We recently sat down with Matthew Barcus, PhD, a member of Chardan’s equity research team who was recently promoted to Senior Research Analyst. In this interview, Matthew shares how he made the transition from academia and working in research labs to working in finance and equity research.

1.  Congratulations on your recent promotion! Tell us about your path to becoming an analyst at Chardan.

Science is exciting to me and I enjoy research. That led me to complete a PhD and a post doc appointment. I then crossed paths into equity research where I appreciated the faster pace and broader exposure to innovation happening within biotech. At my first bank, I worked with some really smart, great people who helped me get started as a biotech equity research associate, quickly learning the ins and outs of the industry. Then, when the opportunity came to join Chardan on a path towards being a research analyst with my own coverage I decided to take it. 

2. What are you most interested in scientifically?

Wow, there is really so much about the science in biotech that I find fascinating, which is the basis for me pursuing a career in equity research where I have greater exposure to the advancements in the space. Given my background working in structural biology, I am really excited about the achievements made using AI, such as with AlphaFold and look forward to see its impact on drug discovery.

3. What makes a company interesting to you?

A cool logo. Jokes aside, companies with novel science and a clear understanding of its application are exciting to follow. Ultimately, however, the company needs to have drugs that work.

4. What is your educational/post-doc background?

Since applying for college I’ve known I wanted to work in biotech. I earned a BS degree in molecular biology at Arizona State University where, for part of my time, I worked on a lab project focused on growing cocaine hydrolases in tobacco plants. I was given the advice to pursue a PhD in order to open up more biotech career opportunities, and so I moved to Ithaca, NY for graduate work at Cornell University where I worked on an applied biotech project in the Animal Science department that involved enzymology and structural biology research. I really enjoyed research and after graduating from Cornell I received a post-doctoral fellowship sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to work in the enzymology lab at the University of Tokyo in efforts to solve the structure of glycohyrdolases. 

5. What is your current coverage?

Currently I cover FIXX, IMNM, IMVT, QURE, and VINC. Even though my coverage list is limited to a few names, therapeutic areas are broad and span rare disease, infectious disease, autoimmune disease, and oncology.

6. How do you spend your day?

Working on the West Coast means that I am up at 4am following the morning news feed. We have a morning team call and then it’s off to the races in building out our research product. Biotech equity research involves analyzing scientific publications, building financial models, speaking with management teams and thought leaders in the sector, writing reports, and communicating our published thoughts with investors. Being on the West Coast has its perks in that on lighter work days there is still some sunlight to catch outside after work before turning in to an early bedtime, ideally before 9 pm. 

7. What makes Chardan a good place to work?

The people at Chardan make coming to work enjoyable every day. Their passion for their work is contagious. There are a lot of super bright people to work with and plenty of opportunities to be creative and lead. And, the genuine interest from my managers in my growth and advancement is much appreciated.

8. Anything else you’d like to share?

After working at Chardan for a few months, I was surprised to learn the company’s mascot is not a lion, but is actually a liger.

Learn more about working at Chardan: https://www.chardan.com/careers

For more information about Chardan research please email info@chardan.com