Career Story with Ryan Dawes, Ph.D.

From the Bench to Business Development: A PhD Journey Through Industry Research and External Innovation

Join Ryan Dawes, Ph.D., an alumnus of the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, as he shares his career journey from graduate training in neuroscience to drug discovery research and ultimately business development and external innovation in the biotech industry. Ryan will discuss how his scientific training prepared him for a career beyond the bench, the experiences that prompted his transition from research into business development, and how skills developed during a PhD translate to evaluating new technologies, building external partnerships, and helping shape R&D strategy. He will also highlight career opportunities for PhD scientists interested in roles at the intersection of science, strategy, and business.

Ryan Dawes, Ph.D. — Biography

Ryan Dawes, PhD, is a biotechnology business development professional with over a decade of industry experience spanning drug discovery, technology scouting, and search and evaluation. He recently joined Biogen as Director of Neuroscience Search & Evaluation, where he will focus on identifying and evaluating external opportunities to complement Biogen’s neuroscience R&D portfolio. Previously, Ryan served as Director of Business Development at Intellia Therapeutics, leading innovation scouting, scientific diligence, and deal negotiations for technologies supporting Intellia's in vivo genome editing and ex vivo cell therapy platforms. Ryan began his industry career at Vertex Pharmaceuticals as a drug discovery scientist, leading research projects in neurogenetic disease and gene therapy before transitioning into business development and external innovation. He earned his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester Medical Center, where his dissertation research examined the effects of psychological stress on breast cancer progression.