Tell us about yourself and what drew you to neuroscience.
I didn’t have the usual trajectory for a neuroscientist. I struggled through middle and high school and at 18, I thought I’d never study again. I spent a few years working in gastronomy in London, but eventually I realized I was missing intellectual stimulation. I’ve always been curious about understanding myself and other people, and that led me to neuroscience. I went back to university, did a dual master’s degree, and then worked as a research assistant before joining the FMI for my PhD. I was extremely lucky with the people and environments, which opened many doors, and I’m grateful to the people who shaped, supported, and challenged me before I resumed my studies and throughout my academic path. I’d encourage others to seek that kind of exchange and to give back in return. In the end, whatever path you choose, what really matters is people, and we sometimes forget that.What scientific questions are you addressing at the FMI?
I started wanting to understand how behavior emerges from neural ensembles by studying how brain activity drives movement and decisions. Early on, I worked on multisensory navigation in zebrafish using virtual reality, which involved a lot of tool-building and troubleshooting. Over time, my PhD shifted toward developing methods to study animals in constrained virtual reality setups. Along the way, I’ve learned resilience, asking for help early, and being clear-eyed about what a project can and can’t achieve.Why did you get involved in initiatives connecting academia and industry?
From the start of my PhD, I knew I didn’t want to stay in academia long term, but I had only a vague idea of what "industry" meant. Pharma makes drugs, but what are the jobs really like? Corporate slide decks don’t answer those questions. That’s why I created Bridges Over Basel : to bring people from pharma and consulting into honest panel discussions with early-career researchers. I’m grateful to everyone who gave their time to support Bridges Over Basel: these initiatives only work because of people’s generosity. In the end, they’re the ones who make these bridges possible.What bridges between academia and industry are missing?
Many PhD students realize too late that they need to look beyond academia, and they lack concrete information. My goal is to lower that barrier and normalize these conversations early. In Basel, we’re uniquely privileged: a huge fraction of the city works in pharma, and with the FMI on the Novartis campus, it’s easy to meet people with fascinating trajectories.You’re part of organizations such as SEET and Nucleate. What do these do, and what have you learned from being involved in them?
SEET helps refugees navigate re-entering education or training in Switzerland. For me, it’s a way to be of service and stay grounded, and a reminder that opportunities aren’t evenly distributed. Mentoring has also taught me a lot about intercultural communication and leadership, and the organization is always looking for new mentors. Nucleate is a global, student-led organization supporting early-stage biotech founders. I started in communications, then moved into partnerships: that means identifying companies whose interests align with Nucleate, pitching collaborations, negotiating support, and turning that into events, workshops, and resources for founders. I’ve learned a lot about business development and stakeholder management.
As a No Patient Left Behind (NPLB) fellow, what were some of the most valuable takeaways?
The NPLB fellowship focuses on the US healthcare system, which is critical since the US makes up about 60% of global pharma. I grew up in an environment where "big pharma" was the villain. Digging into the details, I realized the reality is more complex. For example, drug pricing dysfunction often comes from intermediaries between companies and insurers. What I took from the fellowship is that making a good drug isn’t enough. One must understand reimbursement, policy, intermediaries, and how all these players interact.What skills did you gain through these experiences that you wouldn’t necessarily gain through a traditional academic path?
Managing and negotiating with all kinds of stakeholders; communicating clearly and concisely for different audiences; building and maintaining a real, strategic network; and thinking consciously about where I fit best, what energizes me, and how I can connect people and ideas. These experiences also helped me make the mindset shift from academia to industry by learning the language and understanding how to behave and interact in those environments. From what I’ve seen and heard, people who try to move into industry without making that shift often struggle.
What advice would you give to early-career researchers who are curious about industry or entrepreneurship?
First, start building the bridge before you need to cross it: talk to people early, grab coffees, ask "stupid" questions. Second, get out of your comfort zone: join an organization, volunteer, or help run an event. Third, be curious and concrete: go beyond "consulting sounds cool" and ask people what they do, what frustrates them, and how their careers progressed. Even if you stay in academia, none of this is wasted: you’ll be a better scientist, collaborator, and mentor for having built skills beyond the bench.
Originally from Bordeaux, France, Alexandre Javier studied biology at the University of Bordeaux and completed a dual master’s in cognitive neuroscience at UCL in London and systems neuroscience at the école Normale Supérieure and Sorbonne University in Paris. After a stint as research assistant between the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology, he joined the Friedrich lab as a PhD candidate in 2021. Outside the lab, Alexandre enjoys marathons, ultra-running, and BASE jumping. He is also an avid reader and a music enthusiast.
