Prominent Canadian researcher in Denmark: Why I left a top job in California
An engaged effort from the management brought the experienced Canadian researcher Eva Chin to a small Danish biotech firm. She left California with her family to move to Aarhus, the home of NMD Pharma, but the process has not been entirely smooth.
Written by Albert Rønning-Andersson - English translation by Ida Løjmand
Danish companies are hungry for qualified labor, but bureaucracy, high taxes and generally strict rules for foreigners make it difficult to get the best foreign researchers and managers to fill the vacancies.
The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) and the companies themselves have long criticized the obstacles for bringing qualified foreigners to the country. It is possible though, and one of the exceptions to the rule is now based in Aarhus, Denmark.
Small biotech firm NMD Pharma succeeded in recruiting Canadian researcher Eva Chin, who left an otherwise good position in Cytokinetics on the US West Coast.
According to Chin herself, NMD Pharma's pro-active effort was decisive for her decision to join and also helped establishing her in Denmark, where she takes position as Chief Development Officer (CDO) in NMD.
"It really is the leadership of the company that makes a difference. Both Thomas and Claus have gone to great lengths to make sure that the transition has been good for my personal life and that of my family as well as for my ability to function as CDO of NMD Pharma," Chin says to MedWatch.
It really is the leadership of the company that makes a difference. Both Thomas and Claus have gone to great lengths.
- EVA CHIN, CDO, NMD PHARMA
Thomas Holm Pedersen is CEO of NMD Pharma, which he founded in 2015 together with Ole Bækgaard Nielsen and Claus Olesen. The company is to develop a treatment that can influence important biological processes in the body related to several diseases – for instance, neuromuscular disorders.
"I believe one of the factors that made NMD exciting for Eva is the research on which the company is based," says Pedersen, adding:
"In addition, we have a good culture in our company created by competent and positive co-workers. Eva shares our belief in the new concept we're developing and agrees with our ideas of a broad application."
From sunshine to cold and unsettled weather
Until recently, 57-year-old Chin served as senior director of Pharmacology & Non-clinical Safety in the listed US biotech firm Cytokinetics, based in sunny California. Chin, her husband Richard and their sons William and Trevor spent three years in the San Francisco Bay area.
"California is certainly a beautiful state and the weather is wonderful," she says.
However, the cooler climate in Denmark is not necessarily a downside. Having grown up in Canada, both Chin and her husband are used to all four seasons and a cooler climate.
"We love curling and ice hockey, so ironically I spent a fair bit of weekend time [in California, ed.] inside in cold ice arenas. Since we found out that there are both hockey and curling clubs in Aarhus and the surrounding areas, we felt we would have all the sporting activities that we want to stay involved in," says Chin.
Before she joined NMD Pharma, she also held similar top positions in companies like Pfizer and Myotherapeutics.
With her background in muscular physiology and neuromuscular disorders and her long experience with drug development, she is now to bring molecules to the clinic for NMD Pharma.
The company recently chose the first molecule for clinical development and expects to initiate in-human phase I studies within a year.
Investors: Chin's decision validates the investment case
NMD Pharma is financed by affluent investors such as The Lundbeck Foundation Emerge and Novo Seeds.
Last year, an international investor syndicate, consisting of the two Danish funds, Swiss Roche Venture Fund and Dutch Inkef Capital, put EUR 38 million (approximately USD 42.2 million) into the company. The investors have already expressed willingness to invest more if the positive development continues.
"The fact that a person like Eva decides to leave a prominent listed company like Cytokinetics and move her whole family to Aarhus is a clear validation of NMD as a young promising biotech company," says Morten Graugaard Døssing, Partner in Novo Seeds and member of the board in NMD.
The fact that a person like Eva decides to leave a prominent listed company like Cytokinetics and move her whole family to Aarhus is a clear validation of NMD as a young promising biotech company.
- MORTEN GRAUGAARD DØSSING, PARTNER, NOVO SEEDS
"As investor, this is of course great to see," he adds.
The co-investor, The Lundbeck Foundation Emerge, is also happy with the new CDO.
"The fact that Eva Chin accepts a job in NMD Pharma in Aarhus instead of staying in San Fransisco indicates the solid science that lays the foundation for NMD Pharma and the potential we all believe in," says Christian Elling, Managing Partner in The Lundbeck Foundation.
Danish values, culture and lifestyle
About a year ago, Chin was contacted for the first time by a professional recruitment firm that had found her LinnkedIn profile. Afterwards, she had several physical as well as online meetings with Pedersen and Olesen and different board members.
"I was impressed with the science that was the basis for the company and the story that was emerging in how they would develop new therapies for rare neuromuscular diseases. The scientific focus and the passion for treating neuromuscular diseases was very much aligned with my career aspirations," says the new CDO.
But ultimately, it was the NMD team, the management and not least the culture and lifestyle in Denmark that made her accept the job offer at NMD Pharma.
"Having grown up in Canada, I felt that Danish people had similar values to those of myself and my family," says Chin, who also made a "research" visit to Aarhus and NMD Pharma in 2018 before she accepted the job.
She met the employees, visited the laboratories and was shown around in the city and on the future schools of her two sons.
"In the end it really is the people and the culture of the Danish society that has drawn me here. Also, Aarhus is a beautiful city, very affordable and a great place to live a healthy and active lifestyle," says Chin.
Challenging bureaucracy
According to Pedersen from NMD, it is generally difficult to attract employees from the US to Denmark.
"But the more success stories, and the bigger the Danish biotech industry gets, the easier it will be," he says, adding:
"Moreover, tax benefits for researchers and a good education system for the children are also appealing."
In January 2019, Pedersen and co-founder Olesen attended the JP Morgan congress in San Francisco and met with Chin and her husband to discuss through the logistics and questions about moving to Denmark and living in Aarhus.
"Again, we were impressed by what Thomas and his team had developed at NMD Pharma and the great lengths that he and other like Claus went to help inform us about life in Denmark," says Chin.
And information was needed, indeed. Being a Canadian and moving from the US to Denmark is not without complications.
Get to know Eva Chin
Name: Eva R. Chin
Education: B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.
Origin: Windsor, Ontario Canada
Career: Long career in skeletal muscle biology, now focusing on drug discovery and development of new treatments for rare neuromuscular diseases.
Family status: Married to Richard, two children; William (14) and Trevor (11)
Hobbies: Loves to swim, bike and run and curl with the family.
"Of course, there are always challenges such as getting CPR numbers, NemID, NemID with public digital signatures, etc. There are many new rules and ways of life here that are different, but there are also many kind people to help along the way," says Chin.
She and her husband received a lot of information from the Danish Immigration Service.
"Perhaps too much to digest in a short time. The issues we will still tackle are getting our cars registered in Denmark, which I understand can be challenging," she says, adding that getting expedited work visas and work visas for spouses sooner would also be helpful:
"My husband has accepted a teaching position at the Aarhus International School but is still waiting on his CPR number."
Adaptive husband
Chin's husband, Richard, has faithfully followed her through her career. Being a high school teacher, he has adapted to her research ambitions and relatively easily found education jobs wherever Chin's work took them.
"He is very versatile and, fortunately for me, he likes the challenges of a new location. My sons William and Trevor were perhaps a bit reluctant to leave California and new friends they made at school at playing water polo and ice hockey," says Chin.
However, as a parent, she felt it would be good for the boys to have a perspective on life outside the US.
"Life of adventure moving around led us to look at this as another step in the journey in life, in which our family will transition together to new work, new schools and new community activities. We have already met many families through the Aarhus Internal School, the Aarhus ice hockey club and the Lystrup waterpolo club," she says.
How long are you planning to stay in Denmark and with NMD?
"I'm not entirely sure. For now, we have taken a two-year lease on a house in Højbjerg that we really love," says Chin, adding that the family will take things one step at a time.
"As long as NMD Pharma is doing well and I can contribute in a meaningful way, and as long as my family is happy here, we have no plans to move back," she says.