Ep 29 - Dr Maddie White - The Role of Translational Scientists in Creating Real-World Impact

Today’s guest is Dr Maddie White, Translational Scientist and Strategic Partnerships Manager at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute in Wellington, New Zealand.

This episode is brought to you by SAPRO Consulting.

Dr. Maddie White, a translational scientist and strategic partnerships manager at Gillies-McIndoe Institute, discusses the role of translational scientists in moving research from the lab to real-world impact. She emphasizes the importance of translating academic ideas into commercially viable products or services.

Dr. White shares her personal journey into translational science and highlights the need for more awareness and education about career opportunities in this field. She also discusses a specific project she is involved in, developing a topical cream for the treatment of vascular birthmarks in infants.

Dr. White emphasizes the need for talent, infrastructure, and funding to drive the success of translational science in New Zealand.

You can find out more about Dr White and The Gillies McIndoe Research Institute here:
LinkedIn - Maddie White
Website - Gillies McIndoe Research Institute

Podcast Takeaways:

1. Academic ideas need to be translated into commercially viable products or services to have a meaningful impact.
2. A "translational scientist" is someone who takes scientific ideas from the lab and translates them into real-world products or services.
3. Translational scientists play a crucial role in moving research from the lab to real-world impact.
4. There is a need for more awareness and education about career opportunities in translational science.
5. Talent, infrastructure, and funding are essential for the success of translational science.
6.  Partnerships between academia and industry are key in driving the translation of research into practical applications.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Translational Science
01:00 Translating Academic Ideas into Real-World Impact
08:04 Overcoming Stigma and Misconceptions
13:18 The Importance of Money in Translational Science
19:49 Creating Collaborative Networks for Impactful Research
23:58 Developing a Topical Cream for Vascular Birthmarks
26:21 Partnerships for Bringing Research to Market

Keywords:
Translational science, research, lab, real-world impact, commercialization, academic, funding, talent, infrastructure, money, partnerships, topical cream, vascular birthmarks