People to follow in life sciences
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10 people to follow if you want a career in life sciences

29 May 2017

Want to work in the exciting world of life sciences? Check out these industry experts and role models in everything from research to biopharma.

Life Sciences Week 2017

It’s Life Sciences Week here at Siliconrepublic.com, and that means anyone who is interested in a career in biotech, pharma, medtech or research will have advice, profiles and job hotspots coming out of their ears.

With the biotech industry expecting more than 8,000 jobs over the next few years, there’s arguably never been a better time to start a career in life sciences.

But where should you start if you want to work in biotech, pharma or medtech? Well, your education will be an essential ingredient, but not everything is learned in the classroom.

With a wealth of experts and influencers from the life sciences world online, and particularly on Twitter, you’d be surprised how much you can learn about the industry simply by hitting that follow button.

Brent Saunders (@brentlsaunders)

Brent Saunders is chairman and CEO of Dublin-based pharma company Allergan. He has worked in the life sciences industry for about 25 years and, while not a qualified scientist, he’s an important person to follow.

Not only will his tweets keep you in the loop in terms of the Irish biopharma sector, he is also a strong role model for anyone who wants to go into the business side of life sciences.

Keelin O’Donoghue (@keelinodonoghue)

Keelin O’Donoghue is an obstetrician, maternal-fetal medicine specialist and a senior lecturer at University College Cork.

For anyone interested in the medical side of life sciences, O’Donoghue is one of the best people to follow on Twitter. She frequently tweets about important insights and discussions going on in the world of health.

John Mack (@pharmaguy)

Better known as Pharma Guy, Mack has been in the pharma industry for more than 20 years. Through his Twitter handle, he frequently tweets about industry news.

As he is based in the US, a lot of his news comes from there too, but it’s good to stay aware of international pharma developments, especially if you plan to travel.

Sarah Morgan (@sarahmorgan)

A strong communicator in the pharma field, Sarah Morgan works as a health marketing communications consultant. She has been writing about pharma since 1997.

On Twitter, Morgan deems herself a pharma geek, and her commentary on the various elements of the health and pharma world make for fascinating reading.

David Kroll (@davidkroll)

David Kroll is a qualified pharmacologist and freelance science and medicine writer based in the US.

Kroll is a contributing writer for Forbes and Chemical & Engineering News. His tweets are often delightfully personal, and he regularly advocates for diversity in the life sciences sector, providing insights into the world of health, science and drugs.

Christiane Truelove (@ChristianeTrue)

An experienced pharma industry writer, Christiane Truelove has been heavily involved with Med Ad News, a trade magazine that covers marketing, promotion and professional advertising of prescription drugs.

Her tweets are full of interesting information and insights for anyone who wants to learn more about life sciences. Last week, she tweeted from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research meeting.

Matt Moran (@mattmoranBPCI)

As the director of BioPharmaChem Ireland for the last 25 years, Matt Moran is a must-follow for anyone interested in a life sciences career.

Moran tweets about all manner of things going on in the biotech and chemical sectors in Ireland and abroad, and will keep you up to date with industry happenings closer to home.

Sally Church (@MaverickNY)

According to her Twitter profile, Sally Church is a scientist, cancer geek, Londoner, adventurer and explorer.

She is writer and editor of Biotech Strategy Blog, the executive director at an oncology/haematology-focused online digital media company (Blue Ice Publishing) and she has a PhD in respiratory medicine.

Peter Loftus (@Loftus)

Based in Philadelphia, Peter Loftus is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, covering drug companies and healthcare.

Loftus will keep you informed on all things FDA, sharing important stories and developments from the pharma world.

Karen James (@kejames)

Karen James is a scientist at Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in the University of Washington. She also co-founded the HMS Beagle project 10 years ago, an organisation working to rebuild the HMS Beagle and retrace its famous 1831-1835 voyage around the world.

Along with fascinating tweets for anyone aspiring to work in life sciences – particular genetics or biology – she’s also a vocal feminist, and her tweets are guaranteed to keep you entertained.

Jenny Darmody
By Jenny Darmody

Jenny Darmody became the editor of Silicon Republic in 2023, having worked as the deputy editor since February 2020. When she’s not writing about the science and tech industry, she’s writing short stories and attempting novels. She continuously buys more books than she can read in a lifetime and pretty stationery is her kryptonite. She also believes seagulls to be the root of all evil and her baking is the stuff of legends.

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