Better Science Starts with Better Questions
What happens when you reach one of the most senior positions in global drug discovery — and decide the next step is to leave the security of Big Pharma behind? In this episode of She Leads Biotech, I’m joined by Karin Conde-Knape, PhD, Chief Science Officer at Valo Health, whose international career has taken her through leadership roles at Roche, Johnson & Johnson and Novo Nordisk. We talk about why Karin believes better drug discovery needs to start with human data, how asking the right questions earlier can prevent years of time and investment being committed to the wrong path, and where data, experience and intuition belong in scientific decision-making. We also explore Karin’s decision to move from Big Pharma to biotech — what she describes as an “easier choice, not a comfortable choice” — and why impact, people and purpose became increasingly important at this stage of her career. Our conversation moves beyond the science into leadership: creating psychological safety, challenging the thought process rather than the individual, developing resilient future leaders, embracing AI and new technologies, and building teams that genuinely want to follow you. A fascinating conversation about drug discovery, human data, innovation, career courage and the leadership required to turn better questions into better science.
