From now on, we will include an interview with a member of the Thuja team in every newsletter. So you get to know all of us a little better.
The first interview will be kicked off by Lisanne Blauw. Lisanne joined the Thuja team in February 2021 as an Investment Analyst. She holds a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering, a PhD in Medicine, and above all is fun to work with.
Let’s start with a silly fact: What do most people not know about you?
I like to eat everything with a spoon, that includes salads. I can’t blame my parents, they really tried to get me to eat with a knife and fork. They gave up some time ago, it’s just one of the failed aspects of my upbringing.
When did you join Thuja and what is your role?
I have been working as an investment analyst at Thuja since Feb 2021.
What did you do before joining Thuja?
Before joining Thuja, I worked as a postdoc in the Leiden University Medical Center and the University of Twente. My research work was focused on cardiovascular genetics and heart-on-chip models. During my postdoc I was involved in the spin-out of a biotech company, which brought me for the first time into contact with venture capital, sparking my interest for my current job at Thuja.
What does your average workday look like?
An important part of my time is dedicated to evaluating incoming propositions of companies that are searching for investment. Mostly, we first receive a short slide deck, on the basis of which we decide to invite the company for a pitch. Next to that, I spend much time on the due diligence process, which we start when we decide to dive deeper into a proposition to explore our potential interest to invest. Due diligence has many aspects. Because Thuja is an early-stage investor, we spend a relatively large part of our due diligence on evaluation of the company’s scientific data, as well as the scientific field in which the company is operating, which I enjoy a lot! Once in a while, I also visit conferences or pitch events.
What do you enjoy most about the work you’re doing?
For me, there are clearly two outstanding aspects: The diversity of the work (I found out that I am more a generalist than a specialist) and the fact that we are in very close contact with the cutting edge science. I find it super inspiring to see where the future of medicine is going, and I am very happy to work at a company that can contribute to bringing that future a bit closer to the patient every day!
What do you like to do outside work?
At the moment, I am mostly using my free time to work on our new house, I really enjoy DIY work. My more standard hobbies are ice skating, cooking (very much!), drawing, sewing and working in the garden.
What series are you currently watching/or book are you currently reading?
Series: The Umbrella Academy. It’s said to be as good as Stranger Things and Peaky Blinders, but I am not convinced of that yet ;-) Not so much time for a book now. I stopped somewhere halfway through ‘Bad Blood’, and then switched to the series (The Dropout).