Academia vs Industry

27 November 2025 - Ghent ICC

This interesting discussion is for MSc and PhD students and postdocs who are on the fence. Do you want to continue your career in academic research, or should you try working in the industry? In this session our academic or industry experts will discuss the pros and cons of both paths. At the end of the session, the audience (you!) will get the opportunity to get involved.

Setareh Tasdighian | Senior Postdoctoral Scientist | VIB | WiDS

Dr. Setareh Tasdighian is a bioinformatician with a strong mathematical background, developing AI and machine learning methods for plant biology, immunology, and single-cell data. After earning her MSc in Mathematical Modeling with highest honors, she earned her PhD in bioinformatics at Ghent University and went on to work as scientist at BASF, leading technical projects and academic–industrial collaborations. At VIB, she worked in partnership with GSK to design a novel machine learning pipeline for systems vaccinology, and continues to develop AI-based tools for cell-cell communication analysis. A Harvard-trained leader in management, she is the founder and director of Women in Data Science Belgium, advancing leadership, mentorship, and community for women in data science and AI. 

 More details will follow

More details will follow

More details will follow

Remco Jongkind | Programme Manager Education | Hyphen Projects

Remco Jongkind's aim is to help people move their careers forward. He does this by hosting several presentations on behalf of Hyphen Projects, the organizer of the BCF Career Event. Remco works as a lecturer, bachelor thesis coordinator and project leader at the faculty of medicine of the University of Amsterdam. His background is in Biochemistry (Amsterdam University College) and Pharmacology (University of Oxford). His Life Science background allows him to relate to the problems faced by young professionals in finding their ideal career paths. During his career he especially enjoyed helping others and teaching, e.g at the University of Amsterdam, Hyphen Projects and University of Oxford.