What does it take to transform a synthetic molecule into a medicine ready for clinical use? And what does a fulfilling scientific career look like beyond the walls of academia? This presentation addresses both questions from a personal and professional perspective rooted in industrial
pharmaceutical R&D.
Scientific research careers have undergone a significant shift, evolving from predominantly academia-centered trajectories toward diverse, interdisciplinary models that increasingly integrate industrial research and development. Industrial R&D has established itself as a highly science-driven, globally connected environment that relies on deep expertise, analytical thinking, scientific rigor, and close collaboration across disciplines within global teams.
Drawing on personal experience, this lecture outlines the scientific workflow from early discovery concepts to drug products suitable for clinical use. Starting from synthetic molecules, the presentation follows the development pathway from discovery of a new compound and its further
development until the preparation of clinical trial materials for Phase I to III studies. Particular emphasis is placed on the central role of analytical science in understanding molecular properties, ensuring quality, and enabling robust decision-making across all stages of development.
Beyond scientific and technical aspects, the presentation addresses the human dimension of industrial R&D. That way, the talk shall encourage scientists — particularly early-career researchers — to actively explore alternative career paths, while demonstrating that curiosity, innovation, and scientific excellence remain at the core of impactful research from synthetic molecules to drug products and are not limited to academia but also are key for industry.

Oliver Callies is Principal Research Scientist I at AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG in Ludwigshafen, Germany. He serves as Laboratory Lead within Development Sciences and as Analytical Lead and Drug Product Subject Matter Expert for small-molecule development supporting clinical phases I–III, and he previously led the NMR laboratory at AbbVie Ludwigshafen, focusing on NMR-based structure elucidation and advanced analytical problem-solving. His earlier experience includes roles as a project lead at a pharmaceutical services company and as a scientist in a European Horizon 2020 project. He holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of La Laguna, Spain, and has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications.