Bill Charman
By embracing strategic industry collaborations, and a global mindset, Emeritus Professor Bill Charman from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has built an academic career defined by real-world health outcomes for communities in need. His multidisciplinary and collaborative approach has significantly advanced drug discovery, particularly for neglected diseases like malaria, as well as drug delivery and the pharmaceutical sciences.
What does it take to be an entrepreneurial researcher?
A recognition that it may not – and probably won’t – come naturally at first.
You need to be open to competently learning new information about finance, value, returns, accounting and structures. If this is not for you then that’s ok, but you need to find colleagues who can assist. Teamwork is fundamental and essential.
You also need to be aware it will put some of your ‘basic’ and traditional career activities at risk, and be willing to take that chance.
What were the stand-out moments in your career that spurred enterprising collaborations with industry?
Recognising that the real impact was for, and via, patients – and the only effective way of having such an impact is through partnerships.
My drug discovery research in malaria was brought into sharp focus when I went to a village in Africa and met young kids affected by the disease. The voice of the patient (in this case the kids) was fundamental to what we do, regardless of their economic circumstances.
What challenges did you have to overcome at the beginning of your journey?
I quickly learnt that I needed to master the different ‘languages and customs’ of research, commercial entities, university groups and funding agencies to create successful teams able to produce impactful outcomes.
What advice would you give to your young self on how to have an enterprising mindset?
Don’t assume you will initially ‘know’ what you should be doing – engage, talk, understand and listen, especially to those outside your immediate network.
Be open to learning about a whole new ecosystem – this is essential and enjoyable.
Tasks that may initially seem insurmountable, when broken down into the component parts, are more readily undertaken. It’s a bit like good experimental design!
What’s the best lesson you’ve learned on your journey?
Be relevant, be trusted, be valued. Under-promise and over-deliver. You need to differentiate your value proposition from your colleagues around the world, otherwise you are just one of many.
Your focus must be beyond Australia – your objective should be to remain the go-to person in a specific field, globally.