This week on Careers in Discovery, we’re joined by Jonathan Levenson, CSO at FireCyte Therapeutics. Jonathan shares his unconventional journey from early curiosity about biology to a career spanning neuroscience research, Biotech innovation, and scientific leadership.

We explore his transition from academia to industry, the lessons he learned building discovery platforms and leading translational programs, and how embracing storytelling and stakeholder alignment shaped his leadership approach.

Jonathan also takes us inside the creation of FireCyte - from reimagining the retina as a window into neurodegeneration to navigating an early scientific pivot that reshaped the company’s direction. His experience is a compelling reminder that breakthrough progress often starts with challenging assumptions and following the data.