The BioHub - by Avetix

Today’s guest is Dr. Yerem Yeghiazarians — a leading interventional cardiologist, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and a physician-scientist working at the cutting edge of cardiovascular innovation.With medical training from Johns Hopkins and advanced cardiology specialization at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Yeghiazarians has spent over two decades at UCSF treating complex heart disease and advancing the field of interventional cardiology.Dr. Yeghiazarians is the co-founder of Soley Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on using AI to better understand how cells respond to stress, injury, and disease — with the goal of transforming how new drugs are discovered and developed.Alongside this, he directs translational research exploring how stem cell therapies can repair heart damage after heart attacks, bridging fundamental science with real-world clinical impact.From the cath lab to the biotech startup world, his career sits at the intersection of medicine, technology, and entrepreneurship — and today, we’ll explore that journey, the future of drug discovery, and what it takes to turn scientific insight into meaningful breakthroughs.

Amit Etkin, MD, PhD, psychiatrist and neuroscientist who founded Alto Neuroscience to bring precision medicine to mental health. He narrates his move from academia to building a biomarker-driven company. Conversations cover why CNS drug development struggles, Alto’s data-first strategy and portfolio thinking, and bold plans to reshape treatments for depression and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.

We were delighted to be joined by James Kim (Chief Corporate Officer) and Ronald Li (Chief Executive Officer), at Medera Biopharmaceuticals.Medera is a company at the forefront of pharmaceutical innovation, focused on advancing next-generation therapies and building a globally competitive platform across research, development, and commercialization. As the industry continues to evolve — driven by scientific breakthroughs, regulatory complexity, and shifting market dynamics — Medera is positioning itself to play a meaningful role in shaping what comes next.James and Ronald sit right at the center of that journey. Between them, they bring deep experience across strategy, operations, and scaling healthcare businesses, with a strong focus on translating innovation into real-world impact.

On this episode we welcome Cellares' co-founder, Fabian Gerlinghaus, to discuss their revolutionary, fully automated, cell therapy manufacturing platform.Cell therapies work - the science is proven. Fabian & the team's mission is to deliver these life-changing therapies at scale, to change more patient's lives.On this episode we talk through Fabian's background in robotics, his move to California and the life sciences, and how he and co-founder Omar Kurdi started the Cellares story. Looking ahead, we dig into the technology and, latest milestones (including recently starting GMP manufacturing), whilst also talking through plans for international expansion, and the impressive Series D funding that journey.

Today, we’re joined by Dipal Doshi, a leader at theforefront of modern biotechnology and rare disease innovation. As CEO of Entrada Therapeutics, Dipal has helped build the company from its earliest days into a clinical-stage pioneer focused on unlocking intracellular therapies.With a career that spans investment banking at MerrillLynch, global pharma at Eli Lilly and Company, and senior leadership roles at Amicus Therapeutics, Dipal brings a unique blend of financial, strategic, and commercial expertise to the biotech world.Now Dipal's leading Entrada Therapeutics, who are aclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the lives of patients by establishing a new class of genetic medicines that engage intracellular targets that have long been considered inaccessible. Through proprietary, versatile and modular approaches, they are advancing a robust development portfolio of genetic medicines for the potential treatment of neuromuscular and inherited retinal diseases, among others.

In this episode of The BioHub Podcast, Max sits down with Barry Quart, CEO of Connect Biopharma and one of the most experienced biotech leaders in the industry.Barry’s career spans more than three decades across biotech and pharma, including founding Ardea Biosciences (acquired by AstraZeneca) and leading Heron Therapeutics, where he helped bring multiple drugs through development and approval. Across his career he has played a role in nine FDA-approved medicines.In this conversation, Barry shares the lessons he’s learned building biotech companies, what it really takes to develop successful drugs, and how he thinks about leadership in an industry defined by risk and long timelines.They also dive into Connect Biopharma, the company’s strategy in inflammatory diseases, and the potential of their lead program targeting the IL-4 pathway in asthma and other respiratory conditions.It’s a conversation about building companies, developing medicines, and navigating the realities of biotech.

Today’s guest is Robert Clarke, the CEO of Kinaset — acompany at the forefront of next-generation therapeutics and biotechnology innovation.Robert brings a unique blend of scientific curiosity, strategic leadership, and entrepreneurial drive to the biotech world. With a background spanning life sciences, investment, and company building, he has spent much of his career working at the intersection of science and commercialization — helping translate breakthrough research into real-world medical solutions.At Kinaset, Robert leads the company’s mission to developinnovative therapies aimed at improving outcomes for patients with serious diseases. Under his leadership, the company has been advancing novel approaches in drug discovery and development, building partnerships across the biotech ecosystem, and positioning Kinaset as an emerging player in the global life sciences landscape.

The biggest bottleneck in drug development is no longer discovery, it's in the clinic. Formation Bio's proprietary AI-native platform is changing drug development to bring new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.We catch up with Emily Gransky, who is shaping the talent strategy behind one of biotechs most exciting stories.Emily previously shaped Flagship & RA Ventures TA strategies, and played a key role in scaling Bluebird Bio from 300 to 800 headcount.During this episode, we discuss how the team are leveraging AI to drive efficiency and quality throughout the recruitment process. We also get Emily's take on the rapid evolution of AI and it's impact on biotech talent.

Ann is the Founder and CEO of Rejuvenate Biomed, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing combination therapies aimed at targeting the biological mechanisms behind age-related diseases. With more than two decades of experience in pharmaceutical research and development, she has built a career focused on translating cutting-edge science into therapies that can improve patients’ lives.Before launching Rejuvenate Biomed in 2017, Ann held leadership roles at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of Johnson & Johnson, where she worked across drug discovery, development, and innovation strategy. Her work has spanned multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, neurology, immunology, and infectious diseases.Ann earned her PhD in neuro-oncology from the University of Zurich and conducted postdoctoral research at ETH Zurich, building a strong scientific foundation that she later brought into the biotech industry.

In this episode of The BioHub, I’m joined by Catherine Isted, Chief Financial Officer of Santhera Pharmaceuticals.Catherine’s career journey is a unique one, from starting as a bench scientist, to nearly two decades in healthcare investment banking, and now leading finance at multiple biotech companies.In this International Women’s Day special, we talk about her path through the industry, the importance of diversity of thought in biotech, her experiences building a career in leadership, and her advice for young women looking to enter the field.