Edition 24
Name: Alena Pribyl
Position: Lead Scientist, Science Research Team
Affiliation: Microba Life Sciences
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Pronouns: She/Her
Please briefly describe your current role in your position.
I manage a team of 4-5 people and lead a diverse range of microbiome research projects.
What is your terminal and/or current position in academia?
Postdoc
How did you hear about your current position? Was it a career option that you were aware about during your educational process?
I heard about my current position through the directors of the research centre I worked at, at the University of Queensland. The position I hold, let alone the field I work in now, was not a career option I was aware of during my PhD.
How did you end up working at your current affiliation?
The company I currently work at was a spin-out from a research centre at the University of Queensland, where I used to work. I helped in the initial start-up of the company, supporting the development of pitch decks and sometimes even pitching the idea to potential investors. Once the company secured start-up funding, I had the opportunity to transition over to the company.
How long have you been working at your current affiliation?
Over 7 years
What type of position is your current job?
I worked in person for the first 6 years, but then transitioned to remote work due to a move overseas.
Is your role more of a managerial or individual contributor role?
Manager
What are the defined roles of your position?
There are several defined roles of my position, but the most relevant include: Lead scientific research projects related to microbiome analysis, design and conduct experiments to generate insights into microbial communities and their implications for human health, develop science content for Microba gut microbiome reports and other communication materials, establish and maintain collaborative relationships with internal teams, external partners, and investors, provide mentorship and guidance to junior staff and research assistants, and contribute to developing scientific strategies and initiatives to drive organisational growth and innovation.
What are the day-to-day tasks that you perform in your position?
My day-to-day work involves checking in with team members to track progress and troubleshoot challenges across multiple research projects, developing templates and project guidelines, reviewing and providing feedback on scientific work, and collaborating with other teams to ensure alignment across the company. I also stay up to date through literature reviews, support clinical studies, and contribute to both technical and non-technical writing, including protocols, reports, publications, and educational materials.
What do you like best about your job?
What I love most about my role is the diversity of projects I get to be involved in, the constant opportunity to learn, and the intellectual challenges. I’m inspired by the opportunity to work on the cutting edge of microbiome research and help translate that science into real clinical impact. I also love that I get to work with talented and equally passionate colleagues who share a common goal of making a meaningful impact.
What do you dislike about your job?
While there’s little I genuinely dislike about my role, there are aspects I find more challenging. Balancing scientific integrity with commercial objectives can sometimes create tension—particularly when aligning with Sales and Marketing priorities. Tight deadlines occasionally limit the depth or breadth of work we can achieve, requiring careful prioritisation. With so many exciting research directions and potential tools to explore, it can be difficult to determine which features will have the greatest impact. Additionally, being part of a company dependent on investor funding adds a layer of uncertainty and can influence strategic decisions. Like in any organisation, I don’t always align with every management choice, but I appreciate the opportunity to engage in open discussion and contribute constructively.
If your job is outside of academia, what is similar and what is different about your current job and your terminal position in academia?
Similarities:
My current role still involves key skillsets I used when in academia, such as applying scientific methods, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Our work also involves defined projects with milestones and deliverables. And like in academia, collaboration is essential—though the types of collaborators have broadened significantly. I also have opportunities to mentor team members and contribute to scientific publications when appropriate.
Differences:
One of the biggest differences is that the research I work on now is shaped by company priorities and strategic goals, instead of my own academic interests. The projects are selected based on their potential clinical and commercial impact. And while we do still publish from time to time, it’s no longer a primary focus, and I’m also not responsible for securing my own research funding through grant writing.
Another key difference is that industry research operates at a faster pace, with clear deliverables, tighter timelines, and often with a need to pivot to different projects quickly. Success is measured less by publications or citations and more by project outcomes, and product performance. Confidentiality is also important—many aspects of our work are proprietary or trade secrets, and thus we have to be careful how we communicate externally.
How did your microbial ecology (or academic) education prepare you for your current position?
My academic training provided key skills that I use every day in my current role. It taught me how to rapidly upskill in new scientific areas through deep engagement with the literature, how to design and rigorously execute research projects, assess and interpret scientific data, and helped me develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Working in diverse lab environments also gave me hands-on experience with a variety of molecular methods and helped build technical versatility. My academic background also gave me a working knowledge of statistics, which is essential for experimental design and data interpretation. Additionally, writing scientific papers and presenting at conferences helped me develop my communication skills.
What skills do you wish you had learned during your educational process that would better prepare you for your current role (e.g., machine learning, management skills, etc.)?
This is an excellent question. I wish I had gained coding skills, particularly for running advanced statistical models independently. Management and leadership training would also have been incredibly valuable—especially in areas like team dynamics and performance feedback.
Additionally, learning how to communicate effectively with people from diverse professional backgrounds and adapting to different communication styles would have helped me transition more smoothly into cross-functional industry teams.
Another skill I’ve come to deeply value is the ability to convey complex scientific concepts in clear, simple, non-technical language. I was fortunate to gain training in this through a postdoctoral fellowship in science policy, but it’s an area many academics struggle with. Earlier exposure to science communication training would have been nice.
Do you have any recommendations and/or tips for early-career microbial ecologists looking for jobs similar to yours?
You will have developed strong problem-solving, data analysis, and critical thinking skills during your academic training, which are incredibly important in industry. However, gaining experience and skills beyond the technical can also be useful. My top five recommendations would be:
Develop strong writing skills: Both technical and non-technical writing are important. You’ll need to communicate clearly with a wide range of expert and non-expert audiences. Being able to craft a variety of content such as educational materials, reports and protocols in addition to scientific papers is a major asset.
Broaden your skill set: If you can, gaining exposure to areas like science communication, project management, or even aspects of product or business development will help you stand out. The more versatile you are, the more value you bring to a team.
Show that you can work in a team: Industry is highly collaborative. Demonstrating that you can work across disciplines and communicate with diverse teams can be just as important as your technical background. Learn to think beyond the task at hand: In industry, it’s not just about executing what you’re told. Employers value people who can anticipate needs, identify opportunities, and suggest improvements. Understanding the bigger picture—how your work fits into product development, clinical relevance, or market positioning—is key.
Learn to think beyond the task at hand: In industry, it’s not just about executing what you’re told. Employers value people who can anticipate needs, identify opportunities, and suggest improvements. Understanding the bigger picture—how your work fits into product development, clinical relevance, or market positioning—is key.