Koji: Collaborating with specialists from different fields and countries has been incredibly valuable. Clear goals and mutual respect help us overcome cultural differences and build trust.
Trevor: We have engineers in the US and Japan, but most of our staff are contractors located in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Canada. We’ve adopted remote work practices like messaging-based communication, and cultural awareness training has also helped us connect better across time zones and backgrounds.
Global teamwork and cultural diversity are fueling new ideas and stronger collaboration at SRL.
What benefits or challenges have you experienced with cross-site collaboration?
Dan: Working with diverse teams has improved our problem-solving. Language differences have pushed me to communicate more clearly, which has made our processes more efficient.
Jared: Time zone gaps and language barriers are real challenges, but they’ve led to better communication habits. We plan meetings more carefully to ensure objectives are met and outcomes are clearly defined, and diverse perspectives enrich our approach to problem-solving.
Koji: Having access to cutting-edge technologies and hearing about practices at other pharma companies has broadened my thinking. It’s exciting, but also a reminder that we need to keep improving and communicating clearly to maximize our collaboration.
Despite challenges, the team’s commitment to clear communication and learning from each other is driving continuous improvement.
What breakthroughs or milestones are you personally excited about achieving at Smart Research Lab?
Dan: Our first key milestone is getting the lab fully operational. Once set up, we aim to accelerate the design-make-test-analyze (DMTA) cycle across regions—linking Japan and the U.S.—to speed up innovations like synthetic protein production.
Koji: I hope to create a unique drug discovery theme that only SRL can develop. I also want SRL to become a hub for recruiting and training top IT and software talent since few companies in the US have laboratories driving software development internally.
How has automation changed your daily work and research approach?
Jared: Automation offloads the mental burden of managing logistics. Now I can focus on reviewing data, making decisions, and adjusting experiments in real time.
Vanessa: I’ve shifted from managing individual experiments to designing systems that connect workflows and data. With data engineers, lab scientists, automation engineers, and software developers all working side by side, this project has accelerated learning across disciplines.
How do you envision SRL shaping the future of healthcare and Daiichi Sankyo’s global R&D
Dan: By consolidating data silos and improving predictive models, we’re increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes and reducing costs. Ultimately, it’s about improving patient care faster.
Koji: Healthcare is becoming a data-driven industry and SRL’s capabilities will be essential for staying competitive and transforming both our skills and decision making.
Vanessa: SRL is laying the foundation for reproducible, digital experimentation. This infrastructure will drive faster discovery and more impactful therapeutic development.
What excites you most about your work at SRL?
Vanessa: I love working with such a passionate, diverse, committed team. The potential of structured data and interdisciplinary collaboration makes everyday exciting.
Jared: Applying my decades of experience to build something holistic and broadly implementable is incredibly rewarding.
Trevor: Seeing how software can transform lab operations, watching the machines in action, and learning from the team has been a fantastic experience.
Koji: Contributing to the rapid development of a cutting-edge lab within Daiichi Sankyo is deeply fulfilling.
Dan: This is the most exciting job I’ve ever had. The team is collaborative and committed, and the technologies we’re using are finally coming to life, and it’s empowering and energizing to come to work every day.
The SRL team’s passion for innovation and collaboration shines through in every aspect of their work. By combining automation, data-driven experimentation, and global collaboration, they are working to accelerate drug discovery with patients in mind. Daiichi Sankyo’s San Diego SRL is poised to make a lasting impact on healthcare as a hub for innovation and diverse talent.