Nucleate Podcast

Time Stamps

01:42: Jodie’s early interest in science and the defining moment  

03:31: Starting from the bottom in clinical research shaped her leadership style as a CEO

08:32: How she joined Q32 Bio and then took them public

10:11: Jodie’s inspiration to get involved with challenging companies

11:42: The emotional reward of biotech: the long hours are worthwhile to save lives  

13:46: Navigating challenging situations

15:10: Q32 Bio's focus on autoimmune disorders

19:59: The origins of the CEO Forum

27:54: The "lonely" nature of being a CEO and the importance of community

30:54: Philosophy on female leadership: “lift while we climb”

34:54: How AI is involved in biotech

43:24: Navigating challenging capital markets: focus on “killer experiments” that investors want

46:47: Balancing "ethical obligation" to employees with their "fiduciary responsibility" to investors

49:56: How layoffs are “heartbreaking” but necessary to preserve capital for future drug development

56:30: The future of biotech is "cautious optimism" but needed

1:00:06: Initiatives among leaders to heal the misconception of science

01:05:01: Rapid Fire questions

Time Stamps

[00:00] Laurence explains biotech to a five-year-old 

[01:55] Early life in the UK and first steps toward biotech 

[02:47] How The Double Helix and Celltech shaped his path 

[07:15] Moving from bench science to Cell and a wider view of research 

[13:04] Learning business development at Millennium

[15:30] Why relationships matter in biotech deals 

[17:43] How Millennium changed from platform company to drug developer 

[28:01] Joining Alnylam and building around RNAi 

[39:19] Becoming a CEO at Warp Drive Bio 

[44:36] Novel antibiotics, molecular glues, and the RevMed merger

[52:07] What founders should know about building to make a lasting impact

[54:50] Joining Decibel during restructuring and COVID 

[58:55] Rebuilding culture and sharpening strategy 

[1:09:49] Why Decibel focused on gene therapy for the inner ear

[1:25:05] Advice for founders raising money in a hard market

Time Stamps

(0:55) Introduction to Michal’s background and her professional journey 

(7:58) How Michal leveraged tech skills to break into computational biology 

(13:15) Her experience at Compugen working on early AI-enabled drug discovery  

(19:52) Challenges startup founders face and strategies to overcome them

(25:19) Michal’s personal experience as a founder at Anima Biotech

(32:52) Resources available at academic institutions to support startups 

(40:15) How to successfully negotiate as a scientific founder

(46:51) Michal’s role at Johnson & Johnson

(53:13) Introduction to MassBio and their purpose

(58:35) Advice on networking and how to form meaningful partnerships

Time Stamps

1:37 Introduction to Szabi’s journey from economics to healthcare 

3:23 Szabi’s early startup experience at Tresorit 

5:27 Key takeaways from his first venture

11:46 What led Szabi to pivot into healthcare and how he managed that transition

14:37 Introduction to Turbine

17:10 Example of running large-scale experiments in collaboration with Merck 

19:17 Explanation of the main phases of application of the model 

22:32 What fundamental tenets were used to build Turbine’s model 

29:16 How to form successful partnerships

38:53 Szabi’s experience with raising funds in a tight capital market 

40:00 Advice for founders navigating this challenging market

49:20 How to find the right mentor and form a meaningful connection 

51:07 Final words of wisdom

Time Stamps
1:58 Merrick Smela's Early Influence
03:36 Ovelle's Founding:  Travis Potter and Merrick Smela
05:07 Travis Potter's Motivation After Facing Fertility Struggles
06:44 Underfunding of IVG
07:48 Finance/Biotech Commonalities
09:15 Scientific Co-founder Role: Merrick Smela
09:56 Using Statistics in Design
12:25 Definition of IVG
12:54 Ovelle's Mission to Revolutionize Infertility Treatment
13:33 IVG vs. IVF
15:49 Ovelle's Unique Scientific Approach
16:39 Direct Activation vs. Natural Signaling: 
18:17 Meiosis Paper Innovation: Identifying Regulatory Factors that can Activate Meiosis from Stem Cells
21:23 Team Building: Finding Dedicated Scientists
24:20 Culture Difference (Meaning vs. Money)
28:35 IVG Process Overview: 
29:36 IVM is Achieved in Humans: 
30:35 Quality Control and Safety of Eggs
32:35 Prioritization using Critical Path Analysis:
35:02 Investor Funding for IVG as a New Fertility Approach
41:21 Rapid Fire Questions