Vicki Sato: Building Modern Biotech Through the Pull and Push

Chuan He: Philosophies on the Wall Between Academia and Industry

Chuan He is a world-renowned epigeneticist, a Wolf Prize laureate, and a recent inductee of the National Academy of Sciences. Chuan’s lab at the University of Chicago has spun out numerous companies including Ellis Bio [https://ellisbio.com/] (DNA methylation detection technologies) and Aferna Bio [https://leaps.bayer.com/companies/agriculture/aferna-bio] (plant biology). His discovery of the first RNA demethylase introduced a new layer of transcriptional regulation, and his subsequent work resulted in epigenetic based tools for detecting biomarkers of cancer, created super-crops that are more productive and resistant to drought, identified novel therapeutic targets, and enabled countless other discoveries in epitranscriptomics. In this episode: * Chuan talks about his experience growing up in China and his dreams of becoming a scientist. * Chuan describes his pathway to tenure at the University of Chicago and shares advice for those wanting to follow in his footsteps. * Chuan explains why his discovery of the first RNA demethylase (FTO) was so important, and why the rise of epitranscriptomics has been such an exciting journey. * Chuan shares some advice for trainees and expounds upon his philosophy towards the separation between academia and industry This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Tanner Baldwin [http://www.linkedin.com/in/tanner-baldwin-302bba203] with help from Fang Xie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fangxie117/]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com [https://hbcpulse.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Mark Namchuk: The Art of the Argument Between Science and Business at Every Level

Mark Namchuk [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-namchuk-8188b696/] is the Executive Director of Therapeutics Translation at Harvard Medical School. Before he joined Harvard, Mark had a 24-year research and development career in the biotech industry, working in a number of areas, including drug discovery, translational science and pharmaceutical development. Mark began his industry career at Cubist Pharmaceuticals as head of the enzymology group. Then Mark spent 17 years at Vertex, holding a number of senior research positions, including senior vice president of North American research and interim global head of research. In 2015, Mark joined Alkermes as senior vice president. In this episode: * He talks about how he fell in love with science after being inspired by the Star Trek character Spock and watching science programs on TV with his father. * He talks about his transition from academia to industry, including the moment he received his first job offer and ultimately describing the exciting energy at Vertex in its early days. * He comments on the wisdom he’s gained while serving in senior leadership positions at Vertex and other companies and expounds on he belief that “Biotech is an argument between science, management, and business… part of the art is knowing who’s turn it is to win.” * He talks about his philosophy on the differences between academic science and industry science and how to bridge the two. * He describes the premise and structure behind the Harvard Medical School Therapeutics Initiative and the Harvard Life Labs. * He provides actionable advice for PhD graduates and post docs trying to navigate a down job market Co-hosts: Tanner Baldwin [http://www.linkedin.com/in/tanner-baldwin-302bba203] and Fang Xie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fangxie117] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com [https://hbcpulse.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Vicki Sato: Building Modern Biotech Through the Pull and Push

Dr Vicki Sato [https://www.hbshealthalumni.org/s/1738/cc/21/page.aspx?sid=1738&gid=11&pgid=57115&cid=120775&ecid=120775&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=2496] is a pioneering biotech leader who helped shape the modern biotech industry. She currently serves on the board or in the advisory role for several biotech companies, including Vir Biotechnology, Denali Therapeutics, Allogene Therapeutics, and as a venture partner at ARCH Venture Partners. Vicki started her career as an academic scientist. She was a professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Harvard. She later made a bold leap into biotech industry, initially joining Biogen and ultimately becoming Chief Scientific Officer and then President of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. At Vertex, she helped drive some of the company’s most transformative scientific bets. After decades leading at the highest levels of biotech, Vicki came back to Harvard to teach courses on drug discovery and the commercialization of science, and to help launch the Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship. Vicki was also a member of the President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST) for President Joe Biden. In this episode, * She talks about her early life from Chicago public schools, to attending Harvard, later becoming a professor. * She reflects on the “pull and push” factors that led her to make a bold transition from academia into biotech Industry (early years of Biogen, then Vertex) at a time when such move was far from typical. * She discusses the limitations of the simplified approach in drug discovery, stressing the need for a more holistic/systemic approach to tackle complex diseases. * She recalls how she navigated tough times and made tough decisions when she was leading Vertex. She stresses how important a clear and audacious vision is for attracting and retaining talent. * She suggests young scientists and entrepreneurs focus on identifying and addressing meaningful problems. * She shares her experience serving on PCAST under President Biden and discusses the importance of having a science policy and the challenges of driving federal policy. * In the end, she shares her hobbies (ballroom dancing, reading and cooking). Co-Hosts: Yossef Baidi & Fang Xie Question planning: Malvika Dua, Fang Xie, Yossef Baidi This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com [https://hbcpulse.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

James Collins: Doing Good Science with an Underdog Spirit

James Collins [https://wyss.harvard.edu/team/core-faculty/james-collins/] is the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Science and Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT. Jim serves as a director at the MIT Jameel Clinic, a member of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology Faculty, a core founding faculty member of the Wyss Institute, and a member of the Broad Institute. Jim is also an elected member of all three national academies. As one of the founders of synthetic biology, Jim has pioneered research by using synthetic biology and AI to develop next-generation diagnostics and therapeutics, particularly for infectious diseases such as Ebola, Zika, COVID-19 and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (superbugs). Jim has received numerous awards and honors including recognition as a Clarivate Citation Laureate. The technologies from his lab have been licensed by over 25 biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies, and he has also co-founded a number of biotech startups. In this episode, * Jim talks about his growing up in a technical family and shares his early interest in science. He explains his uncommon decision he made as a high school senior to attend College of the Holy Cross instead of MIT. * He reflects on his journey from doing neuro-mechanics research to making the big leap into synthetic biology. He highlights his early work on construction of a genetic toggle switch, a foundational project in synthetic biology. * He talks about his past work on diagnostics for infectious diseases like Ebola and Zika, and shares his recent progress in developing AI-designed antibiotics, including Halicin. * He expresses his concerns about R&D in antibiotics and explains his motivation for establishing the nonprofit Phare Bio to advance novel antibiotics against superbugs. * He reflects on his time on President Obama’s bioethics advisory board and his overall views on bioethics. * He talks about how ChatGPT and social media affects science, and strongly encourages young scientists to focus on becoming true experts rather than pursuing fame as influencers. * Inspired by his love of team sports, he uses the analogy of an “underdog spirit” to describe his philosophy of embracing failure. * He loves running, reading and spending his time with his family and friends. Co-Hosts: Fang Xie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fangxie117/] and Yossef Baidi [https://www.linkedin.com/in/yossef-baidi-720a0a141/] Co-Producers: Fang Xie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fangxie117/] Yossef Baidi [https://www.linkedin.com/in/yossef-baidi-720a0a141/] Rui Li [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rui-li-633212139/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com [https://hbcpulse.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Tim Harris: a Journey through 50 years of Biotechnology

Tim Harris [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-harris-41982016/] is a molecular biologist, biochemist and geneticist. He is also a science and business leader with over 40 years of experience in a range of molecular research areas. Tim is currently an Operating Partner at SV Health Investors. Outside of SV, he holds a seat on the Board of Directors of Phenome TX in Edinburgh and is a visiting professor at Columbia University. Before joining SV, Tim served in several senior management positions including Executive VP of Corporate Development at Repertoire Immune Medicines, Executive VP of R&D at Bioverativ (now part of Sanofi-Genzyme), the Senior VP for Precision Medicine at Biogen which followed his role as Senior VP of Translational Medicine also at Biogen, and Senior Vice President of R&D at Sequana/Axys. Tim also served as Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Advanced Technology Program at SAIC-Frederick in Maryland, currently known as Frederick National Laboratory, which operates the National Cancer Institute’s leading center for cancer and AIDS research. In 1999, Tim founded SGX Pharmaceuticals. He built SGX to more than 130 employees, raised $85M in capital, and generated more than $20M in revenue during his six year tenure as CEO before it was sold to Eli Lilly. In 2024, Tim published his well regarded memoir, “In Pursuit of Unicorns: A Journey Through 50 Years of Biotechnology”. With first-hand experience of biotech’s evolution over decades, the book highlights the most impactful advances in biotech and gives a compelling, insider view of the breakthroughs that have shaped modern biotechnology. John Maraganore, former CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and a previous guest of The Pulse, has praised it as “a new bible for the history of biotechnology.” In this episode, * Tim shares his upbringing in the UK, influenced by his father, a chemist, and his interest in science, sparked by Sir Robert Robinson, a Nobel Laureate. * He discusses his move from academia to CellTech and his motivation in staying on the industry track. He describes his time at Glaxo as a senior manager and later move to San Diego and join Sequann, a startup applying genetics into drug development. * He shares the backstory of why he wrote his new book “In Pursuit of Unicorns: A Journey Through 50 Years of Biotechnology”, a first of kind biotech history book, which aims to provide a comprehensive view of biotech history. * He discusses the current biotech and policy landscape, including concerns about major health decisions being made without strong scientific backing and ongoing challenges around drug pricing and access in the U.S. * He shares advice for trainees: follow what genuinely interests you, commit deeply (“10,000 hours is real”), and carry forward the “three Ps” — patience, persistence, and practicality. * He reflects on his transition into venture capital at SV health investors, explaining how science-driven technical due diligence, strong management teams, and company culture shape investment decisions, and why choosing the right people matters most. * He explores the future of biotech, highlighting AI-driven drug discovery as the next major frontier he would invest in, while also sharing personal interests like his love of carpentry outside of work. Co-hosts: Malvika Dua [https://www.linkedin.com/in/malvika-dua-322b44178/] and Tanner Baldwin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanner-baldwin-302bba203/] Producers: Malvika Dua and Fang Xie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fangxie117/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com [https://hbcpulse.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]