Early in my career, I was often asked, “Do you want to work in academia or industry?” The emphasis was always on “or,” a clear line drawn between the supposed ivory tower of academia and the commercially driven environment of industry. The way the question was framed made it clear: there were discrete tracks of scientific pursuit, and at some point, scientists needed to choose one track or another.
Moreover, the connection between these tracks was always portrayed as being very linear. Foundational research happened in academia. Smaller companies would advance those findings in drug discovery and development programs. Ultimately, large pharmaceutical companies would usher new treatments through FDA approval and commercialization. It was like a 400-meter relay, where each player ran a segment of the race and then handed off the baton to the next in line.
That model worked for a time, but science has outgrown the simplicity of a relay race. Today, the reality looks very different. The life sciences field is now highly interconnected, collaborative, and far more complex. It’s less like a relay and more like a forest – vibrant, diverse and interdependent.
Given this evolution, rather than “or,” I believe we should be talking about “and” – academia and industry (link here), biotech and Big Pharma, venture capital and public funding…and, And, AND!…