The Pulse Podcast

Dr. John Maraganore, founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and co-founder of City Therapeutics, discusses his journey from a Greek immigrant household to pioneering RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics. He highlights Alnylam’s growth from a startup to a major biotech company, leading to the first FDA-approved RNAi therapy. John shares insights on decision-making, mentorship, and the future of RNA therapies. He also discusses his new ventures, including Corsera Health, focusing on cardiovascular disease prevention using RNAi. * John shares his upbringing in Chicago, growing up with Greek immigrant parents. He describes his early interest in science and research, leading him to choose a PhD path over an MD. He credits his mother with giving him optimism and his father with fostering a passion for science.* John explains the challenges of developing small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules and the decade-long effort to create acceptable human therapeutics.* John reflects on his career and the importance of being unreasonable and persistent in driving progress. He shares his excitement about his new upcoming book, “The Importance of Being Unreasonable,” which will provide insights on leading biotech companies.* John advises aspiring entrepreneurs to gain industry experience before starting their own companies. He emphasizes the importance of networking and staying in close touch with academic leaders and venture capitalists. He shares his philosophy of giving back to the community and helping young leaders succeed.Co-Hosts: Jennifer Jiang, Yossef Baidi & Fang Xie Planning: Yossef Baidi Post-production: Jennifer Jiang, Fang Xie & Yossef Baidi This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com

Dr. George Church, is a genetics professor at Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute. George is a pioneer in synthetic biology and personalized genomics. In 2017, Time magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In addition to being a scientist, George is also a prolific serial entrepreneur. He has co-founded over 50 biotech startups through his lab at Harvard. George also serves as a Faculty Advisor for the Harvard Biotech Club.In this episode,* George shares his career path to become a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute, where his lab focuses on various topics related to synthetic biology.* George discusses his work on developing genome sequencing methods during his PhD and its impact on the Human Genome Project.* George discusses the development of genome editing methods and how his lab and other pioneers developed CRISPR systems as a genome editing modality, and eventually co-founded Editas. * George reflects on his philosophy for conducting research and how he likes to “embrace the outliers” when it comes to science and life in general.* George shares his insights on entrepreneurship and we discuss how Colossal Biosciences seeks to use de-extinction (e.g., woolly mammoth, dodo bird, dire wolf) to increase Earth’s biodiversity.* George shares his hobbies, such as his passion for reading and interests he picked up later in life, such as art and photography. Not surprisingly, his favorite movies are Jurassic Park series. Read George's Book "Regenesis"Learn more about George Church Co-Hosts: Yossef Baidi & Fang Xie Planning: Yossef BaidiPost-production: Yossef BaidiThanks for reading The Pulse Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com

Chris Bahl is the Co-founder and CEO of AI Proteins. He also established the Boston Protein Design and Modeling Club (BPDMC), where he serves as Co-organizer. After completing his PhD in biochemistry from Dartmouth, Chris joined David Baker Lab at the University of Washington, where he pioneered the ability to design mini-proteins as a postdoc with the future Nobel Laureate. Chris later joined Institute of Protein Innovation as one of the founding faculty members, with co-appointments at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In 2021, Chris left academia and co-founded AI Proteins. In this episode, * Chris shares his career journey from academic faculty to founder, CSO, and recently CEO of AI Proteins, which is a Boston-based startup with a niche in using AI to design proteins. Over the past 3 years, the company has generated 150 protein drug candidates * Chris discusses how mini-proteins could transform medicine, agriculture, and beyond. He offers his vision on the future and the trend of AI powered protein design. * Chris reflects on his own path and offers career advice for academic scientists interested in becoming a startup founder. * As a self-proclaimed protein geek, Chris credits the vibrant Boston biotech ecosystem with helping him grow into a mature biotech entrepreneur. About Chris BahlChrist Bahl’s TED talkAI Proteins BPDMCCo-Hosts: Fang Xie and Yossef BaidiPlanning: Yossef BaidiPost-production: Fang Xie This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com

Peter Kolchinsky: Scientist, investor, author, founder of No Patient Left Behind, and co-founder of RA Capital Management.Peter is a virologist by training from Harvard University. After finishing his PhD, he went on to create RA Capital, a leading biotech venture capital firm. In this episode, Peter shares his journey to starting RA Capital and becoming a venture capital investor.* He shares his background, growing up in an entrepreneurial family.* He shares the origin of why he started the Harvard Biotech Club during his PhD.* We discuss how Peter started RA Capital and his career as a venture capital investor.* We discuss drug pricing and how Peter created No Patient Left Behind, to help make innovative medicines more affordable for patients. About PeterRead more about Peter’s views and opinionsRead Peter’s Book “The Great American Drug Deal”Photos (front row, from left): Michelle Boisvert (Co-President of Harvard Biotech Club), Fang Xie (Host), Peter Kolchinsky (Guest), Yossef Baidi (Host), Binita Shah (Co-President of Harvard Biotech Club); (Back rows): Harvard Biotech Club Leadership members, friends, and guests. The event organizer: Monica Cassandras (the third row, the first from left); the HBC website manager: Isabella Jaen Maisonet (the second row, the second from left). Location: Serengeti Atrium, Broad Institute. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com

Maddie is a parasitologist by training from Harvard University. After her PhD graduation, she joined McKinsey as an associate. In this episode, Maddie shared her journey from the lab to consulting. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com