Elena Sebokova
This month, the spotlight is on Axxelis Partner, Elena Sebokova. A well-recognized expert in diabetes and metabolic diseases served in various executive positions in pharma industry. Elena has been instrumental in biomarker discovery and personalised healthcare with a strong commitment to system biology and system medicine. Previously, Elena’s academic career spanned over 25 years in basic and clinical research in integrated physiology, diabetes, metabolic diseases, and she is widely published in these fields. She is a lecturer, guest co-editor of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, and EC Expert in Life Sciences. She is co-founder of DIABGENE Laboratory for the diagnosis of monogenic forms of diabetes and other endocrine disorders.
We have asked Elena what made her want to joint the Axxelis Partners Team:
What were the key factors that drew you to become a partner in Axxelis?
After retiring from Roche, I felt to be too young to do “nothing” or, in by other words not to utilise all of my experience and knowledge obtained in the academic, as well as in Pharma life during my professional journey. Simultaneously I wanted to have the freedom, be independent and able to make a decision myself. While walking around the river Rhine in Basel, I met my former colleague and friend Alexander Moreau (Axxelis founder) – an enthusiastic visionary character. He shared with me his ambition to start a new company based on merits and principles I do believe in. And there was also a bit of curiosity, who are the other individuals he cited during the passionate presentation of his vision. So, when he asked me if I would like to be a part of it, I was very delighted and my answer was “YES, let’s do it”.
How do you see the relationship between yourself and Axxelis developing over the short to medium term?
I am happy to say we have had a great time with the Axxelis partners when building something rather new, based on trust, full respect, and strong experience and expertise of extraordinary individuals coming from different parts of Europe. And what is the most important for me-having fun, making the new friends and enjoying the creative professional environment.
How do you envisage Axxelis making an impact within the life-science industry?
Axxelis isn’t just a possibility, it’s an inevitable next step that will change the landscape within the life –science industry.
