In this episode, I talked with Dr. Dena Grayson, a physician–scientist with over two decades in biotech drug development. At the time of this recording, she was SVP and Head of Clinical Development at Keros Therapeutics, leading programs in rare bone marrow disorders, and she has since become SVP of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Kyverna Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, she helped advance Repatha at Amgen, and her path has also included running for Congress and serving as a national media voice during COVID.

Dena shares what it was like being the only MD–PhD in Amgen’s business development group, how she transitioned into clinical development, and the lessons she carried forward from her time in both politics and national media, where she became a trusted voice during the COVID pandemic. We dive into the real difference between presenting “the what” and explaining “the so what,” and why communication often makes or breaks careers in biotech.

Alongside her professional journey, Dena opens up about the wildest recruitment experience she’s ever had, her approach to building strong teams, and why patience in hiring beats rushing a decision. And in our quick-fire round, she shares stories from her days as a state champion soccer player, her love of surfing, and how she unwinds outside biotech.

(Find out more in the episode.)

Here’s What You’re In For

1. How a political campaign loss led to a media career during COVID
2. How to handle interviews when you’re introverted
3. The kinds of questions that truly impress hiring managers

Timestamps

01:10 – Landing her first industry role at Amgen

03:24 – Repatha and investigational therapies at Keros

04:49 – Surfing, soccer, and state championships

07:08 – From political spouse to running for Congress

08:42 – Becoming a media commentator during COVID

10:41 – Communication lessons: from “what” to “so what”

15:14 – Advice for introverts in interviews and early career roles

17:37 – How thoughtful questions can change the dynamic in an interview

21:02 – Nearly 20 years as a hiring manager: what’s changed and what hasn’t

23:11 – Advice for junior hiring managers and why patience matters

25:37 – A candidate with a completely fabricated CV—the wildest recruitment story

About Dena

Dr. Dena Grayson is a physician–scientist (MD, PhD) with over 20 years in biotech drug development. At the time of this recording, she was SVP and Head of Clinical Development at Keros Therapeutics, leading programs in rare bone marrow disorders, and she has since become SVP of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Kyverna Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, she helped advance Repatha at Amgen, and her path has also included running for Congress and serving as a national media voice during COVID, experiences that shaped her belief that communication is as critical as science in driving biotech forward.

Connect with Dena:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denaminninggrayson/
2. Website: https://kyvernatx.com/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing...

In this episode, I talked with Richard Nkulikiyinka, Chief Medical Officer at Antag Therapeutics, a Copenhagen-based biotech developing GIPR antagonists in the obesity space.

Richard’s career began in the NHS, where he spent five years practicing acute medicine and intensive care—until the moment he realized he couldn’t picture himself doing the same thing for the next 30 years. That realization sparked a pivot that many physicians quietly wrestle with: leaving behind the security of the ward for the uncertainty of industry.

Richard also shares what it was like to walk away from a stable VP role at Bayer during a restructuring, take an intentional career break, and use those months to reflect on what really mattered before joining Antag Therapeutics. We talk about the shift from big pharma to biotech, what he learned from leading through severe stakeholder misalignment, and why authentic communication matters more than management theory when things get messy.

And yes—there’s a light-hearted detour into Berlin life, bad currywurst, and how to tell when it’s time to make serious changes in your team.

Here’s What You’re In For

1. What makes Antag Therapeutics’ culture unique
2. The hardest leadership call: deciding when the problem is you vs them
3. The recruitment ghosting story that every hiring manager should hear

Timestamps

02:08 – Leaving the NHS: deciding what he could be “happily bored with”

04:00 – Landing his first pharma job at Bayer in drug safety

09:33 – Overview of Antag Therapeutics and GIPR vs GLP-1

13:20 – Leaving Bayer and taking a sabbatical to reset

17:08 – What it’s like to work at Antag Therapeutics—and what he looks for in candidates

18:46 – The toughest chapter: extreme stakeholder misalignment in dermatology

25:16 – Leadership lessons: firing, feedback, and the “benefit of the doubt”

29:00 – Why managers struggle to act fast—and how structure slows decisions

31:48 – Richard’s worst recruitment experience: being ghosted by agencies

About Richard

Richard Nkulikiyinka, is the Chief Medical Officer of Antag Therapeutics, a biotech developing GIPR antagonists within the Obesity space. A UK-trained physician, he spent five years practicing in acute medicine and intensive care within the NHS - this is also where he developed his dry sense of humour - and now he transitioned into the biopharmaceutical industry, where he has built over 17 years of experience.

Prior to joining Antag, Richard served as Vice President in Clinical Development at Bayer Pharma, where he played a central role in advancing four drugs to approval. He is now ein Berliner - where we often meet for clubbing and currywurst.

Connect with Richard:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-nkulikiyinka-66336014/
2. Website: https://antagtx.com/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment, I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and...

In this episode, I talked with Prof. Dr. med. Markus Kosch, Head of Oncology Europe and Canada at Daiichi Sankyo Europe, about what it really means to lead with empathy, perseverance, and purpose in today’s biopharma world. Markus shared how losing his father to cancer at 21 shaped his commitment to oncology — and why that experience still guides his decisions decades later.

After ten years in the hospital system, he faced a turning point: realizing that to help more patients, he’d have to step outside the clinic. That leap led him into industry at a time when ADCs were still an emerging idea — and he’s since built a career around transforming long-term scientific perseverance into patient impact.

Markus opened up about layoffs and restructuring, learning to lead through influence rather than authority, and why “patient-centricity” has to be more than a corporate phrase. He also shared how Daiichi Sankyo invests in nurses, why he values authenticity above experience in hiring, and how he handles tough conversations — including a live role-play on what to do when an employee asks for a promotion that isn’t possible.

(Find out more in the episode.)

Here’s What You’re In For

1. How to lead through influence, not authority
2. What patient-centricity really looks like inside Daiichi Sankyo
3. How perseverance and ikigai fuel innovation

Timestamps

03:00 – From hospital to industry — how his first pharma role came about

07:15 – Leading through influence instead of authority

08:10 – Guiding teams through restructuring

09:45 – How empathy and transparency define good leadership

12:10 – Patient-centric culture at Daiichi Sankyo

17:45 – Japanese lessons in ikigai

20:40 – Hiring authenticity

25:00 – Role-play: handling promotion requests and career plateaus

About Markus

Prof. Dr. med. Markus Kosch is Head of Oncology Europe & Canada at Daiichi Sankyo, with extensive leadership experience in oncology and global pharma. Before joining Daiichi Sankyo, he spent 16.5 years at Wyeth and Pfizer in senior roles. Trained as a physician, Markus worked for a decade treating cancer patients before moving into the pharmaceutical industry.

His early personal experience with cancer — losing his father at age 21 — shaped his commitment to patient-centric innovation. Known for connecting scientific excellence with responsibility and perseverance, he focuses on advancing breakthrough oncology therapies, particularly Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs). He is passionate about leadership, collaboration, and embedding patient needs at the center of every decision.

Connect with Markus

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-kosch/
2. Daiichi Sankyo Europe: https://www.daiichi-sankyo.eu/

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment, I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most...