Get the Word Out! Strategic Communication and Marketing in Life Sciences

Breakthrough science doesn’t sell itself, especially in the crowded, complex world of life sciences. Your success depends on how well you can communicate your scientific value to multiple audiences. In this fast-paced 3-hour course, you’ll learn how to communicate and market your science and technology effectively across stakeholders: from investors and collaborators to customers and grant reviewers. We’ll dive into best practices for developing high-impact materials such as pitch decks, grant summaries, white papers, and technical literature, and how to utilize them effectively as well as communicate live at trade shows and exhibitions. 

You’ll leave with practical frameworks, examples from successful life science companies, and templates you can apply immediately to improve your communications, clarify your brand, and accelerate your commercial traction. This course is designed to help innovators and life science experts turn scientific excellence into business traction—through strategic communication that resonates. 

Who Should Attend?

• Early-stage life science company founders or those considering starting a company 
• Scientists and engineers stepping into or considering a commercial role 
• Marketing and commercial professionals supporting life science research and development (including trade shows and exhibitions) 
• Scientists, engineers, consultants involved in technical writing and communication 

Course Benefits

• Understand the role of content marketing in the life sciences, and how to create a sustainable strategy for producing and distributing valuable technical content 
• Learn to tailor scientific messaging for different stakeholders, including investors, customers, collaborators, and grant agencies, without diluting technical rigor 
• Recognize effective communication at conferences and exhibitions, including signage, demos, and talking points that make your technology stand out. 

Course Topics

• Introduction to the foundational pillars of marketing: Learn how to identify your target market, clarify your application focus, and articulate differentiated value proposition 
• Developing a content strategy: Explore how to align messaging with buyer intent and structure clear, compelling calls to action  
• Marketing communication: Understand the nuances marketing versus technical marketing and how to apply it in written and verbal forums.  

Instructors

Zachary Gurard-Levin, PhD
Peapod Bio

Zachary Gurard-Levin, PhD, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Peapod Bio, a CRO offering innovative assay solutions for drug discovery and Founder and Managing of Tesserae Innovations, a consultancy dedicated to empowering innovators and entrepreneurs to communicate science with clarity and confidence. He brings over two decades of experience in technology development, high-throughput screening and drug discovery, and over ten years in business development, marketing and sales in small and large CROs. Gurard-Levin has published over 30 peer-reviewed articled and served as PI on multiple small business innovation research grants. He was the Chief Scientific Officer at SAMDI Tech, helping grow the CRO from Innovation AveNEW in 2011 to acquisition in 2023. Gurard-Levin is a Board Member of Tango Bioscience (Chicago) and was a Member of the SLAS Board of Directors (2023-2025). He earned his PhD in chemistry from the University of Chicago and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in epigenetics at the Institut Curie in Paris, France.

 

Severine Tamas-Lhoustau
Novoptim

Severine Tamas-Lhoustau is the Founder and CEO of Novoptim, a Sales and Marketing service company dedicated to market access and sales development for innovative life sciences companies. She brings over 15 years of executive leadership in life sciences, supporting over 150 companies across US and Europe in MedTech, Biotech, and research tool companies with commercialization strategies, driving revenue growth, and market expansion. Tamas-Lhoustau has served as a long-standing reviewer on the SLAS New Product Award and Innovation AveNEW panels and a member of the SLAS Board of Directors (2018-2020). She is a mentor and advisor to early-stage startups and executives and mature companies, focusing on strategy, positioning and business development execution. Tamas-Lhoustau received her degree in engineering and biotechnology from INSA in Toulouse, France.