entered the field?

I did my PhD in neuroscience at Uppsala University, working with neuropeptide Y (NPY) under Dan Larhammar. During my PhD, our group cloned receptors for NPY. At that time, NPY was a very attractive research area because it regulates appetite. Many pharmaceutical companies were trying to identify receptors that could be targeted to develop inhibitors. Because of this work, we started collaborating with Eli Lilly during my PhD. After I finished my PhD, they offered me a postdoctoral position in the United States, and I spent about two years there.

Looking back to that time, had you already envisioned a move into industry?

Not really. My career path has been quite serendipitous. When Eli Lilly offered the postdoc, I had no clear strategy about academia versus industry. My wife and I visited their labs to see what it would be like, then I started my postdoc there.

After about two years, I began looking for opportunities back in Sweden. Someone at Biovitrum had heard about me and contacted me regarding a team leader position. I interviewed in October 2002 and started there in January the following year. So my transition into industry was not a carefully planned decision—it simply happened through opportunities.

What ultimately motivated you to build a long career in industry rather than returning to academia?

I realized that I enjoy collaborative team-based work and the competitive environment between companies.

A PhD can sometimes feel like a solo activity—almost like playing tennis alone, where you’re responsible for everything yourself. In industry, it’s more like a football team. Different people contribute different expertise: some focus on strategy, some focus on production, others on analytics. My own role has often been analytical, understanding how molecules interact with receptors and validating mechanisms. That collaborative structure suits me well.

How would you describe the differences between academia and industry?

The biggest difference is the focus on team goals versus individual research interests.

In academia, you might pursue a scientific question simply because it is interesting. In industry, the ultimate goal is to develop a drug that reaches the market and benefits patients. If a project cannot realistically lead to a product, it is unlikely to be prioritized. Another difference is that in industry you are often one piece of a larger puzzle, whereas in academia you may feel like you are responsible for the entire puzzle.

After 17 years at Sobi, you made the step to start your own company. What was happening at that point in your career that led to that decision?

It wasn’t entirely by choice. 

Around 2019, Sobi made a strategic decision to stop early-stage research. As a result, many of us working in discovery and translational science were laid off. I had the option to stay and move into more regulatory work, such as writing dossiers for clinical trials, but that wasn’t my area of expertise.

Instead, I was approached by a company that had acquired a project from Sobi—one I had worked on for nearly ten years. They needed someone who understood the project from the beginning. Because of that opportunity, I started my consultancy company. In fact, I had the customer before I even created the company.

How did you first become involved with Key2Brain, and what drew you into the company?

A former colleague from Sobi, Elisabet Ohlin Sjöström, started a company called Key2Brain. She was working on a technology to transport drugs across the blood–brain barrier using transferrin receptor targeting. 

She initially hired me as a consultant to help with bioinformatics and binding analysis, particularly using Biacore technology, which I had worked with for many years. Over time, my involvement increased, and eventually I joined the company more permanently. When I joined, we were only three people. That was about two and a half years ago. Now we are around twelve people, so the company has grown very quickly.

When you reflect on your career journey so far, what key advice would you give to PhD students who are considering a move into industry?

My biggest advice is to stay open to opportunities. You create your own luck by being in the right place when opportunities appear. If someone asks, “Can you help with this?”, try to say yes whenever possible. If you limit yourself too much—saying “this is the only thing I want to do”—you may miss many opportunities.

Another important thing is to build a toolbox of standard techniques. For example, if someone asks whether you have performed ELISA or other basic methods, it is helpful to say yes. A solid technical toolbox combined with a willingness to learn new things is very valuable.

People often talk about a “cultural shift” when moving from academia to industry. From your perspective, what does that actually look like in day-to-day work?

The cultural difference mainly comes from how success is defined. In academia, success is often measured by publications and scientific discoveries. In industry, success is measured by progress toward developing a drug. Projects are evaluated based on milestones that move them closer to clinical trials and eventually to the market.

Another adjustment is that industry work may not always be visible academically. Some companies historically avoided publishing because they wanted to protect intellectual property. So moving into industry sometimes means giving up some academic visibility in exchange for contributing to the development of real-world therapies.

From your experience, what are some common misconceptions or mistakes you see when PhD graduates apply for industry roles?

Generally, I think there are no other mistakes than in any business. One thing is that don’t spice up your CV with things you can’t or abilities you don’t have. You shouldn’t lie in your CV, sometimes a lie that is too easy to penetrate will make it even worse.

Another important point is to stay humble. When entering industry, you should not expect to immediately become a leader or to be in charge right away. People tend to think too much of themselves too early. Regardless of the level you start at, you will still need to prove yourself. It is important to show your abilities and demonstrate what you can contribute, but at the same time you should be prepared to work hard and earn the trust of your colleagues over time.

Finally, if you could go back to the early stages of your career, is there anything you would have liked to know or been advised on at that time?

The advice I received from my mentor during my post-doc at Eli Lilly is to always be clear and realistic when you take on a task. If you promise to deliver something within a certain timeframe, make sure you follow through on that commitment.

If you realize that you may not be able to complete the task as planned, it is very important to communicate that as soon as possible. Good communication and delivering on your promises are essential professional habits, whether you work in academia or industry.