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Karen Akinsanya PhD is President of R&D, Therapeutics at Schrödinger. This followed leadership positions at Merck & Co and at Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
Raised initially in Bristol and then in the suburbs of Surrey, in this episode of BELS Brief Chats, Karen shares her roots in our sector, undoubtedly stimulated by the healthcare and scientific backgrounds of her parents, especially her father bequeathing to her at a young age his wooden microscope. She received her BSc in biochemistry from Queen Mary University of London and her PhD in endocrine physiology from the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at Imperial College London. Her professional path has been forged by her ambition and an insatiable curiosity that leads her to constantly question things. This had led her to numerous career experiences including her current leadership position at a company sitting squarely at the nexus of technology convergence.
Karen also has first-hand experience of the extensive British-educated talent working abroad. “Almost on a weekly basis I bump into someone who has a British accent in the US or even recently in Japan! Brits get around. There has to be a way of tapping into this global UK talent”.
Karen also has a fundamental understanding of why BELS is so important. “Partnerships and collaborations are really driven by relationships and networks”.