Beyond the Job Search: Career Strategy in a Challenging Biopharma Market
The biopharma industry is going through one of its most turbulent periods in recent memory. Layoffs, pipeline cuts, and a difficult hiring market have left many talented professionals navigating prolonged job searches — often in isolation, and without a clear roadmap.
This panel brings together experienced biopharma leaders to offer something beyond the usual job search advice: honest, hard-won perspectives on building a resilient career — not just landing the next role.
Note: This event is Free to Paid ISWTC Newsletter Subscribers. Please check the latest Newsletter Paid content for the free access code
Panelists :
Lung-I Chen, VP, Global Value & Access, AESARA
Cissy Young, Managing Director, True Search
Christian Mirescu, CSO, Monument Biosciences
Moderator:
Jiamin Zhuo, Director, Global Strategy Insight, EMD Serono
(See their bio at the end of the announcement)
What we'll cover:
Practical strategies for job searching and interviewing in today's market
Pivotal career moments and the lessons behind them
Where the industry is heading — and where the opportunities are
How to use this period intentionally to grow, not just wait
Who should attend: Early- to mid-career biopharma professionals — whether you're actively job searching, feeling uncertain about your next move, or simply want to invest in your long-term career strategy.
Panelist/Moderator Bio
Lung-I Cheng, Ph.D., is a biopharma executive whose career spans market access, commercial strategy, and P&L leadership across organizations throughout the healthcare ecosystem — from top 20 global biopharma to a Fortune 10 distributor to early-stage ventures and global consultancies.
He currently serves as Vice President, Head of Global Value & Access at AESARA. Previously, he was Chief Commercial Officer at a stealth-stage venture addressing affordability barriers for cell and gene therapies, and before that, VP and Head of Cell & Gene Therapy at Cencora, where he ran the global business unit with full P&L accountability, delivering 85% year-over-year revenue growth and over $1B in deal value. Earlier, he held global value & access leadership roles at Takeda Oncology and Amgen.
Lung-I holds a PhD and MS in Health Economics and Outcomes Research from The University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Pharmacy from National Taiwan University.
Cissy Young, Ph.D., is a managing director in True’s Life Sciences and Venture Capital Practices and True Talent Labs. Trained as a scientist and drawing on her experience as a biotech operator, she brings a distinctive perspective to her search and advisory work.
Based in Boston, Cissy partners with venture investors, boards and CEOs on executive recruitment, leadership assessment, organizational effectiveness, and succession planning for biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Before joining True, Cissy was a partner at Catalyst Advisors LP, a boutique executive search firm. She previously served as chief people officer and member of the executive team at Valo Health, leading people and organizational strategies to integrate tech and biotech talent in building an AI-driven drug discovery platform. She also spent a decade at Russell Reynolds Associates as a managing director, where she led the inclusion and culture practice and was a senior member of the global biotech and pharmaceuticals practice. Earlier in her career, she led strategy and business development at emerging-growth biotech companies, building on her roots in academic tech transfer and company creation.
Committed to investing in talent to future-proof the life sciences industry, Cissy serves on the Board of Trustees of Keck Graduate Institute of the Claremont Colleges and has been a member of the Board of Advisors for Life Science Cares since its inception. She is a co-chair of the 2025 annual gala for the Asian Community Fund of The Boston Foundation and previously served on the Board of Directors of Community Rowing Inc.
She holds a PhD in cancer biology from Columbia University, an MBA in entrepreneurship and strategic management from Penn State University, and a BA in biology from Brown University.
Christian Mirescu, Ph.D., is a biotechnology executive and drug discovery leader with more than 15 years of experience advancing therapeutics in neurodegeneration and neuroimmunology. He has built and led high-impact research programs across biotech and pharma, including co-founding the Neuroimmunology Discovery unit at Merck Research Labs and playing a key leadership role in positioning for its acquisition by Sanofi.
Recognized for advancing innovative approaches against complex neurological disease biology, Dr. Mirescu combines deep scientific expertise with strategic R&D leadership, guiding programs from early discovery toward clinical translation and value creation. He is also known for building high-performing, mission-driven teams and shaping portfolios at the intersection of scientific innovation and business strategy.
Dr. Mirescu currently serves as Chief Science Officer at Monument Biosciences and Senior Strategy Advisor to the Indiana Bioscience Research Institute. Prior to his ventures in industry, Dr. Mirescu earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Princeton University and completed postdoctoral training at University of California, Berkeley.
Jiamin Zhuo, Ph.D., is a seasoned professional with a diverse background spanning scientific research, Wall Street equity analysis, and commercial strategy in biopharma. His career includes impactful roles at Decision Resources Group, Guggenheim Investment Bank, and commercial positions at Takeda and bit.bio., an innovative iPSC cell therapy biotech, where he shaped strategies for drug development and commercial pathway. Currently, he serves as Global Strategy Insight Director at EMD Serono, focusing on optimizing drug potential and driving commercial growth.
Beyond his corporate work, Jiamin co-founded InScienceWeTrust Community (ISWTC), a not-for-profit organization supporting the Asian Biotech ecosystem, and edits its Weekly Newsletter, which reaches over 6,000 subscribers. He holds a BS from Peking University, a Ph.D. from Mayo Clinic, and completed post-graduate training at Boston University and MIT. Passionate about bridging science and business, Jiamin is dedicated to advancing innovation and fostering collaboration in the biopharmaceutical industry.