Nucleate Podcast

In this episode, Anastasia Janas and Paula Lengerke Diaz sit down with Dr. Uli Stilz, Head of the Bio Innovation Hub (BIH) at Novo Nordisk, to explore how strategic partnerships and emerging technologies are redefining the future of drug discovery. Uli reflects on his journey from chemistry and molecular biology to biopharma leadership, and shares how the BIH is accelerating breakthroughs in cardiometabolic diseases using emerging modalities like RNA editing, AI-guided drug discovery, and partnership-first science.Whether you’re an aspiring innovator, translational researcher, or healthcare entrepreneur, this episode offers a candid masterclass in how bold ideas get translated into impact — especially in the space of chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.Show Notes0:00 - 02:20: Uli’s early fascination with science (and a chemistry set mishap at home)02:20 - 05:15: Transitioning from chemistry to biology to biophysics — and why it mattered05:15 - 09:45: The value of speaking multiple “scientific languages”09:45 - 13:00: Why Uli left academia for pharma, and what drove that leap13:00 - 17:30: Founding the Bio Innovation Hub (BIH) at Novo Nordisk17:30 - 20:00: Three big questions BIH is trying to solve in cardiometabolic disease20:00 - 24:30: How programmable RNA editing is being applied to drug discovery24:30 - 28:00: Why BIH funds early science without contracts — the Greenhouse model28:00 - 33:00: How AI, human biology, and subtyping diabetes open new possibilities33:00 - 36:30: What makes small biotechs a “superpower” in R&D36:30 - 41:00: The role of trust, creativity, and iteration in building partnerships41:00 - 45:20: Advice for young scientists: embrace discomfort, follow curiosity45:20 - 49:30: What excites Uli most? The unknown. “I’m most excited about the things I don’t know today.”

Shelby Newsad, a Partner at Compound VC, is passionate about advancing technologies in bio and health. She shares her journey from a small-town background to a prominent role in biotech investing. The discussion dives into the crucial transition from academia to real-world applications, highlighting what makes a strong investment thesis. Shelby also explores the fascinating world of biohacking and emerging health technologies, emphasizing the balance between innovation and accessibility. Her insights promote an optimistic view of future advancements in science and healthcare.

Follow us here https://signal.nucleate.xyz/02:16 - Dave discusses his early career path and how he got into science 04:41 - Dave’s work on the Human Genome Project 13:38 - Founding Cofactor Genomics16:42 - Discussing Pioneer Fund and its investment approach 48:58 - Thoughts on AI in health and biology 58:27 - Advice for founders in the current challenging funding environment 1:09:04 - How Pioneer Fund makes investment decisions 1:14:16 - Most difficult advice for entrepreneurs 1:16:47 - Final advice for founders: "Just go do it"

Dr. Michelle Hoffmann, Executive Director at the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, shares her transition from a molecular neuroscience PhD to biotech consulting. She emphasizes the importance of mentorship and collaboration in bridging science and business. Dr. Hoffmann discusses the Entrepreneurial Fellows Program aimed at nurturing future biotech leaders and highlights Chicago's evolving biotech landscape. The conversation also addresses the need for diversity and operational experience in fostering innovation within the industry.

Follow us on https://signal.nucleate.xyz/04:14 - Dr. Stehman-Breen discusses her decision to pursue a career in medicine.05:49 - Dr. Stehman-Breen explains her specialty choice in internal medicine and nephrology.08:09 - Skills and mindset that prepared Catherine for a career in industry.13:53 - The critical impact that physicians can have in biotech19:03 - Overview of epigenetic editing and Chroma Medicine's approach.0:28:22 - Early days of building Chroma Medicine from the ground up.0:38:22 - Merger with NVelop Therapeutics and future directions.0:44:22 - Dr. Stehman-Breen offers advice for entrepreneurs and the value of an Entrepreneur in Residence role.0:49:22 - Balancing her demanding career with personal hobbies and interests.

Eric Kelsic, CEO and co-founder of Dyno Therapeutics, shares his journey from a physics and systems biology background to revolutionizing gene therapy. He discusses insights from working with George Church, emphasizing the importance of innovation. Kelsic unveils Dyno's AI-driven capsid engineering for AAV gene therapy, spotlighting collaborations and resource leverage for startup success. With a vision for transforming treatment access, he highlights the role of machine learning in addressing real-world health challenges.

Peter Barrett, a Partner at Atlas Venture and co-founder of Celera Genomics, shares his remarkable journey from sequencing the human genome to venture capital. He discusses the importance of celebrating failures, offering invaluable lessons to entrepreneurs. Barrett dives into Atlas' strategy for investing in innovative therapeutics and the significance of identifying platform technologies. He emphasizes the need for honesty in business and provides insights on navigating the complexities of biotech investments, driving success through community and collaboration.

Follow the Nucleate Podcast on our website: https://signal.nucleate.xyz/Jake Becraft, the co-founder and CEO of Strand Therapeutics, discusses his journey from pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering and synthetic biology at MIT to starting a biotech company focused on developing programmable mRNA therapeutics.At MIT, he worked on developing nanoparticles for DNA delivery and became interested in the challenges of mRNA delivery and therapeutic index. This led him to co-found Strand to engineer mRNA to amplify its signal in target cells while degrading quickly in non-target cells.Becraft discusses the importance of finding mentors and advisors, like his PhD advisor Ron Weiss, to help navigate starting a company as a graduate student. He emphasizes the need for more formalized programs and funding to support scientists in translating their research.Key skills he recommends for scientists interested in the business side include strong communication, the ability to build coalitions, and understanding the principles and goals that drive you rather than just pursuing a specific career path.

The Vagina Business, by Dr Marina Gerner, covers key issues in women's health and the novel solutions in development to address them. The book has already been getting attention with grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and The Society of Authors. Kirkus Reviews has praised the book as "energetic, thoroughly engaging reading" and emphasized its potential to improve women's health outcomes worldwide. It has also been recommended as a must-read business book by the Financial Times.As a journalist, Marina has written about books and arts, as well as finance and tech for over a decade. Her range of expertise has led to Marina being called "a Renaissance woman of the modern age." ​Marina has won several awards and written for The Economist, Jewish Chronicle, Guardian, Financial Times, Wired, the Times Literary Supplement, The Times, and the Wall Street Journal. She has been a contributing editor at The Sunday Times Raconteur, the i newspaper and MoneyWeek.Before that she was a Staff Writer at Money Observer, where she wrote a column called “Marina’s Imaginary Millions.”​ She is an Adjunct Professor of Commerce & Culture at the NYU Stern School of Business (on their London campus) and she has a PhD from the London School of Economics, which was funded by merit-based scholarships.​Show Notes:00:00 Dr. Gerner discusses her background as a refugee from Ukraine and how that has influenced her journalism and focus on women's health innovation.02:40 Dr.Gerner explains how her dual backgrounds in journalism and academia prepared her to write "The Vagina Business" and the challenges she faced with the provocative title.08:24 Dr. Gerner describes the specific events and stories that inspired her to write the book, including learning about gender differences in heart attack symptoms and the lack of innovation in women's health.14:18 Discussion of the business case and broader societal benefits of investing more in women's health innovation.16:53 Dr. Gerner talks about uncovering taboos around women's health issues and the need to challenge normalized biases and pain tolerance for women.21:01 Examination of the gaps in sex-disaggregated research and sex education, and the role the femtech industry can play in addressing these issues.25:38 Exploration of how a family-integrated approach to women's health, as seen in the Saathealth app example, could be applied more broadly, and the importance of engaging men as allies in the women's health movement.

Michael Langer, co-founder of TRX Capital and an industry expert with roots in both biotech and filmmaking, shares his unique journey. He discusses the life-changing lessons learned from backpacking in places like Fiji, which shaped his perspective. Reflecting on his tenure at Pear Therapeutics, he highlights the significance of storytelling in entrepreneurship and investing. Langer also reveals insights into launching TRX Capital and stresses the importance of bridging diverse teams while navigating the biotech landscape.