The BioHub - by Avetix

From BIO Boston: Jan Thirkettle, CEO of Harness TherapeuticsIn this episode, I sit down with Jan Thirkettle, a biotech leader with deep experience across gene therapy, platform innovation, and company-building.Jan was part of the team that helped bring one of the first ex vivo gene therapies to market. Today, he’s leading Harness Therapeutics — a UK-based company developing a novel class of RNA therapeutics (MISBA tech) to upregulate protein expression with unprecedented precision.We talk about:— Why Harness is targeting neurodegeneration and CNS— The company’s unique approach to hitting “unprosecuted” targets— Building a biotech from scratch — and doing it in the UK— What he's learned about culture, resilience, and scaling teamsThis is a sharp, grounded chat with a leader who’s genuinely passionate about building great science and great teams.More in-person interviews from BIO Boston to follow.

From BIO Boston: Adam Mendelsohn, CEO of Vivani MedicalIn this episode, I sit down with Adam Mendelsohn — bioengineer turned biotech CEO — and the co-founder of Vivani Medical.What started in a university basement has grown into a publicly listed company tackling one of the biggest challenges in healthcare: medication adherence.We talk about:— Building a biotech from scratch, and staying alive in tough times— Why GLP-1 implants could transform obesity and diabetes care— The mindset behind navigating clinical milestones and setbacks— And how Vivani’s platform could reshape drug delivery entirelyAdam’s story is full of grit, clarity, and ambition — and Vivani is just getting started.This episode is part of a series of in-person interviews from BIO Boston with some of the sharpest leaders in the industry.More to come.

From BIO Boston: Steve Butts, CEO of Arrivo BioVenturesIn this episode, I sit down with Steve Butts — a five-time biotech founder and the CEO of Arrivo BioVentures.Steve has built and exited multiple companies, and now he's applying everything he’s learned to build Arrivo with precision: lean, capital-efficient, and structured for smart growth.We talk about:— How to build programs that big pharma wants— Why Arrivo structures its assets in separate subsidiaries— Navigating the current market as a small, focused team— And the mindset it takes to keep building in tough conditionsSteve’s approach is clear, disciplined, and proven - this is biotech company-building done right.This episode is part of a series of in-person interviews from BIO Boston with some of the sharpest leaders in the industry.More to come.

Lisa DiPaolo is the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Karyopharm Therapeutics, where she brings over two decades of HR leadership in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Since joining Karyopharm in September 2022, she has led the company’s People & Culture strategy through a critical period of growth and transformation. Before this, Lisa served as SVP of HR at Ipsen, overseeing North America as well as global R&D and Business Development, where she drove significant organizational and cultural shifts. She also spent eight years at Biogen in a series of senior roles, including leadership of global therapeutic operations, executive search, and medical affairs HR. Her earlier career included HR leadership roles at Smiths Medical and nearly a decade at Novartis, managing both U.S. and global teams. Lisa holds a B.A. from Montclair State University and an M.S. in Human Resource Management from Rutgers University. Known for her focus on authentic leadership, culture-driven transformation, and scalable HR systems, she is passionate about creating resilient, people-centric organizations that align business goals with strong employee experience.

Dr. Aaron Royston, M.D., M.B.A., is a Managing Partner at venBio, a life sciences venture capital firm, where he brings over 15 years of experience in biotechnology investing, company formation, and clinical research. His leadership has contributed to the launch and growth of several successful biotech companies, including Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Ventyx Biosciences, Akero Therapeutics, Harmony Biosciences, and RayzeBio, collectively achieving multiple FDA drug approvals. Before joining venBio, Dr. Royston was part of the investment team at Vivo Capital and worked at Bain & Company, advising biotechnology firms on strategic and operational matters. He began his career coordinating clinical research at Mount Sinai Medical Center, with his work published in various medical journals. Dr. Royston holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Duke University and earned both his M.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. As a student, he founded a technology company that was later acquired, earning him recognition from the White House in 2010 as a Champion of Change for his contributions to technology and innovation. In addition to his role at venBio, Dr. Royston serves on the boards of multiple biotech companies, including Candid Therapeutics, Attovia Therapeutics, 35 Pharma, and ViceBio.

Dr. Harith Rajagopalan is the Co-founder and CEO of Fractyl Health, a company he launched while serving as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at General Catalyst Partners. Before founding Fractyl, Dr. Rajagopalan was an academic cardiologist and physician-scientist. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Stanford University and obtained both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. At Johns Hopkins, he conducted award-winning research on intestinal cancers, with findings published in leading journals such as Nature and Science. Following medical school, he completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in clinical cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, along with a research fellowship at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Under Dr. Rajagopalan's leadership, Fractyl Health has developed innovative therapies targeting metabolic diseases. Notably, the company is advancing Rejuva®, a gene therapy platform designed for long-term remission of obesity and type 2 diabetes by altering metabolic hormone function in pancreatic islet cells. Rejuva is expected to enter first-in-human studies in the first half of 2025.

Welcome to the BioHub podcast where we interview the top minds from across the Biotech and Pharma industry.In this special follow-up episode, I’m rejoined by Marc de Garidel, CEO of Abivax, after our hugely popular conversation last year—recorded just after their record-breaking NASDAQ IPO. That episode gave us a look into Marc’s incredible career, the company’s bold vision, and how they were gearing up to become a major player in inflammatory diseases.This time, he’s joined by Sylvie Grégoire, Chair of the Abivax Board—a hugely respected industry leader with decades of global biotech and pharma experience.Together, we dive into what’s changed in the past year, how they’re navigating today’s biotech climate, and what’s next for Abivax as they continue to push forward in ulcerative colitis and beyond.Two powerhouse leaders. One big conversation. Enjoy and stay tuned.

Welcome to the BioHub podcast where we interview the top minds from across the Biotech and Pharma industry.I’m joined by Lisa Deschamps, CEO of AviadoBio.After 25 years at Novartis, leading global launches in gene therapy, she’s now at the helm of AviadoBio—developing treatments for FTD and ALS.We talk career moves, mindset, culture, and what’s ahead.Enjoy and stay tuned.

We're honored to have Dr. Michael Kauffman, M.D., Ph.D., the Chief Executive Officer of Nereid Therapeutics, joining us.Dr. Kauffman brings over 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry, with a distinguished track record in oncology drug development. Currently, he leads Nereid Therapeutics, a company at the forefront of pioneering therapies targeting biomolecular condensates—a novel approach to treating complex diseases. Under his leadership, Nereid is advancing multiple programs in oncology and neurodegeneration toward clinical application. PR NewswirePrior to his role at Nereid, Dr. Kauffman co-founded Karyopharm Therapeutics, where he served as CEO and guided the company from discovery to the global approval of XPOVIO® for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His extensive experience also includes leadership positions at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, and Biogen. Dr. Kauffman earned his M.D. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins Medical School and completed his training in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and in Rheumatology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and licensed in Massachusetts and Florida. In this episode, we'll delve into Dr. Kauffman's journey in the biotech industry, the innovative science behind Nereid's approach, and the future of targeted therapies in treating complex diseases.

We were delighted to be joined by Julie Person on the BioHub podcast, an accomplished human resources and organizational leader with over 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. She currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer at Third Harmonic Bio, where she leads company operations, including human resources, communications, and organizational strategy.Julie has a strong track record of helping biotech companies scale and thrive through critical growth stages. Prior to her current role, she was Chief People Officer at Neumora Therapeutics, and held senior HR leadership positions at Sangamo Therapeutics, Audentes Therapeutics, Shire, and Baxalta. Her expertise lies in building high-performing teams, shaping company culture, and aligning talent strategies with business goals.She holds a degree from Saint Mary's College of California and completed an Executive Leadership Program at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.