EU-LIFE Webinar on Career Tracks
Join us for our monthly career webinar, this time featuring Career paths in the pharmaceutic industry!
Event Schedule
10 AM – 10:30 AM: Aleksandra Brajic, Manager - Oncology Discovery at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Belgium
Originally from Serbia, Aleksandra moved to Belgium in 2014 to start her PhD at Prof. Peter Carmeliet's lab, where she worked on the metabolism of tumor endothelial cells. In 2017, she began her first PostDoc at Prof. Adrian Liston's lab, focusing her research on mouse Tregs. In 2019, she transitioned to Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for her second PostDoc. She secured a Scientist position at J&J in 2022 and was promoted to a Manager position in October 2024. Aleksandra's journey shows her dedication and growth in the field of scientific research. Her progression from a PhD student to a managerial role highlights her expertise and commitment to advancing oncology discovery.
10:30 AM – 11:00 PM: Melvin Rincon, Preclinical Gene Therapy Lead at UCB, Belgium
Melvin Rincon, originally from Colombia, moved to Belgium in 2009 after completing his medical degree. In Leuven, he pursued a Ph.D. in Gene Therapy at KU Leuven under the guidance of Professors VandenDriessche and Chuah, focusing on enhancing cardiac gene therapy. Melvin continued his research as a postdoctoral fellow at VUB, concentrating on developing innovative strategies for gene therapy in hematological and muscle-related disorders. In 2016, he returned to VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research with an FWO postdoctoral mandate, collaborating with Prof. Holt & De Strooper on a vectorized approach to address Alzheimer's disease using AAV vectors. Currently, Melvin works as the Principal Scientist in Gene Therapy at UCB Pharma, leading a portfolio program for the past four years. Additionally, he is concurrently undertaking an MBA program at the University of Maastricht. Interestingly, his passion extends beyond science; less than a year ago, he opened a cozy and elegant cocktail bar named Sinatra in the heart of Leuven.
We hope to see you all at the event.
