🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
Episode Description:

“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.
Key topics covered:

• Bridging Basic and Clinical Research: Uniting lab discoveries with real-world care
• The Call to Translational Medicine: Turning science into patient impact
• Early Leadership: Rising from fellow to faculty and learning to lead
• Innovation in Cancer Vaccines: Pioneering a new era in immunotherapy
• Building a Cancer Center Abroad: Launching Jordan’s King Hussein Cancer Center

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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, Samir Khleif, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-khleif-4280b29/Website: http://www.georgiamune.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:Strategies for Cancer Vaccine Development: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2914453/Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38086815/Recent Advances in the Development and Efficacy of Anti-Cancer Vaccines: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40266115/Cancer Vaccines: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11717780/Unlocking Cancer Vaccine Potential: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38564321/Translational Research Program: https://dctd.cancer.gov/programs/trpKing Hussein Cancer Foundation and Center: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Hussein_Cancer_Foundation_and_CenterCase Study: Jordan’s King Hussein Cancer Center: https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1744-8603-3-11NCATS: http://ncats.nih.gov/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Georgiamune: https://www.georgiamune.com/NCI: https://www.cancer.gov/King Hussein Cancer Center: https://www.khcc.jo/en
Dr. Asem Mansour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asem-mansour-md-5b0a1155/?originalSubdomain=jo
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:38 Journey to the National Cancer Institute (NCI)01:46 Early Days at NCI: Breaking Down Research Silos05:44 Bridging Basic and Clinical Research at NIH06:02 Forming a Translational Medicine Mindset08:35 Transition from Fellowship to Faculty at NCI09:11 The Origins of the King Hussein Cancer Center10:41 The Invitation to Build a Cancer Center in Jordan13:31 Challenges and Vision for Translational Cancer Care Abroad19:01 Reflecting on Mentorship and Collaborative Leadership22:46 Lessons in Innovation and Cancer Vaccine Development27:12 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.

"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.
Key topics covered:

• Education as Liberation: Early inspiration from family values and education fueling lifelong ambition
• From Refuge to Purpose: Refugee experiences and a love for science transformed adversity into impact
• Leadership Through Action: Building leadership muscles for biotech by starting organizations from scratch
• Character Under Pressure: Childhood adversity and scouting forged core values of logic, discipline, and fairness
• The Healer's Evolution: A journey from clinical oncology to biotech pioneer and global health leadership

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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, Samir Khleif, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-khleif-4280b29/Website: http://www.georgiamune.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:Skeel's Handbook of Cancer Therapy: https://books.google.com/books/about/Skeel_s_Handbook_of_Cancer_Therapy.html?id=3ZjlsgEACAAJ(WHO) Global Cancer Statistics Report 2024: https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-mounting-need-for-servicesEntrepreneur Middle East article: https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-ae/leadership/healing-horizons-georgiamune-founder-dr-samir-khleif-aims/485491
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Boy Scouts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_Scouts_of_America Georgiamune: https://www.georgiamune.com/National Cancer Institute: https://www.cancer.gov/Georgia Cancer Center: https://www.augusta.edu/cancer/Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy: https://www.parkerici.org/Arab Global Scholars Program: https://www.qf.org.qa/arab-global-scholars
Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:18 Welcome and Introduction of Guest04:25 Early Family Life & Formative Influences07:43 Parental and Boy Scouts’ Impact on Character08:23 Lessons in Work Ethic and Fairness10:56 Growing Up as a Refugee: Perspective & Values13:45 Early Entry into Medical School16:09 Founding Student Organizations18:51 Transition from Clinical Practice to Leadership Roles25:21 Exploring Immunology and Cancer Research29:46 Founding Georgiamune: Motivation and Vision33:40 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
“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.
Key topics covered:

• The Origin of KiraGen: Born from an HBS pitch deck, KiraGen set out to tackle immune suppression in solid tumors.
• Contrarian CAR T-Cell Design: Bold multi-edit strategy to outsmart tumor microenvironments and hit glioblastoma.
• Focus and Discipline: Lean operations, every dollar counts, eyes on clinical milestones.
• Creative Fundraising and Partnerships: Unconventional funding, academic alliances, and patient-driven capital.
• Authenticity and Team Building: Realness, inclusivity, and mentorship at the core—paying it forward in biotech.

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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, Aaron Edwards, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aedwards02/ Website: https://www.kiragenbio.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:Base Editing & CRISPR 2.0: https://beamtx.com/science/base-editing/CAR T-Cell Therapy: https://investor.bluebirdbio.com/news-releases/news-release-details/bluebird-bio-announces-amended-bcma-car-t-collaborationActivator Program: https://nucleate.org/activator/Biotech Studio Program: https://www.2048.vc/blog/bio-studioThe Founder Mindset: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1676.htmlTFS Programs: https://www.thermofisher.com/jp/ja/home/products-and-services/services/crdmo.html
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Bluebird Bio: https://www.bluebirdbio.com/Beam Therapeutics: https://www.beamtx.com/2048 Ventures: https://www.2048.vc/Nucleate: https://nucleate.xyz/Thermo Fisher Scientific: https://www.thermofisher.com/
George Church: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-church-2b86301/David R. Liu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-r-liu-465394185/Reza Satchu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reza-satchu/Terry-Ann Burrell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-ann-burrell-10477424/Jen Nwankwo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenasherphd/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:39 The Origin Story of KiraGen07:15 From Bluebird to Beam: Learning Cell Therapy15:51 Finding Product-Market Fit in Glioblastoma20:59 The Importance of Focus and Discipline24:20 Early Company Building and Lab Setup28:16 Building the Team and Hiring Strategy38:27 Creative Fundraising and Partnership Strategies45:06 Two-Year Vision: IND Filing and Clinical Data51:22 Shoutouts to Mentors and Supporters55:50 Advice to 21-Year-Old Self: Authenticity as a Superpower01:00:09 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
“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.
Key topics covered:

• Non-Traditional Paths to Leadership: Diverse backgrounds spark fresh biotech innovation.
• Institutionalizing Knowledge: Notion, ELNs, and Loom keep team wisdom accessible.
• Capital Efficiency & Execution: Build lean, use what works, skip reinvention.
• Democratization of Information: Open platforms put insights within everyone’s reach.
• Authenticity & Community: Self-awareness and real talk drive growth and connection.

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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, Aaron Edwards, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aedwards02/ Website: https://www.kiragenbio.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:Notion: https://www.notion.com/ELN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_lab_notebookLoom: https://www.loom.com/Pillar VC Startup Guide: https://www.pillar.vc/playlist/topics/getting-started/PLOS One: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/journal-information
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Kiragen Bio: https://www.kiragenbio.com/Benchling: https://www.benchling.com/Nucleate: https://nucleate.org/
Ryan Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-murray-phd-7b488142/Sajith Wickramasekara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sajithw/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:19 Non-Traditional Paths to Leadership: Aaron’s Journey02:31 The Value of Diverse Experiences in Biotech03:48 Creativity and First Principles Thinking05:53 Leadership, Self-Awareness, and Therapy08:09 Building a Safe Space for Debate and Growth12:37 Institutionalizing Knowledge: Tools and Practices14:05 Notion, ELNs, and Modern Documentation16:04 Democratization of Information and Community23:15 Capital Efficiency and Execution in Startups26:27 Authenticity, Community, and Digital Engagement38:07 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"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.
Key topics covered:

• The Power of Curiosity: Asking bold questions and staying curious drives growth and leadership.
• Academia vs. Industry: Adapting to the culture shock and pace of labs, pharma, and startups.
• Organizational Models: Big company structure vs. startup agility—what works, what doesn’t.
• Market Cycles & Resilience: Surviving booms and busts by staying lean and creative.
• Finding Your North Star: Embracing uncertainty to carve your own path in biotech.

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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, Aaron Edwards, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aedwards02/ Website: https://www.kiragenbio.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:DARPA and mRNA Vaccine Research: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4495566HBS Case Studies: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/cases/Novartis Vaccines and GSK Acquisition: https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-completes-major-three-part-transaction-with-novartis/Moderna and mRNA Platform Companies: https://www.modernatx.com/power-of-mrna/modernas-mrna-platformEli Lilly’s Subsidiary Model: https://www.lilly.com/subsidiariesBeyond the Square Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2qUtBY69I5JkcePLLE7ZhS?si=763530aa44b74be2&nd=1&dlsi=8f4794eea21940a9
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Bluebird Bio https://www.bluebirdbio.com/ Beam Therapeutics https://beamtx.com/ Verve Therapeutics: https://www.vervetx.com/Novartis: https://www.novartis.comGSK: https://www.gsk.comModerna: https://www.modernatx.comEli Lilly: https://www.lilly.comGalit Alter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/galit-alter-398184252/Todd Suscovich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-suscovich-65ba213/Neela Patel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neela-patel-84b144/Jacob Glanville: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobglanville/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:36 Culture Shock: Moving from Kentucky to Boston05:40 Landing in an mRNA Vaccine Lab via Cold Email07:36 The Power of Passion and Finding Your “North Star”10:57 Lessons from Academia: Knowing What Doesn’t Fit14:44 Curiosity and the Disconnect Between Science and Business19:30 First Industry Role at Novartis Vaccines23:52 Big Pharma vs. Startups: Pros, Cons, and Organizational Models24:33 Subsidiaries, Integration, and the Eli Lilly Example27:43 Bluebird Bio and Beam Therapeutics: Platform vs. Focus29:32 Surviving Market Cycles and Building ResilienceThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"There was something else there that I needed to keep searching for... and that's a theme in my life."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, we explore the formative journey of Aaron Edwards, Co-founder and CEO of KiraGen Bio, as he shares how curiosity, conviction, and challenging convention led him from a small town in Kentucky to the forefront of biotech innovation in Boston. Aaron reflects on his upbringing with pharmacist parents, the impact of early mentors, and the pivotal experiences that shaped his leadership style and scientific vision.
Listeners will hear how Aaron’s path was shaped by balancing competitive athletics with academic pursuits, navigating personal identity in a close-knit community, and seizing opportunities that broadened his perspective beyond traditional career paths. From his first wet lab experience with butterfly genetics to transformative internships in cancer research, Aaron’s story is one of resilience, self-discovery, and a relentless drive to make a difference in oncology.
Key topics covered:

• Early Curiosity & Upbringing: Sparked a passion for science in rural Kentucky with pharmacist parents and inspiring teachers.
• Visibility & Identity: Navigated being a gay student in a small town, seeking authentic environments.
• Academic & Athletic Balance: Learned discipline and leadership by balancing competitive swimming with rigorous academics.
• Formative Research Experiences: Gained direction from hands-on internships in cancer research and translational science.
• Leadership & Company Building: Drew lessons from biotech roles and business school to shape a people-first, adaptable leadership style.

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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, Aaron Edwards, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aedwards02/ Website: https://www.kiragenbio.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:The Velvet Rage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_RagePsychological Safety https://amycedmondson.com/psychological-safety/ Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity https://www.phikappatau.org/ Governor’s Scholars Program https://gsp.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx Emerging Technologies Attracting VC Investment in Life Sciences https://www.excedr.com/blog/emerging-technologies-attracting-vc-investment-in-life-sciences 
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Bluebird Bio https://www.bluebirdbio.com/ Beam Therapeutics https://beamtx.com/ Moffitt Cancer Center https://www.moffitt.org/ 
Matthew Klooster https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-klooster-87498510/Amy Edmondson https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycedmondson/  
Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:50 Aaron's Background and Early Curiosity in Science07:15 Growing Up with Pharmacist Parents and Asking Questions11:55 Kentucky Science and Math Academy Experience15:11 Visibility, Identity, and College Choices19:01 Balancing Athletics and Academics21:21 Summer Research Internships at Moffitt Cancer Center25:15 First Wet Lab Experience and Western Blots28:36 Connecting Research to Patient Impact33:20 Early Biotech Experience at Bluebird Bio43:43 Harvard Business School and Case Method Learning48:04 Outro The 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
Episode Description:

"It's not a brute force approach. It's a cleverness-based approach. It's a new kind of information that lets us do new things."
Host Jon Chee sits down with Ivan Liachko, founder and CEO of Phase Genomics, to unpack how clever, constraint-driven science turned a scrappy, bootstrapped lab into a genomics powerhouse. Ivan explains how their breakthrough technology—capturing the physical proximity of DNA—opened new frontiers in genome assembly, microbiome discovery, and cancer diagnostics, all propelled by a lean, scientist-led team and organic growth. 
The episode dives into Phase’s evolution into a data-driven research leader, its focus on non-dilutive funding over venture capital, and its vision for clinical impact and therapeutic spinouts—all fueled by a passion for unlocking powerful new biological information.
Key topics covered:

• Constraint-Driven Innovation: Creative solutions born from limited resources.
• Breakthrough Genomic Applications: Proximity ligation transforms genome assembly, microbiome, and cancer research.
• Bootstrapping & Organic Growth: Science-driven sales and grants fuel growth—minimal outside investment.
• Strategic Vision & Spinouts: Building a research powerhouse and launching new ventures from unique data.
• Advice for Scientists & Founders: Prioritize complementary teams, embrace uncertainty, and stay passionate.

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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://www.linkedin.com/company/phase-genomics-inc/ 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:ARK Invest Podcast: https://www.ark-invest.com/podcast/phase-genomicsHi-C Technology: https://phasegenomics.com/category/hi-c/CytoTerra Platform: https://phasegenomics.com/products/cytoterra/Next-Generation Cytogenomics Platform: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211018005750/en/Phase-Genomics-Announces-Next-Generation-Cytogenomics-Platform-to-Advance-Precision-Diagnosis-and-Treatment-in-Reproductive-Genetics-and-OncologyThe Genetics Podcast: https://sanogenetics.com/resources/genetics-podcastClinical Chemistry Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-than-a-decade-of-rapid-genomic-sequencing/id499883130?i=1000651557537
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Phase Genomics: https://phasegenomics.comUniversity of Washington: https://www.washington.edu/Gates Foundation: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Grantham Foundation: https://www.granthamfoundation.org/
Stephen Eacker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-eacker-a657177b/Jonathan Eisen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathaneisen/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:08 Phase Genomics’ Three Core Applications08:27 Meeting Co-founder and Early Team Formation11:28 Bootstrapping with eBay Lab Gear12:55 Scrappy, MVP-Driven Product Development17:02 Core Customers and Clinical Use Cases22:34 Evolving into a Research Institute with Spinouts25:29 Non-dilutive Funding and Fundraising Approach29:59 Clinical Vision and Anti-infective Focus31:33 Shout-outs and Advice for Young Scientists32:59 Staying Passionate Through Uncertainty33:54 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"If you get a new kind of information, suddenly you can do something with it that you couldn't do before at all."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Ivan Liachko shares how scientific curiosity and unexpected collaborations took him from DNA replication research in yeast at Cornell to a breakthrough in 3D genome mapping and the founding of Phase Genomics. 
Embracing Hi-C technology at the University of Washington, Ivan and his team unlocked a new kind of biological information, enabling scientists to assemble genomes and map complex microbial communities and their viruses—transforming what was once impossible into a new standard for genomics. His journey highlights how creativity, collaboration, and seizing serendipitous moments can drive the most impactful scientific innovations.
Key topics covered:

• Scientific Serendipity: Collaborations and chance encounters that propelled Ivan’s career
• Comparative Biology: Probing DNA replication by comparing diverse yeast “machines”
• The Move to Genomics: Shifting from classic genetics to high-throughput genomics at UW
• 3D Genome Mapping: Hi-C technology unlocking the secrets of genome structure
• Microbiome and Phage Discovery: Sequencing breakthroughs revealing hidden microbial worlds

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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://www.linkedin.com/company/phase-genomics-inc/ 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:MCM Proteins and DNA Replication: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955067406000251Hi-C Technology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-C_(genomic_analysis_technique)Kitty Biome Project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/catbiome/kittybiome-kitty-microbiomes-for-cat-health-and-biGenome Startup Day: https://genomestartupday.com/ARK Invest Podcast: https://www.ark-invest.com/podcast/phase-genomics
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Phase Genomics: https://phasegenomics.comUniversity of Washington: https://www.washington.edu/Animal Biome: https://www.animalbiome.com/pages/our-company?srsltid=AfmBOope9rX1mixuGLFD44P81n_UJsHdYSHTlHJ7qUYmd3FRAscR2DxQ
Maitreya Dunham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maitreya-dunham-b23a9148/Josh Burton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-burton-6292a25/Jay Shendure: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-shendure-32b2a96/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:12 Ivan’s early research at Cornell on DNA replication and yeast biology05:52 Move to University of Washington and postdoc opportunity09:49 Life and culture in the Pacific Northwest13:04 Experimental evolution and comparative biology in yeast17:16 Discovering Hi-C technology and 3D genome mapping24:40 Using Hi-C for genome assembly and the jigsaw puzzle analogy30:23 Applications of Hi-C in microbiome research and phage discovery33:04 Mapping phages and plasmids to their microbial hosts34:23 Founding of Phase Genomics and commercialization of technology34:29 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
“Every time you think you’re right and somebody puts you in your place and you learn from it, eventually you’re like, that guy gave me the greatest gift… You learn to love it.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Ivan Liachko, CEO and co-founder of Phase Genomics, delivers an unfiltered look at the realities of building a biotech company, revealing how the mental toll of leadership, managing egos, and embracing frugality shaped his journey from academia to entrepreneurship. 
Through candid stories of scrappy problem-solving and bootstrapping Phase Genomics, Ivan and host Jon Chee highlight the surprising overlap between science and business, the importance of knowing which game you’re playing, and why resilience, adaptability, and learning from failure are crucial for startup success.
Key topics covered:

• The Emotional Toll of Leadership: Handling conflict, building resilience, and staying mentally tough.
• From Academia to Entrepreneurship: Turning scientific know-how into business savvy.
• Frugality & Resourcefulness: Scrappy solutions over spending sprees.
• Knowing Your Game: Avoiding hype and matching strategy to your company’s reality.
• Embracing Discomfort and Failure: Growing by learning from mistakes and challenging expert advice.

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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://www.linkedin.com/company/phase-genomics-inc/ 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:Ultra-Long-Range Genomic Information: https://www.ark-invest.com/podcast/phase-genomicsGenome Startup Day: https://innovatebio.org/blog/podcast-genome-startup-day-bacteria-breakthroughsLife Science and Biotech CEO Stories: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-science-and-biotech-ceo-stories/id1725353867Accelerating Biochemical R&D (TEKsystems): https://www.teksystems.com/en/insights/success-stories/machine-learning-aws-phase-genomicsThe Future of Phage Therapy: https://www.scispot.com/blog/the-future-of-phage-therapy-can-bacteriophages-replace-antibioticsGeekWire Awards: https://www.geekwire.com/2023/how-this-ukrainian-born-ceo-created-a-biotech-startup-where-curious-scientists-thrive/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Phase Genomics: https://phasegenomics.comMicrosoft: https://www.microsoft.com/Cornell University: https://www.cornell.edu/Brandeis University: https://www.brandeis.edu/Gates Foundation: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/
Shawn Sullivan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-sullivan-mit/Maitreya Dunham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maitreya-dunham-b23a9148/Josh Burton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-burton-6292a25/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:06 Mental Toll of Startup Leadership07:03 Learning from Conflict and Managing People13:00 Immigrant Experience and Grad School Survival15:18 Starting Phase Genomics and Budgeting18:52 Frugality: Instant Pot as Autoclave22:49 Knowing Your Game: Startup Growth Strategies25:57 Saying No to Expert Advice28:02 Grad School Selection and Cornell Experience30:04 Moving to Seattle and Postdoc Life30:32 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"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

If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
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.