Nucleate Podcast

In this episode we are joined by Kendra Rose, Senior Vice President of BD&L at Bayer, who brings a blend of scientific depth and business acumen to the conversation. Her journey began with a passion for science which led her to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry at Stanford University, before making a pivot to take her expertise into industry and joining Johnson & Johnson, then Novartis, and now Bayer. Kendra reflects on the lessons that have shaped her career and offers advice for early-stage founders and scientists considering a similar path. The conversation covers everything from understanding consumer needs to the latest trends driving healthcare innovation. She also offers a look into the Bayer Co.Lab incubator ecosystem, sharing insights on what it takes to succeed in a competitive market.

In this episode, Allyson Berent, Chief Science Officer, Foundation For Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST), shares her remarkable journey from a career in veterinary medicine to becoming a leading advocate and innovator in the field of rare disease drug development, inspired by her daughter’s diagnosis with Angelman syndrome. She recounts the challenges of obtaining an early diagnosis, the emotional impact on her family, and her determination to find solutions where none existed. Allison describes how she immersed herself in scientific research, connected with experts, and joined the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, eventually helping to launch and lead multiple initiatives aimed at accelerating the development of transformative therapies for Angelman syndrome and similar neurodevelopmental disorders.Throughout the conversation, Allison emphasizes the importance of true patient-focused drug development, sharing how her personal experience shaped her approach to building companies, running clinical trials, and fostering collaboration across the biotech ecosystem. She offers practical advice for entrepreneurs and executives, urging them to listen to patients and families, remain humble, and surround themselves with experts to address knowledge gaps. This episode highlights the profound impact that new therapies are having on patients’ lives and underscores the value of mission-driven innovation in advancing treatments for rare diseases.Time Stamps00:02 – Introduction and Allison’s upbringing and early interest in veterinary medicine.00:15 – Allison shares the story of how she decided to become a vet and her educational journey.01:34 – She discusses her career as a vet, starting a family, and her daughter’s diagnosis with Angelman syndrome.04:36 – Allison describes the early signs, medical consultations, and the process of getting a diagnosis for her daughter.11:22 – Sam and Allison discuss the challenges of delayed diagnosis and the importance of proactive care.13:01 – She shares stories from the community and changes in genetic testing practices.0:14:35 – Allison explains how she and her family responded to the diagnosis and her drive to find solutions.18:18 – She describes connecting with the foundation, joining the board, and developing a roadmap for a cure.26:15 – The process of moving from mouse model research to human clinical trials, raising funds, and starting a company.31:12 – Discussion on what true patient-driven development means and how it shaped Allison’s approach.39:07 – Allison details the journey of the company, partnership with Ultragenyx, and the impact of the acquisition.45:49 – Explanation of the accelerator model, portfolio companies, and collaborative approach to drug development.51:20 – How the accelerator shares resources and knowledge across programs and with other companies.52:24 – Quincy’s Progress and the Impact of New Therapies,participation in clinical trials, and the real-world impact on families.56:05 – Sam and Allison discuss the life-changing effects of new treatments for Angelman syndrome.58:56 – Allison offers advice on keeping the patient at the center of drug development and listening to families.1:06:13 – She shares suggestions for integrating patient stories and perspectives into company culture and meetings.1:09:14 – Final Words of Wisdom for Entrepreneurs: Allison emphasizes humility, gap analysis, teamwork, and resilience for those starting companies.1:11:53 – Conclusion and Thanks

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Armon Sharei shares his journey from early life experiences in California, Iran, and Dubai to pursuing higher education at Stanford and MIT, ultimately leading to a career at the intersection of science and entrepreneurship. The conversation explores his motivations to make a positive impact on the world, the transition from academia to founding his first company Squeeze: a company based on innovative cell engineering technology and the challenges of navigating the biotech industry. Armon discusses the evolution of Squeeze from a platform to a therapeutics company, the difficulties of convincing investors and industry veterans, and the high-stakes decisions that shaped the company’s fate, including a major strategic pivot and the eventual fallout with the board. The episode also delves into personal and professional lessons learned, including the impact of a cancer diagnosis, the importance of safety and quality of life in drug development, and the value of mentorship and betting on talent. After Squeeze's liquidation, Armon founded Portal Biotechnologies, applying hard-earned lessons to focus on enabling broad innovation in cell therapy through platform technology. The discussion highlights the realities of biotech entrepreneurship, the significance of resilience, and the ongoing mission to empower others in the field, all while balancing personal passions and family life. Episode Notes: 00:00- Kicking off the episode and setting the stage 02:25- Armon shares a quick overview of his journey 03:24- He reflects on growing up in California, Iran, Dubai, and the US and how it shaped his worldview 05:13- Armon talks about his early love for science and how he chose his career path 06:26- Diving into Armon’s first big ideas and research interests 08:14- Armon discusses the shift from scientist to entrepreneur 10:47- How Squeeze was born. Armon shares the story behind the tech and his PhD research 13:58- Mapping the journey: PhD, founding Squeeze, and postdoc life 18:45- Armon opens up about the challenges of being a young biotech founder and raising early funding 22:53- He explains the strategic pivot from platform tech to therapeutics 26:40- Highlighting key wins: investor interest and the Roche partnership 20:01- Armon shares the tough moments — going public, market shifts, and internal debates 34:34- Navigating board decisions, layoffs, and the fallout with Roche 36:34- Armon reflects on leaving Squeeze and the emotional toll it took 40:27- Starting Portal: Armon shares what motivated him to begin again 44:27- Armon opens up about his cancer diagnosis and how it changed his perspective 49:03- Lessons from being a patient, Armon talks about safety and quality of life in drug development 51:11- He shares broader insights on industry incentives, pricing, and systemic challenges 54:10- What makes Portal’s tech unique? Armon breaks down its competitive edge 56:57- Real-world use cases and early adopters of Portal’s platform 1:00:21- Armon discusses the long-term vision: platform-first vs. therapeutics 1:03:49- Armon highlights the importance of mentorship and betting on talent 1:09:33- He talks about balancing work, life, and personal passions

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Armand Cognetta, founder and CEO of General Proximity, shares his compelling journey from a directionless college student to a biotech entrepreneur. Drawing from personal experiences of academic struggles and scientific curiosity, Armand discusses how his passion for chemical biology and small molecule drug discovery led him to create a groundbreaking proximity therapeutics platform. He candidly explores the challenges of startup life, including early fundraising difficulties, imposter syndrome, and the critical importance of persistence, grit, and maintaining a high bar for talent. Throughout the conversation, Armand emphasizes the value of working on ambitious, world-changing ideas, the power of proximity in biological systems, and the need for founders to stay focused, resilient, and mission-driven. His story is a testament to the transformative potential of scientific innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, offering inspiration for young scientists and aspiring founders navigating the complex landscape of biotech startups.Time Stamps00:00 – Intro 03:12 – Growing up in northern Florida 06:44 – Taking a year off college due to poor grades 07:05 – A transformative internship experience 08:33 – Paul Graham’s blog & early obsession with tech 11:25 – Learning persistence through failure 20:06 – How to generate and evaluate startup ideas 36:02 – What is General Proximity? 53:15 – Impostor syndrome & early founder struggles 1:02:00 – How past failures prepared him 1:05:53 – Recruiting and retaining talent in startups 1:09:57 – Biotech vs. tech: hiring challenges 1:16:28 – Building an effective advisory board 1:19:46 – Advice for aspiring founder-scientists 1:22:00 – Final thoughts on entrepreneurship & ambition

Dr. William Pao joins the Nucleate Podcast to share his inspiring journey from losing his father to cancer to leading groundbreaking cancer research and founding Revelio Therapeutics. He discusses the discovery of EGFR mutations, the stories behind his book Breakthrough, and what it takes to bring life-changing drugs to patients. Tune in for insights on biotech innovation, scientific resilience, and the future of medicine and check out Breakthrough on Amazon or a bookstore near you.

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Raj Devraj, a venture partner at Atlas Venture and CEO of Rectify Pharmaceuticals, shares his remarkable journey from growing up in India to becoming a seasoned drug hunter and biotech entrepreneur. Drawing from his extensive experience at Pfizer and multiple successful biotech startups, Raj discusses the challenges of navigating the current risk-averse capital market, emphasizing the importance of being capital efficient, following the science, and having a clear target product profile. He details the founding of Rectify, a platform company developing positive functional modulators for membrane proteins, highlighting their strategic pivot to focus on hepatobiliary diseases like primary sclerosing cholangitis. Throughout the conversation, Raj provides invaluable advice for entrepreneurs, stressing the need for resilience, courage, and innovation, while underscoring the critical role of building strong relationships, maintaining scientific rigor, and always keeping the end goal of developing transformative therapies for patients in mind.

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.”

In this episode of the Nucleate podcast, Dave Messina shares his remarkable journey from computational biology to entrepreneurship and venture capital. Starting with his work on the Human Genome Project, Messina transitioned from an academic path to co-founding Cofactor Genomics, a company using RNA and machine learning to help doctors choose treatments. Now a general partner at Pioneer Fund, he invests in health and biotech startups, focusing on founders with unique insights, execution velocity, and the potential to solve significant problems. Throughout the conversation, Messina emphasizes the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, the importance of focusing on real-world impact, and the exciting opportunities for entrepreneurs in the current technological landscape. His key advice to founders is simple yet powerful: be mission-driven, scientifically fluent, and most importantly, "just go do it" - recognizing that now (2025) is an unprecedented time to create innovative solutions that can dramatically improve human health and well-being.