"There wasn’t much of an actual childhood. So I’m relearning what play looks like in my forties."
In this episode, I talked with Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic, CMO at Gallop Oncology, a biotech developing first-in-class galectin-9 antibodies for solid tumors and blood cancers. We talked about how perfectionism shaped her early leadership, and what it took to undo it. She shared her take on hiring by “gut feel,” why that can quietly reinforce bias, and what she looks for instead.
Aleksandra also opened up about her childhood—growing up with two cancer-researcher parents, skipping school to attend medical conferences—and how that path eventually led her to leave Serbia with a six-month visa and no real plan. That risk turned into a 20-year career in the UK, and a leadership journey she never could have mapped out.
She once brought a pipette to school for show and tell. These days, she reads nervous systems before resumes, believes leadership is about repair—not perfection—and says her job is to “love a drug into existence.”
Later this year, Aleksandra will be leading a workshop at the Society of Integrative Oncology Annual Meeting in Boston on October 27, 2025, alongside her colleagues Dr. Anna Yusim and Dr. Steve Bierman. The session, “Creating a New Kind of Intelligence in Oncology Practice” will explore neuro-somatic intelligence, noetic medicine, and mental health in oncology and biotech. CME credits and a full training curriculum will be provided. More information below.
Here’s what you’re in for:
- Growing up in a high-performance household
- How skipping school for oncology conferences shaped her worldview
- Leaving Serbia after med school with no job, just a research grant
- Why her career only took off when she let go of her original plan
- What Gallop Oncology is building and how it’s changing patient outcomes
- How perfectionism can quietly derail leadership and culture
- Why she challenges “gut feel” hiring, and how bias often hides behind it
- What introverted candidates are still up against in biotech interviews
- Her approach to repairing mistakes as a leader
Timestamps:
02:00 Childhood in a Cancer-Obsessed Family
06:30 Why She Left Serbia With No Job and No Plan
09:00 When Your Career Goes “Wrong”, and It’s the Best Thing That Happens
16:45 Interview Advice: “Don’t Perform—Be Honest”
21:30 What Falls Apart When Hiring Goes Wrong
23:30 The Danger of “Gut Feel” in Leadership Hiring
33:00 What It Feels Like When Your Childhood Perfectionism Takes Over at Work
36:00 How She Regulates Herself as a Leader—and Teaches Her Team To Do the Same
39:00 The Workshop: Neurosomatic Tools for Oncology Professionals
About Aleksandra:
Dr. Aleksandra Fili-povic is the Chief Medical Officer at Gallop Oncology, where she leads oncology asset sourcing and preclinical to clinical development strategy. With a background as a clinical oncologist and a PhD in Cancer cell biology its safe to say she knows a lot about this area.
Prior to joining Gallop, Aleksandra still acts as the head of oncology for PureTech health and prior to this she was with BMS and also consulted for Astrazeneca. She is a practicing clinician from Imperial College London, sits on the board of a global oncology educational platform sharing progress in cancer care and hosts a podcast “Into the Body” with Dr. Alex for OncoDaily. She practices applied neuro-somatic-intelligence with cancer patients and applies these same principles in biotech leadership.
Connect with Aleksandra:
From Our Guest — Upcoming Workshop for Oncology Professionals
Are you in the oncology field, feeling the weight of burnout and seeking ways to enhance your patient care within the limited time you have in clinic? Reconnect to the core of your work with our upcoming workshop.
Join Dr. Anna Yusim, @SteveBierman from Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, and myself for an impactful session in Boston on October 27th from 8-9:45AM. This workshop is a part of the Society for Integrative Oncology Annual Meeting.
With only 2 weeks remaining to secure your spot, don't miss this chance to elevate your Oncology Intelligence. Register now using the provided link or QR code: https://lnkd.in/gGupDMa9
Looking forward to your participation!
About Gallop Oncology:
- Gallop Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapies that target galectin-9, a regulatory protein implicated in tumor growth and immune suppression.
- Their lead product candidate, LYT-200, is a fully human IgG4 monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit galectin-9, combining direct tumor cytotoxicity with immune activation.
- LYT-200 is in Phase 1/2 trials for hematologic malignancies (e.g. acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome) and solid tumors (e.g. head & neck cancers), and it has received Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. FDA.
- Gallop Oncology is a wholly owned subsidiary (founded entity) of PureTech Health, with leadership including CEO Luba Greenwood, and aims to shift oncology treatment paradigms through a mechanistically differentiated approach.
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gallop-oncology/
- Pipeline: https://www.galloponcology.com/home#clinical-focus
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.
