Davide Croci, PhD - Biomarker Scientist
Davide Croci, PhD - Biomarker Scientist at Novigenix SA
Where are you from, and what is your educational background?
I’m Swiss, from Ticino. I studied Biology at ETH Zürich and I did my PhD at UNIL, in the lab of Prof. Johanna Joyce. My MsC research projects were focused on cancer cell signaling and mechanism of auto-immune diseases. During my PhD, I worked on therapeutically targeting and imaging the brain tumor microenvironment.
When did you transition into industry?
I transitioned after my PhD, although I’ve already had a short internship between the MsC and PhD at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)
What is your current position?
My current position is called “Biomarker Scientist”. My core task consists in analyzing RNA sequencing data from blood liquid biopsies and leveraging AI to identify biomarkers for precision medicine applications, such as early cancer diagnosis or therapy response monitoring. I also actively contribute to project management and scientific writing.
Is your job related to the work you did during your PhD?
Yes, I would say that overall, the job is still related: I’m still working in the oncology field and at the interface between immune system and tumor. The approach changed and I moved from the wet lab to the “digital” lab of data analysis. Yet, I apply the same scientific thinking that I’ve learned during my PhD.
How did you adapt to the cultural and operational differences between academia and your current role?
I still feel some sort of academic environment since I work in the research team of a small company. Yet, projects are more structured and goal oriented. Also, the whole team focuses on a very precise technology to analyze blood RNA. The ratio of people per topic/research question is higher than in academia and therefore I feel a faster and stronger drive. Adapting to this way of working was easy, since I am a pragmatic and goal-oriented person myself.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
The aspect I enjoy the most is data analysis, followed by scientific communication. I find exciting to have the opportunity to dig into the data and to try solving scientific questions.
What was your experience transitioning from your PhD to your first position outside academia?
My transition was overall smooth. I first had a travel break, which was a great idea. Afterwards, I did not put pressure on myself while looking for a job, and I was lucky to find an opportunity in just couple of months.
What challenges did you face during this transition and after?
The only challenge (and important experience for the future), was learning how to discuss and to define some contract terms.
What helped you succeed in your career transition?
Personally, I have a simple and maybe obvious answer to the second question: personal network. And I think it is important to emphasize that a personal network can be built in many ways. My full academic and professional journey is a sequence of events who led me to meet great people who gave me great opportunities. I don’t have a magic formula for that but I strongly recommend being proactive and genuine.
What advice made the most difference in your professional development?
I don’t have a specific advice that made the difference. I’ve always tried to learn from people and my own experiences, and to listen to someone else stories. In this way I gathered several small advices that were useful in many situations, from CV writing to annual reviews with the management.
What can I wish you for the years to come?
At least in the medium term, to not quit the scientific part of the business. I realized that data and experiments is what I still like the most.
Davide Croci’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidecroci/
