Making the move from academia to industry: how has Luciano Rossetti fared?

In September 2006, Luciano Rossetti started work as senior vice president and franchise head of Diabetes and Obesity as well as Cardiovascular at Merck Research Laboratories. This came after a long and successful academic career, much of it spent at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After a year in his new position, the JCI spoke with Rossetti about his transition from academia to industry and how his working life has changed in the past year. JCI: What drove your decision to move from academia to industry? Rossetti: My professional career has been dedicated to medical research with a longterm goal to have a real impact on the life of patients affected by diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Although I had many successes in my academic endeavors, I still felt an unrealized aspiration to apply advancements in science to patient care in a more immediate fashion. In that light, the opportunity to join Merck was ideal as it allowed me to take on this new challenge. JCI: What have you found the most difficult aspect of your transition from academia to industry? Rossetti: Understanding the overall culture of the organization has been challenging, whereas differences in the research methods have been quite manageable. With regard to this, the most challenging part of my transition has been balancing the need to rapidly learn the intricacies of the drug discovery and development processes with managing at a high level of responsibility. In my research lab, I was able to develop research strategies and closely monitor the execution of the experiments. In my new role I have had to learn to step back from this; to relinquish control of some tasks and fully trust the expertise of my colleagues. JCI: After one year away from academia, is there anything you miss? Rossetti: I miss the immediacy of the lab; the daily excitement of data flowing through the door of my office. I also miss working with my Einstein colleagues and interacting with a wide range of trainees, from students to residents to fellows and junior scientists. JCI: What have you been able to achieve in industry that you would not have been able to in academia? Rossetti: It is early in my transition and therefore difficult to point to very many achievements here at Merck. It is also important to acknowledge that this is not an “individual sport.” Everything we accomplish belongs to the team. The organizational structure I operate in (which we call a franchise) is ideally suited to provide a rapid bridge from laboratory