MAREK LANČ Role: Preclinical Development Manager Area: Physical Chemistry Employer: AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals GmbH What can I help my mentee with?  Membrane processes, medical devices and preclinical development Specifics of the academic sphere – start-up – consultant – corporate Multidisciplinary use of knowledge and further education Opportunities for foreign internships, conferences, etc.

Chemistry interested Mark already in high school – he participated in Olympics and stays in Běstvina, where he met his future classmates and a community of like-minded people. At the University of Chemistry and Technology he enrolled in the Chemistry department, where he gradually became interested in its practical application and the combination of theory and application, and so he got to membrane separations in physical chemistry. He remained on the topic of membranes from his bachelor's thesis through his master's degree and doctorate, during which he also completed two research internships - at FUJIFILM in the Netherlands, where he studied thin films based on silicone, and in Calabria, Italy, where he worked at the Institute of Membrane Technologies (ITM-CNR).

“So far, my entire career has been guided by the method: accept the challenge you like.”

Marek currently works at AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals in Vienna in the department of preclinical development of drugs for rare diseases. “We follow the motto that science is done with the head, which is why we do not work in the laboratory, but prepare, supervise and evaluate in vitro and in vivo tests at external workplaces”. An important component of his work is also the analysis of preclinical data of potential acquisitions for business development, from the perspective of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacotoxicology. Marek holds the role of AI Ambassador and supports the R&D department in the areas of digitalization, statistics and analysis. Marek moved to Vienna after completing his doctorate and moved through a number of positions, including the head of the research team for the development of a system for extracorporeal circulation for the purpose of removing CO₂ from the blood in a start-up environment. He subsequently worked as a consultant in the field of medical devices and for a short time also in a start-up as a Business development analyst for the area of ​​machine learning in analytical chemistry. The latest change was the transfer to his current position in a corporate environment, albeit still a relatively small Austrian pharmaceutical company.

During his studies, Marek participated in many popularization projects (Modern Chemistry Lessons, Science at Sychrov Castle, etc.) and was the chairman of the student part of the academic senate. “In the senate, I learned not to insist on everything being my way at all costs, but rather to delegate work to people I trust. Of course, this also puts you in situations where you have to decide on things you don’t understand and take responsibility when needed.” Marek sees mentoring as an opportunity to be in contact with students and pass on to them what he has learned outside of the field of study and what they can use in the future.