Dr. Katherine Wang, Deputy Director of the Biomedical Research Council and lead of the Singapore Therapeutics Development Review (STDR), joins the show to unpack what it really takes to move a scientific discovery from the lab bench to a viable biotech company. Drawing on a career that spans a PhD at NYU, tech transfer, program building at Duke-NUS, and now national drug-discovery strategy at A*STAR, Katherine explains why Singapore's researchers excel at science but stumble at commercialization. She also delves into what STDR is doing about it through mentorship, bootcamps, and new schemes that pair scientists with serial entrepreneurs. Along the way she compares the US, China, and Singapore ecosystems, shares what she looks for when funding early-stage projects, and offers candid advice for any scientist curious about a career beyond the PI track. It's a practical, clear-eyed conversation about turning good science into products that reach patients.
In this episode, Katherine discusses how researchers can translate scientific discoveries into commercially viable therapeutics and why strong science alone is not enough to build a successful biotech company. She explains the importance of defining unmet medical needs, developing a clear target product profile, understanding the competitive landscape, prioritizing value-driving experiments, and building multidisciplinary teams with complementary scientific and business expertise. Katherine also shares perspectives on the differences between the biotechnology ecosystems in Singapore, the United States, China, and Europe; the role of public funding and private-sector partnerships; and how initiatives under RIE2030 may shape Singapore’s biomedical research and innovation landscape.
Host: Shamieraah Jamal
Editors: Shamieraah Jamal, Chi Dam, Dillon Chew
Timestamp
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Katherine Wang
01:17 From Research to Research Leadership
03:13 Comparing the US, Singapore and China Biotech Ecosystems
06:20 Building a Career Across Strategy and Operations
10:10 What Is the Singapore Therapeutics Development Review?
17:59 Global Models for Translational Funding
23:22 Introducing the Venture Lead Scheme
27:15 Bridging the Commercialisation Skills Gap
29:00 New STDR Initiatives under RIE2030
33:26 The Future of Singapore’s Biotech Ecosystem
35:01 Training the Next Generation for Commercialization
37:40 Current Gaps in Singapore’s Biotech Ecosystem
