In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin sits down with Dr. Joseph Leventhal, Professor of Surgery and Director of Living Donor Kidney Transplantation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. A pioneer in the field of organ transplantation, Dr. Leventhal’s research is redefining what’s possible in immune tolerance—an area often described as the “holy grail” of transplantation, where a patient’s body can accept a donated organ without lifelong immunosuppressive drugs.

Dr. Leventhal shares his journey from growing up in New York City to becoming one of the foremost leaders in transplant surgery and cell therapy innovation. He discusses how his team’s groundbreaking clinical work has shown that tolerance can be achieved through cellular therapies, potentially freeing patients from the burdens of chronic immunosuppression.

From the early days of cyclosporine to founding TRACT Therapeutics and developing first-in-human T-regulatory cell therapies, Joe reflects on the scientific curiosity, resilience, and collaboration that drive progress in a complex field. He also explores the evolving ecosystem for biotech innovation in Chicago, the challenges of translating academic research into clinical therapies, and the optimism surrounding the next generation of precision cell therapies.

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin is joined by Chris Paladino, President of the New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO)—a nonprofit real estate development organization that has played a central role in revitalizing New Brunswick, New Jersey. Under Chris’s leadership since 1994, DEVCO has overseen more than $3.5 billion in projects spanning education, healthcare, housing, and innovation. 

Chris shares how a developer’s vision—rooted in collaboration and community impact—can drive economic growth and scientific progress. From transforming New Brunswick into a model for public-private partnerships to spearheading HELIX NJ, a $1.6 billion health and life sciences hub developed with Rutgers, Princeton, Nokia Bell Labs, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and Portal Innovations, Chris offers an insider’s view of how cities can evolve into thriving innovation ecosystems. 

Throughout the conversation, he reflects on lessons learned from decades of civic development, the importance of “creative collisions” between academia and industry, and why long-term success depends on patience, partnerships, and purpose. 

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin is joined by Todd Manjuck—Associate on JPMorgan’s Innovation Economy team and former U.S. Navy SEAL. Todd supports venture-backed companies across the life sciences sector, helping founders and executives navigate the unique challenges of scaling healthcare businesses. From capital access to operational strategy, Todd serves as a connector between early-stage innovators and the broader ecosystem. 

Before entering the world of finance and innovation, Todd spent over eight years as a Navy SEAL, an experience that continues to shape his approach to leadership, resilience, and decision-making under uncertainty. He reflects on how lessons from special operations translate to biotech—whether in adapting strategy, managing risk, or building strong teams. 

Throughout the conversation, Todd shares his perspectives on today’s life sciences landscape, the parallels between entrepreneurship and combat training, and the importance of mentorship and resilience in the face of uncertainty. He also opens up about his mother’s cancer journey, which inspires his commitment to supporting companies working to advance treatments and improve patient outcomes. 

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin is joined by Dr. Hide Goto, Head of Open Innovation Japan at Astellas. With more than 27 years of experience in drug discovery and research, Dr. Goto has journeyed from molecular biology and small-molecule drug development to leading-edge work in regenerative medicine, cell therapy, and now, ecosystem building. 

After three years in Boston as President of the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Goto returned to Japan with a new perspective: science alone is not enough. To turn breakthroughs into therapies, Japan must embrace open innovation—building stronger connections between academia, startups, industry, and global partners. 

In this conversation, he reflects on the differences between Boston’s high-functioning life sciences cluster and Japan’s emerging ecosystem, the mission of SakuLab in Tsukuba, and the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among Japanese scientists. He also shares why now is a pivotal moment, with government funding, global partnerships, and new programs like the SakuLab Startup Bootcamp aligning to spark a new generation of biotech founders in Japan. 

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin is joined by Jonathan Gluck—award-winning writer, longtime magazine editor, and now author of the deeply personal memoir An Exercise in Uncertainty: A Memoir of Illness and Hope. For more than two decades, Jonathan helped shape cultural conversations at New York Magazine, Vogue, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. But in his book, he turns the lens inward, chronicling his unexpected cancer diagnosis, the maze of the healthcare system, and the breakthroughs in biomedical research that helped him outlive the odds. 

From his first shocking diagnosis of multiple myeloma in his late thirties to the cutting-edge therapies like CAR T-cell treatment that have sustained him two decades later, Jonathan’s journey reflects both the fragility and resilience of the human spirit. Along the way, he shares how writing helped him process uncertainty, why patient storytelling matters for science and society, and what lessons living “one stone at a time across the river” can offer to entrepreneurs, innovators, and anyone facing the unknown. 

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin is joined by Jeffrey Gray, Founder & CEO of AgeTech Connect, and Dr. Daniel Cottmeyer, a physical therapist and PhD researcher at Georgia State University. 

Together, they explore how science, entrepreneurship, and storytelling are coming together to change the way we age. From wearable diagnostics and remote rehab to system-level thinking around healthcare access and loneliness, this conversation dives deep into one of the most human and pressing frontiers in tech: aging well. 

Jeff shares how personal experience led him to create AgeTech Connect, now the largest national community of agetech innovators, while Daniel unpacks the science behind joint degeneration and how companies like Arthroba are using real-time metrics to personalize therapy and improve mobility.

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin is joined by Donnie Beamer, Atlanta’s first-ever Senior Technology Advisor, appointed by Mayor Andre Dickens. Donnie brings a unique blend of experiences—as an entrepreneur, investor, corporate innovator, and civic leader—making him the perfect connector for Atlanta’s growing innovation ecosystem. 

From launching an AI-driven robotic bartender startup to leading new growth initiatives at Cox Communications, Donnie’s career has spanned entrepreneurship, tech, and economic development. Now, in his role with the City of Atlanta, he’s helping shape the region’s future by uniting startups, corporations, universities, and investors to fuel Atlanta’s rise as a national tech hub. 

WATCH FULL VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin is joined by Dr. Kate Rubins, NASA astronaut, microbiologist, Army Major, and the first person to sequence DNA in space. With a PhD in cancer biology from Stanford and groundbreaking research on viruses like Ebola and smallpox, Dr. Rubins has spent her career at the intersection of biology, innovation, and exploration.

From her early work in infectious disease labs to running her own research facility in the Democratic Republic of Congo—and ultimately conducting over 200 experiments aboard the International Space Station—Dr. Rubins exemplifies what happens when science meets mission.

In this episode, Kate reflects on her path to becoming an astronaut (spoiler: she applied as a joke), what it’s like to conduct molecular biology experiments in microgravity, and how the constraints of space research are driving innovation in diagnostics, biotech, and health access on Earth.

Kathleen Sebelius has led a career defined by public impact—first as Governor of Kansas and then as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, where she helped steer one of the most significant healthcare reforms in American history. In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, Sebelius unpacks the leadership lessons she’s learned across government and health systems, including the rollout of the Affordable Care Act and her efforts to accelerate translational research through federal agencies like the NIH, FDA, and CMS. 

At a time when NIH funding is under political pressure, Sebelius offers a powerful defense of continued public investment in biomedical science. She argues that undermining NIH not only risks slowing innovation but jeopardizes America’s global leadership in medicine, biotechnology, and economic competitiveness. 

Whether you're a policymaker, entrepreneur, or scientist, this conversation reveals why bipartisan support for public health infrastructure and regulatory expertise is more important than ever—and how real progress depends on collaboration across sectors. 

In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, host John Flavin speaks with Dr. Geoff Duyk, co-founder and CEO of Grove Biopharma. Geoff brings over 35 years of experience across academia, biotech leadership, and venture capital. From his early work in human genetics at UCSF to co-founding Millennium Pharmaceuticals and leading R&D at Exelixis, Geoff unpacks the evolution of biotech from the 1970s to today. 

This conversation comes on the heels of Grove’s massive $30M Series A. Geoff shares the story behind Grove Biopharma’s founding, born from a collaboration between a Northwestern chemist, a green chemistry innovator, and himself—culminating in a startup focused on intracellular targets using novel protein-mimetic polymers. Geoff also reflects on the infrastructure and cultural foundations that make biotech innovation possible, from the NIH’s visionary investments to the importance of people, timing, and place. Learn how Grove is challenging the limits of drug design with a new class of molecules that behave like antibodies but operate inside cells—unlocking new frontiers in cancer and beyond.