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In this episode of Inside Biotech, we sit down with Dr. Julia Perederiy, neuroscientist and Founder of OmBiome, a regenerative health company revolutionizing personal care through microalgae. Julia shares her journey from academia to entrepreneurship, the science behind her mission, and how wellness trends are evolving in today’s market. Tune in for insights on building a biotech-driven wellness brand and how algae could shape the future of holistic health. (0:00) Intro to this months episode with Dr. Julia Perederiy from OmBiome! (1:35) City of Hope Ad (2:13) Greeting Dr. Julia Perederiy from OmBiome (2:57) OmBiome is a regenerative health company using algae for oral health (4:08) What inspired Julia to start a company in the wellness space (5:50) What is the line between a therapeutic and a wellness supplement? (7:13) Strict language to as wellness products cannot “treat” disease, but can support them. (8:40) How to define OmBiome’s success? (10:30) Julia hopes that this “wellness” focus will shift to a Biotech company (11:59) What is the marketing strategy for OmBiome? (15:02) What is Julia’s background in science? (17:50) How did Julia get from neuroscience to OmBiome’s focus on nutrition and the microenvironment (23:10) How effective vs. mechanism for how OmBiome improves the mouth. (24:00) Nobody cares about science of how things work, but they care about how to meet unmet need. (28:25) Importance of having whole foods rather than additive Vitamins. (30:05) Basis for gum disease (31:28) What is the first step towards starting OmBiome? (35:38) Statistics in dental health are really powerful indicators that most adults have gum disease and many children have cavities. (37:22) Spirulina in the supplement industry. (38:50) Julia came to the United States from Russia at the age of 12. (42:10) Esoteric terms in a different fields like science, business, wellness, etc. (43:40) Where is the wellness industry going in the next 10 years? (49:02) We do not need every minute detail of science answered to help humanity. (50:35) Wrap up of episode with Dr. Julia Perederiy Follow our Instagram @insidebiotech for updates about episodes and upcoming guests!   To learn more about BCLA’s events and consulting visit our website [https://www.bc-la.org/]. Follow BCLA on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bclosangeles/]

In this discussion, Dr. Adam Watson, Co-founder and CEO of MeCo Diagnostics, shares the personal and professional experiences that led him to focus on cancer research and, ultimately, to launch his own company. From the profound influence of his family’s battle with cancer to the long and complex journey of developing the MeCo Score™, he walks us through the challenges of translating academic research into a commercial product. Dr. Watson offers insights into the realities of working with a tech transfer office, the hurdles of bringing a biomarker test to market, and the tough decision of leaving academia to pursue entrepreneurship. He also reflects on the knowledge gaps he faced as a first-time founder and the strategies that helped MeCo gain credibility in an industry dominated by large pharmaceutical companies. Finally, we discuss the broader biotech landscape—how LA’s biotech ecosystem can better support startups like MeCo, and what it will take for non–big pharma breakthroughs to gain traction in the market. Whether you're a scientist considering a leap into entrepreneurship or someone interested in the future of precision medicine, this conversation offers valuable lessons in perseverance, innovation, and the intersection of science and business. https://mecodiagnostics.com/ [https://mecodiagnostics.com/] RSVP for BCLA 10th Annual Healthcare Summit: https://lu.ma/pecqtqut [https://lu.ma/pecqtqut] Follow our Instagram @insidebiotech for updates about episodes and upcoming guests!   To learn more about BCLA’s events and consulting visit our website [https://www.bc-la.org/]. Follow BCLA on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bclosangeles/]

In this episode of Inside Biotech, we sit down with Lital Gilad-Shaoulian, CEO of PurposeBio, to explore her inspiring journey from a non-science background into the world of biotech. Lital shares how she transformed PurposeBio into an industry leader focused on tackling cardiometabolic diseases. It was named by UCLA as one of its “Best and Most Investment Worthy Startups." They have been awarded the Department of Defense Award for Innovation and Impact and received a personal invitation to the annual premier pharma and healthcare conference, JPM Healthcare Conference, in San Francisco in January 2025. From her early days as an Entrepreneur In Residence at Stanford Research Institute to her success as a mentor and ambassador, Lital offers powerful insights into patient-centered innovation, resilience, and team-driven leadership. She also discusses the triumphs and challenges of turning an idea into a tangible, marketable product, emphasizing the importance of persistence, collaboration, and staying focused on the end goal. Join us for an energizing conversation on purpose, innovation, and the future of biotech. (0:00) Intro (0:56) Intro to Lital Gilad Shaulian of PurposeBio for Cardiometabolic diseases (2:27) Macherey-Nagel Ad (3:23) Lital’s career background (4:36) After Lital turned forty, she wanted a change from tech (6:46) Shift from tech to biotech by reading a science article (9:50) Dr. Elaine Hsiao’s research led to a collaboration towards drugs for obesity and fatty liver disease by gut microbiome (13:12) Why meeting the need not focusing on the idea is important (15:01) Survey of what patients with cholesterol and fatty liver disease need (18:25) What are the steps of FDA approval? (21:40) How Lital build her team of experts? Meeting Professor Eran Elinav and having him buy in (29:03) How to get a startup off the ground and get funding? (33:30) Where do the funds go currently for Purpose Bio? Science and IP (35:11) What does communication look like on a day-to-day basis for Purpose Bio? (36:46) The importance of thinking ahead to plan what the company needs (42:22) How Lital developed her background in science by asking questions (44:59) Milestones that Lital has hit with Purpose Bio and how that felt at each time (49:01) The lack of control in science and not knowing what will happen when variables are manipulated (50:18) What is the focus of taking the next step towards clinical trials? (54:24) Purpose Bio will meet unmet needs of patients that cannot use GLP-1 or statins (55:42) Side effects of statins are difficult to manage (59:31) What advice would Lital give herself for the beginning of her journey? (65:58) Outro Follow our Instagram @insidebiotech for updates about episodes and upcoming guests!   To learn more about BCLA’s events and consulting visit our website [https://www.bc-la.org/]. Follow BCLA on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bclosangeles/]

In this episode, we follow the inspiring journey of Sarah Ives, Vice President of BioPharma at TripleBar, as she shares her transition from a hands-on scientist to an influential leader in biotech. Sarah shares her journey, starting with her early work in bioassay development and biosensing, and candidly discusses the challenges she faced as she moved beyond the lab bench. Her growing expertise played a pivotal role in driving some of her company’s most important breakthroughs. She reveals the unexpected twists, personal growth, and strategic decisions that helped shape her career. Sarah’s candid reflection on navigating the biotech startup world, embracing uncertainty, and finding her passion for biology provides invaluable insights for anyone aspiring to make their mark in the field. Whether you're new to biotech or aiming for leadership, this episode is packed with practical advice and inspiration, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to make their mark in the field. (0:00) Intro (0:55) Sarah Ives feature and background (2:15) Macherey-Nagel Ad (3:11) Welcome Sarah Ives VP of Triple bar, how her professional journey led to this point (4:45) How was Sarah’s first transition from a masters to industry and why University of San Francisco (8:34) What is the difference between an internship and a full-time position? (11:10) Sarah started early in her career with client management and staying organized with science (12:11) Was there always a draw to a people facing role? (15:00) How to transition from pharma to startups? Connections. (18:20) Anecdote from how different the startup world is? (21:00) The first biotech company Sarah worked for was bootstrapped (22:45) Startups need to keep funding to grow! Sarah wore many hats working for first company. (27:00) Importance to learn and advocate for yourself in science (31:22) Transition as Distributed Bio startup was sold to Charles River (34:40) Sarah was tired after her time working at a startup and transition to Charles River (37:20) Sarah Ives had consulting projects trickle in from how she was highly visible as an expert in antibody engineering (41:05) Time off caused Sarah to learn a lot about herself and resiliency and persistence (43:12) How was the work on the universal flu vaccine that led to Sarah being featured on a Netflix documentary? (46:22) Sarah and others in the Netflix documentary were predicting concern for a respiratory virus right before the pandemic (49:22) Sarah was so happy with all the nice feedback she got from the pandemic (51:22) Advice for those looking to get into the startup world? (54:40) Outro Follow our Instagram @insidebiotech for updates about episodes and upcoming guests!   To learn more about BCLA’s events and consulting visit our website [https://www.bc-la.org/]. Follow BCLA on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bclosangeles/]

In this episode of Inside Biotech, we explore the transition from academia to product management with Dr. Sara Tafoya, Global Product Manager at Sony Biotechnology. Sara’s passion lies in helping STEM graduate students and early career professionals recognize the value of their technical expertise beyond the bench. She shares her journey from PhD to product management, discussing how she bridges technical know-how with customer advocacy and sales to drive innovation in biotech. If you've ever wondered how to apply your niche academic skills to roles outside of research, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Listen in as Sara offers advice on professional development and how to pursue fulfilling, impactful careers that push scientific innovation forward. (0:00) Intro (1:01) Episode summary overview with Dr. Sara Tafoya - Product management. (2:07) Salve Therapeutics Ad. (2:47) Sara Tafoya wants to share knowledge and help future scientist with career transitions (4:35) Sara discusses her rationale to be on the podcast. (5:57) Questions of the episode: What does a day in the life as a product manager look like? How to know that this career might be a good fit for you and then how to get involved in this career? (6:39) What products does Sara Tafoya manage for Sony Biotechnology? (7:40) Sony Biotechnology makes technology for flow cytometry (9:30) What is flow cytometry? (11:55) Huge development in flow cytometry to use many different fluorophores in one sample (14:21) New developments in microfluidic chips (15:57) What characteristics make a good product manager in science apart from great communication? (16:54) Great people skills are a must for product managers (18:00) Two different jobs in product management, helping the customer and then helping the company with ideas and improvements (19:40) When being a product manager focus on customer segments (Academia vs. Industry) focus on affordability vs. capability (21:20) Product managers need to go out and find needs of company. What consumers care about in improvements (22:46) Do you travel and how is work life balance as a product manager? (24:32) Traveling depends on what you are doing but no substitute for being exposed in person. (25:05) Salve Therapeutics Ad (25:45) What drove Dr. Tafoya to this career path? 27:10 -27:50 (27:50) How did the skills Sara picked up in her PhD help with product management and what did she need to learn afterwards? (30:00) You will always need to understand commercial space and biotech ecosystem once you start your career in industry? (30:40) What surprised Sara about being a product manager? (33:05) Sara took a course in product management from Warton to help with business side (35:40) What skills are translatable from scientific expertise to product management? (38:30) Importance of using scientific reasoning and thinking on the job (39:48) How to break into the world of product management? (41:27) You typically need to pay your dues to get a role in product management (45:30) Try to figure out what career you want so less sacrifices are made later on or you can get lucky. (47:00) Ad for Macherey-Nagle (47:52) What is next for Sara in her career? (50:04) Sara wants to create a great team with effective communication and change the way things are done at work (51:51) What are Sara’s hobbies? (55:20) Episode wrap up Follow our Instagram @insidebiotech for updates about episodes and upcoming guests!   To learn more about BCLA’s events and consulting visit our website [https://www.bc-la.org/]. Follow BCLA on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bclosangeles/]