Ellie works at MSC as an associate since this summer. She brings an interesting mix of practical experience as a pharmacist and an understanding of health informatics. Combining these two, she is particularly interested in leveraging technology to improve healthcare. She grew up in China and Singapore allowing her to provide different perspectives on Asia as well as language skills to the team. Great to have you on board, Ellie!
Can you tell us about your background?
Hello, I am Ellie. I come from a multi-disciplinary background in Pharmacy and Health Informatics. My mixed background also shaped my mindset, giving me perspectives not solely as a healthcare professional but also as a tech person.
I was born in China and at the age of 15, I moved to Singapore where I completed my bachelor’s in pharmacy with a minor in Statistics. My bachelor’s thesis was on restoring cisplatin sensitivity in ovarian cancer cells. And as a part of the pharmacist training, I have also interned as a pharmacist in both community pharmacies and hospitals. I personally enjoyed my routine in the community pharmacy where I spent more time with my patients and learned to build a much stronger rapport with them.
By learning statistics, I also came across several machine-learning projects and learned how artificial intelligence has permeated our daily life. This prompted me to further my studies to learn how to leverage such technology to improve healthcare. Thus, I completed my master’s program in Health Informatics in Stockholm focusing on digital solutions to improve healthcare management and patient outcomes.
During this time, I also had a chance to work remotely with Simon Kutcher & Partners’ office in China for various projects. The area of focus was mainly oncology and rare diseases, and my job was mainly to develop pricing and market access strategies for the clients. One thing I enjoyed in the process was that I was constantly learning and absorbing new knowledge. It was also often enlightening to see how biotech companies come up with innovative means to discover new treatments. Thus, I decided to become a consultant after graduation and here I am at MSC.
“…to learn how to leverage such technology to improve healthcare. Thus, I completed my master’s program in Health Informatics in Stockholm focusing on digital solutions to improve healthcare management and patient outcomes. “
Why did you choose to join MSC?
MSC works with early-stage biotech and I find it exciting to be able to make a real difference in the strategic development of these companies. My previous work experience involved the US and China life science markets, so I think it will be interesting to learn about the Nordic industry since I am living here.
What do you look forward to most in joining MSC?
I look forward to learning more about valuation of life science companies along the way and bolstering my financial knowledge. Moreover, I have started working here for a few weeks and I have really enjoyed mingling with colleagues from diverse backgrounds!
What is the best career advice you have ever received?
There is a Chinese idiom called Jie Jiao Jie Zao. A direct English translation would be to guard against arrogance and impatience. My way of interpreting it is that too much self-assurance can be dangerous when one convinces themselves based on pride instead of factual evidence. And impatience can be bad when one expects results too quickly with unrealistic expectations or acts rashly.
I am still learning to adopt this mindset and on regular basis, I reflect upon my recent decisions. Then again, I think this idiom also fits in consulting since we always try to perform analysis and make decisions based on data-driven evidence.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy baking, building LEGO cars, and playing video games. And I like playing badminton and tennis, both the real ones and e-sports. During long holidays, I like to travel with family and friends and am always on the hunt for good food.
Ellie Zhou, Associate
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