Nucleate Podcast

In our latest episode, we sit down with Dr. John Maraganore, the legendary founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and one of the most influential voices in modern therapeutics. Raised in a Greek immigrant family in Chicago, John’s journey is a rare blend of scientific obsession, business acumen, and relentless optimism. We cover his whole career journey. From his early days at Biogen, where he invented the anticoagulant bivalirudin (Angiomax), to taking a leap of faith on RNA interference when few believed it could work. He opens up about being “thrust” from the lab into the business battlefield, the serendipitous experi...

In this episode, Allyson Berent, Chief Science Officer, Foundation For Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST), shares her remarkable journey from a career in veterinary medicine to becoming a leading advocate and innovator in the field of rare disease drug development, inspired by her daughter’s diagnosis with Angelman syndrome. She recounts the challenges of obtaining an early diagnosis, the emotional impact on her family, and her determination to find solutions where none existed. Allison describes how she immersed herself in scientific research, connected with experts, and joined the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, eventually helping to launch and lead multiple in...

In our latest episode of the Nucleate Podcast, we sit down with Joe Horsman, Investor at Madrona VC, to explore his unique path from academic researcher to biotech operator and ultimately to venture capital.

Joe shares how growing up in Seattle shaped his passion for science, why he pursued a PhD in biochemistry, and what it took to stand out when transitioning into industry. From early roles at NanoString and Stratos Genomics to the Roche acquisition, he reflects on lessons learned across startups and large companies alike.

We talk abo...

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Armon Sharei shares his journey from early life experiences in California, Iran, and Dubai to pursuing higher education at Stanford and MIT, ultimately leading to a career at the intersection of science and entrepreneurship. The conversation explores his motivations to make a positive impact on the world, the transition from academia to founding his first company Squeeze: a company based on innovative cell engineering technology and the challenges of navigating the biotech industry. Armon discusses the evolution of Squeeze from a platform to a therapeutics company, the difficulties of convincing investors and...

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, we are joined by Prof. Dr. Dominik Rüttinger — oncological surgeon, MD/PhD, and Global Head of Research & Early Development Oncology at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. We talk about his journey from the operating room to biotech startups and global pharma leadership, navigating a 10% success rate in oncology drug development, building unbiased decision frameworks for high-stakes calls, the realistic role of AI in drug discovery and clinical trials, balancing quality of life versus longevity in cancer treatment, and his vision for the future of prevention, early detection, and personalized medicine. Whether you’re a scien...

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Armand Cognetta, founder and CEO of General Proximity, shares his compelling journey from a directionless college student to a biotech entrepreneur. Drawing from personal experiences of academic struggles and scientific curiosity, Armand discusses how his passion for chemical biology and small molecule drug discovery led him to create a groundbreaking proximity therapeutics platform. He candidly explores the challenges of startup life, including early fundraising difficulties, imposter syndrome, and the critical importance of persistence, grit, and maintaining a high bar for talent. Throughout the conversation, Armand emphasizes the value of working on ambitious...

From science to startup: real talk on biotech founding paths. For many early-stage biotech founders, that’s where the real challenge begins—and that’s where Persephoni Bio Partners comes in. In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Hillary Schultz and Dr. William Heath share how their unique journeys from clinical medicine and pharmaceutical R&D to early-stage investing led them to co-found Persephoni Bio, a venture studio focused on transforming breakthrough science into scalable biotech companies. Hillary and William reveal the most overlooked reasons biotech startups struggle, highlighting that success often hinges more on the team than the technol...

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0:03:41 - Dr. Pao discusses losing his father to colon cancer at age 13, which motivated his career in medicine

0:05:30 - Describes his early academic training, including his PhD work on Gamma Delta T cells

0:09:54 - Begins discussing the EGFR mutation discovery in lung cancer research 0:13:16 - Shares the story of being "scooped" by other researchers when publishing his EGFR mutation findings

0:32:44 - Starts discussing his book "Breakthrough: The Quest for Life-Changing Medicines"

0:42:35 - Tells the serendipitous story of Tylenol's discovery

0:58:38...

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[0:00] Peter begins by discussing his upbringing in a New Zealand university town.

[2:39] He realizes he is not suited for bench work during his PhD and discovers a passion for computational analysis.

[4:30] Campbell joins the Sanger Institute and participates in one of the first cancer genome sequencing projects using new technology.

[8:00] He describes the revolutionary period of cancer genomics from 2008 to 2015, systematically exploring genetic changes in cancers.

[12:32] Campbell shifts research focus to studying mutations in normal tissues across different organ systems.

[13:44...

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2:23 Raj describes growing up in India as a land of hustlers and the importance of being aggressive to advance oneself.

6:37 Discusses the challenges of the current biotech funding environment and the importance of being capital efficient.

11:17 Explains his career transition from large pharma to biotech, highlighting his ability to translate breakthrough science into products.

21:11 Describes founding Rectify Pharmaceuticals and building a platform for positive functional modulators targeting membrane proteins.

25:08 Explains the company's pivot to focusing on hepatobiliary diseases, particularly primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).<...

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Aikium co-founder and CEO Eswar Iyer joins host Anastasia Janas to explore how drug discovery can move beyond structured targets to engage the disordered proteome. Aikium is developing SeqRs, programmable, sequence-specific binders that can selectively target intrinsically disordered regions of proteins, unlocking new therapeutic possibilities in cancer, neuroinflammation, and autoimmune diseases. Built using generative AI and screened with a proprietary trillion-scale mRNA display system, Aikium’s platform challenges the traditional assumptions of druggability and expands the therapeutic landscape into areas once considered inaccessible.

Beyond the science, Eswar reflects on the em...

In this episode, Anastasia Janas and Paula Lengerke Diaz sit down with Dr. Uli Stilz, Head of the Bio Innovation Hub (BIH) at Novo Nordisk, to explore how strategic partnerships and emerging technologies are redefining the future of drug discovery. Uli reflects on his journey from chemistry and molecular biology to biopharma leadership, and shares how the BIH is accelerating breakthroughs in cardiometabolic diseases using emerging modalities like RNA editing, AI-guided drug discovery, and partnership-first science.

Whether you’re an aspiring innovator, translational researcher, or healthcare entrepreneur, this episode offers a candid masterclass in how bold ideas ge...

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Anastasia Janas sits down with Shelby Newsad, Partner at Compound VC, shares her journey from a small town in Appalachia to investing in some of the most transformative technologies shaping biotech and beyond. Starting as a first-generation college student with a pre-med background, she realized that commercialization is key to translating scientific research into real-world impact.

Shelby discusses her work at Compound, a thesis-driven, research-centric venture firm investing across AI, robotics, crypto, and biotech. She explains how Compound builds deep expertise in emerging fields — developing theses, connecting with researchers, and cr...

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02:16 - Dave discusses his early career path and how he got into science 

04:41 - Dave’s work on the Human Genome Project 

13:38 - Founding Cofactor Genomics

16:42 - Discussing Pioneer Fund and its investment approach 

48:58 - Thoughts on AI in health and biology 

58:27 - Advice for founders in the current challenging funding environment 

1:09:04 - How Pioneer Fund makes investment decisions 

1:14:16 - Most difficult advice for entrepreneurs 

1:16:47 - Final advice for founders: "Just go do it"

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Apply to the Entrepreneurial Fellows Program in Chicago with the CBC open from March 20-May 2,2025! https://chicagobiomedicalconsortium.org/awards/entrepreneurial-fellows/

In our latest podcast, hosted by Sam Kessel, Dr. Michelle Hoffmann discusses her unique journey from a PhD in molecular neuroscience PhD to a biotech consultant, and how her experiences shaped her passion for developing future leaders in the biotech industry in Chicago.

Dr. Hoffmann’s career path took her from academia to consulting, including a decade at Back Bay Life Science Advisors, where she used her sc...

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04:14 - Dr. Stehman-Breen discusses her decision to pursue a career in medicine.

05:49 - Dr. Stehman-Breen explains her specialty choice in internal medicine and nephrology.

08:09 - Skills and mindset that prepared Catherine for a career in industry.

13:53 - The critical impact that physicians can have in biotech

19:03 - Overview of epigenetic editing and Chroma Medicine's approach.

0:28:22 - Early days of building Chroma Medicine from the ground up.

0:38:22 - Merger with NVelop Therapeutics and future directions.

0:44:22 - Dr...

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02:18 - Eric Kelsic's background in physics and systems biology and how it shaped his approach to biological problems

03:57 - Differences in problem-solving between Kelsic's physics/systems biology background and traditional biology backgrounds

06:27 - Learning from working with George Church and his lab's approach to fostering innovation

10:02 - George Church's openness to exploring ideas

12:02 - How Kelsic's experience in George Church's lab led him to start Dyno Therapeutics

19:55 - Kelsic's process of validating the problem of AAV gene delivery and deciding...

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Peter Barrett discussed his career journey, from starting in a technical role at Perkin Elmer to co-founding Celera Genomics and being part of the team that first sequenced the human genome. He then transitioned to venture capital, joining Atlas Venture, where he has focused on building and investing in innovative therapeutic and drug discovery companies. He shared insights on Atlas' approach, including their focus on targeted, therapeutics-only funds, their emphasis on diligence and de-risking early stage science, and their willingness to celebrate failures and redeploy talented founders. He also discussed A...

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The Vagina Business, by Dr Marina Gerner, covers key issues in women's health and the novel solutions in development to address them. The book has already been getting attention with grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and The Society of Authors. Kirkus Reviews has praised the book as "energetic, thoroughly engaging reading" and emphasized its potential to improve women's health outcomes worldwide. It has also been recommended as a must-read business book by the Financial Times.

As a journalist, Marina has written about books and arts, as well as finance and tech for over a decade...

00:53 Michael discusses his background and inspirations for pursuing an intersectional career in biotech investing and film-making
6:24 Michael shares about taking time away from college to backpack in places like Fiji and New Zealand, and how that impacted his personal growth 12:43 Michael reflects on his experience at Pear Therapeutics, including lessons learned about business model risk and bridging different teams
16:26 Michael discusses how his Pear experience influenced his approach to investing in tech bio companies at Gold/Silver VC
19:49 Michael talks about starting a new fund, TRX Capital, and the focus areas they will be investing in<...

In this episode, Anastasia Janas interviews Leo Grady, founder and CEO of Jona. With over 20 years in AI and healthcare, Leo has made a profound impact on the field, including leading the development of the first FDA-approved AI system in pathology at Paige.AI. Together, they dive into the journey that led him to create Jona, a company focused on using AI to analyze the gut microbiome for personalized health insights.

Leo shares his thoughts on AI's role in healthcare today, from emerging trends to its transformative potential in improving patient outcomes. Drawing on his own experience...

In this episode, Sam Kessel and Anastasia Janas interview Luke Timmerman, an award-winning biotech journalist and founder of the Timmerman Report, as well as host of The Long Run Podcast. They explore Luke's non-traditional background, his curiosity, and his openness to learning, which shaped his journey to becoming a prominent figure in the biotech space. Luke shares insights into his career, discussing his book Hood, the founding of the Timmerman Report, and his podcast. He also offers his perspective on the key qualities of biotech founders and VCs, the importance of diversity, and how to unlock individuals' full potential...

In this episode, Sam Kessel speaks with Irene Blat, Senior Director for Search and Evaluation at Servier. Dr Blat discusses her lifelong fascination with science and inspiration to take her Oncology studies to industry to develop new therapies for patients. She discussed the intersection of science and business in Search and Evaluation identifying promising technologies. She talks about the key aspects of early-stage biotechs she evaluates for partnerships with Servier and the emphasis on the patient experience at every stage of the R&D process. Dr Blat also touches how the biotech industry can improve in diversity and how...

0:00 Background and inspiration for pursuing a career in Biotech

5:10 Pivoting from academia to industry

 8:30 Growth in industry from a scientist role into business development 

16:15 The inspirational mission and vision for Bayer Co-lab to support early stage entrepreneurs

20:30 Fiona’s role at Bayer Co-lab

24:15 Fiona’s advice for entrepreneurs applying for the Co-lab

29:00 Fiona’s view on trends in Biotechnology

34:00 Discussing diversity in biotech and ways to improve representation

Origin Stories and path to Biotech [00:00]Taking the leap to entrepreneurship [07:30]The formation story of Guardian Bio [20:25]The methodical process Ananya used to identify a co-founder [26:00]The core thesis of Guardian Bio- Dendritic Cells for Solid Tumors [29:00]The key pivots Guardian made early on [34:15]

Part 2

Check out Episode 8 of the Nucleate Podcast. We were honored to have Sean McClain, the founder and CEO of AbSci speak about generative AI for developing novel therapies. The potential to accelerate development of therapies for patients is astronomical.

[02:15] Bobby Gaspar’s background

[05:10] The science of haematopoietic stem cell therapy

[12:30] Spinning out Orchard Therapeutics

[21:15] Reverse partnerships with pharma

[25:55] Balancing regulatory compliance and innovation

[29:45] Value based payments 

[35:15] Recent approval of Casgevy and gene therapy regulation

[39:45] Failures in a biotech’s journey

[43:00] Impact and meaning in therapeutics companies

On this episode of the podcast, Signal hosts Michael Retchin and Ursule Demael interview Prof. Lee Cronin from Chemify. Lee Cronin is a Professor at the University of Glasgow, where he leads a research group focused on digital chemistry, automating chemical synthesis and origin of life. Lee Cronin is also the co-founder and CEO of Chemify, a startup advancing digitization and robotics for chemistry. In this episode, we discuss the idea of building a search engine for chemistry, the founding story of Chemify, and important differences between running an academic lab and a successful Series A stage startup. Lee Cronin...

Trevor talks about his inspirations for his career path [1:22]How to choose his PhD advisor and lab [3:51]Career trajectory, handling moments of uncertainty, and learning from mistakes [9:56]Trevor discovered a niche at the intersection of biology, physics, and computer science [11:54]Mammoth is uniquely positioned as an innovative science-focused company that delivers for patients [18:36]Trevor's key leadership advice he has learned as a CEO [24:43]CRISPR technology has the potential to revolutionize healthcare [27:55]

Show Notes

Tony's career foundations as an academic scientist at MIT and early inspiration for entrepreneurship  [0:43]

Engaging in entrepreneurial groups shaped Tony's early career [07:10]

Tony's inspiration to co-found Petri [11:38]

Pillar is rethinking the approach to biotech investing [25:21]

Pillar's investment thesis [30:34]

Tony's advice to a PhD student who is considering industry and entrepreneurship [35:59]

What sparked Dr. Goodman’s interest in biotech (0:00)

Deciding to pivot from academia to venture capital (3:45)

Failing fast and applying that mindset to science (9:44)

Transitioning from academia to a start up (14:44)

Advice for aspiring technical founders (20:03)

Becoming an investor at MPM Capital (30:24)

MPM’s investment thesis in oncology. (40:14)

Introducing Nucleate Signal, a celebration of the next generation of biotech leaders. In this episode, host Emmanuella Nnuji-John is joined by guest Cheri Ackerman, the co-founder and CEO of Concerto Bioscience.

In this episode, host Jingyi Liu and Sam Kessel are joined by guest Martin-Immanuel Bittner, the co-founder and CEO of Arctoris.