After nearly a decade of experience working in emergency medicine and clinical research in large pharmaceutical companies, Dan Weiss, M.D., CPI, decided he wanted a change. He began looking not only for a role that aligned with his passion of bringing innovative treatments to patients, but also a role within a company that continuously challenged the typical drug discovery process – a company that was on the cutting-edge of science to better help those in need. That’s when he found Schrödinger.
When offered the position of vice president & head of early clinical development within Schrodinger’s drug discovery applications group (DDAG) group, Dan’s decision to ultimately join the company came down to Schrödinger’s innovative approach to discovering new medicines. In his early days working at Schrödinger, Dan felt immediately drawn to its strong culture of inclusiveness and transparency across the organization at all levels, especially among leadership. Dan saw a tremendous level of accessibility and respect among the executive team, as well as consistent visibility across the organization as a whole.
According to Dan, what is equally as impressive as organization-wide visibility is the quality of people that he gets to work with every day. “The folks here are very bright and hardworking, and genuinely very humble. They’re laser focused on the science, and, overall, it’s a wonderful place to spend your work day,” says Dan.
At Schrödinger, Dan is in charge of building out the early clinical development team – which is no small task. However, it’s a role that he takes immense pride in, especially as his goals and his vision are so well-aligned with the goals and vision of both the company and its employees. Innovation, diversity and patient-centricity are core pillars prioritized by everyone working at Schrödinger. For example, Schrödinger is committed to ensuring diverse patient populations will be recruited into our clinical trials, which is something that Dan gets asked about daily by teammates beyond the DDAG team.
“If you’re the type who likes to roll up your sleeves, wear many hats, and be appreciated for the work that you bring to the organization, then this is the place for you.”
Before joining the company, Dan worked at a number of large pharmaceutical companies where, although global impact was a priority, there were fewer opportunities for collaboration across teams. At Schrödinger, employees are valued for the diversity of skills and experiences that each employee brings to the table. There are no walls or siloed mentalities. Your voice is always heard, and you’ll be appreciated for dipping your toes into tasks that aren’t necessarily within your subject matter expertise. Throughout his time at Schrödinger, Dan has never heard somebody say: “That is not my job” or “Stay in your lane”.
“If you’re the type who likes to roll up your sleeves, wear many hats, and be appreciated for the work that you bring to the organization, then this is the place for you.”
Working within the DDAG group, Dan is consistently impressed by the team’s level of professionalism, which is evenly mixed with humbleness and a drive to make the work fun and meaningful. The team reminds him of the way that he wants to live out his life professionally and personally. “Being surrounded by individuals on a daily basis that have great values, great professional sense, and real care for others… it helps you grow as an individual. You learn by watching others.”
From DDAG to other cross-functional groups within Schrödinger, everyone is committed to bringing their best selves to work every day. As Dan notes, a company can have the greatest process in the world, but those processes and tools are nothing without the people who execute them on a day-to-day basis.
“The people are what makes Schrödinger, Schrödinger.”
