Lab Rats to Unicorns

On this episode of "Lab Rats to Unicorns," we sit down with Julie Gilmore, Ph.D., Lilly’s vanguard in bridging the worlds of big pharma, startups, and academia. With over two decades at Lilly, Julie unpacks the role big pharma plays in scientific innovation and the multifaceted career paths and opportunities within it. We'll delve into her experiences in portfolio management, explore the nuances of life science communications, and dissect Lilly’s synergistic relationship with burgeoning startups and universities. Julie also shares her personal narrative of growth and leadership, her mentoring philosophies, and her acumen in spotting potential in the startup arena. Join us for a deep dive into the ecosystem of pharmaceuticals and the minds shaping its future. 

Julie Gilmore, Ph.D., is the Vice President and Global Head for Gateway Labs by Lilly, where she has cultivated a distinguished 20-plus-year tenure. Her journey with Lilly has seen her ascend through various leadership and scientific roles, demonstrating her versatility and expertise across research and drug development. Notable positions include her tenure as Head of Information Sciences and Clinical Operations for Lilly Europe, Global Head of Scientific Communications, and Global Head of Portfolio Management for the Neurodegeneration and Pain Early Phase Portfolio. Julie's influence extends beyond her corporate achievements; she serves on the Board of Governors for Biocom California and the Board of Directors for Mozart Therapeutics and DTx Pharma. A mentor at heart, Julie dedicates herself to guiding the next generation of scientific leaders through her involvement in several university graduate programs. Her academic credentials are equally impressive, with a doctorate in Membrane Biophysics from Purdue University and a postdoctoral fellowship in Drug Transport from Indiana University School of Medicine. 

This episode features a conversation in front of a live audience in Atlanta with Dr. James Lillard. Dr. Lillard is a Distinguished Fellow of AAI and Fellow of NAI and AAAS that uses both in silico and in vivo methods to develop biologics or molecular tests to better treat or diagnose, respectively, chronic diseases. His research involves dissecting the molecular mechanisms of cancer and inflammatory diseases, using clinically annotated NGS data and the implementation of precision medicine. His research contributions span disciplines including oncology, immunity, inflammation and biodefense. Dr. Lillard’s cumulative peer-reviewed funding principally directed over his scientific career exceeds $75 million and he has authored over 300 scientific communications, which have been cited over 10,000 times.

Dr. Todd Sherer has dedicated over three decades to the advancement of academic technology transfer, ensuring research, especially federally-funded, translates into life-saving applications for the public. As the helm of Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer since 2003, he transformed the department into a global leader in the field. Instrumentally, he innovatively introduced product pipelines to highlight research's role in innovation, streamlined partnerships with industries, and orchestrated the strategic monetization of Emory’s HIV drug royalties for Emtriva, securing an unprecedented $540 million. His vast experience, which spans roles at Oregon Health & Science University, the University of Oregon, and Washington State University, is complemented by his contributions to the broader technology transfer community, notably as a Past President of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM).

e.043!! Learn about & from: Lesley Millar-Nicholson! Ms. Millar-Nicholson is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technology Licensing Office (TLO) and was part of the founding leadership team of the recently formed MIT Office of Strategic Alliances and Technology Transfer (OSATT). As TLO Executive Director, she leads a team managing MIT’s intellectual assets and technology transfer process. Prior to arriving in Cambridge Ms. Millar-Nicholson was Director of the Office of Technology Management (OTM) at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, managing the technology transfer and commercialization processes for over 10 years.

Ms. Millar-Nicholson is a Past President of the Board of Governors of Certified Licensing Professionals Inc, (CLP Inc.), a former member of the Board of Directors of the Licensing Executive Society (LES), and is on the Board of Cambridge Enterprise, UK as an external advisor. A native of Scotland, Ms. Millar-Nicholson has a B.Ed., M.Ed., and MBA and is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP). 

Ryan Meyers is a skilled biotech executive with significant experience in management consulting, venture capital and company creation. He is the co-founder of both AddGraft Therapeutics – a novel skin based cell therapy platform – as well as Alnair Therapeutics - which aims to develop a platform technology that improves the delivery of drugs to difficult-to-treat cancers.

Ryan has his MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, and in his early career he worked a places like Gibson Consulting and AArete Consulting.

In this episode, Ryan breaks down different opportunities for startups, important milestones in company creation, describes the unique challenges (as well as ways to overcome them) and the responsibilities of leaders in the life sciences. He brings up his learning process and the interaction of business and science - how a hopeful future has an important focus on accessibility.

e.041 is another live audience recording! Taped in partnership with Marcus Whitney and his awesome podcast Health: Further, this one takes a unique form. Jump into a wide conversation from the macroeconomic environment entrepreneurs are facing currently to broadening the health equity conversation. The conversation explores the perspectives of Kedar Mate (Institute for Healthcare Improvement), Kameron Matthews (CityBlock Health), Anna Haghgooie (Valtruis) and Michael Gray (Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg).

e.040: David Steinberg is a General Partner at Longwood Fund. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Longwood portfolio companies Photys Therapeutics and Be Biopharma, where he also served as founding Chief Executive Officer, and serves on the board of Longwood portfolio companies AAVantgarde Bio, Carbon Biosciences, Lassen Therapeutics, and Rectify Pharmaceuticals.Previously, he was co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of biotech venture creation firm PureTech Health (NASDAQ: PRTC), focusing on launching and investing in innovative biotech companies. David was the co-founder and CEO of several biotech companies, including Longwood-founded companies Pyxis Oncology (NASDAQ:PYXS) , Photys Therapeutics, Be Biopharma, and Carbon Biosciences as well as co-founder and CEO of Vor Biopharma (NASDAQ: VOR), Vedanta Biosciences, and Calix, and co-founder of Restorbio (NASDAQ:TORC). He previously worked in biopharma strategy consulting at Boston Consulting Group and Vertex Partners, and R&D at P&G Pharmaceuticals. David received his MBA in strategy and finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a BA in biology from Cornell University.

e.039 was recorded in front of a whole audience of ppl in dorchester because that seemed like a pretty fun idea. in this episode, Rahul Dhanda (founder, ceo & prez of Syntis Bio) gives us the story of his career; teaches us a few lessons on #biotech research, startup creation & culture development; and he breaks DOWN the trap and residual harm of siloes in innovation.

Rahul Dhanda is co-founder, CEO and director of Syntis Bio - a team we love and cherish. previously, Rahul co-founded Sherlock Biosciences, where he was CEO, president and director, and built a diverse team that launched the first CRISPR product authorized by the FDA. an advocate of equity in society and STEM, Rahul founded The 221b Foundation, a non-profit providing CRISPR intellectual property in exchange for profit sharing to promote gender and racial equity in STEM.

named to boston’s Power50 list by the Boston Business Journal, Rahul also led Sherlock to recognition as a Fast Company Most Innovative Company, a Red Herring Top 100 Company, Fierce15 MedTech, Tech Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, and Top 50 Innovative Company by BostonInno. not everyone gets named to even one list in their life...so thts pretty wild.

Rahul holds an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, a B.A. from Wesleyan University, and authored the first book addressing the crossroads between industry and bioethics, entitled Guiding Icarus: Merging Bioethics with Corporate Interests.

ok thts all u should need, now get outta here...go listen !!

James Dahlman is a biomedical engineer who works at the intersection of nanotechnology, molecular biology, and genomics. He is an associate professor at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory School of Medicine, and the director of the Lab for Precision Therapies. His lab designs drug delivery vehicles that target RNA and other nucleic acids to cells in the body, and uses DNA barcodes to screen thousands of nanoparticles in vivo. He has applied his technology to treat diseases such as heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and pulmonary hypertension. He has also developed new tools for gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9. James has received numerous awards for his research, including the McCamish Foundation Early Career Professorship. His work has been translated via Guide Therapeutics, which was spun out of Georgia Tech and acquired by Beam Therapeutics. He is also a passionate educator and mentor who loves to share his enthusiasm for science with students and the public.

Erandi De Silva is a biotech founder and scientist who co-founded Forge Biologics, a gene therapy development and manufacturing company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. She serves as the Senior Vice President of Product Development, overseeing the pipeline of disease-modifying AAV-based therapies for rare genetic diseases, automation initiatives and new therapeutic product planning. She has over 15 years of experience in discovery research, therapeutic development, and partnering. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University and a B.S. (Honors) in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. She has a strong commitment and track record in building and managing diverse and innovative workforce