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"Passion is chaos. You're doing unreasonable things sometimes for reasons you can't explain to anyone why. That's just what I want.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee sits down with Ivan Liachko, CEO and co-founder of Phase Genomics, to reveal how a childhood passion for genetics, relentless family support, and Ivan’s trademark persistence—“better to be annoying than forgotten”—helped him break into science as an immigrant and rise to biotech leadership.
Ivan shares candid lessons on embracing unpredictability, turning setbacks into opportunities, and the parallels between research and entrepreneurship, emphasizing the power of authentic curiosity, running toward problems, and leading with bold optimism.
Key topics covered:

• Ivan’s childhood in Kyiv and early passion for genetics
• Moving and adapting to a new country and system
• Breaking into science with grit and curiosity
• His transition from the lab to launching Phase Genomics
• Navigating setbacks and uncertainty in a leadership role

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Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ 
Find our guest, Ivan Liachko, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-liachko-%F0%9F%87%BA%F0%9F%87%A6-a333055a/Website: https://phasegenomics.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:Play Nice But Win: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57005158-play-nice-but-winUltra-Long-Range Genomic Information: https://www.ark-invest.com/podcast/phase-genomicsBioinformatics & Genomics: https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-bioinformatics-and-computational-biology A New Tool in the Genomics Kit: https://share.snipd.com/episode/9ee3bc63-9d1a-43f2-b749-2c7a339a2b63What is CRISPR: https://www.excedr.com/resources/what-is-crispr-cas9-definition-and-overview The CRISPR Revolution and the New Era of Genome Editing: https://www.biochemjournal.com/archives/2024/vol8issue1S/PartG/S-8-1-92-790.pdfCytogenomics with Phase Genomics: https://dnapodcast.com/episodes/2022/1/28/169-cytogenomics-with-phase-genomicsConnect My Variant: https://connectmyvariant.org/The Phage Atlas Project: https://phage.directory/atlas
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Phase Genomics: https://phasegenomics.comQuest Diagnostics: http://www.questdiagnostics.comUniversity of Pennsylvania: https://www.upenn.edu/Brandeis University: https://www.brandeis.edu/
Michael Dell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdell/David Younger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-a-younger/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:40 Early Interest in Science and Upbringing in Kyiv05:27 First Lab Experiences and Persistence in Science07:37 The Power of Passion in Scientific Careers09:47 Family Support and Academic Encouragement10:37 The Value of Persistence and Grit13:10 Navigating College Applications as an Immigrant15:59 Choosing Brandeis University and Embracing New Opportunities17:36 Maximizing Luck and Serendipity in Career Choices19:13 Breaking Out of Academic Silos and Embracing Opportunity34:47 OutroThe Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.