Building Better Drug Testing with Lab-Grown Human Tissue | Yuan Tian of Vivosphere

Building Better Drug Testing with Lab-Grown Human Tissue | Yuan Tian of Vivosphere

What if researchers could test new medicines on lab-grown human tissue before they ever reached clinical trials? In this episode of our Building Biotech in Lower Alabama series, Stephanie Glines sits down with Yuan Tian, founder of Vivosphere, to discuss how his company is developing artificial human tissue models designed to improve drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Yuan shares his journey from arriving in the United States with two suitcases to earning a Ph.D. at Auburn University and transforming his research into a biotech startup. He explains how Vivosphere’s technology creates 3D human tissue models that mimic how cells behave inside the body, helping researchers evaluate potential therapies more accurately before they reach patients. The conversation explores the challenges of drug development, the potential of regenerative medicine, the role of artificial intelligence in biotech, and how the Hatch Biotech Accelerator helped prepare Vivosphere for future growth. In This Episode: • Yuan’s journey from graduate student to biotech founder • How Vivosphere creates lab-grown human tissue models • Improving drug discovery and reducing clinical trial failures • Potential applications in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapies • The role of AI in biotech research and drug development • Auburn University’s role in commercializing the technology • Lessons learned through the Hatch Biotech Accelerator • Advice for founders building science-based companies Notable Quotes: “Innovation shouldn’t stop at the end of the publication. It should be the beginning of something bigger.” “We’re trying to bridge the gap between preclinical research and clinical success.” Learn More Yuan Tian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuantianauburn/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuantianauburn/] Vivosphere: https://vivospheres.com [https://vivospheres.com] About the Building Biotech Series Building Biotech in Lower Alabama is a special series from the Hatch Podcast featuring founders, researchers, and innovators developing new technologies and companies across the Gulf Coast region. About The Hatch Podcast At the intersection of innovation, creativity, and community — The Hatch Podcast shares stories from founders, scientists, and artists shaping the future of Alabama’s Gulf Coast.  🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform and share an episode to help us grow. 🔗 Learn more: hatchfairhope.com [https://www.hatchfairhope.com/] 📩 Contact: team@hatchfairhope.com [team@hatchfairhope.com] Produced by Tim Scott [https://linktr.ee/timscottproductions] for The Hatch Podcast Network.

From Air Force Research to a Medical Breakthrough | David Nelson of Spectratherm

What started as research at an Air Force laboratory eventually led David Nelson and his team to develop a new way to measure blood flow without needles, probes, or invasive procedures. In this episode of our Building Biotech in Lower Alabama series, Stephanie Glines sits down with David Nelson, founder of Spectratherm, to discuss REFLO, a technology designed to measure microcirculation using low-power radio frequency signals and temperature response. David shares the surprising origin story behind the technology, how it could help vascular surgeons evaluate blood flow during critical procedures, and why one surgeon described the approach as “the holy grail” of vascular surgery. He also talks about the journey from university research to startup founder, lessons learned through the Hatch Biotech Accelerator, and what’s next as Spectratherm moves toward clinical testing and FDA approval.   In This Episode: * David’s 40-year career in engineering and academia * The Air Force research project that inspired SpectroTherm * How REFLO measures blood flow without penetrating the skin * Potential applications in vascular surgery and patient care * Moving from research and patents to commercialization * Lessons from the Hatch Biotech Accelerator * Advice for first-time founders Learn More * David Nelson:  LinkedIn Profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-nelson-8981b57/] About the Building Biotech Series Building Biotech in Lower Alabama is a special series from the Hatch Podcast featuring founders, researchers, and innovators developing new technologies and companies across the Gulf Coast region. About The Hatch Podcast At the intersection of innovation, creativity, and community — The Hatch Podcast shares stories from founders, scientists, and artists shaping the future of Alabama’s Gulf Coast.  🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform and share an episode to help us grow. 🔗 Learn more: hatchfairhope.com [https://www.hatchfairhope.com/] 📩 Contact: team@hatchfairhope.com [team@hatchfairhope.com] Produced by Tim Scott [https://linktr.ee/timscottproductions] for The Hatch Podcast Network.

Turning Mental Health Awareness Into Action: Marlo Young on Mentalocity | Building Biotech

In this episode of the Hatch Podcast: Building Biotech, Stephanie Glines sits down with Marlo Young, founder and CEO of New Mindset Consulting and creator of Mentalocity, a platform designed to help people turn mental health awareness into daily action. Drawing from her background in counseling, psychology, education, and mental health advocacy, Marlo shares how she created Mentalocity to help people build healthier routines through self-paced modules, daily mindset check-ins, journaling, coaching support, and community. Stephanie and Marlo discuss: * Why mental health literacy matters * The difference between mental health and mental disorders * How Mentalocity helps bridge the gap between awareness and action * Using AI tools to build a user-friendly wellness platform * Marlo’s four-phase model: awareness, action, resilience, and growth * How the Innovation Portal Tech Academy helped shape the app * What Marlo gained from the Hatch Biotech Accelerator * Advice for founders without a traditional technology background Learn more about New Mindset Consulting: New Mindset Consulting Website https://newmindsetllc.com/ [https://newmindsetllc.com/] Connect with Marlo Young: Marlo Young LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrs-marlo-young-m-s-0a333a101/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrs-marlo-young-m-s-0a333a101/] Building Biotech is a special series from the Hatch Podcast featuring founders and innovators from the latest Hatch Biotech Accelerator cohort. To learn more about Hatch, upcoming programs, and future accelerator opportunities, visit: Hatch Fairhope https://hatchfairhope.com/ [https://hatchfairhope.com/] About The Hatch Podcast At the intersection of innovation, creativity, and community — The Hatch Podcast shares stories from founders, scientists, and artists shaping the future of Alabama’s Gulf Coast.  🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform and share an episode to help us grow. 🔗 Learn more: hatchfairhope.com [https://www.hatchfairhope.com/] 📩 Contact: team@hatchfairhope.com [team@hatchfairhope.com] Produced by Tim Scott [https://linktr.ee/timscottproductions] for The Hatch Podcast Network.

Smarter NICU Care: Shiva Sharareh on AI-Driven Neonatal Monitoring | Building Biotech

In this episode of the Hatch Podcast: Building Biotech, Stephanie Glines sits down with Dr. Shiva Sharareh, founder and CEO of Rekovar, a company developing AI-driven technology designed to improve neonatal and maternal care. After witnessing the devastating effects of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) on a close friend’s family, Shiva became determined to improve how fragile newborns are monitored inside NICUs. Rekovar is building a platform that combines wearable devices, video/audio monitoring, and multimodal AI analytics to continuously assess infant wellness in real time. Drawing from decades of experience in biomedical engineering and leadership roles with companies including Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and Halyard Health, Shiva shares how her background in healthcare innovation led her to launch a mission-driven startup focused on helping clinicians make faster, more informed decisions for vulnerable newborns. Stephanie and Shiva discuss: * Why NICU care still relies heavily on subjective scoring systems * How AI and multimodal monitoring could improve neonatal outcomes * The challenge of continuously monitoring infant behavior and wellness * Rekovar’s wearable and non-invasive monitoring technology * The emotional story that inspired the company * What comes next as Rekovar prepares for expanded clinical trials and commercialization * Shiva’s experience inside the Hatch accelerator program Learn more about Rekovar: Rekovar Website [https://www.rekovar.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Connect with Rekovar on LinkedIn: Rekovar LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/rekovar-inc/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Connect with Shiva Sharareh: Shiva Sharareh LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shiva-sharareh-phd-a1a67b4/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Building Biotech is a special series from the Hatch Podcast featuring founders and innovators from the latest Hatch Biotech Accelerator cohort. To learn more about Hatch, upcoming programs, and future accelerator opportunities, visit: Hatch Fairhope [https://hatchfairhope.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] About The Hatch Podcast At the intersection of innovation, creativity, and community — The Hatch Podcast shares stories from founders, scientists, and artists shaping the future of Alabama’s Gulf Coast.  🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform and share an episode to help us grow. 🔗 Learn more: hatchfairhope.com [https://www.hatchfairhope.com/] 📩 Contact: team@hatchfairhope.com [team@hatchfairhope.com] Produced by Tim Scott [https://linktr.ee/timscottproductions] for The Hatch Podcast Network.

Builder Mindset: Jeff Butler on Systems, AI, and Why Most Projects Break | Hatch Podcast

What separates systems that scale from systems that fall apart? For Jeff Butler, it starts with understanding the problem before writing a single line of code. In this episode of The Hatch Podcast, Jeff shares how a self-taught path from building simple websites in the ‘90s turned into a 30-year career working with large-scale systems, infrastructure, machine learning, and AI. Along the way, the conversation covers everything from early web development and massive business data sets to weather satellites, usability, infrastructure, and the hidden problems most companies don’t realize they have. Jeff also explains why many businesses rushing into AI are building on top of messy, disconnected data—and why that creates bigger problems down the line. This episode is a look at how a longtime builder thinks about systems, problem solving, and creating technology that actually works in the real world. 💡 In this episode: * How Jeff taught himself web development in the early days of the internet * Why “data is data” across industries and systems * The satellite project that started with watching the ISS with his son * Why usability and infrastructure matter more than most people think * The danger of relying too heavily on third-party tools * What businesses are getting wrong about AI and dirty data * Lessons learned from 30 years of building systems About the Guest Jeff Butler is a senior DevOps and systems engineer with more than 25 years of experience building cloud infrastructure, large-scale data systems, automation workflows, and AI-powered applications. His work spans industries including e-commerce, aerospace, biotech, machine learning, and real-time satellite data systems. Jeff Butler: https://jeffbutler.dev/ About The Hatch Podcast At the intersection of innovation, creativity, and community — The Hatch Podcast shares stories from founders, scientists, and artists shaping the future of Alabama’s Gulf Coast.  🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform and share an episode to help us grow. 🔗 Learn more: hatchfairhope.com [https://www.hatchfairhope.com/] 📩 Contact: team@hatchfairhope.com [team@hatchfairhope.com] Produced by Tim Scott [https://linktr.ee/timscottproductions] for The Hatch Podcast Network.