Shows
Nucleate PodcastThe unsolved frontier: making the undruggable druggable | Eswar Iyer, AikiumIn this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Aikium co-founder and CEO Eswar Iyer joins host Anastasia Janas to explore how drug discovery can move beyond structured targets to engage the disordered proteome. Aikium is developing SeqRs, programmable, sequence-specific binders that can selectively target intrinsically disordered regions of proteins, unlocking new therapeutic possibilities in cancer, neuroinflammation, and autoimmune diseases. Built using generative AI and screened with a proprietary trillion-scale mRNA display system, Aikium’s platform challenges the traditional assumptions of druggability and expands the therapeutic landscape into areas once considered inaccessible.Beyond the science, Eswar reflects on the em...
2025-04-301h 17Nucleate PodcastReinventing R&D: collaboration for tomorrow’s therapies | Dr. Uli Stilz, BIH at Novo NordiskIn 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 ge...
2025-04-1754 minNucleate PodcastIf you’re not too early, you’re too late | Shelby Newsad, Partner at Compound VCIn this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Anastasia Janas sits down with Shelby Newsad, Partner at Compound VC, shares her journey from a small town in Appalachia to investing in some of the most transformative technologies shaping biotech and beyond. Starting as a first-generation college student with a pre-med background, she realized that commercialization is key to translating scientific research into real-world impact.Shelby discusses her work at Compound, a thesis-driven, research-centric venture firm investing across AI, robotics, crypto, and biotech. She explains how Compound builds deep expertise in emerging fields — developing theses, connecting with researchers, and cr...
2025-04-1149 minNucleate PodcastUnlocking the power of the gut microbiome with AI | Leo Grady, JonaIn this episode, Anastasia Janas interviews Leo Grady, founder and CEO of Jona. With over 20 years in AI and healthcare, Leo has made a profound impact on the field, including leading the development of the first FDA-approved AI system in pathology at Paige.AI. Together, they dive into the journey that led him to create Jona, a company focused on using AI to analyze the gut microbiome for personalized health insights.Leo shares his thoughts on AI's role in healthcare today, from emerging trends to its transformative potential in improving patient outcomes. Drawing on his own experience...
2024-11-0345 minNucleate PodcastBiotech journalism & scaling new heights for a good cause | Luke Timmerman, Timmerman ReportIn this episode, Sam Kessel and Anastasia Janas interview Luke Timmerman, an award-winning biotech journalist and founder of the Timmerman Report, as well as host of The Long Run Podcast. They explore Luke's non-traditional background, his curiosity, and his openness to learning, which shaped his journey to becoming a prominent figure in the biotech space. Luke shares insights into his career, discussing his book Hood, the founding of the Timmerman Report, and his podcast. He also offers his perspective on the key qualities of biotech founders and VCs, the importance of diversity, and how to unlock individuals' full potential...
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