“Turns out the entire resume… was completely fabricated. This wasn’t exaggeration—this was absolute fabrication. I mean, I still think to myself, why would you do that?”
In this episode, I talked with Dr. Dena Grayson, a physician–scientist with over two decades in biotech drug development. At the time of this recording, she was SVP and Head of Clinical Development at Keros Therapeutics, leading programs in rare bone marrow disorders, and she has since become SVP of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Kyverna Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, she helped advance Repatha at Amgen, and her path has also included running for Congress and serving as a national media voice during COVID.
Dena shares what it was like being the only MD–PhD in Amgen’s business development group, how she transitioned into clinical development, and the lessons she carried forward from her time in both politics and national media, where she became a trusted voice during the COVID pandemic. We dive into the real difference between presenting “the what” and explaining “the so what,” and why communication often makes or breaks careers in biotech.
Alongside her professional journey, Dena opens up about the wildest recruitment experience she’s ever had, her approach to building strong teams, and why patience in hiring beats rushing a decision. And in our quick-fire round, she shares stories from her days as a state champion soccer player, her love of surfing, and how she unwinds outside biotech.
(Find out more in the episode.)
Here’s What You’re In For
- How Dena made the leap from academia to Amgen—and why that transition was harder than it looked
- Her proudest career moment came full circle when her husband benefited from a drug she helped develop
- What soccer, surfing, and persistence taught her about leadership
- How a political campaign loss led to a media career during COVID
- The “so what” in communication—and why data alone is never enough
- How to handle interviews when you’re introverted
- The kinds of questions that truly impress hiring managers
- Why patience in hiring beats rushing to fill a role
- Her worst recruitment story: the candidate who completely fabricated his CV
- The one thing she’s most grateful for after 20 years in biotech
Timestamps
01:10 – Landing her first industry role at Amgen
03:24 – Repatha and investigational therapies at Keros
04:49 – Surfing, soccer, and state championships
07:08 – From political spouse to running for Congress
08:42 – Becoming a media commentator during COVID
10:41 – Communication lessons: from “what” to “so what”
15:14 – Advice for introverts in interviews and early career roles
17:37 – How thoughtful questions can change the dynamic in an interview
21:02 – Nearly 20 years as a hiring manager: what’s changed and what hasn’t
23:11 – Advice for junior hiring managers and why patience matters
25:37 – A candidate with a completely fabricated CV—the wildest recruitment story
About Dena
Dr. Dena Grayson is a physician–scientist (MD, PhD) with over 20 years in biotech drug development. At the time of this recording, she was SVP and Head of Clinical Development at Keros Therapeutics, leading programs in rare bone marrow disorders, and she has since become SVP of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Kyverna Therapeutics. Earlier in her career, she helped advance Repatha at Amgen, and her path has also included running for Congress and serving as a national media voice during COVID, experiences that shaped her belief that communication is as critical as science in driving biotech forward.
Connect with Dena:
About Kyverna
Kyverna is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing CAR T-cell therapies to reset the immune system and treat B-cell driven autoimmune diseases. Its lead program, KYV-101, is an autologous anti-CD19 CAR T therapy being evaluated across multiple autoimmune indications including lupus nephritis, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, stiff person syndrome, and systemic sclerosis. Kyverna is developing both autologous (KYV-101, KYV-102) and allogeneic (KYV-201) CAR T products, aiming for improved tolerability, deep B cell depletion, and durable remission.
They collaborate with ElevateBio to scale their proprietary Ingenui-T manufacturing platform for lower-cost, efficient production of CAR T therapies.
- Website: https://kyvernatx.com/
- Pipeline: https://kyvernatx.com/platform-pipeline/pipeline/
About me
My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.
In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.
Connect with me:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/
- Website: https://www.discera-search.com/
Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.
