Sarah Braet

Sarah Braet


Head of Business Development – Drug Discovery (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGent)
Registered Pharmacist
Steering Committee of GATE, CESPE
Member – Business Unit CRIG
 

Function

As Business Developer for the Drug Discovery research consortium at Ghent University, Sarah Braet facilitates the translation of early-stage cancer research into therapeutic and commercial outcomes. She serves as a strategic link between academic research groups and external stakeholders, including industry, investors, and clinical partners. Her work spans key domains such as Medicinal Chemistry, Biological Screening, Pharmacokinetics, Toxicology, Structural Biology, Molecular Medicine, Biomolecular Modelling & Design, Advanced Therapies, and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.

Sarah’s expertise includes research and innovation management, technology transfer, regulatory strategy (including FDA submissions), CMO coordination, digital transformation, change management, and commercialisation support. She actively engages with pharma, biotech, and venture capital partners to accelerate the impact of oncology-focused research.
Holding two MSc degrees in Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, and certified as a Qualified Person (QP) by FAGG/AFMPS, Sarah brings extensive experience from Baxter/Baxalta/Shire/Takeda in manufacturing sciences, regulatory planning, and commercialisation. She previously served on Takeda’s GMAB advisory board to the CEO and executive team.

Within CRIG, Sarah contributes by identifying and incubating spin-off and licensing opportunities, advising on commercialisation strategies, and supporting long-term value creation. She also serves on the steering committees of the UGent valorization platforms GATE and CESPE. The Drug Discovery consortium she represents includes over 25 research groups active in drug discovery, development, and manufacturability.
 

Biography

Sarah has both a very technical background (Master of Drug Development, Advanced Master in Industrial Pharmacy), and 12+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry to back it up. Her experience ranges from Manufacturing Science Specialist (pilot scale), to crisis management, CMO management, Tech Transfer management and Regulatory Submission strategy at Baxter/Baxalta/Shire/Takeda. After acquiring her company-sponsored executive MBA (Vlerick Business School), she moved to Los Angeles and took on the Head of Digital Transformation position. As a qualified person, she is responsible for translating innovative research in a quality-by-design manner towards tangible business outcomes and a patient-centric asset.
 

Contact & links

  • Work address: Campus Heymans, Ottergemsestenweg 460, 9000 Gent
  • LinkedIn
  • UGent DiscoverE
  • Sarah Braet (RPh.) is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks