Episodes

  • 🧬The Diamond of Success: 4 Traits Every Leader Needs | Michael Newton (Part 1/4)

    🧬The Diamond of Success: 4 Traits Every Leader Needs | Michael Newton (Part 1/4)
    Aug 18 2025
    "Attitude is by far number one… because you just aren’t gonna achieve anything in life if you don’t bring the right energy." In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Jon Chee sits down with Michael Newton, CEO of Qorium, to explore the early influences that shaped his perspective on leadership, resilience, and innovation. From growing up in a gritty yet vibrant Chelsea in the 1980s, to helping in his father’s tech-focused publishing business, to finding his academic spark at Saint Ann’s and Dartmouth, Michael reflects on how his upbringing and mentors shaped his belief in the power of attitude as the foundation of success.
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    41 mins
  • 🧬Surviving the Biotech Funding Crunch: Insider Strategies | Samir Khleif (Part 4/4)

    🧬Surviving the Biotech Funding Crunch: Insider Strategies | Samir Khleif (Part 4/4)
    Aug 14 2025
    "The whole environment of the company is about discovery and innovation, so it's really buzzing with energy." In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Samir Khleif reveals how he took Georgiamune from vision to reality—building a top-tier team, advancing a pipeline of novel drugs, and keeping innovation at the company’s core. Host Jon Chee explores what sets Georgiamune apart, as Samir opens up about navigating the pitfalls of fundraising, the shift from academia to entrepreneurship, and why transparency and self-awareness are crucial for success in biotech leadership.
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    29 mins
  • 🧬How One Leader United 120 Experts to Transform Cancer Care | Samir Khleif (Part 3/4)

    🧬How One Leader United 120 Experts to Transform Cancer Care | Samir Khleif (Part 3/4)
    Aug 11 2025
    "I always kept my lab at NCI, so I was always doing my research. But I was asked by him to lead the oncology critical path at the FDA, and I did that. I was doing that while also helping the King of Jordan develop the biotechnology strategy of Jordan and what it would take to move it forward." In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Samir Khleif shares pivotal moments from his career at the crossroads of government, research, and entrepreneurship—reflecting on being chosen by FDA commissioner Andy von Eschenbach to lead oncology reform at the FDA, while simultaneously running his NCI research lab and advising Jordan’s national biotech strategy. He highlights the power of academic freedom, assembling a task force of over 120 top experts to advance regulatory change, and the leadership lessons gained building world-class teams—all culminating in a breakthrough that sparked the founding of Georgiamune.
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    25 mins
  • 🧬 Breaking the Wall Between Science & Patient Care: Translational Medicine | Samir Khleif (Part 2/4)

    🧬 Breaking the Wall Between Science & Patient Care: Translational Medicine | Samir Khleif (Part 2/4)
    Aug 7 2025
    “The way I have grown up in the field is not only to discover basic science findings, but also to have in mind always… how can we translate this discovery into a potential drug or an approach that could be given to patients.” In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Samir Khleif shares his inspiring journey from a formative fellowship at the National Cancer Institute—where he mastered bridging basic science and clinical care—to being handpicked to build the pioneering King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan. Dr. Khleif’s story reveals how NCI’s culture of translating research into real-world impact shaped his vision for translational medicine and propelled him to bring world-class cancer care to new frontiers, overcoming formidable challenges along the way.
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    28 mins
  • 🧬 Boy Scout Values & Refugee Resilience: Building Biotech Leadership | Samir Khleif (Part 1/4)

    🧬 Boy Scout Values & Refugee Resilience: Building Biotech Leadership | Samir Khleif (Part 1/4)
    Aug 4 2025
    "Education was the highest value in our family. It was not even a question—it was the core." In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Samir Khleif—Founder and CEO of Georgiamune—shares how his upbringing as a Middle Eastern refugee, in a family where education was everything, laid the foundation for his pioneering work in oncology and immunotherapy. Khleif recounts how formative experiences with his physicist father and the Boy Scouts instilled discipline, fairness, and a sense of adventure, shaping his leadership approach and fueling his journey from humble beginnings and early entry into medical school to spearheading innovative treatments that reprogram immune responses against cancer and autoimmune disease.
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    35 mins
  • 🧬 Multi-Edit CAR T-Cells: The Crazy Science That Might Cure Brain Cancer | Aaron Edwards (Part 4/4)

    🧬 Multi-Edit CAR T-Cells: The Crazy Science That Might Cure Brain Cancer | Aaron Edwards (Part 4/4)
    Jul 30 2025
    “This isn't just one gene edit—this is multiple edits, working in concert. It’s a fundamentally different chassis.” In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Aaron Edwards, co-founder of KiraGen Bio, shares how a Harvard Business School class project ignited the launch of a pioneering biotech taking on solid tumors with a bold, unconventional CAR T-cell therapy. He unpacks the real-world challenges of building KiraGen—navigating fundraising, assembling a strong team, and leveraging mentorship, partnerships, and machine learning—while highlighting how focus, discipline, and authentic leadership can set a startup apart, even when it means breaking from industry norms.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • 🧬 Non-Traditional Leadership & Knowledge Sharing: The New Edge in Biotech | Aaron Edwards (Part 3/4)

    🧬 Non-Traditional Leadership & Knowledge Sharing: The New Edge in Biotech | Aaron Edwards (Part 3/4)
    Jul 23 2025
    “This isn't just one gene edit—this is multiple edits, working in concert. It’s a fundamentally different chassis.” In part three of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee and Aaron Edwards dive into the realities of biotech entrepreneurship, spotlighting the power of non-traditional career paths, self-awareness, and creative knowledge sharing. They unpack how embracing new tools, fostering open debate, and democratizing information through platforms like Notion, ELNs, and social media can drive both personal growth and startup success. The conversation highlights the importance of capital efficiency, authentic community engagement, and building a culture where diverse perspectives fuel innovation in today’s fast-evolving life sciences landscape.
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    40 mins
  • 🧬 Why Most Biotech Startups Fail (And How to Survive Market Crashes) | Aaron Edwards (Part 2/4)

    🧬 Why Most Biotech Startups Fail (And How to Survive Market Crashes) | Aaron Edwards (Part 2/4)
    Jul 16 2025
    "You might not have developed it. You might not know where that is. But you're finding what that North Star is." In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Aaron Edwards shares how a bold cold email launched him from Kentucky to a cutting-edge mRNA vaccine lab in Boston, setting the stage for a dynamic biotech career. He explores the culture shock of city life, how curiosity fueled his leadership, and the key lessons learned navigating academia, big pharma, and nimble startups—ultimately revealing how market cycles, organizational models, and operational discipline drive innovation and resilience in biotech.
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    46 mins