Impactful Breakthroughs

After 30 years in clinical research, most people would tell you they've seen it all. But for today's guest, Dr. Karen Correa, three decades in the industry has only deepened her conviction that it’s less critical to know everything, and much more important to know everyone. Karen is the VP of Clinical Development Operations at Boehringer Ingelheim, and on this episode of Impactful Breakthroughs she speaks with Zach Gobst about what it really takes to build teams and cultures that deliver for patients.The two talk about why culture is the real unmet need in clinical development today. When processes, science, and timelines are all clearly established, company culture is the thing that can't be downloaded or rushed, and yet it's where everything begins and ends. Karen also opens up about the mentors who shaped her character, each pouring something different into her: truth, compassion, curiosity, and courage.And when it comes to the inevitable challenges that come with a career of this scope, Karen has a reframe that stays with you. A delay is not a denial. Keep knocking. That no is going to become a yes someday. Because at the end of it all, she's never lost sight of why the work matters, and that's exactly the kind of north star that keeps the best leaders going.Timestamps00:00 Episode Start01:45 How Karen's career in clinical research began04:45 Understanding the patient experience from every angle05:30 Why culture is the real unmet need in pharma09:00 The mentors who shaped Karen's character and courage12:30 Reframing challenges as learning opportunities15:25 Finding your circle and embracing vulnerability16:00 Being intentional about personal growth17:15 How Karen is approaching AI today19:55 What's energizing Karen about the future of clinical researchKey TakeawaysCulture is the real unmet need. When everyone in the industry already possesses the hard science skills, team culture is the only thing left. Karen believes it’s where everything begins and ends, but yet it’s still an overlooked aspect across the board. I don't want to know everything. I want to know everyone. Karen's approach to growth and vulnerability is simple. Surround yourself with people who are brighter than you, lean on them when you don't have the answers, and contribute what you know to the circle in return.Be kind to yourself. Karen reframes challenges not as setbacks but as redirections. Moments that force you down a different path you might not have found otherwise. Keep knocking, she says. That no is going to become a yes someday.Keep your leadership authentic. Karen credits many mentors for helping to build her into the leader she is today. She says “Leadership is about knowing who you are and refusing to compromise on that foundation.”Curiosity is a form of humility. Karen reminds us all to stay curious and teachable throughout our careers. “The best leaders never assume that they've arrived. They stay open, stay hungry, and stay teachable.”Guest ShoutoutsUbavka DeNoble MD, Corporate Vice President, Patient Technology Solutions/Growth, PAREXELChristine Enciso, Vice President, Development Services and Operational Excellence, RegeneronJeremy Chadwick, Chief Operating Officer, Kymera TherapeuticsBrian Meltzer MD, Vice President, Clinical Research, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.ResourcesConnect with guest Karen Correa on LinkedInCheck out Boehringer IngelheimConnect with host Zach Gobst on LinkedInCheck out Leapcure

What does it look like to truly amplify the voices of those suffering from a rare disease, especially when you yourself have such a personal connection? On this episode of Impactful Breakthroughs, Zach Gobst sits down with Kate Stratton, Executive Director of Lipodystrophy United, a patient-driven global community dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by lipodystrophy through advocacy, community, and research.Kate shares how her empathetic approach to patient advocacy was shaped. From her own mother’s experience navigating a 37-year diagnostic odyssey, to her experiences working with Planned Parenthood and asylum seekers, she emphasizes the importance of direct conversations rather than assumptions. You’ll also hear Kate’s journey navigating imposter syndrome and her advice for any young entrepreneurs out there looking to make their ideas a reality. This conversation is a testament to what happens when personal experience, genuine empathy, and a refusal to wait for permission all come together in one person.Timestamps00:00 Episode Start01:55 Kate's personal path into patient advocacy04:15 Lipodystrophy and how it affects the body07:00 The common thread across all advocacy work09:25 Patient voices matter most12:15 Ensuring no one gets put in the wrong box14:45 Being a young leader and navigating imposter syndrome16:20 What Kate has learned from openness and collaboration19:15 What's next for Lipodistrophy Untied21:45 Kate’s advice for younger generationsKey TakeawaysOne patient's experience is not a population. Kate is emphatic that true patient-centricity means continuously expanding the network of voices you listen to rather than relying on a single story or a token representative. After two years leading Lipodystrophy United, she still learns something new every time she speaks with a community member.Amplify, don't replace. Kate's approach to advocacy across immigration, health policy, and now rare disease, has always been the same: listen deeply, then lift others' voices rather than substituting your own. It's a philosophy that builds trust and creates lasting change.Just decide to do it. If you believe you can do something, you probably can. Surrounding yourself with people who are doing unconventional things and not waiting for external validation is what separates those who make an impact from those who talk about it.Age is not a barrier to impact. Kate has seen firsthand how quickly change can be made. At 23 she’s already expanded her team, published research, raised over $250,000 for the organization, and secured an FDA meeting for patients.Guest ShoutoutsAndra Stratton, President and Co-Founder of Lipodystophy UnitedSabine Tilp, Journalist, Patient Advocate and leader of the German Lipodystrophy NetworkResourcesConnect with guest Kate Stratton on LinkedInCheck out Lipodystrophy UnitedConnect with host Zach Gobst on LinkedInCheck out Leapcure

How far can curiosity take you when you’re not afraid of the unknown? For today’s guest, Francesca Barone, it led her across continents and disciplines as she navigated her way to the forefront of cancer immunotherapy. Francesca is the Chief Scientific Officer at Candel Therapeutics, and on this episode of Impactful Breakthroughs she speaks with Zach Gobst about how Candel is developing multimodal biological immunotherapies to help patients fight cancer.Francesca shares the driving force, her “backpack theory,” behind the journey she’s taken. Rather than settling into comfort, she believes every few years you should pack up what you've learned and head toward a new challenge entirely. It’s a belief that has carried her from academic rheumatology to leading cutting-edge oncology drug development, navigating language barriers, cultural shifts, and an industry that wasn't yet ready to believe in what her team was building. She also shares what it took to push Candel's novel intratumoral delivery approach through years of skepticism, why her physician background has been her greatest superpower in biotech, and what it really means to keep patients at the center even when your work may feel far removed. Behind every compassionate use request, every data point, and every clinical trial, there is a patient and a family. And for Francesca, that's always been reason enough to keep going.Timestamps00:00 Episode Start01:45 Why Francesca moved from academia to biotech03:55 The power of stretching beyond your comfort zone09:30 You're only as good as your team10:15 Candel's novel approach to fighting cancer13:35 Overcoming skepticism and remaining committed17:05 The human side of drug development19:20 A patient stories that say it all23:25 Mentors who shaped Francesca’s journey29:30 Closing reflections on purpose and impactKey TakeawaysExplore curiosity throughout your career. Francesca's guiding philosophy is simple: every few years, pack up what you know and head somewhere new. The discomfort of starting over in a new field, a new country, or a new challenge is exactly where the best growth happens.Patients are better at designing trials than we are. When patients are truly embedded in your drug development process, you avoid mistakes you wouldn't have seen coming. Assuming you already know what will serve patients best is a trap that leads science in the wrong directionFind your conviction. Candel's intratumoral delivery was once met with investor skepticism and industry doubt. Now major pharma companies are building similar programs. Believing in your data when others don't is part of the job.Steady leadership is contagious. Francesca credits Candel CEO Paul Peter Tak with modeling a calm, thoughtful leadership style that she has worked to channel in herself, particularly in turbulent moments. In science and life, the ability to stay grounded in a storm makes everyone around you steadier too.Guest ShoutoutsGuido Valesini, Professor of Rheumatology at Sapienza University of RomeChristopher Buckley, Kennedy Trust Feldmann Maini Professor of Translational Medicine at University of OxfordPaul Peter Tak, President, CEO, and Board Director of Candel Therapeutics ResourcesConnect with guest Francesca Barone on LinkedInCheck out Candel TherapeuticsConnect with host Zach Gobst on LinkedInCheck out Leapcure

What happens when a career built on the cutting edge of health technology suddenly extends to become deeply personal? On this episode of Impactful Breakthroughs, Zach Gobst is joined by longtime friend Becky Weber, the EVP of Sales at Lunit Cancer Screening. Lunit, formerly Volpara Health, provides AI-powered software for breast cancer screening and early detection, supporting over one million screenings annually.With 20 years working at the intersection of health and technology, Becky walks through her journey from shadowing surgeries as a teenager, to helping build HealthKit at Apple, to ultimately joining the team at Lunit following her own breast cancer diagnosis. You’ll hear her share why mission alignment has proven to be the secret in Lunit’s successful merger with Volpara, what she believes it’ll take to navigate regulatory hurdles safely in the AI era, and how her perspective on life and career has completely pivoted. Equal parts personal story and industry insight, this conversation serves as a reminder that the most powerful driver in health technology is the reason behind it.Timestamps00:00 Episode Start01:35 Becky's journey in health tech04:05 A breast cancer diagnosis which changed it all08:45 Following your passions12:09 Prioritizing team impact over personal politics13:45 Why startups beat big companies for the puzzle-solvers14:45 Lunit's two-sided platform and the AI difference17:10 The interval cancer study proving their work20:25 Hiring for personal connection to the mission22:10 Mentors who made a difference22:50 The convergence of research, product, and diagnosis25:00 AI, regulation, and the rocket ship problemKey TakeawaysPersonal connection drives performance. Just like in her own story, Becky has found that the candidates with personal ties to breast cancer consistently outperform those who don’t.Data is already changing what's possible. Lunit's AI would have reduced confirmed interval cancers by a third in a study out of Mass General Brigham, meaning women who would have faced late-stage diagnoses could have been found earlier. That's not a future promise, it's happening now.Drop the politics, focus on the outcome. Becky is candid about how her perspective on work shifted after her diagnosis. Empire building, org size, and resume padding simply stopped mattering. What replaced it was something much simpler and more freeing – to get the best result for the patient.The guidelines were built for a train, not a rocket ship. As Becky put it, the regulatory frameworks governing AI in medicine were designed for a different era. Figuring out how to move fast responsibly is the real challenge ahead.Guest ShoutoutsDr. Manisha Bahl, Radiologist at Massachusetts General HospitalTeri Thomas, CEO of Mach7 Technologies & Former CEO of Volpara Health / Lunit Cancer Screening ResourcesConnect with guest Becky Weber on LinkedInCheck out Lunit Cancer ScreeningConnect with host Zach Gobst on LinkedInCheck out Leapcure

When all of the experts around you say it’s impossible to move the needle forward, how do you still maintain commitment to your research and patients? On the very first episode of Impactful Breakthroughs, Zach Gobst is joined by Jennifer Good, the President & CEO of Trevi Therapeutics, to explore why she has dedicated the past fifteen years to tackling one of medicine’s most overlooked conditions: chronic cough.Jennifer traces her path from running Pennwest Pharmaceuticals to negotiating a promising compound out of an acquisition and building Trevi from her kitchen table into the $2B public company it is today. She shares how a background in chronic pain research gave her and Co-Founder Dr. Thomas Sciascia a uniquely brain-centered lens on cough, and why listening closely to patients led them to double down on IPF when key opinion leaders told them to walk away. Equal parts science story and entrepreneurial journey, this conversation is a candid look at what perseverance, patient focus, and the willingness to evolve really look like in biotech.Timestamps00:00 Episode Start03:00 Starting Trevi Therapeutics from the kitchen table05:45 Advice for early entrepreneurs07:30 Setting checkpoints and sticking to them08:45 What was missing on chronic cough and IPF12:45 How chronic pain research unlocked a new view of cough18:45 Where Trevi fits into the patient experience22:45 Reflections on her 15-year journey25:30 Evolving the team as the company grows32:00 Giving back through rare disease boards and community34:45 Mentorship shoutoutsKey TakeawaysThe brain matters in cough. While the broader industry was targeting peripheral receptors in the lung, Trevi's neurology-rooted perspective led them to the brain, setting their data apart when everything else failed.Stay close to the patient. Jennifer's most powerful moment came from a patient advisory board member who couldn't finish her grocery shopping because of a coughing attack. That story is what drives the work and keeps the north star clear.Give yourself a checkpoint, not a cliff. As Jennifer put it, setting a defined window to test your idea, with real deliverables, takes the daily anxiety out of entrepreneurship. You're not on a never-ending rolling stone, you're running an experiment.Roles change, people change, and that’s okay. One of Jennifer's hardest and most important leadership lessons: the person who was right for the company at three people may not be the right person at forty-five. Honest self-reflection applies to the whole team, including the CEO.Guest ShoutoutsDavid Meeker MD, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Rhythm PharmaceuticalsStuart Falber, Partner and Co-Chair of WilmerHale's Life Sciences PracticePaul Freiman, Former Chairman of the Board of PenwestResourcesConnect with guest Jennifer Good on LinkedInCheck out Trevi TherapeuticsConnect with host Zach Gobst on LinkedInCheck out Leapcure