Episodes
Roivant: Reinventing the Paradigm of Conventional Drug Development
Biotech | Business Development | Dealmaking
Roivant Pharma is reinventing the discovery, development, and commercialization of new medicines. Mayukh Sukhatme, M.D. was recently appointed to Roivant's board of directors, and has served as Roivant’s President and Chief Investment Officer since January 2021. He is responsible for identifying, performing diligence on, devising development strategies for, and transacting on new therapeutic programs for the company. He also informs Roivant’s view of its existing biopharmaceutical subsidiary companies for capital allocation decisions across the Roivant portfolio.
Mayukh joined Roivant in 2015, and previously served as President of Roivant Pharma and as Chief Business Officer. Programs that he has in-licensed or acquired for Roivant have produced all 10 of Roivant’s positive Phase 3 studies and have garnered 6 FDA approvals. Prior to joining Roivant, Mayukh was a healthcare-focused analyst and portfolio manager for several large institutional investment firms, including both public markets and venture capital firms. He earned his M.D. from Harvard Medical School and his B.S. in Biology and B.S. in Literature from MIT.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Public Relations and Scientific Communications for Biotechnology with Ignacio Guerrero-Ros
Science Communication | Public Relations | Alternative Careers
Dr. Ignacio Guerrero-Ros is an immunologist turned scientific communicator and biotech media innovator. Currently, he is an Assistant Vice President at Russo Partners, providing public and investor relations services to clients in the healthcare and technology industries. Originally from Spain, Ignacio earned his PhD in Immunology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Ignacio embraces the Hopkins Biotech Podcast’s mission of the pursuit of alternative careers for PhD holders.
In this episode, we discuss his ideas for how to find success beyond grad school and how he found a passion for science communication.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
What You Should Know About the Biotech Job Market in 2023 with Carina Clingman
Careers | Biotechnology | Networking
Carina Clingman, PhD, is the Founder and CEO of Recruitomics Consulting, a niche talent acquisition and talent strategy firm specializing in biotech startups. She recently founded The Collaboratory Career Hub to help biotech job seekers find confidence and success in their job search. If you're exploring careers in biotech, join the free Collaboratory Slack Community to work directly with Carina and her team.
In this episode, we discuss the state of the biotech job market and offer advice to job seekers and those considering careers in the biotech industry.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Antibody-Drug Conjugates: Targeting Cancer Where it is Vulnerable with David Dornan of Elevation Oncology
Immunotherapy | Clinical Development | Oncology
David Dornan is the Chief Scientific Officer of Elevation Oncology, a clinical stage biotech company developing targeted cancer therapeutics, with a focus on antibody drug conjugates. David brings to Elevation over two decades of industry and academic oncology drug discovery and development experience. His research spans across multiple therapeutic modalities targeting cancer susceptibilities and modulating the immune system to translate into meaningful therapeutic interventions for patients. As Chief Scientific Officer, he is responsible for scientific strategy and building of the company’s portfolio in targeted immunotherapies. Before leading these efforts at Elevation Oncology, David was the CSO at Bolt Biotherapeutics. Prior to this he was the head of Oncology Research at Gilead. David began his career at Genentech, where he spent 10 years serving in positions of increasing responsibility and played key roles in target discovery and validation, as well as translational research programs.
David received his Ph.D. from the University of Dundee in Molecular Oncology and Biochemistry and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Genentech. In this episode, we discuss Elevation’s ongoing clinical development of antibody-drug conjugate molecules to treat cancer and David’s wealth of experience in biotech and pharma.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Boston Biotech Series: Standing out in the Competitive Recruiting Process for Early Stage Biotech
Start-up Companies | Recruiting | Boston Biotech Community
Emily Gransky is the Vice President of Recruiting at RA Ventures (RAVen). RAVen is the early stage venture arm of the multi-stage investment firm RA Capital. In this role, Emily works closely with senior leaders, venture partners and managing directors within the Venture Team at RA Capital and within RAVen. Her primary responsibility is leading and executing full cycle recruiting across all newcos and portfolio companies. Prior to RAVen, Emily worked as Director, Talent Acquisition, at Generation Bio, leading hiring across all functions and building out systems to support that growth. Prior to this, she served as Director, Talent Acquisition and Operations at Flagship Pioneering, a role in which she built talent systems to support the growth of 30+ pre-series B biotech startup companies. Prior to Flagship, Emily held roles as Associate Director, Head of Global Talent Acquisition at bluebird bio. While in these roles, Emily helped Bluebird grow from 300 to 1000 employees. Emily received her BS in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in NY.
In this episode, we discuss crucial factors that drive the hiring process for start up biotech companies, and how to stand out as a candidate while recruiting in this competitive environment.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Boston Biotech Series: Building a Drug Development Platform on New Biology with Isaac Klein of Dewpoint Therapeutics
New Drug Modalities | Pharma Partnership | Boston Biotech Community
Dr. Isaac Klein is the Chief Scientific Officer at Dewpoint Therapeutics. Dewpoint Therapeutics is leveraging condensate biology to impact a wide range of therapeutic targets across diverse disease areas. Armed with significant funding from venture capital and several big pharma partnerships, Dewpoint is poised to lead the generation of medicines targeting biomolecular condensates.
Prior to joining Dewpoint, Isaac was on the faculty at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, as well as a scientist at the Whitehead Institute of MIT. He holds a Ph.D. in Biology from The Rockefeller University and an MD from Weill Cornell Medical College. He trained in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School, and in Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital. In 2022, Isaac was named one of Endpoints News 20 under 40 in Biopharma.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Boston Biotech Series: Facilitating Start-up Company Formation with Adam Jenkins of Biolabs
Start-up Companies | Data Science | Boston Biotech Community
Dr. Adam Jenkins is the Regional Site Director for the Boston sites of Biolabs. BioLabs is an international, membership based network of shared lab and office facilities located in key biotech innovation clusters. Since 2009, over 230 companies have launched from Biolabs facilities, and those member companies have collectively raised more than 1 billion dollars in private financing. With a growing number of sites across the globe, Biolabs is enabling company formation and promoting the biotech revolution. Prior to joining Biolabs in 2022, Adam worked at Biogen for seven years in various data science roles, and eventually held the title of Associate Director of Corporate Strategy and Partnerships for Insights and Analytics. Adam holds a PhD in Genomics from Boston College.
In this episode, we discuss Biolabs’ unique business model that facilitates biotech company founding, the influence of biotech hubs, and the future of data science in biotech.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
JPM Highlights: What’s Next in ImmunoOncology
ImmunoOncology | Drug Discovery | Healthcare Finance
In this episode, we talk with our panel about updates their company gave at the recent JP Morgan Healthcare Conference that took place earlier this year. This once-yearly conference is the epicenter for biotech deal-making and groundbreaking data releases.
Dr. Robert Ross is the Chief Executive Officer of Surface Oncology. Surface Oncology’s mission is to deliver transformative outcomes for people with cancer by breaking through the frontiers of immuno-oncology research. Before becoming CEO, Rob served as Chief Medical Officer at Surface. Prior to joining Surface, he led several programs in hematology and oncology at Bluebird Bio, including the anti-BCMA CAR T cell therapy program. Rob recieved his MD from Columbia University, and has received extensive training in hematology and oncology at top institutions including the University of California San Francisco, Dana Farber, and Mass General Hospital.
Dr. Paul Lammers is the Chief Executive Officer of Triumvira Immunologics. Triumvira is leveraging its proprietary T-cell antigen coupling technology to enhance engineered cell therapy to target solid tumors. Paul has a rich background in biotech management, having served as President & CEO at Mirna Therapeutics and Chief Medical Officer and Head of US Product Development for EMD Serono. Paul received his MD from Radboud University in the Netherlands.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Lineage Cell Therapeutics: Building an Allogeneic Cell Transplant Therapy Platform
Ophthalmology | Cell Therapy | Business Development
Brian Culley is the CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company whose mission is to pioneer a new branch of medicine based on transplanting specific cell types to patients with serious medical conditions. Lineage currently has several programs undergoing clinical and preclinical investigation for indications in ophthalmology, neurology, and oncology. Prior to joining Lineage in 2018, Brian held a number of senior leadership and executive roles at various biotech companies, including Artemis Therapeutics and Mast Therapeutics. Brian has more than 25 years of business and scientific experience in the life sciences industry and started at the bench, working in drug development research at Neurocrine Biosciences. He received a B.S. in biology from Boston College, a master’s in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an M.B.A. from The Johnson School of Business at Cornell University.
In this episode, we discuss Brian’s path to biotech senior leadership, Lineage’s proprietary platform technology, and bringing partnered programs to the clinic.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
JPM Highlights: Overcoming Complications in Rare Disease Drug Development
Rare Disease | Patient Advocacy | Healthcare Finance
In this episode, we talk with our panel about updates their company gave at the recent JP Morgan Healthcare Conference that took place earlier this year. This once-yearly conference is the epicenter for biotech deal-making and groundbreaking data releases.
Alejandro Dorenbaum is the Chief Medical Officer of Reneo Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage company developing drugs for rare mitochondrial disorders. Their lead clinical candidate REN-001 is currently being investigated in the treatment of primary mitochondrial myopathies (PMM) and long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders (LC-FAOD). Alejandro is a seasoned biotech executive, having served as Chief Medical Officer at Allakos and Lumena Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Shire. Prior to those roles, he held senior positions at Genentech and Biomarin.
Amy Grover is Senior Director of Patient Advocacy at Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, a commercial-stage rare disease drug development company with an approved product for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). Amy works to ensure that the patient's voice is heard and well-represented. She is a seasoned patient advocate, having served as director of operations and senior manager of patient engagement at Global Genes, a rare disease patient advocacy organization that supports the 7,000 plus rare diseases. Amy led multiple efforts during her tenure at Global Genes, including patient meetups and education, advocacy outreach, communication activities, and overall operations and financial management. Before joining Global Genes, she worked in both the commercial and health insurance industries.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Adrian Rubstein: translating science to business in the Latin American biotech ecosystem
Biotech | Venture Creation | Technology transfer I LATAM
Adrian is an advisor for several biotech companies in Argentina. Before joining CITES, a venture builder from Argentina, he worked as an advisor for RedCrow VC in San Francisco, and has more than 10 years working in the pharmaceutical industry in companies like Novartis and Merck KGaA.
In this episode, we discuss his path from academia to big pharma companies and how he made it to the world of Venture Capital and Venture Building. He also shared his thoughts about the role of big pharma in ecosystems like Latin America and the importance of collaboration between local and international institutions.
Finally, Adrian told us how he started his own newsletter in LinkedIn called “BioBusiness” where a growing community of entrepreneurs from all over the world are engaging in meaningful discussions around a variety of topics like the future of Biotech and Healthcare, deep analysis into investment strategiesl acquisition and exit, strategic partnerships, and more.
Hosted by Gustavo Carrizo.
Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals: Interventions for Cell Cycle Abnormalities in Cancer
Clinical Trial Design | Oncology | Pharmacokinetics
Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company, developing innovative cancer medicines based on cell cycle, transcriptional regulation, and mitosis biology with a focus on oncology and hematology indications. Their lead drug candidate, fadraciclib is a dual CDK2/9 inhibitor currently undergoing investigation of dose escalation in a Phase 1/2 trial.
Spiro Rombotis is the founding CEO of Cyclacel. Prior to joining Cyclacel, Spiro served in a number of management positions at public and private biotechs including Centocor, Bristol Myers Squibb, and the Liposome Company. He earned his MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business.
In this episode, we discuss cell cycle dysregulation in cancer, precision targeting of proteins in the drug design process, and unique clinical trial design.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Melatech: unlocking melanin’s biotech potential for the benefit of society in earth and space
Melanin | Biotech innovation | Scalable production I Sustainability
Radamés is the CEO of Melatech and an associate scientist and junior faculty in the department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where he studies the biology of fungal melanin.
As a spin-off of his research, Melatech is a biotech company dedicated to the production of melanin at industrial scales and the research and development of melanin-based technologies for a variety of commercial applications like shielding and harvesting radiation on earth and space.
In this episode, we discuss how he co-founded Melatech and became a CEO while running an academic lab. We also discussed what makes melanin so special, the manufacturing challenges and melanin’s multiple applications.
Finally, he shared his perspective as a scientist coming from Latin America and his dream to make Melatech a place and resource that creates opportunities for young scientists interested in biotech from anywhere in the world!
Hosted by Gustavo Carrizo
Ratio Therapeutics: Math Meets Medicine in the Design of Radiotherapies
Targeted Radiotherapeutics | Company Founding | Oncology
Ratio Therapeutics is a Boston-based pharmaceutical company with the mission to accelerate the development of best-in-class targeted radiotherapeutics for the treatment of cancers. By employing a suite of innovative technologies the company is developing innovative and proprietary Pharmacokinetics (PK) Modulation technology for the construction of improved therapeutic agents and transforming oncology treatment paradigms.
Dr. Jack Hoppin is the co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Ratio Tx. Prior to joining Ratio Tx Jack was the President of Konica-Minolta Precision Medicine and Co-founded InviCRO LLC and Emit Imaging. Jack is a leader in the molecular imaging research and drug development community and brings more than 15 years of experience in the design, development and commercialization of pre-clinical instrumentation, analytical software and imaging-based assays.
Dr. John Babich is the co-founder, president and chief scientific officer (CSO) of Ratio Tx. Prior to Ratio Tx he co-founded Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: MIPI) where he served as the CEO and chairman of the board and Noria Therapeutics- a radiotherapy company developing targeted therapeutic and imaging radiopharmaceuticals (alpha-emitting) for use in oncology- acquired by Bayer.
In this episode, we discuss the growing field of targeted radiotherapeutics, company founding from the perspective of serial founders, and strategic partnership in drug development.
Hosted by Joe Varriale
Anupam Chakravarty: Building Community in the Graduate Education Landscape
Cancer Diagnostics | Career Exploration | Networking
Dr. Anupam Chakravarty is a researcher whose research interests have straddled the disciplines of biochemistry and genomics with a keen focus on the biology of cancer. Currently he is a senior scientist developing liquid biopsy assays and products in the precision oncology space at Guardant Health. Prior to joining Guardant Health, he ran his own lab as an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. He obtained his PhD from Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City and was a Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation fellow at Stanford University.
Anupam is motivated by a strong sense of community building and being deeply invested in the graduate education landscape. He is building and managing a global community of graduate students - GradGrid on Linkedin. He lives in the Bay area with his wife and a cat, enjoys the outdoors, and has a strong academic interest in learning about the world through the lens of postage stamps.
In this episode, we discuss the nuances of leaving a professorship to pursue industry research, the landscape of careers in graduate education, and the benefits of being a part of the GradGrid community.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Robert Hollingsworth: The Future of iPSC-based Cell Therapy Technology
Cell Therapy | Drug Development | Partnerships
Dr. Robert Hollingsworth is the current Chief Scientific Officer of Shoreline Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation cellular immunotherapies based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)- utilizing its proprietary platforms. Dr. Hollingsworth joins Shoreline from Pfizer, where he served as Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics. Prior to Pfizer, he was Senior Director of Oncology Research at MedImmune where he led and advanced a large portfolio of more than twenty programs, including CAR-T programs, and contributed to the approval of durvalumab. Before that, he held several R&D positions at GSK, Pharmacia, and Upjohn.
In this episode, we discuss Robert’s long career in biopharma, the platform technology being developed at Shoreline, and the role of strategic partnerships in early-stage development.
Hosted by Gustavo Carrizo and Joe Varriale.
Shelley Ackerman: Immunotherapeutics Development in Graduate School
Commercialization | Drug Development | Immunotherapy
Dr. Shelley Ackerman is an Associate Director & Program Team Lead at Bolt Biotherapeutics. Bolt is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new class of immuno-oncology agents that combine the targeting precision of antibodies with the power of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Bolt Biotherapeutics’ proprietary Boltbody™ Immune-stimulating Antibody Conjugates (ISACs) are designed to target tumor cells for elimination by the immune system. BDC-1001 is a HER2-targeting Boltbody ISAC in an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial enrolling patients with HER2-expressing solid tumors.
Shelley was a PhD student in the lab of Dr. Edgar Engleman at Stanford, directly involved with the development of the technology that led to the foundation of Bolt. Dr. Ackerman finished her degree prior to joining the company. She has received recognition for her achievements, having been named to MIT Technology Reviews 35 Innovators under 35 and STAT News’ Wundekind list. Shelley did her undergraduate work at MIT.
In this episode, we discuss Bolt’s proprietary drug development platform, technology commercialization in graduate school, and finding creative inspiration in the realm of science.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
James Coates: Company Growth Through Strategic Advising
Venture Capital | Funding Sources | Advisory
Dr. James Coates is currently the Principal for Health & Human Performance at Decisive Point, an East coast venture capital firm that invests in and supports startups with deep tech and government use cases. James holds a Ph.D. in Cancer Drug Discovery and an MSc in Radiation Biology and Oncology, both from the University of Oxford, and he conducted technical diligence for Bain Capital Life Sciences prior to joining Decisive Point. In this episode, we discuss his career path and transition from academia to private equity. We also highlight the unique advantages of non-dilutive funding sources, which may be unfamiliar to new startup founders. Additionally, James shares his perspective on working with various accelerator programs and his advice for young founders looking to connect with investment firms.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Jenna Glatzer.
Philip Kantoff: Next Generation Radiopharmaceutical Drug Development
Oncology | Drug Development | Radiopharmaceuticals
Dr. Phil Kantoff is the CEO and Co-Founder of Convergent Therapeutics, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing next-generation radiopharmaceutical therapies for prostate and other cancers. The company's proprietary technology involves dual-targeted radionuclide therapy developed by Dr. Neil Bander, Professor of Urologic Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Prior to founding the company, Dr. Kantoff spent six years as Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, caring for cancer patients and developing improved cancer testing and cancer therapies. He is the Emeritus Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Chair in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and he was the Chief of the Solid Tumor Oncology Division and Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
In this episode, we discuss Phil’s transition out of academic medicine, the field of radiopharmaceuticals, Convergent’s approach to drug development, and specific business considerations for a unique class of molecules.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Steve Doberstein: Scaling Technologies from Idea to Clinical Development
Protein engineering | R&D program development | Alliance Management
Dr. Steve Doberstein has had a long career leading Research groups at a number of biotech companies, like “XOMA”- a monoclonal antibody discovery and development company, “Five Prime Therapeutics”- a protein and antibody discovery and development company, “Xencor”- a leader in protein engineering and “Exelixis”-a genomics-based drug discovery company.
Today is the founder and CEO of Kahiliholo Consulting (based in San Francisco), that supports biotech enterprises and early-stage founders. Prior his current venture, he worked for several years in Nektar Therapeutics, a company that he joined in 2010 as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer to lead all aspects of discovery research and where he has been responsible for all R&D efforts, supervising more than 300 scientists, physicians and support personnel.
Steve received his Ph.D. from the Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and completed his postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley.
In this episode we learned about his extensive experience in management, how to lead research groups of all sizes, develop successful R&D programs and being part of a board of directors. We also heard about his passion for biotech and how his new venture is supporting early stage Biotech Entrepreneurs.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Gustavo Carrizo
Daniel Elgort: Data-Driven Insights into the Drug Development Pipeline
Bioinformatics | Drug Development | Oncology
Dr. Daniel Elgort currently serves as the Chief Data and Analytics Officer for M2GEN, a bioinformatics company focused on the acceleration of oncology research discoveries through superior data and analytics services. The company was formed as a spin-off of the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, serving as the technological hub for an alliance of 18 NCI-designated cancer centers across the country called the ORIEN network. Prior to M2GEN, Dan was Chief Scientific Officer at Covera Health, where he built a unique healthcare data platform which collects cancer diagnosis data, and links that information to longitudinal clinical data including pharmaceutical and surgical interventions. Dan is a JHU alum, having received his bachelors in both biomedical engineering and computer science, and he holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University.
In this episode, we discuss how bioinformatics shapes the drug development ecosystem, M2GEN’s process for moving clinical science forward, and trends in data processing and sequence technology.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Hong Tang: Targeting the Common Side Effects of Cancer Therapies
Oncology | Drug Development | Medical Affairs
Hong Tang is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of OnQuality Pharmaceuticals, a targeted cancer supportive care (TCSC) pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of treatments to address specific side effects of cancer therapies- to improve the quality of life and outcomes for patients fighting cancer. Prior to founding OnQuality, she worked as a Physician-Scientist in numerous medical affairs and leadership roles at the NIH, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Astellas Pharma, Dendreon, and Juno Therapeutics. She studied medicine at Guangzhou University and studied pharmacology at the University of Texas San Antonio.
In this episode, we discuss OnQuality’s clinical pipeline of TCSC drugs, the field of medical affairs, inspiration we draw to pursue science and medicine, and the role of clinical conferences.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Apprentice.io: The Future of Digitization in Pharmaceutical Production
Manufacturing Science | Software | Technology
Laura Jacoby is currently an Application Specialist at Apprentice.io, an innovative tech company that offers cloud-based solutions that impact pharmaceutical production at every stage of development. Their goal is to introduce digitization of records in an industry that until recently has operated mainly in a paper and pen world. Laura has a career trajectory deeply rooted in pharmaceutical process development and manufacturing sciences working both at the bench and in her capacity as an account manager for major industry players including Millepore Sigma and GE. She received her bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and an MBA from Oxford Brookes University.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Alex Harding M.D.: Business Development of Innovative Therapeutic Modalities
Business Development | RNA Therapeutics
Alex Harding is a Senior Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Strategy at Remix Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotech company developing small molecules that alter RNA processing prior to protein translation. Their REMaster platform “enables the design of molecules that can selectively degrade RNA, enhance RNA expression, induce exon skipping or rescue genetic lesions.” Their technology “can address undrugged disease drivers across therapeutic areas to rapidly bring new medicines to patients.”
Alex came to Remix from VC firm Atlas Venture, where he served as a Senior Associate and Entrepreneur-in-Residence following the completion of his Medical Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to his full time role at Remix, Alex continues to practice medicine and serves foundations dedicated to the advancement of healthcare.
Alex is a Baltimore native, and Hopkins alum- having received his MD from JHU-SOM and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Hosted by Jenna Glatzer and Gustavo Carrizo.
Rachel Soloff and Andrew McKnight: Pioneering Monoclonal Antibody Discovery and Development
Monoclonal Antibodies | Clinical Development
Our episode features two leaders at the global specialty pharmaceutical company Kyowa Kirin. Kyowa Kirin has a particular focus on the discovery and development of novel, first-in-class medicines that have a profound impact on patients in multiple therapeutic areas. Rachel Soloff is an executive director of research with expertise in immunology and the discovery of novel monoclonal antibodies and small molecule therapeutic compounds for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. She oversees the KK US-Research activities, which are focused on target discovery and validation, and leads candidate discovery for multiple innovative pipeline projects. Andrew McKnight currently holds the position of president and CSO at Kyowa Kirin Pharmaceutical Research. He is responsible for early-stage drug discovery within Kyowa Kirin’s Immunology & Allergy division.
In this episode we discuss the various clinical and commercial products discovered and developed at Kyowa Kirin. Through Innovative approaches to antibody engineering, KK has been able to consistently maintain a pipeline of products to treat a wide variety of disorders.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Gustavo Carrizo.
My PhD - McKane Sharff: Research at School of Public Health
Career Development
McKane, is a 5th year PhD student in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is conducting her PhD project under supervision of Dr. Terri Powell (https://www.researchbypowell.com/) trying to identify how multiple levels of support interact to influence positive sexual health among U.S. adolescents by analyzing nationally representative surveys
McKane is also a mother of two young children, both born during her PhD and has been actively involved with the department of PFRH (population, family and reproductive health) advocating for diversity/inclusion, student parents and has also been involved with PH students for reproductive justice. She very kindly shared with us her personal experience dealing with mental health crisis before and during her PhD and the resources that helped her to overcome episodes of depression and anxiety.
Join us to hear about her journey, and if you are going through similar experiences, McKane shared relevant resources:
Link for mental health resources: https://wellbeing.jhu.edu/resources/mental/ ; Link for parent/family resources: https://wellbeing.jhu.edu/know-your-childcare-benefits/
Hosted by Gustavo Carrizo
If you are interested in being interviewed for My PhD please complete the following form and we will get in touch with you
Boston Biotech Series: Evaluating the Pharmaceutical Landscape
Equity Research | Boston Biotech Community
Dr. Michael Nedelcovych is a Vice President of Equity Research at Cowen Inc., a diversified financial services firm that operates as a broker dealer and investment manager. Mike works on the large cap pharma equity research team – covering large, multinational pharmaceutical organizations – evaluating the performance of those companies in order to make investment decisions. Prior to his role at Cowen, Mike was a Scientist in the Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program, working in the lab of Dr. Barbara Slusher on drug targets in neurological applications. During his time at Hopkins, he co-founded a company, Adarga Pharmaceuticals, and additionally served as an Analyst at Johns Hopkins Tech Ventures in the Commercialization Strategy Group. In this episode, we discuss Mike’s career trajectory, focusing on the work and career paths available to an equity analyst. Mike additionally shares his advice for early career scientists on diversifying their experiences to be a competitive candidate for these positions.
Hosted by Jenna Glatzer and Joe Varriale.
Eric Vivier: NK Cells and the Next Generation of Immunotherapies
Immunotherapy | Antibody Engineering
Eric Vivier is an SVP, CSO and co-founder of Innate Pharma, a company developing innovative immunotherapy approaches with the goal of eradicating solid and metastatic tumors in the body. Eric is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Maisons-Alfort and holds a PhD in Immunology from the Paris University (Paris XI). After completing his post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School (Dana Farber Cancer Institute), Pr. Vivier joined the Center of Immunology at Marseille-Luminy (CIML) in 1993, becoming its director in 2008 until 2017. He has twice been laureate of the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) advanced grants. During his career, Pr. Vivier has been a visiting professor at The Scripps Research Institute, The Rockefeller University, and The Walter and Elisa Hall Institute. He is a member of the French National Academy of Medicine and the Institut Universitaire de France.
In this episode we discuss the innovative antibody platform called ANKET being developed at Innate Pharma. Through high avidity binding, ANKET allows for the modulation of NK cell activation state to allow for response to various cancers.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Gustavo Carrizo.
Boston Biotech Series: Succeeding in a Biotech Career with Dr. Michelle Ols
Professional Development | Cell Therapy | Boston Biotech Community
Dr. Michelle Ols is a Director and the Head of Cell Therapy at Obsidian Therapeutics. Obsidian Therapeutics is a private, Cambridge-based biotech company focused on the development of engineered cell and gene therapies for a range of indications. Obsidian has also pioneered their proprietary cytoDRiVE™ technology platform that leverages drug responsive domains (DRDs) to control protein function using an FDA-approved small molecule. Prior to joining Obsidian, Michelle held several R&D positions in both small and large biotech companies, focusing on drug discovery for immunological applications. Michelle completed her PhD from the Cellular and Molecular Medicine program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and later went on to complete postdoctoral training at both JHSOM and later Yale studying B cell activation in models of lupus.
In this episode, we have an in-depth scientific discussion about Obsidian’s cutting edge technology platform, and Michelle offers insights into how she built up the skills necessary to find success in a biotech career.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Jenna Glatzer.
My PhD- Peter Chianchiano
Career Development
Peter, is a 5th year PhD student from the Pathobiology program at Johns Hopkins School of medicine. As part of Dr. Laura D. Wood’s lab, his thesis is focused on to understanding new mechanisms of invasion of pancreatic cancer by using patient derived samples in organoid models.
The decision to follow the Academic or Industry path has been always in his mind and during and during his PhD, Peter worked as pro bono consultant at the Johns Hopkins graduate consulting club as well as participated in consulting competitions.
We were happy to hear that he recently accepted a position as Consultant for after his PhD!
Join us to hear about how is to work in a cancer research lab in close contact with the hospital and patient samples as well as the journey to pursue a career as a Consultant.
Hosted by Gustavo Carrizo
If you are interested in being interviewed for My PhD please complete the following form and we will get in touch with you
My PhD- Marisa Mitchell-Flack
Career Development
Marisa, is a fourth-year PhD candidate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Laboratory of Dr. Drew Pardoll.
After her undergrad, she worked as a technician in industry for almost 6 years before deciding to go back to Academia to Pursue a PhD.
Her thesis involves studying the role of AMPA receptors in T cells in the context of autoimmune diseases.
She is as well the leader of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Immunology graduate program with the goals of increasing representation of minorities and gender diversity in the program as well as making it more visible to undergrad students. Check their Instagram and Twitter
Hosted by Gustavo Carrizo
If you are interested in being interviewed for My PhD please complete the following form and we will get in touch with you
Dr. Greg Verdine: Lessons from a Serial Entrepreneur
Biotech Industry | Investing | Entrepreneurship
Dr. Greg Verdine is an eminent serial entrepreneur and investor in the life sciences industry. He has founded a number of companies, and currently serves as President, CEO, and CSO of both Fog Pharma and LifeMine Therapeutics. Greg also worked in the venture capital industry as a Venture Partner with Apple Tree Partners, Third Rock Ventures, WuXi Healthcare Ventures and Texas Pacific Group. Prior to his career in the biotech industry, Greg had an academic career that spanned 3 decades and he was named the Erving Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University. He has made significant contributions to the study of epigenetics and DNA damage repair, and has more recently pioneered a new therapeutic modality termed “stapled peptides” that are poised to expand the space of druggable targets. He received his PhD in Chemistry from Columbia University.
In this episode, we discuss the development of new drug modalities, the transition from academic science to entrepreneurship and investing, and the changing biotechnology landscape.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Jenna Glatzer.
Beyond the Horizons: A Mini-Series
Career and Professional Development
Beyond the Horizons is a four podcast miniseries about different career paths and relevant professional development topics to discover what lies beyond. Topics include: Careers in Writing & Publishing, Careers in UX Research, Careers in Museums, and Leaving my PhD.
Hosted by Marta Silwa, Dr. Christine Kelly, and Ona Ambrozaite
Boston Biotech Series: Interviewing for Biotech R&D Positions
Career and Professional Development| Boston Biotech Community | Sanofi | LinkedIn
Wei-Chiang Chen, PhD is an Associate Director of Bioprocess Analytics in the Genome Medicine Unit at Sanofi, developing cell and gene therapies for areas of high unmet need. Prior to joining Sanofi, Wei-Chiang held positions at several large and small biotech companies including Biogen, Solid Biosciences, and Flexion Therapeutics. Additionally, he earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins, developing and patenting a high throughput screening assay to study various features of cellular biology and protein expression in response to small molecule drugs. In this episode, Wei-Chiang shares his advice for navigating the biotech R&D interview process, including preparing for the research presentation portion and communicating science effectively. We discuss the differences between working for biotech startups and larger pharma companies, and touch on the value of having a strong network when applying for positions.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Jenna Glatzer.
Dave Latshaw, Ph.D. - Next Generation Healthcare Fintech
Fintech/Healthcare| BioPhy
Dave is the CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of BioPhy, a healthcare fintech company committed to enhancing outcomes for patients and creating value for investors using their proprietary AI technology.
Prior to starting BioPhy with his co-founders at the The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he received his MBA, Dave was a Senior Scientist in the Advanced Analytics and Technology group at Johnson and Johnson.
Dave earned a PhD. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from North Carolina State University.
In this episode we had the pleasure to hear about how his experience in Industry and MBA changed his perspectives, and inspired him to start BioPhy to challenge inefficiencies in the Healthcare system, mainly in clinical trial outcomes.
Join us to learn how engineering, finance and medicine found each other, and together created this exciting Healthcare fintech.
Hosted by Jenna Glatzer and Joe Varriale.
Insights: Nucleate (Biotech Entrepreneurship)
Biotech Education & Company Formation| Nucleate | Nucleate 2022 Application | LinkedIn | Baltimore Chapter
Soufiane Aboulhouda is the co-founder and co-president of Nucleate, a new, student-run, non-profit activator program for the next generation of biotech founders. The mission of Nucleate is to train graduate students (PhDs, MBAs, Post-Docs, JDs, MDs, and Master’s) in company creation through a world-class network of advisors plus access to education, networking, and mentorship. The idea for Nucleate began while Soufiane was the President of the Harvard Biotech Club, when the group was intended as a ‘training camp’ for academic students interested in commercializing their projects. Today, Nucleate has expanded to reach trainees in over 60+ universities in 10 cities (including Baltimore), and consists of both its activator program as well as a broader education initiative (coming soon). In addition to his role at Nucleate, Soufiane is also a PhD Candidate at the Wyss Institute, conducting his research in synthetic biology under the mentorship of scientist-entrepreneur Dr. George Church. In this interview, Soufiane explains the philosophy behind Nucleate and how it is uniquely poised to foster community across different academic ecosystems.
Hosted by Jenna Glatzer and Joe Varriale.
My PhD- Joe Varriale
Career Development
Joe Varriale is a fourth-year PhD candidate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Laboratory of Dr. J.N. and R.F. Siliciano.
If you are a Hopkins Biotech Podcast follower, you know Joe as the podcast co-director, producer and host. This time we have the pleasure to have him as a guest and to know more about his exciting career.
His PhD thesis involves characterizing the reservoir of latently infected cells that render HIV infection a lifelong illness. In line with his Entrepreneurial mind set, Joe is a Fellow of the Commercialization Academy program at Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) and a Pro bono Consultant in the Johns Hopkins Graduate Consulting Club (JHGCC).
Hosted by Jenna Glatzer and Gustavo Carrizo.
C.G. Moore - IP Law and Patenting Strategies
IP Law | MMV IP Law
C.G. Moore, Ph.D., J.D., is a Partner at McBee Moore Woodward & Vanik IP, LLC., a boutique law firm based in Alexandria, Virginia, that specializes in intellectual property management in biotech, pharma, medical devices, and other life sciences-related industries. In this episode, C.G. describes his career path from experiencing the patenting process as a research assistant, to pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Johns Hopkins, then earning a J.D. and eventually co-founding his own law firm. We also discuss some of the challenges associated with learning to telework, as C.G. originally designed his firm (MMV IP Law) to function mostly remotely, preparing them well for the past year. He also generously shares his advice on navigating the patent process, from deciding when to file, to the necessary components that should be included for a successful application.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
My PhD- Gian Molina-Castro
Career Development
Gian, is a fourth year PhD candidate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience. His thesis under the supervision of Dr. Dwight Bergles focuses on studying the dynamics and functional significance of cortical remyelination in diverse mouse models of multiple sclerosis. Gian is a Senior Fellow at PHutures, a career and professional development hub for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. In July 2021, he received the 2021 Diversity Recognition Award from the Diversity Leadership Council of Johns Hopkins University.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Gustavo Carrizo.
Christy Wyskiel - Technology Transfer at Johns Hopkins University
Biotech/Pharma | Johns Hopkins Tech Ventures
Christy Wyskiel is the Senior Advisor to the President of Johns Hopkins University for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and the Executive Director of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures. JHTV is the division of the university responsible for technology transfer, industry research partnerships, and startup acceleration under the brand ‘FastForward.’ Prior to her appointment at JHTV in 2013, Christy co-founded two startups and had an extensive career as an institutional investor in the life sciences and healthcare space.
In this episode, we discuss the process of Tech Transfer at the university level- detailing how basic research can be translated into practical technologies that can impact individuals. Additionally, we discuss the future of the biotech industry in Baltimore and the role of JHU in that development. Furthermore, Christy offers a look at opportunities for students at JHU interested in entrepreneurship or commercialization. Check those out at the links below.
Hosted by Jenna Glatzer and Joe Varriale.
Ben Portney - Entrepreneurial Exploration in Grad School
Biotech/Pharma | Flagship Pioneering
Ben Portney, Ph.D. is a Senior Associate at Flagship Pioneering, a life sciences venture capital firm specializing in company creation for transformational technologies. Ben is an entrepreneur-scientist, having previously worked in several ventures during his time as a graduate student including NSF I-Corps, an equity research externship at T. Rowe Price, and co-founding the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Network club at the University of Maryland. Ben received his PhD from the University of Maryland, focusing on cancer stem cell biology. In this episode, we discuss Ben’s career at Flagship starting from his time as a Venture Labs Fellow, as well as the unique model Flagship uses to found companies. Ben additionally shares lessons from his entrepreneurial experiences in graduate school, particularly relating to trying different careers and being open to exploration. We also touch on how graduate education has evolved to meet students’ increasing interest in biotech and entrepreneurial ventures.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Boston Biotech Series: Industry Resumes
Career and Professional Development| Boston Biotech Community | PDCO
Patricia Phelps, PhD is the Associate Director of Academic Career Services at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she oversees professional development training for graduate students and postdocs. Pat has had an extensive career in biomedical PhD career training, previously serving as the Associate Director for the Professional Development and Career Office (PDCO) at Hopkins, and establishing the Office for Science, Training and Diversity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this episode, we discuss her early work in the animal health industry, and how she followed her passions to start her career in PhD professional development. Pat generously shares her advice for effective communication to help early career scientists stand out in their resumes and CVs, for preparation in both academic and industry applications. Additionally, we touch on helpful resources and tips researchers can use to showcase their skills and accomplishments.
Hosted by Jenna Glatzer.
Caroline Loew, Ph.D.- Building an Innovative Biotech
Biotech/Pharma | Glympse Bio
Caroline Loew, Ph.D. is the President and CEO of Glympse Bio, an MIT spin out company trying to change the paradigm of in vivo diagnostic and prognostic monitoring for a wide range of disease indications. Prior to running Glympse Bio, Caroline held a number of high-level positions within some of the top global pharmaceutical companies including Merck and most recently Bristol Myers-Squibb. Her roles spanned a number of business units related to market access, commercialization, strategy, and planning. Dr. Loew earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Imperial College London.
In this episode, Caroline shares her insights learned from a fruitful career in biotech and pharma. She highlights the idea of building the base of your career following your Ph.D.. Additionally, Caroline discusses the founding and development of Glympse Bio- and shares some of the key areas of development for the company and their technology over the next 5 years.
Hosted by Joe Varriale.
Samantha Semenkow - Biotech Valuation in the Public Markets
Biotech/Pharma | BridgeBio
Sam Semenkow, Ph.D. is a Director of Portfolio Intelligence at Bridge Bio, a unique biotechnology company that develops drugs in several modalities for a number of diverse disease areas. Prior to joining Bridge Bio, Sam was an Associate in the equity research group at Citi, a multinational bank. As an equity research associate, Sam covered a number of public biotech companies- applying valuations and building financial models for commercial and clinical stage drug candidates. Sam holds a Ph.D from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In this episode, Sam discusses the hiring process for equity research groups for individuals with advanced degrees. She also describes the type of work one would do while working in equity research. We finish the episode with a description of Bridge Bio, and a discussion on assessing risk in biotech.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane, Jenna Glatzer, and Joe Varriale.
Boston Biotech Series: Finding a Position in Boston Biotech
Consulting/ Recruiting | Boston Biotech Community | PDCO | Recruitomics
Carina Clingman, PhD is a Principal and Founder of Recruitomics Biotalent Consulting, a biotechnology hiring and recruitment agency based in Cambridge, MA. Carina originally trained as a biochemist, earning her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. At Recruitomics, she leverages her expertise to find the best candidates for biotech positions, with a special focus on staffing roles and working with hiring managers in biotech startups. In this episode, Carina discusses her motivation behind starting her own consulting firm, and she generously shares a wealth of information about hiring trends for the life sciences both broadly and locally in Boston. Additionally, we discuss how candidates can prepare for the process of interviewing and negotiating salaries, and touch on the differences in expectations when working for startups or a larger pharmaceutical company.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Jenna Glatzer.
Johns Hopkins Alt. Protein Project: Protein of the Future
Industry Perspectives | APP
In this episode, members of the Johns Hopkins Alternative Protein Project - Norah Sadowski, Lauren Blake, Mackenzie Simon-Collins, Mc Millan Ching, Jacquelyn Bedsaul, and Christine Wang- discuss a nontraditional application of biotech: alternative proteins. We explore the motivations, basic principles, challenges, and risks behind alternative protein technologies such as plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultured animal products.
The JHAPP is a new university group which launched in February 2021 under an umbrella organization called The Good Food Institute (GFI). The group aims to advance alternative protein tech via education, research, and business development initiatives. Join our Slack Workspace or email us at jhualtprotein@gmail.com to get involved.
Produced by Norah Sadowski.
Boston Biotech Series: Industry Postdocs
Consulting | Boston Biotech Community | PDCO | ModernaTx
Paul Yourik, PhD is a Scientist at Moderna, a pioneering mRNA technology platform company specializing in vaccine and therapeutic development for a range of disease areas. Prior to Moderna, Paul received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, training as an RNA biochemist. He later completed an industry postdoc at New England Biolabs, where he characterized different CRISPR products with commercialization potential. In this episode, we discuss his unique perspective on working in various research environments from academia, to government, and industry. We also dive into more detail about some of the techniques he uses in his work, such as next generation sequencing (NGS). Paul additionally discusses the value he found in completing an industry postdoc, and shares his advice in finding an industry position.
This episode is part of the Boston Biotech Series - produced in collaboration with the Professional Development & Career Office (PDCO) at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. We encourage JHU students to join the online Boston Biotech Community on the OneHop platform to connect with the podcast’s guests as well as other JHU alumni who work in Boston.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Jenna Glatzer.
Hopkins Biotech Network: Ideating, Funding, and Building Transformative Life Sciences Companies
Industry Perspectives | HBN
Dr. Cristoph Lengauer Ph.D MBA is a Partner at Third Rock Ventures, an innovative venture capital firm focused on company creation, and supporting entrepreneurs from idea to discovery to the clinic. In this episode, Dr. Lengauer discusses Third Rock’s unique approach to venture funding, common sources of company ideation, and his path from the Carey School of Business to the boardroom.
Hosted by Farai Sikipa.
John Valliere-Douglass - Industry R&D Career Development
Biotech/Pharma | Seagen
John Valliere-Douglass is the Associate Director and Mass Spectrometry Core Group Leader at Seagen (formerly, Seattle Genetics). John works in the Analytical Sciences division within Seagen’s development arm, using proteomics techniques to scale and manufacture therapeutic modalities in significant quantities to support clinical trials. Seagen is most well-known for developing antibody-drug conjugates, a therapeutic modality gaining prominence especially for their use as targeted cancer therapies. In this episode, we discuss his biotechnology career trajectory from previous roles at Corixa and Amgen, highlighting the various new skills and differences between small biotech to large pharma along the way. John also shares his expertise on utilizing mass spectrometry in drug development, preparing products for regulatory submissions as well as the necessary considerations for running these assays. In addition to his work at Seagen, John has an extensive publishing and presentation record, recently serving as co-chair of the CASSS Mass Spectrometry Conference organizing committee, and he generously shares his advice for being an effective communicator and group leader with us.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Boston Biotech Series: Working in Consulting and Marketing Yourself on LinkedIn
Consulting | Boston Biotech Community | PDCO | Clearview
Helena Zec, PhD is an Engagement Manager at Clearview Healthcare Partners, a leader in the life science and healthcare consulting space. Helena has held consulting roles at other well-known firms and holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In this episode, Helena shares her experience working in life science consulting and navigating the process of applying and interviewing. She also discusses some of the ways you can optimize your ability to market yourself to potential employers, especially on common platforms like LinkedIn.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane, Joe Varriale, and Jenna Glatzer.
Hopkins Biotech Network: Digitalization of Biotechnology
Industry Perspectives | HBN
Cindy Hoots is the Chief Digital Officer and CIO at AstraZeneca, a world leader in biopharmaceutical drug development. Cindy shares her thoughts on how the digital revolution will impact every aspect of drug development from R&D to clinical testing to delivery to patients.
Hosted by Farai Sikipa.
Nick Edwards - Career Decisions in Academia and Industry
Academia/Industry | OAS Podcast
Nick Edwards, PhD is currently the Chief of Staff to the CSO at Resilience, a privately-held manufacturing and technology company devoted to building a sustainable and accessible biopharmaceutical supply chain. When we interviewed Nick, he was working in the Global Sales Operations division of Illumina, an American public biotech company that manufactures a wide array of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. He completed his PhD in neuroscience through a joint program at the NIH with Brown University, where he studied the neuronal circuitry underlying cocaine-induced behavior. Nick is also the creator and host of the Once a Scientist Podcast, where he interviews scientists from a broad range of backgrounds about their careers, to serve as a resource for researchers and young scientists. We discuss Nick’s background and PhD journey, highlighting important insights and lessons he learned along the way. We also discuss his path from academia to his role as a consultant for Boston Consulting Group, and how that prepared him for his career in industry. Nick also describes the motivation behind creating his podcast, and provides advice for early-career scientists about how to navigate their own unique career journey.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Boston Biotech Series: Pitching Ideas & Leading a Biotech to FDA Approval
Biotech/Pharma | Boston Biotech Community | PDCO | Karyopharm
Michael Kauffman, MD/PhD is the Founder & CEO of Karyopharm, a pharmaceutical company that develops & commercializes various drugs directed against nuclear export and related targets for the treatment of cancer, inflammation, viral diseases, and other disorders of proliferation. Michael is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive, having also served as CEO, CMO, or VP at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Predix Pharmaceuticals, EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Proteolix Pharmaceuticals, and Onyx Pharmaceuticals. In this episode, Michael shares Karyopharm’s company formation story, key leadership skills for successful biotech entrepreneurship, and how the company matured from preclinical to clinical to commercial stage. Additionally, we discuss the role of nuclear export in cancer biology and how to effectively pitch your research to people outside of your field.
This episode is part of the Boston Biotech Series - produced in collaboration with the Professional Development & Career Office (PDCO) at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. We encourage JHU students to join the online Boston Biotech Community on the OneHop platform to connect with the podcast’s guests as well as other JHU alumni who work in Boston, the fastest growing biotech hub in the United States.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane, Joe Varriale, and Jenna Glatzer.
Peter Kolchinsky - A New Prescription for Innovative and Affordable Medicines
Drug Pricing | Venture Capital | RA Capital Management
Peter Kolchinsky, PhD, is a Managing Partner at RA Capital Management, a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare and life science companies developing drugs, medical devices, and diagnostics. He additionally serves on the board of several public and private life science companies. Additionally, Peter co-founded No Patient Left Behind a non-profit that is dedicated to making medications affordable for everyone in America. In this episode, Peter shares his thesis for a future where every patient is able to afford their life saving medicine, without slowing the rapid innovation in biomedical science and drug development. Peter, who holds a PhD in Virology from Harvard University, describes the core tenants of his book The Great American Drug Deal. He describes the complex systems of reimbursement, genericization, and price control using palatable analogies and real world examples.
Hosted by Joe Varriale, Roshan Chikarmane, and Jenna Glatzer.
JHGCC: The Academia to Industry Transition
Career Development | JHGCC
Vania Cao, Ph.D is the Founder of Free The PhD, an educational platform designed to help late-stage STEM PhDs successfully break into the job market. Vania shares how graduate students can best position themselves for management consulting or other business careers, strike a balance between career satisfaction & income level, and make career transitions as smooth as possible.
Hosted by Ikbal Choudhury.
Boston Biotech Series: Career Transitions and Networking in Biotech
Biotech/Pharma | Boston Biotech Community | Johns Hopkins PDCO
Michael Ehlers, MD/PhD, is CSO and a Venture Partner at Apple Tree Partners, a life sciences venture capital firm that creates and invests in biotech companies at various stages, from pre-seed, through to IPO and beyond. He additionally serves as the CEO of Limelight Bio and the President & Executive Chair of Aulos Bioscience, two biotech startups developing novel gene and immuno-oncology therapeutics, respectively. In this episode, Michael shares his journey from his MD/PhD training at Johns Hopkins and long career as a Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University, to roles as the EVP and head of R&D at Biogen and the SVP of Pfizer’s Neuroscience division, up to his current roles. Michael draws on his extensive experience to dispel popular myths about the differences between academia and industry careers, and highlights how working in a highly collaborative scientific setting like Boston can lead to new discoveries and innovation. We also discuss the current outlook for neuroscience drug development, and Michael highlights lessons he’s learned about mentorship and networking throughout his career.
This episode is part of the Boston Biotech Series - produced in collaboration with the Professional Development & Career Office (PDCO) at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. We encourage JHU students to join the online Boston Biotech Community on the OneHop platform to connect with the podcast’s guests as well as other JHU alumni who work in Boston, the fastest growing biotech hub in the United States.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane, Joe Varriale, and Jenna Glatzer.
JHGCC: Cracking the Case with Bain & Co.
Consulting | JHGCC
In this episode, an esteemed panel of four from Bain & Company - Bobbi Lambros (Recruiting Manager, North America), Amir Niaki (Consultant, DC), Nik Hoffman (Consultant, DC), and Jackie Flanagan (Associate Partner, DC - shares Bain's interview process & evaluation strategy, walks us through a sample case, and talks about applying to Bain.
Hosted by Ikbal Choudhury.
Miranda Broz - Developing Cancer Immunotherapies
Biotech/Pharma | BMS bio
Miranda Broz, PhD is the Scientific Associate Director of Discovery Myeloid Biology at Bristol Myers Squibb’s R&D site in Redwood City, California. Miranda and her team explores parts of the tumor microenvironment (TME) - including regulatory T cells, stromal cells and myeloid antigen presenting cells - to develop novel treatment options that will benefit patients with difficult-to-treat cancers. In this episode, Miranda shares her journey from PhD to Scientific Officer at Pionyr Immunotherapeutics - an immuno-oncology focused startup that was founded based on her thesis work at UCSF - to her current role at Bristol Myers Squibb. We discuss the various learning curves that she scaled as a growing industry scientist, the skills that she developed in order to effectively lead teams through pre-clinical drug development, and the enriching institutional support that Bristol Myers Squibb offers its employees. Furthermore, we briefly discuss the history of cancer immunotherapies as the field has matured over the past few decades, the challenges that still exist for the field, and the approach that Miranda & her colleagues are taking to overcome those challenges.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Boston Biotech Series: Career Opportunities in Biotech
Biotech/Pharma | Boston Biotech Community | Johns Hopkins PDCO
Melissa Stundick, PhD is the VP of Business Development at Spero Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company that develops treatments for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. In this episode, Melissa shares her journey from PhD to Lead Associate at the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton to Chief of the Anti-Infectives Program at BARDA to her current role at Spero Therapeutics. Melissa highlights the strong need for new antibiotics, the reasons why many pharmaceutical companies have stopped developing new antibiotics, and how small biotech companies like Spero Therapeutics are leading the charge. Furthermore, we discuss the wide variety of career opportunities that are available in the biotech industry, including a number of biotech careers that many PhD students don’t often consider.
This episode is part of the Boston Biotech Series - produced in collaboration with the Professional Development & Career Office (PDCO) at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. We encourage JHU students to join the online Boston Biotech Community on the OneHop platform to connect with the podcast’s guests as well as other JHU alumni who work in Boston, the fastest growing biotech hub in the United States.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Jenna Glatzer.
Jo Bhakdi - Early Cancer Detection
Jo Bhakdi is the Founder & CEO of Quantgene, an early-stage medical technology company that deploys machine learning & advanced genetic sequencing technologies to detect cancer at early stages of development. In 2016, they launched one of the largest clinical trials to assess the feasibility of cell-free DNA technology, with the goal of collecting 10,000 patient blood samples. In this episode, we explore the gaps that exist in the cancer diagnostics space and how innovations in sequencing technologies & machine learning aim to fill those gaps. Furthermore, Jo shares the specific approach that Quantgene is taking, the path to adoption in the current healthcare system, and the key considerations in building a multidisciplinary team.
Hosted by Cynthia Steinhardt and Jenna Glatzer.
Boston Biotech Series: Overview of Boston Biotech
Consulting, Venture Capital, Biotech/Pharma | Boston Biotech Community | Johns Hopkins PDCO
In this episode, three Johns Hopkins alumni - Bram Lambrus (Consultant at Boston Consulting Group), Michelle Levine (Associate at Solasta Ventures), and Steve Wang (Business Development & Strategy at Korro Bio) - introduce us to the Boston Biotech ecosystem. We discuss the core industries that comprise the biotech hub and how they work with one another to develop medicines. Our guests highlight the unique aspects of the Boston Biotech hub that make it a hotbed for innovation and a great place to start & grow a career. Furthermore, Bram, Michelle, and Steven highlight prominent companies, therapeutic areas, and drug modalities that are poised to make significant impact in the future. Finally, our guests provide an abundance of advice for students who are considering a career outside of academia and are curious about the practical steps they can take to get started.
This episode is part of the Boston Biotech Series - produced in collaboration with the Professional Development & Career Office (PDCO) at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. We encourage JHU students to join the online Boston Biotech Community on the OneHop platform to connect with the podcast’s guests as well as other JHU alumni who work in Boston, the fastest growing biotech hub in the United States.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane, Joe Varriale, and Jenna Glatzer.
Jeff Galvin - Programming a HIV Functional Cure
AGT profile | LinkedIn | Twitter
Jeff Galvin is the CEO & Founder of American Gene Technologies (AGT), a clinical-stage biotech company with a proprietary gene-delivery platform for rapid development of cell and gene therapies to cure infectious diseases, cancers, and inherited disorders. He earned his BA degree in Economics from Harvard in 1981 and accumulated more than 30 years of business and entrepreneurial experience while founding and leading a variety of Silicon Valley startups. As a retired angel investor, Mr. Galvin funded and founded AGT after meeting with Dr. Roscoe Brady, a research scientist at NIH-NINDS who is best known for developing the first ever enzyme replacement therapy called Alglucerase that treats Gaucher disease and is marketed by Sanofi Genzyme. In this episode, we discuss how the company initially came together, the science behind AGT’s gene & cell therapy platform, and the rationale behind their lead drug candidate - a first-in-class, genetically modified T-cell therapy developed as a functional cure for HIV, which entered first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trials in November 2020 (AGT press release, Molecular Therapy paper). Mr. Galvin also shares his unique perspective about how the principles that drove the success of the computer & software industries are starting to bleed into the biotech industry, making drug development more fruitful and cost effective.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Roshan Chikarmane.
Drs. Paul Hergenrother & Rebecca Lee Smith - COVID-19 Testing & Tracing
UIUC’s SHIELD program | Dr. Hergenrother’s Profile | Dr. Smith’s Profile
Dr. Paul Hergenrother, PhD is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), whose organic chemistry lab characterizes natural products to identify novel cellular targets and formulate treatments for cancer & drug-resistant bacteria. He along with Dr. Martin Burke and other UIUC staff led the effort undertaken at UIUC to develop a COVID-19 saliva test, which was implemented campus-wide to facilitate in-person education and garnered national attention in mid-August 2020 (NPR, Science). Dr. Rebecca Lee Smith, PhD is an Associate Professor of Pathobiology at the UIUC, whose epidemiology lab develops statistical models of disease transmission to control viral spread in real-time. Her work has played an essential role in contact tracing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and yielded a 0.5-0.7% on-campus infection rate, with zero students hospitalized as of November 2020. In this episode, we discuss the roles they played in constructing UIUC’s SHIELD program and how they managed to scale the operation across the state of Illinois. We also talk about many of the critical features of the program that could be generally applied to testing & tracing programs nationwide and better prepare us for future infectious disease outbreaks.
Hosted by Cynthia Steinhardt and Joe Varriale.
Bijal Trivedi - History of Cystic Fibrosis
Bijal Trivedi, MS is an award-winning Journalist and Author of Breath from Salt, a book about the history of cystic fibrosis (CF). Breath from Salt is a story of a breakthrough in modern medicine that chronicles the discovery & characterization of the cystic fibrosis, the formation of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and how their unprecedented collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals has resulted in treatments that significantly improve the quality of life for patients with CF. In this episode, we discuss the key discoveries that led to the characterization of cystic fibrosis as well as the timeline of drug development efforts, which have ultimately yielded a therapy that treats >90% of patients with CF. Bijal highlights the critical role of women researchers/physicians and cross-institutional collaboration that was required along every step of the way. Finally, we talk about the pathbreaking role of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in pioneering the venture philanthropy model and uniting funding sources, patients & families, physicians, and the biotech industry around a common mission.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Roshan Chikarmane.
Daniel Pham - Informing Philanthropic Investments
Nonprofit/Think Tank | LinkedIn
Dr. Daniel Pham, PhD is an Associate Director at the Milken Institute’s Center for Strategic Philanthropy, which works with a diverse array of key stakeholders to advance initiatives that aim to improve human health. Prior to joining the Milken Institute, Daniel played an active role in science policy & advocacy as a Public Affairs Manager at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) and a Science Policy Fellow at Research!America. He’s also an alumnus of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, having earned his PhD in neuroscience and founded the on-campus student group Project Bridge in 2012. In this episode, we discuss the ways in which nonprofit think tanks like the Milken Institute advise key stakeholders to maximize the impact of philanthropic investments. Daniel also draws on his experience in science policy to describe ways in which scientists should engage with communities & key decision-makers to combat institutional skepticism in science. Finally, we briefly discuss the a few opportunities in bipolar disorder, an area in which Daniel and his team at the Center for Strategic Philanthropy are actively involved.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Florian Krammer - COVID-19 Vaccine Development
Dr. Florian Krammer, PhD is a Professor of Vaccinology in the Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, whose lab investigates the antibody responses towards glycoproteins on the surface of influenza viruses. He recently authored a review in the journal Nature that provides an overview of SAR-CoV-2 vaccines currently in clinical development. In this episode, we discuss how immunologists & virologists reacted to COVID-19 during the dawn of the outbreak, different factors that have been found to influence COVID-19 disease pathology, and the similarities/differences between SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. Furthermore, we discuss the pros/cons of different types of COVID-19 vaccines from various angles including therapeutic modality, efficacy, side effect profile, and ease of manufacturing & distribution. Finally, Dr. Krammer provides a possible outlook for the global vaccine rollout process and proposes ways in which the biomedical research can improve pandemic preparedness.
Hosted by Cynthia Steinhardt and Joe Varriale.
Camille Delebecque - Building Synthetic Biology Companies
Entrepreneurship | Website
Dr. Camille Delebecque, M.Sc., PhD is Co-Founder & CEO of Afineur, a company that sustainably processes raw agriculture into plant-based meats and optimizes the flavor profiles of various foods using the latest advances in fermentation & enzymology. He also operates two other companies: (1) SOIL.BIO (Founder & CEO), a startup that aims to develop proprietary mixtures of microbes that enrich the soil with nutrients and improve crop yields and (2) SynBio Consulting (Founder & Partner), where he works with companies, governmental institutions, universities, and investment funds to assist in the deployment of novel biotechnologies. In this episode, Camille shares what it was like to start his first company (Omeecs, a biomanufacturing startup), his experience serving on the Advisory Board of the European Commission, how he managed the turnaround of Microbes Biosciences as their Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), and the status of the companies that he currently operates (Afineur, SOIL.BIO, SynBio Consulting). Furthermore, we discuss how he built his technical & business skills during graduate school, the lessons he learned while starting multiple businesses, and emerging applications of synthetic biology in food & agriculture.
Hosted by Cynthia Steinhardt and Roshan Chikarmane.
Jason Howard - Connecting Biotech & Physicians
Medical Affairs (Sanofi/Genzyme) | LinkedIn
Dr. Jason Howard, PhD is a Medical Science Liaison at Sanofi/Genzyme, where he provides field support for a metastatic prostate cancer treatment (cabazitaxel) and a squamous cell skin cancer treatment (cemiplimab). Prior to joining Sanofi, Jason worked at a Baltimore-based biotech startup called Vaccinogen, where he was co-inventor of the investigational cancer vaccine Oncavert. In this episode, we discuss the role of medical affairs in biotech & pharma, how to acquire & manage relationships with key opinion leaders (primarily physicians), how information collected in the field informs a biotech’s business strategy, and the emerging role of social media in assessing how the market responds to new drug approvals.
Hosted by Joe Varriale and Roshan Chikarmane.
Don Anderson & Caroline Vissers - Applying Hypoxia Biology
Pharma & Academia | Don’s LinkedIn | Caroline’s LinkedIn
Dr. Don Anderson, PhD, MBA is Senior Scientist at Merck & Co., a multinational pharmaceutical company that develops and manufactures medicines in a broad range of therapeutic areas. Don previously worked at Peloton Therapeutics, which was acquired by Merck in May of 2019, primarily for its “novel small molecule therapeutic candidates targeting hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α) for the treatment of patients with cancer and other non-oncology diseases”. Dr. Caroline Vissers, PhD is a Principal Investigator at UCSF, where she operates a lab that examines the role of RNA methylation in neural development and stem cell behavior. Both guests were mentored by Nobel laureates - Don by Dr. Michael Brown (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1985; cholesterol metabolism) during his postdoc and Caroline by Dr. Gregg Semenza (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2019; oxygen sensing) - and navigated unique routes to their current roles. We explore the value of postdoctoral fellowships, why large biotech/pharma companies acquire smaller companies, how emerging insights into the biology of hypoxia are being translated into drugs, and the relationship between academia & industry.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Elias Davis - Investing & Skill Building
Venture Capital (generalist) | LinkedIn
Elias Davis is a Principal at Kli Capital, a generalist venture capital firm based out of New York City with a focus on investing in early-stage companies. Prior to joining Kli Capital, Elias interned at Pfizer in a computational chemistry group, worked as a Summer Analyst at Credit Suisse, founded a medical-oriented social network, served as a Product Manager at Google, and coordinated strategic growth at KeyMe. In this episode, we talk about when to embark on new opportunities, how to navigate non-linear career trajectories, ways in which we learn & grow from informational interviews. We also discuss the role that venture capital serves in company creation, his day-to-day responsibilities as Principal, and the qualities that define an investible company & team.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Max Tejada - Biologics & Bioassays
Biotech/Pharma (Kite Pharma, AstraZeneca, Gilead, Genentech) | LinkedIn
Max Tejada, PhD is a Senior Director at Kite Pharma, an American biotech company and subsidiary of Gilead Sciences that develops cancer immunotherapies with a primary focus on genetically engineered adoptive T-cell therapies called CAR-T therapies. Dr. Tejada broke into the private sector by landing an industry postdoctoral fellowship at Genentech in the lab of Dr. Napoleone Ferrara, who is widely recognized for his role in developing the angiogenesis inhibitor Avastin (bevacizumab). He subsequently led teams that devised bioassays for development and high volume production of antibody-based drugs at Genentech, Gilead, and AstraZeneca as well as for cell therapies at Kite Pharma. We explore the various roles and responsibilities in R&D, the difference between “leaders versus managers”, and how you can keep on building technical expertise to match the speed of innovation in the biotech industry.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Ernesto Chanona - Business & Relationship Building
Business Development (life science) | LinkedIn
Ernesto Chanona, PhD is the Senior Manager in the Office of BioHealth and Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce, which fosters growth of life sciences business in the state of Maryland through a host of initiatives. Ernesto helps connect various institutions (NIH, biotech/pharma companies, etc.), individuals (inventors, entrepreneurs, etc.), and investors to facilitate economic development. Given that he’s a ‘professional connector’ of sorts, our discussion largely centers around how academic researchers (PhDs, postdocs, etc.) can effectively network to unlock career opportunities, which Ernesto beautifully illustrates by sharing his own journey from NIH postdoc to his current position in the Office of BioHealth and Life Sciences. We also talk about how life sciences businesses of all sizes can collaborate with the local, domestic, or international business communities on their path to developing & commercializing products.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Janice Logan - Patenting Scientific Insights
Patent/IP Law | Morgan Lewis Profile | Press Release
Dr. Janice Logan, PhD, JD is an alumna of the Johns Hopkins PhD program in Biomedical Engineering and Partner at Morgan Lewis, a prominent law firm that serves a wide range of clients including more than three-quarters of Fortune 100 companies. In this episode, we talk about various requirements and challenges related to successfully patenting insights in biomedical research and drug development. Janice also shares why science-related PhDs are in high demand in the legal field as well as recommendations for how PhDs can approach a career in intellectual property (IP) law, with or without attending law school. Furthermore, we discuss how women can succeed in traditionally male-dominated industries, through Janice’s own experience rising to the level of Partner at a law firm.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Evan Guggenheim - Emerging Cell & Gene Therapies
Biotech/Pharma (Sana, Biogen, IBS/Qiagen) | LinkedIn
Evan Guggenheim, PhD is an Executive Director & Head of Research Operations at Sana Biotechnology, a startup dedicated to developing stem cell therapies and methods for in vivo delivery of gene therapy components to treat a variety of diseases. Prior to joining Sana, Evan worked as a Scientist at a sequencing company called Intelligent Bio-Systems (acquired by Qiagen in 2012) as well as at the large biotechnology company Biogen, where he rose through the ranks from the position of Scientist to ultimately become the Director of R&D Strategy and Portfolio Leadership. In this episode, we discuss ways that you can ‘de-risk yourself’ when you’re first entering the job market and how you can climb the corporate ladder at a large biotech/pharma company. We also talk about how your role as an employee, long-term job stability, and work-life balance can vary based on your particular work environment. Furthermore, we discuss the current state of cell & gene therapies and pinpoint key growth opportunities.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Roshni Rao - International Students & Life Design
Career Development | PHutures Website | LinkedIn | Twitter
Roshni Rao, PhD is the Director of the PHutures Office at Johns Hopkins University, where she works with PhDs and postdocs to supplement academic training with coaching in translational and relational skills that are essential for preparedness in various industries. Roshni is a fantastic resource to turn to and we strongly encourage students at Johns Hopkins to contact her at the PHutures Office for career guidance. During this episode we discuss the concept of ‘life design’, a multi-faced methodology for planning a fulfilling future that extensively utilizes your skills, values, personality, and interests. Furthermore, we explore how international students can overcome social & emotional obstacles, start planning for work visa applications, and approach the job application process in order to confidently embark on a journey of career development.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Lauren Lee - Biotech Investing
Venture Capital (healthcare) | LinkedIn
Lauren Lee, Ph.D is an Associate at Solasta Ventures, the U.S. subsidiary of South Korean venture capital firm Aju IB that focuses on investments in therapeutics and life science companies. We chat about how she merged her dual interests in science and finance, advanced projects at Onyx Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Amgen in 2013), and helps biotech/pharmaceutical startups grow at Solasta Ventures. Lauren also highlights different facets of career exploration during a PhD, which includes securing your PI’s support, attending networking events, and seeking out career enrichment opportunities. Finally, she shares how you can get involved in the healthcare-centric financial sector.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Bernat Navarro-Serer - Shaping Science Policy
Bernat Navarro-Serer is the Eastern Hub Co-Chair of the National Science Policy Network (NSPN), a non-profit organization that equips scientists with the skills and collaborations that they need to effectively influence public policy. He also serves as Social Media Chair for the Johns Hopkins Science Policy Group, a chapter of NSPN that unites graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, healthcare professionals, and faculty to collectively promote social change at a state and local level. We discuss his advocacy for funding of cancer research on Capitol Hill, the breadth and depth of careers in science policy, as well as the importance of science communication in bridging the gap between scientists and non-scientist decision-makers (legislators, elected representatives, the public, etc.).
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Sam Hong - Running a Pharmaceutical Startup
Biotech/Pharma (startup) | LinkedIn
Sam Hong, Ph.D is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals, a pre-clinical stage startup developing macrocycle-based therapeutics for treatment of various disease indications. The company is also a commercial spinout of research conducted in the lab of Dr. Jun Liu at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where Sam conducted his doctoral thesis. We chat about his journey from a post-baccalaureate fellowship at a synthetic chemistry lab at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to his current position, and everything in between. Sam also shares how he honed his business acumen, the importance of proving out a skillset, and what the work environment is like at a pharmaceutical startup company.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.
Academia or Industry?
Featuring hosts Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer | About the Hosts
In this introductory episode, we discuss that familiar career question, "academia or industry?" as well as introduce the goals of the podcast and backgrounds of the hosts. Join us in subsequent episodes for interviews with guests from a diverse array of private sector life science industries (pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, consulting, venture capital, science policy, etc.) that model viable career paths for students.
Hosted by Roshan Chikarmane and Jenna Glatzer.