BioTalk Episode 2: Sarah Lynagh CEO, Fios Genomics Ltd: From University spinout to global CRO

Sarah Lynagh said: “I think people have realised the power of data. It’s now at the forefront of the public eye, it’s now certainly easier for me to explain to my parents what I do for a living! People have a greater appreciation for what data can do for healthcare and medicine, and hopefully it’s made people realise the importance of giving their data over as it can be extremely useful.”

On the impact of the pandemic and Fios’ growth, Sarah commented: “At the time it all happened we had great plans to grow, we had just signed a partnership with Charles River Laboratories. We grew the team by around 20 people last year, I take my hat off to those people who were willing to move during a global pandemic. I don’t know if I would have been that brave. We were able to look further afield – out with Edinburgh – and maybe about half of the people we employed are from other parts of the UK. The team has coped tremendously well and the resilience everyone has shown has astounded me.”

Asked about the number of opportunities for women in life sciences and bioinformatics. Sarah responded: “Society has changed. Younger people are not going to put up with it anymore. They are not going to fight for equality, they are saying ‘we won’t tolerate inequality’ anymore. Fios used to be very male orientated that is just the nature of bioinformatics, which was seen as a male profession. It’s now much more even in our team in terms of a gender split. It’s nice to see things changing and I’d be horrified if my young daughter or nieces’ saw any kind of glass ceiling.”

BioTalk takes you behind the scenes at BioQuarter’s health innovation community. You’ll hear from the founders and owners of companies based at BioQuarter, explore the groundbreaking research and science, discover more about NHS Lothian’s innovation testbed and learn more about our plans to create Edinburgh’s Health Innovation District.