Breaking Into Pharma and Biotech as a Physician Leader with Dr Nerissa Kreher

In this episode of the Startup Physicians Podcast, Dr. Alison Curfman sits down with Dr. Nerissa Kreher, MD, MBA—a pediatric endocrinologist who transitioned into biotech and pharma and went on to serve as a four-time Chief Medical Officer with multiple IPOs.

Nerissa shares how an unexpected career setback opened the door to the pharma industry, what medical affairs and clinical development roles actually look like, and how physicians can build the business and regulatory skill sets needed to thrive in biotech. She explains how to communicate across cross-functional teams, design clinical trials, and navigate both the highs (like successful IPOs) and the lows (like program shutdowns).

Alison and Nerissa also dig into imposter syndrome, confidence, humility, and why physicians must embrace learning and ask for help—just like they do in clinical practice. Nerissa also highlights her work developing first-in-human transfer RNA therapies and discusses her coaching program, Pharma Industry MD Coach, which supports physicians exploring industry roles.

This episode is packed with tactical insights and mindset shifts for any physician curious about biotech, pharma, or leadership roles beyond clinical medicine.

00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Nerissa Kreher
01:08 – A Career Pivot That Changed Everything
04:01 – Entering Pharma + Early Mindset Shifts
07:14 – Building New Skills Beyond Medicine
11:23 – Clinical Development & Designing Trials
13:59 – Moving Through Companies & Becoming a CMO
16:18 – Handling Setbacks in Drug Development
18:27 – Mindset, Imposter Syndrome & Asking for Help
23:05 – Inside the IPO Experience
28:04 – What She’s Building Now
29:35 – Supporting Physicians Through Coaching
30:57 – Closing Thoughts


Pharma Industry MD Coach Website: www.industryMDCoach.com
IG: PharmaindustryMDCoach
LinkedIn:   / the-industrymdcoach-b501301ba