Simone Hermans earned her master's degree in Biomedical Sciences from Leiden University and has since built a multifaceted career in the pharmaceutical industry. She began in the Technical Operations department at Janssen (J&J), where she worked on the production of monoclonal antibodies. Later, she transitioned into a more commercially focused role, raising awareness among specialist physicians about pulmonary arterial hypertension. While working in a small team as Medical Science Liaison for another rare disease, Simone developed a strong interest in the startup ecosystem, which ultimately led her to join Health~Holland over two years ago as coordinator of their startup program, LifeSciences@Work.

In her current role, Simone plays a pivotal role in organizing, communicating, and connecting early-stage life sciences startups with key stakeholders who can accelerate their progress. Alongside her colleagues, she is instrumental in facilitating the Venture Challenge, a cornerstone of the Dutch LifeSciences start-up ecosystem, which supports very early startups in navigating the complexities of life sciences innovation.

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