
Biotech 2050 Podcast
Biotech2050 Podcast is a think tank chronicling the disruptions changing the biotech industry over the next 50 years.
Latest episodes

6 snips
May 14, 2025 • 18min
Stacy Lindborg, Imunon President & CEO, on Bold Biotech, IL-12 Immunotherapy & Phase 3 Trials
Stacy Lindborg, President and CEO of Imunon, brings nearly 30 years of biotech experience to the discussion. She shares groundbreaking insights on Imunon's IL-12 plasmid platform, which is poised to transform ovarian cancer treatment with impressive survival rates. The conversation highlights the role of AI and adaptive trial designs in drug development, and Stacy emphasizes the need for a bold, transparent company culture to drive innovation forward. Her mission-driven leadership and commitment to enhancing patient outcomes set a promising tone for the future of biotech.

May 8, 2025 • 25min
Stephanie Sirota, CBO & Partner at RTW Investments, on Biotech Investing, Policy & Bold Bet Building
Synopsis:
What happens when a former journalist becomes one of biotech’s boldest investors? Meet Stephanie Sirota, Chief Business Officer and Partner at RTW Investments, who helped grow the firm from $27 million in assets to a global biotech force. In this engaging conversation with host Rahul Chaturvedi, Stephanie shares her unconventional path into the industry, and how a mission-driven, science-led investment strategy has guided RTW’s approach across public markets, private deals, and company creation.
Stephanie reflects on the evolution of biotech financing, why GLP-1 drugs are just getting started, and how RTW is preparing for changes in U.S. healthcare policy. She also unpacks how the firm sources opportunities, evaluates risk, and sticks to long-term conviction even in volatile markets. For Stephanie, great biotech investing starts with deep research, strong science, and a relentless focus on patient outcomes.
Whether you're an investor, operator, or simply curious about the future of medicine, this conversation is packed with insights on building bold bets—and the staying power behind them.
Biography:
Stephanie leads a team at RTW overseeing business development, strategic partnerships, communications, and investor relations.
Her background in investment banking and expertise in financial markets has helped position the firm as both a partner to life sciences companies and a steward of investors’ capital. Stephanie also manages RTW’s relationships with key partners including banks, academic institutions, corporations, investors, and NGOs. She has led the firm’s entry into the UK and European markets and serves as a director of the RTW Biotech Opportunities Ltd, a publicly traded investment fund listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Prior to joining RTW, she served as director at Valhalla Capital Advisors, a macro and commodity investment manager. Stephanie also worked in the New York and London offices of Lehman Brothers, where she advised on various Merger & Acquisitions, IPOs, and capital market financing transactions with a focus on cross-border transactions for the firm’s global corporate clients.
Stephanie graduated with honors from Columbia University and also received a Master’s Degree from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
She serves as president of the RTW Foundation; and co-chair of Council of the New York Philharmonic.

Apr 3, 2025 • 42min
Steve Tregay on Leading Mission BioCapital as Managing Partner & Fueling Early-Stage Biotech
Synopsis:
Building in biotech isn’t for the faint of heart—especially during a market downturn.
But that’s exactly when Steve Tregay, Managing Partner at Mission BioCapital, thrives. A seasoned entrepreneur and founder of Forma Therapeutics, Steven has navigated biotech’s toughest cycles—and emerged stronger each time.
Hosted by Rahul Chaturvedi, this conversation dives into what it really takes to launch and scale biotech companies: from mastering the evolution of the CEO role to raising nearly $900M through strategic partnerships, to knowing when it’s time to pass the torch.
Steve also shares how Mission BioCapital is rewriting the playbook for early-stage innovation through its Platinum Program, offering $500K and lab access to science founders ready to launch bold new ideas.
Real talk, real strategies, and a blueprint for building lasting biotech companies—especially when its hardest.
Biography:
Steve Tregay, PhD is a Managing General Partner based in our Cambridge office. He focuses on new therapeutics investments with a particular emphasis on company creation opportunities as well as on overall management of the firm. Within the Mission BioCapital portfolio, he is currently founding CEO and board member of Arclight Therapeutics, LLC, a founding board member at Jupiter BioVentures LLC, and has board roles at Vedere Bio and Nocion Therapeutics. In addition, Steve serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors at LabCentral. He is a Harvard Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator Advisory Committee member and is a member of the board of advisors for the non-profit Life Sciences Cares.
Previously, Steve was the Founder and CEO of FORMA Therapeutics. Additional roles held prior to his engagement at FORMA include Managing Director for the Novartis Venture Fund and Executive Director & Head of Strategic Alliances for Oncology, Ophthalmology and Technologies at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. Prior to Novartis, he held roles in research and business development at Array BioPharma.
Steve received his doctoral and Master’s degrees in organic chemistry from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s from Davidson College.

Mar 26, 2025 • 36min
Neil F. McFarlane, President & CEO of Zevra Therapeutics, on Leading Rare Disease Innovation
Synopsis:
In this episode of Biotech2050, host Rahul Chaturvedi sits down with Neil F. McFarlane, President and CEO of Zevra Therapeutics, to explore his unique leadership journey from military nurse to biotech executive. Neil shares reflections from his time at Genzyme and UCB, insights on running a rare disease-focused biotech, and the art of mission-driven leadership. He dives into Zevra’s recent therapeutic milestones, regulatory strategies, and the importance of reflection in high-stakes environments. This conversation offers powerful takeaways for anyone navigating biotech leadership, board management, or rare disease innovation.
Biography:
Neil F. McFarlane took the reins as President and CEO of Zevra Therapeutics, a commercial-stage rare disease therapeutics company, in October 2023, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the biopharma industry and specific expertise in neurological and rare diseases. Before joining Zevra, he served on the board of Collegium Pharmaceutical Inc. from 2022 to 2024 and was the CEO of Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for neurological diseases, from 2019 until its acquisition by Supernus Pharmaceuticals in 2021.
Prior to Adamas, Mr. McFarlane was Chief Operating Officer at Retrophin, Inc. (now Travere Therapeutics, Inc.), from 2016 to 2019, where he managed day-to-day operations. He also held roles of increasing responsibility at UCB, Inc., Genzyme Corporation (now Sanofi), and Sangstat Medical Corporation, which was acquired by Genzyme.

Mar 20, 2025 • 34min
Raj Devraj, President & CEO - Rectify Pharma, on Drug Discovery, Biotech Breakthroughs & Growth
Synopsis:
How do you build a biotech company that disrupts drug discovery and delivers real impact? In this episode of Biotech 2050, host Rahul Chaturvedi speaks with Raj Devraj, President & CEO of Rectify Pharmaceuticals and Venture Partner at Atlas Venture.
Raj shares his journey from big pharma to biotech entrepreneurship, the science behind Rectify’s groundbreaking approach to drugging membrane proteins, and how his team is tackling rare hepatobiliary diseases with small-molecule therapies.
He also dives deep into biotech innovation, smart capital strategy, M&A trends, and the power of hiring the right talent. Whether you’re a biotech founder, investor, or science enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights on building, funding, and scaling a biotech startup in today’s competitive landscape.
Biography:
Rajesh (Raj) Devraj, Ph.D., is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rectify Pharma and a Venture Partner at Atlas Venture. Throughout his career, he has been focused on creating and building groundbreaking biotech companies. Prior to Rectify, Raj co-founded Disarm Therapeutics with Atlas and served as its Chief Scientific Officer prior to its acquisition. Before Disarm, he served as Chief Scientific Officer of Atlas-founded Padlock Therapeutics. Prior to his tenure at Atlas, Raj served in senior executive roles at Euclises & Deciphera Pharmaceuticals and at Jubilant Life Sciences. In addition, Raj spent 14 years in positions of increasing responsibility with Pfizer Global R&D and the legacy Pharmacia and Searle companies. Raj also serves on the boards of directors for several biotech companies. Over a 25-year career in large pharma and biotech, Raj has led discovery, early clinical development, and strategic planning teams that have advanced multiple candidates into clinical trials for refractory cancers, autoimmune diseases, IPF, diabetic nephropathy, COPD, and pain. Raj received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Mumbai, and Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from Duquesne University.

Mar 11, 2025 • 26min
Revolutionizing CAR T with CRISPR: Rachel Haurwitz, President & CEO of Caribou Biosciences
Rachel Haurwitz, the President & CEO of Caribou Biosciences, dives into the future of CRISPR and CAR T therapies. As a pioneer in genome editing, she discusses the transformative potential of off-the-shelf CAR T solutions, currently being tested in multiple clinical trials. Rachel reflects on her journey from co-founding the company at just 26, the importance of strategic partnerships, and navigating the biotech landscape. She also emphasizes the need for diversity and the evolving dynamics in biotech entrepreneurship.

Mar 6, 2025 • 59min
Liam Killingstad on How Family Offices Quietly Fuel Biotech’s Boldest Innovations
Liam Killingstad, co-founder of KHORA Therapeutics and Operating Partner at Finiam Investments, dives into the transformative role of family offices in biotech. He shares how personal experiences with rare cancers ignited a mission-driven investment approach. The conversation uncovers the unique strategies family offices employ, their agile funding capabilities, and the impact of tailored investments on biotech innovation. Liam also reflects on his journey from investment banking to biotech, highlighting the essential skills required to bridge these industries effectively.

7 snips
Feb 26, 2025 • 43min
Clare Terlouw, Head of LifeArc Ventures, on Bridging Biotech’s Funding Gap & Investing for Impact
Clare Terlouw, Head of LifeArc Ventures, brings over 15 years of biotech financing expertise to the table. She shares her journey from physiotherapy to leading investments in biotech innovation. The discussion dives into LifeArc's unique approach to bridging the funding gap in biotech, addressing the challenges faced in transitioning academic research to commercial success. Clare also emphasizes the importance of strategic philanthropic investment and highlights the growing opportunities within the UK biotech landscape for sustainable impact.

Feb 20, 2025 • 24min
AI, Biotech, & Venture Capital: Alex Bangash, Founder of Transpose, on Future of Startup Investing
In this engaging discussion, Alex Bangash, Founder of Transpose Platform and former CEO of Trusted Insight, shares his journey from engineering to venture capital. He highlights the evolving landscape of biotech investment and the pivotal role of limited partners. Alex explores how AI is revolutionizing both tech and life sciences, while emphasizing the unique challenges startup founders face today. With insights on modern entrepreneurship and the synergy between AI and biotech, he offers valuable guidance for navigating the future of venture capital.

Feb 12, 2025 • 36min
Empowering Neurodivergent Innovators: Chad Belinsky on Impact, Mentorship, and Atypical Path
Synopsis:
In this special episode of Biotech 2050, Host Alok Tayi, CEO and Co-Founder of VibeBio, delves into the world of neurodivergent entrepreneurship and impact investing with guest Chad Belinsky, founder of AtypicalPath.org. Chad shares his inspiring journey from running a transformative B2B materials company to establishing Atypical Path—a nonprofit dedicated to supporting neurodiverse individuals, fostering mentorship, and creating impact-driven investment opportunities. Together, they explore the unique perspectives neurodivergent individuals bring to innovation, the importance of self-awareness, and how capital can drive meaningful societal change. A must-listen for those interested in mission-oriented investment, entrepreneurship, and the untapped potential of neurodivergent talent.
Biography:
“Dumb” dyslexic, awkward aspie kid, empowered by love & tech, transformed himself and a bootstrapped family material science B2B into a 20 year overnight success with PE platform exit.
Now stewarding the proceeds & sharing forward learnings through developing AtypicalPath.org , an entrepreneurial nonprofit community where accomplished neuro-atypical earnest entrepreneurs inspire each other to compound social & economic good, while sharing forward opportunity for the next generation to thrive, through shared wisdom, contacts, grants & impact investment.