Dr Davide Danovi is a FLIER participant, Head of Cellular Phenotyping at biotech firm bit.bio and Senior Lecturer at King's College London. His work involves characterising cells to understand disease and find innovative new treatments. Here he tells us what he has learned on the FLIER programme and how it’s helping him to change the way we conduct medical research.
Q: What issue in health research do you want to take on and why?
A: I am fascinated by the challenges in bringing public and private sectors closer together with a view of creating rather than extracting value. There is genuinely so much to learn in the interspace between these separate entities.
Q: What are your hopes for the future in your work?
A: Several diseases where cell therapy is beginning to prove effective are hampered by the titanic challenges of producing enough cells. The work we do in bit.bio extends a technology that enables us to produce human specific cell types at scale and this will bring some of these new treatments to fruition. The work at King’s builds new ways of observing and measuring cell behaviour.
Q: What have you done differently as a result of FLIER?
A: I have started to see the world as a kaleidoscope of personalities, and this has been extremely enriching. I have taken failure less personally and more maturely. I have managed to package my ideas in a slightly more sensible way. And I have demonstrated my interest in the interface between academia and biotech.
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?
A: Be very aware of the difference between expertise, management and leadership. Decide whether you want to embark in one or more of these. Put a lot of care into your week and the way you manage your time. Create active and reactive time slots -- paying attention to not being always available -- and allow for time in the zone as well as time to switch off and gently reassess the heavy weeks before. Finally, look in the eyes of any elephants in the room and don’t be afraid to flag them when the time is right.
Dr Davide Danovi is a participant in Round 2 of the Academy of Medical Sciences’ FLIER programme, a unique programme that will develop leaders of the future who can create collaborations across academia, industry, the NHS and government to drive innovation.
The FLIER programme is generously supported by the Dennis and Mireille Gillings Foundation and the Government Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ‘Investment in Research Talent’ fund. You can find out more about our funding model and explore our donors here, or visit our Support Us webpage to explore ways to help our work.
