Poster Session on Wednesday

The Council Meeting The countdown has begun to the final poster-pitches this Wednesday afternoon. We will be joined in the Council Room (shown left without the posters!) by two external assessors, so I thought I would give you some insight into what is expected on the day and their backgrounds. On the one hand, the Council Room is probably a little on the small side to accommodate everyone in the module, but at the same time, it does tend to produce a vibrant atmosphere, which I like. So, on balance, I would rather we squashed up for a few hours and kept the atmosphere lively. My advice is to bring a few bottles of water (although the weather seems to be turning cold again!). After you have hung your posters, the 4 assessors will start walking around and interrogating you and your colleagues. Dr. Alvey and I will be the internal assessors, and will moderate the external assessor's "marks". There will also be a student vote on the best looking poster (remember substance is critically important, but as a poster, it must also be engaging). Finally, there will be an assessors' vote on the best "pitch". Each posters will be marked either by an internal or an external assessor, and then moderated by the internal assessors. We will aim to announce the results of the student and assessor votes by around 3.30pm. 

There will be times when you may feel you are at a loose end, please use this time to "interrogate" your colleagues: this is what happens at both scientific and commercial meetings and us. The more you put in: the more you get out! 


The Dragon The external assessor this year is  Dr.  Doug Gjerde. Doug is the CEO of Phynexus Inc, a California based Biotech company, specialising in extraction-purification media, devices and robotic instrumentation, in support of drug discovery and Biotech labs and businesses. He has set up a number of businesses in the USA over the last 30 years, and was behind the IPO of Transgenomic Inc, which he co-founded. He set up Phynexus around 15 years ago. Doug is familiar with the nuts and bolts of the commercialisation of science, from start-up to flotation on the NASDAQ in New York, and has a very broad knowledge on top of his own specialisms (he has a PhD in analytical chemistry). He has been given a brief to first ask you to explain your idea and the business model, after which he  will ask questions that they feel will challenge you. Just as with any business pitch, there are no set questions: this is all about experiencing thinking on your feet! 

Good luck!