Nucleate Podcast The Art and Science of Drug Hunting | Christoph Lengauer, CSO & Co-Founder of Curie.bio
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Dec 10, 2025 Christoph Lengauer, a biotech executive and co-founder of Curie.bio, shares his journey from academic burnout to drug hunting. He emphasizes the importance of a 'Chief Drug Hunter' mindset and traits like humility and truth-seeking for successful drug discovery. Christoph discusses rethinking drug development timelines and highlights Curie's founder-friendly model that fosters innovation. He delivers insightful advice for aspiring academic founders and stresses the significance of clear communication and collaboration in the biotech landscape.
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From Cheap Book To Lifelong Genetics Passion
- Christoph discovered his passion for genetics after randomly buying a cheap book about cancer as a teen and became obsessed with understanding it.
- That curiosity led him from Salzburg to Heidelberg and eventually to a transformative 12-year tenure at Johns Hopkins with Bert Vogelstein.
Quitting Science For Activism Then Returning
- Christoph left academic science temporarily to work on refugee and asylum activism where he saw immediate impact.
- He later applied to Bert Vogelstein's lab at Johns Hopkins, stayed 12 years, and regained his scientific passion.
Only Do Science If You Are Obsessed
- Only pursue a scientific career if you are obsessed with it and driven by deep passion.
- Ensure your science work aims for tangible impact like diagnostics or medicines to stay satisfied.