When Disciplines Collide: A PharmaVOICE 100 Spotlight

Dr. Chris Tobias

By Taren Grom, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, PharmaVOICE
There are very few in the life-sciences industry who can claim to have credible authority in multiple and cross-functional disciplines. Dr. Chris Tobias, Executive VP and Chief Scientific Officer, Director of Business Development at Dudnyk, is one of those few. Chris brings a unique perspective to the challenges that not only specialty brands and companies face but the complexity of communicating in a new world. No doubt his unique academic background, including a Ph.D. In neuroscience, an MS degree in physiology, and a BS in medical technology helps to frame his outlook in finding new ways to communicate with physicians. Colleagues say Chris' perspective is invaluable when meeting with clients, participating in pitches, or expanding the agency's footprint in new markets. Chris has been goal-oriented throughout his life — from his days as a hall-of-fame high school scholar athlete and top Division I NCAA gymnastics competitor — to his current role at Dudnyk. Chris says being the business development leader for Dudnyk from 2007 to 2010, a time period in which Inc. magazine listed the agency as among the 5000 fastest-growing, privately held companies in the US, has been a true career highlight.
He draws inspiration from many areas of his life. His grandfather, Ken Loomis, a WWII veteran who was married to his grandmother for 65 years, was the milk man for their small town of Ashtabula, Ohio. Chris says his grandfather worked incredibly hard to provide for his children/grandchildren, and he is the kindest, most honest, and most honorable man he has ever known. The good doctor Tobias also counts himself lucky to have had the good fortune while as a doctoral student to have had the late Dr. Judah Folkman — the father of tumor angiogenesis research — as an advisor/mentor. During Dr. Folkman's review of some of Chris' thesis research, he asked where Tobias planned to submit the specific research for publication. Chris mentioned the name of a modest but respectable journal, which would give what he believed his best chance for publication. Chris recalls that Dr. Folkman looked at him and said, “Aim high. You never know what will happen unless you try.” Those words have stuck with him ever since. He looks to pay forward the good advice he received by mentoring students in biomedical science. He believes many doctoral students are unaware of the numerous opportunities available to people in their field, and he helps them review their opportunities and network with colleagues if they are interested in leaving the laboratory. Chris' commitment to combining scientific insights with innovative and solid marketing as well as doing the right thing for his agency, his colleagues, and the next generation of aspiring scientists are just a few of the reasons that Chris Tobias has earned a spot on the 2012 PharmaVOICE 100 list.
Learn more about Chris through his PharmaVOICE 100 feature in the latest issue of PharmaVOICE.
To learn more about Dudnyk, visit www.dudnyk.com. To learn more about the other 99 PharmaVOICE 100 honorees, please visit www.pharmavoice.com.