The Biotech Startups Podcast 🧬 Rafael Rosengarten - Part 1 | From Salt Marsh to Biotech CEO | Snorkeling into Science | Choosing Marine Biology Over Cooking on a Mediterranean Yacht
Jan 13, 2025
30:36
Part 1 of 4: My guest today is Rafael Rosengarten, CEO and Co-Founder of Genialis, the RNA biomarker company. Genialis is reimagining biomarkers for every target, drug, and patient using a combination of precision oncology, RNA, and AI.
Rafael, a biomedical research veteran, combines academic excellence with industry innovation. A Dartmouth graduate with a Yale doctorate, he conducted postdoctoral research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he co-invented the j5 DNA assembly tool. As co-founder of the Alliance for AI in Healthcare, he advocates for responsible AI integration in medicine, drawing from his extensive background in evolution, immunology, bioengineering, and genetics.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Rafael's upbringing in rural South Carolina, influenced by his parents' intellectual hippie activist background and nature
- How his French cell biologist uncle sparked his love for science through snorkeling
- Rafael's journey at Dartmouth, initially pursuing chemistry but ultimately finding his passion in evolutionary biology and ecology
- His post-college experiences alternating between scientific research and culinary pursuits
- The pivotal decision to attend a marine biology program at Friday Harbor instead of accepting an offer to cook on a private yacht
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Find Our Guest, Rafael Rosengarten, at these links:
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:
Excedr Socials & Website
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr
Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/
Enriched Notes:
Topics Mentioned:
Dartmouth https://home.dartmouth.edu/
Bay Wolf https://www.berkeleyside.org/2015/07/01/oaklands-bay-wolf-restaurant-closing-after-40-years
Chez Panisse https://www.chezpanisse.com/1/
Friday Harbor Laboratories https://fhl.uw.edu/
People Mentioned:
Jay Keasling https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-keasling-6783754/
Alice Waters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Waters
Fanny Singer (Waters) https://thefoldmag.com/arts-culture/a-conversation-with-fanny-singer-about-her-mother-daughter-memoir-always-home
Jeremiah Tower https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiah-tower/
Dan Barber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Barber
Thomas Keller https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Keller
Timestamps:
00:49 Intro
02:48 Rafael's upbringing in rural South Carolina and early influences
05:50 Discussing the impact of Rafael's upbringing on his business philosophy
07:44 Rafael's decision to attend Dartmouth College
10:27 Family influence on Rafael's academic pursuits
12:04 Rafael's experiences at Dartmouth and choosing his major
14:30 Summer internship at Bay Wolf restaurant in Oakland
16:55 Influential professors and classmates at Dartmouth
18:22 Post-graduation experiences and working at Yale
23:20 Comparing cooking experiences on the West Coast and East Coast
26:38 Entering Yale's biomedical program and the Friday Harbor experience
29:48 Outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.