In this special panel episode recorded in Zurich, the founders of Apricot Bio, Michael Zering (CEO), Lucas Pelkmans (Scientific Founder), and Independent Professor Andreas Wicki from the University of Zurich explore the new field of functional precision oncology—an approach that goes beyond genomics to test how living cancer cells actually respond to treatment. The conversation covers the limits of genetic diagnostics, the promise of ex vivo drug testing, AI-driven decision-making, and how smarter trial design could transform cancer care. The panel also dives into Switzerland’s biotech ecosystem, venture capital realities, and what it takes to bring high-risk, high-impact science from the lab to the clinic.

In this episode, we sit down with Christoph Lengauer, co-founder of Curie.Bio, a venture creation firm, and former founding CSO and Chief Drug Hunter at Blueprint Medicines. Christoph's non-linear career began in Austria as the first in his family to attend college, leading him to pursue human genetics after reading a book on cancer. Despite finding success in academia, he quit science, only to return with a focus on creating medicines, which he considers the ultimate impact. This pivot led him to the best molecular genetics cancer lab in the world, the lab of Bulgin at Johns Hopkins, where he stayed for 12 years and helped lead the lab for nine. Christoph shares his philosophy on "responsible practice" in drug discovery, a path that avoids the slow, "fat way" of big pharma and the reckless "slim way," by taking measured risks and doing only the necessary work to get to meaningful results the fastest. He argues that successful drug hunting is found in the "margin," defined by cultural elements such as being honest, humble, and transparent, and being surrounded by a supportive team, not just technical strength or intelligence. We dig into his time at Third Rock Ventures, where he broadened his approach from a narrow focus on kinases to diversifying drug discovery across different target classes and therapeutic areas, and how this experience informed the creation of Curie.Bio. He explains Curie.Bio's model, which centers on freeing the founders, operating with low fixed costs, and providing fractional access to over 100 experienced drug hunters, helping companies like Forward Therapeutics reach the clinic in approximately three years. Finally, Christoph offers practical advice for founders operating in challenging market environments: have a clear trajectory towards "meaningful clinical activity data" using a $7 million to $15 million budget to reach a development candidate, and an additional $30 million to $50 million to reach that data. He stresses that the biggest mistake a founder can make is thinking they can succeed alone. He advises academic founders to avoid being secretive, to share their ideas with trusted people, and to explain their ideas in "plain English" to clearly articulate the problem they are solving.

In this episode, we sit down with Alexander Titus—computational biologist, founder of the In Vivo Group, Head of AI at Avidity Biosciences, and commissioner on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology. From backpacking through Central America on a one-way ticket to becoming the first-ever biotech director at the U.S. Department of Defense, Titus has built a career around a simple ethos: do hard things with good people and have fun along the way. Titus shares how a last-minute decision to move to the Bay Area, a spontaneous detour to Cuba, and a months-long bike ride from the Arctic Ocean to San Francisco all shaped his appetite for risk, resilience, and unconventional career moves. He talks about living in a Detroit casino while his wife worked night shifts at a children’s hospital—and how using a $100 blackjack bankroll with strict downside protection became both a crash course in probability and an unexpected asset in his grad school interviews. We dig into his work at the Pentagon, where he helped stand up biotech as a serious national security priority, and his current role on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, which recently released a $15 billion roadmap for strengthening the U.S. bioeconomy. Titus explains why he thinks “big initiatives” are really just 1,000 small, well-executed steps, why people and bio-literacy are the most underappreciated pieces of the biotech puzzle, and how policy, industry, and science can—and must—reinforce each other. Finally, Titus reflects on the real-world promise and hype of AI in biology, from automating tedious knowledge work to accelerating high-throughput experimentation, and why “zero-shot” drug design is still more aspiration than reality. He also gives us a preview of his hard science fiction novel, Synthetic Eden, which forces readers to confront a stark choice: human genetic engineering or human extinction. Throughout the conversation, Titus offers not just stories from a wildly non-linear career, but a playbook for taking smart risks, embracing humility, and building a life at the edge of what’s possible.

In this episode, we meet with Mikael Dolston, former Chief Scientific Officer of Pfizer and board member of Novo Nordisk. Born in Sweden and trained as both a physician and scientist at Lund University, Mikael’s childhood curiosity blossomed into a lifelong quest to “decode the language of life.” From early days mentoring medical students to answering the call of industry giants like AstraZeneca and Wyeth, his journey is proof that scientific passion can open unexpected doors on the global stage. Dr. Dolsten opens up about his transition from the hospital ward to the corporate boardroom, the emotional fuel driving his work with cancer patients, and the exhilarating pressure of shepherding not just treatments but entire teams through the world’s biggest health crisis. In this interview, he shares what it was like guiding the development of life-saving COVID-19 therapies at Pfizer, and why authentic leadership, knowledge sharing, and a dash of joy—yes, even in the form of Swedish “happy socks”—are essential to transforming medicine. Dr. Dolsten doesn’t just recount the highlights of his career; he offers a masterclass in perseverance, humility, and in turning scientific discovery into hope for millions.

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 experiments that changed his career, and the near-misses that almost stopped him in his tracks. We dive into how he built Alnylam from a small startup into a company with multiple approved drugs for devastating rare diseases like TTR amyloidosis, and the leadership philosophies that kept him and his team moving forward. Along the way, John shares candid lessons for today’s founders. Whether you’re a scientist, entrepreneur, or just someone who loves stories of grit and discovery, this conversation will inspire you. Don’t miss out on this deep dive into innovation, failure, and the future of medicine. Time Stamps 00:32 Dr. John Maraganore is introduced as the featured guest and a leader in biotech. 00:50 Asked to explain his job to a five-year-old, his answer captures a lifetime of purpose in three words. 01:05 Growing up in a Greek immigrant family shaped more than his values—it built the mindset that would drive biotech breakthroughs. 02:44 His parents wanted a doctor. One college experiment changed everything. 04:14 Snake venom, of all things, sparked his obsession with discovery. 06:20 John shares how his biotech career began at Upjohn and Biogen, inventing bivalirudin (Angiomax), and other highlights. 10:31 He talks about property hurdles behind bivalirudin’s development. 12:57 A forced career pivot from the lab to business turned out to be the twist that defined his leadership path. 17:21 Seeing science from the business side unlocked something—an insight that later shaped how he built companies. 19:09 The genomics boom at Millennium tested his ability to turn data into real drugs—and nearly broke the field in the process. 22:25 Betting on RNA interference when almost no one believed it could work. 27:40 Ten years of trial and error later, the science finally caught up to the vision. 30:57 Behind every biotech success are make-or-break partnership calls—he shares how timing meant survival. 36:14 Balancing independence with pharma partnerships became a strategy that redefined how small biotechs grow. 39:06 John shares the criteria and reasoning behind choosing TTR amyloidosis as Alnylam’s lead rare disease program. 54:22 John shares practical advice for founders facing tough market conditions. 57:47 Talking about sleep, pizza preferences, memorable child moments, and music. 1:00:43 He recommends the best reading material on drug pricing and the biotech business. 1:01:30 Conclusion and final advice from Dr. John Maraganore.

Dr. William Pao joins the Nucleate Podcast to share his inspiring journey from losing his father to cancer to leading groundbreaking cancer research and founding Revelio Therapeutics. He discusses the discovery of EGFR mutations, the stories behind his book Breakthrough, and what it takes to bring life-changing drugs to patients. Tune in for insights on biotech innovation, scientific resilience, and the future of medicine and check out Breakthrough on Amazon or a bookstore near you.

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Dr Peter Campbell traces his scientific journey from a medical student in New Zealand to a pioneering genomics researcher and startup founder. Initially struggling with traditional medical training, Campbell discovered his passion for computational biology while working at the Sanger Institute, where he was instrumental in early cancer genome sequencing efforts. His research evolved from exploring cancer mutations to investigating genetic changes in normal tissues, revealing an unexpected and complex landscape of cellular evolution. This work caught the attention of Flagship Pioneering, leading to the creation of Quotient Therapeutics, a company focused on understanding how somatic mutations drive disease processes and potentially enable personalized medical treatments. Campbell discusses the platform's approach to identifying meaningful mutations, their potential therapeutic applications, and the partnership with Pfizer in cardiovascular and renal disease research. Throughout the conversation, he candidly compares the differences between academic and startup environments, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, efficiency, and storytelling. The episode provides a compelling narrative of scientific discovery, entrepreneurship, and the potential of genomics to transform our understanding of human health and disease.

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Raj Devraj, a venture partner at Atlas Venture and CEO of Rectify Pharmaceuticals, shares his remarkable journey from growing up in India to becoming a seasoned drug hunter and biotech entrepreneur. Drawing from his extensive experience at Pfizer and multiple successful biotech startups, Raj discusses the challenges of navigating the current risk-averse capital market, emphasizing the importance of being capital efficient, following the science, and having a clear target product profile. He details the founding of Rectify, a platform company developing positive functional modulators for membrane proteins, highlighting their strategic pivot to focus on hepatobiliary diseases like primary sclerosing cholangitis. Throughout the conversation, Raj provides invaluable advice for entrepreneurs, stressing the need for resilience, courage, and innovation, while underscoring the critical role of building strong relationships, maintaining scientific rigor, and always keeping the end goal of developing transformative therapies for patients in mind.

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, 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 creating ecosystems around transformational areas — to become the highest-context investors for early-stage companies. When critical gaps in the market appear, Compound even incubates companies themselves, such as in plant engineering for high-value, lower-regulation products. The conversation dives into emerging trends like autonomous science, science-driven consumer products, biohacking, and proactive healthcare. Shelby highlights the importance of individual health data ownership, the potential for brain modulation technologies, and why bold, contrarian founders are key to the future of biotech. She shares her optimism for the future, from conservation tech to cancer prevention, and invites listeners to think bigger, move earlier, and reach out with innovative ideas — and to get involved with Compound’s upcoming Research Days in San Francisco.

In this episode of the Nucleate podcast, Dave Messina shares his remarkable journey from computational biology to entrepreneurship and venture capital. Starting with his work on the Human Genome Project, Messina transitioned from an academic path to co-founding Cofactor Genomics, a company using RNA and machine learning to help doctors choose treatments. Now a general partner at Pioneer Fund, he invests in health and biotech startups, focusing on founders with unique insights, execution velocity, and the potential to solve significant problems. Throughout the conversation, Messina emphasizes the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, the importance of focusing on real-world impact, and the exciting opportunities for entrepreneurs in the current technological landscape. His key advice to founders is simple yet powerful: be mission-driven, scientifically fluent, and most importantly, "just go do it" - recognizing that now (2025) is an unprecedented time to create innovative solutions that can dramatically improve human health and well-being.

Dr. Catherine Stehman-Breen discusses her career journey, from her early interest in medicine to her roles at pharmaceutical companies like Amgen. The highlight is her time as CEO of Chroma Medicine, a biotech focused on epigenetic editing.