Biomedicine bachelor alumnus Peter works with investor relations within life science

I’m originally from a smaller city in Sweden and moved to Stockholm in 2010 to study at Karolinska Institutet. In 2016, I graduated with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in biomedicine. Alongside my studies, I organised and led a course in advocacy and policy management at the Unit for Bioentrepreneurship (UBE) and served as a student representative in several regional and national interest organisations, including SSCO, Naturvetarna, and Saco. Since my studies, I have been active in various parts of the life-science ecosystem.

What did you do after graduating from the bachelor's programme in biomedicine at KI?

After graduation, I began my career at the biotech company Cepheid, working in lab operations and process development. I later moved to AstraZeneca to focus on quality and process development. My experiences at KI, in biotech and pharma, led me to the non-profit advocacy foundation Forska!Sverige, where I worked as a project manager and gained deep insight into Swedish research and healthcare policy. Currently, I work as senior advisor at Adlersson Heath, providing investor relations services to private and public life science companies across the Nordics.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your education at KI?

During my studies, I had the opportunity to go abroad, and to welcome visiting students to Stockholm and KI. Beyond building a robust understanding of medicine, molecular biology, and related fields, the intercultural exchange I experienced during my studies has proven invaluable. The advances of science and medicine rely on collaborations that cross national borders, and KI, in its essence, nurtures such relationships.

What are your plans for the future?

My primary goal is to grow in my role as an investor relations advisor. I work at the intersection of medical research and business development. I have to understand the inherent challenges, all while navigating capital market dynamics. It makes for multi-faceted tasks that often require immediate action and must align with long-term plans. Practice makes perfect!

Any recommendations for current students at the programme interested in a similar career path?

The life science sector sits at the crossing-point of a myriad of actors: universities and hospitals, pharma, medtech and biotech companies, governmental bodies, investment banks, and many more. By developing an overview of the ecosystem and an understanding of how these actors interact, you’ll gain an intuition for their motivations, which can help you offer useful insights and, in the best case, actionable advice. A bit of finance studies won’t hurt either.

Lastly, do you have any tips for prospective biomedicine students?

Value your time at KI: balance studying hard with meeting new people, and don’t be afraid to venture outside the labs and lecture halls. Your deep understanding of the natural sciences, and medicine in particular, may prove pivotal in the most unexpected settings.