Nima Abbasian joined the Domainex team in October 2021 as a Senior Scientist, Assay Biologist. For our next ‘Meet the team’ blog, Nima tells us about his role at Domainex and his career to date. Nima began his career in academia in the field of cellular and molecular biology. He since made the transition to industry by joining Domainex, where he has worked on a range of compound screening projects including both cell-based and biochemical assays.
How did you get into a career in drug discovery?
“After completing my PhD, I started an academic career that I was very passionate about. A key achievement during this time was that, as a result of my passion and commitment, I was able to publish a series of articles/book chapters contributing to my field of research interest — cell signalling. Although I could see a very promising career within higher education institutes for myself, I become frustrated with the grant application process. Therefore, I decided to make a change to my career path and pursue a career in industry. I wanted to become a member of a scientific community where I could make the best use of my scientific knowledge, expertise and time in performing research that could have an impact on patients’ lives in a relatively short timeframe (compared to academic research). Therefore, I actively sought opportunities to join a scientific setting where I could perform compound/drug screening.”
Can you give us a brief insight into your day-to-day activities?
“I’m involved in a number of different multidisciplinary projects and must actively deploy my knowledge and skills to manage the day-to-day activities and ensure project milestones are met. This includes planning, developing, optimising, performing and analysing experiments to fulfil our clients’ requirements. I also regularly present the outcomes of my work both internally (during internal project meetings) and externally to our clients.”
What are your favourite parts of your role and working at Domainex?
“Being part of a very well-regarded, knowledgeable, ambitious and passionate team gives me an added motivation to progress in my role and makes me confident that I made the right decision to leave academia to join Domainex. I enjoy having the opportunity to work on different drug screening projects and expand my knowledge (both scientific and technical) in the field.”
What do you find the most challenging?
“I find it challenging when a project comes to an end — particularly those I enjoyed a lot. It requires me to transition from a project which is within my previous field of expertise to a new area of research where I must rapidly build up my knowledge. However, moving to a new project is also highly rewarding and satisfying, providing a great opportunity to expand my skill set.”
Do you have any advice for someone interested in a career in drug discovery?
“If you have an aspiration to implement your expertise in doing something that can make a positive change to patients’ lives, then start a career in a drug discovery and screening setting. The key to success in this field is to be passionate and committed.”
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
“I enjoy reading about history and travelling. I also love reviewing literature and writing.”