Benedikt Markus

Background

About Benedikt Markus

I am a molecular biologist by training, driven by curiosity, challenge, and a strong sense of responsibility. I have led research at MIT and Novartis, run a company through crisis, advised biotech and infrastructure clients, and now help shape an AI-powered platform for Medical Affairs. Across these roles, I have applied scientific thinking in diverse settings—where good decisions depend on structure, depth, and follow-through. Current role | AI-powered Medical Affairs software At AVAYL, I play a cross-functional role in shaping and delivering MedPro—a GenAI-powered workflow platform that helps Medical Affairs teams create, manage, and deliver compliant, evidence-based content with greater speed and precision. I coordinate implementation projects, onboard and train users, and channel usage data and feedback into product decisions—working closely with commercial and development teams to ensure the platform evolves responsibly and delivers measurable value. In this role, I draw on my biomedical training to ensure product decisions reflect the realities of specialized users working in regulated healthcare environments. Operational leadership, consulting, & life science strategy As Interim CEO, I led my family’s fitness company through post-pandemic recovery—restructuring operations, modernizing workflows, and reversing a multi-year membership decline without layoffs. I then transitioned into management consulting, advising biotech and infrastructure clients on growth strategies, including commercial due diligence for a VC-backed drug discovery firm. I also completed postgraduate training in Life Science Management, with a focus on the strategic and operational processes critical to bringing pharmaceuticals, advanced therapies, and medical devices to market. Academic research | molecular biology & drug discovery I hold a PhD in Molecular Biology and spent over seven years in research roles at MIT and Novartis, specializing in protein biochemistry, genome engineering, transcriptional regulation, and antiparasitic drug discovery. I discovered a novel mechanism of protein kinase activation and inhibition, developed CRISPR-based tools for targeted transcriptional modulation, and mapped transcription initiation genome-wide in Toxoplasma gondii, producing an authoritative transcriptomic dataset for this organism. I published multiple first-author papers, presented at international conferences, taught university courses, and mentored both graduate and undergraduate students.