After obtaining her PhD from EPFL in 2005, Madiha Derouazi embarked on a venture that few people believed in: creating a vaccine to treat cancer. Yet she went on to develop her technology, and founded a business – AMAL Therapeutics – to market it.

During her lecture, she will share her experience and learnings on what it takes to move from a life as a scientist to become an entrepreneur and will presenting her research.

Madiha Derouazi has been working on vector engineering and vaccine design for over 15 years. In 2012, she founded AMAL Therapeutics, a biotech company developing therapeutic cancer vaccines. The company was acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim in July 2019 for CHF425 million. She is now the CEO of Speransa Therapeutics, a clinical-stage Biotech with a Focus on COVID-19 Vaccine Development.

Madiha Derouazi holds a Master’s degree from Berlin’s Technische Universität, followed by a PhD in biotechnology from EPFL in 2005. She was awarded the European Inventor Prize in 2022. At this year’s Magistrale, she received an “Alumni Award” from the School for the exceptional quality of her entrepreneurial career.

12:15 pm
Welcome address
Leïla Ojjeh, EPFL Alumni Director

12:20pm
Introduction
Andrew Oates, Professor and SV School Dean, EPFL

12:25pm
Campus Lecture
“From Scientist to Entrepreneur: Bridging the Gap to Bring Vaccines to the Clinic”
Madiha Derouazi (PhD CGC’05), CEO of Speransa Therapeutics, Founder and former CEO of Amal Therapeutics

01:10pm
Q&A

01:25pm
Networking aperitif