#99 How Can Biotech Talents Navigate Their Careers from Research to Award-Winning Deep Tech?

Are you in academic research or studying a STEM subject? Are you wondering how your research can translate into real impact?

Many young talents hesitate to take the leap into entrepreneurship because the career path seems unpredictable and founding a startup is often perceived as high-risk. Biotech founders, in particular, frequently face invisible hurdles. Yet, at their core, research and entrepreneurship share the same DNA: Both disciplines are based on boundless curiosity, the ability to constantly deal with setbacks, and the resilience to continually develop new solutions.

In episode 99, our host Nicolas Rode and Dr. Selin Akpinar Adscheid demonstrate how to bridge this gap. Selin is an outstanding pioneer in venture creation and a prime example of a modern, non-linear career.

Driven by her childhood dream of becoming a scientist, an Erasmus Mundus Master's program in nanomedicine took her from Turkey across Europe. After completing an industry-oriented doctorate at Saarland University in cooperation with MyBiotech GmbH, she now dedicates herself to research at the Friedland Lab as a postdoctoral researcher at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

She recently proved that her approach to translating excellent science into tangible impact is quite revolutionary: Together with her team AlzDetect, she won the "DeepTech for Impact Award" at ZOLLHOF – Tech Incubator in 2026 as the overall winner! The team is transforming complex Alzheimer's research into a blood-based, uncomplicated, and early diagnostic approach.

As national co-director of the biotech accelerator Activator by Nucleate Germany and a supported talent in the Falling Walls Female Science Talents Intensive Track 2026, Selin knows the recipes for success when it comes to scaling innovations from the lab to industry.

Your aha moments in this episode:

From the lab to the startup: Why constantly testing and failing in experiments is the best preparation for the agile startup world.

The myth of the linear career path: Why adaptability and learning transferable skills are far more important than rigid career paths in a rapidly changing world.

Scalability from the start: How innovation succeeds at the intersection of disciplines and how research results must be considered for industrial scalability early on.

Female empowerment: Why the biotech industry urgently needs more female leaders and targeted research in the field of FemTech.

Don't let your ideas gather dust in the lab! Listen to this inspiring episode now, learn from an award-winning science entrepreneur, and discover the networks that can take your project to the next level.

Links & mentioned partners:

Selin Akpinar Adscheid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/selinakpinar/

Falling Walls Foundation: https://falling-walls.com/female-science-talents/

Nucleate Germany: https://nucleate.xyz/

Research stations: JGU Mainz - Friedland Lab, Saarland University, METU Ankara, MyBiotech GmbH

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