LifeArc Fellowship: two perspectives

We talk to Senior Business Manager, Harriet Story, about the initiative’s impact, and catch up with new recruit, about his secondment experience so far.

What is the LifeArc Fellowship?

The LifeArc Fellowship is a year-long training programme designed to develop the next generation of technology transfer professionals. It’s a collaborative initiative funded and managed by LifeArc. The other partners, alongside UCL Ventures, are Imperial College Innovations and Queen Mary Innovations.

What is the journey for a LifeArc Fellow?

Fellows begin with an induction week, typically held in June, then rotate through four 3-month secondments at the four partner organisations.

Which UCL Ventures success stories have come out of the initiative?

UCL Ventures alone have hired three previous LifeArc fellows to date. The fellowship is a great source of talent: https://www.lifearc.org/lifearc-fellowships/

A LifeArc Fellow’s journey

UCL Ventures talks to LifeArc Fellow Leonard Taylor about his experiences so far.
Tell us about your background and what drew you to technology transfer?
My background is in molecular biology. I completed my PhD at the University of Nottingham. During my PhD, I undertook a three-month placement at a CRO, which introduced me to the potential of drug discovery.

Where have you been so far as part of your LifeArc Fellowship?

I began at UCL Ventures, so this is my first stop.
 

Have you gained any particular insights?

Working closely with academics on their novel and exciting inventions has been incredibly rewarding.