When Science Speaks

David Doyle is the author of a new book, "Ask What You Can Do", a valuable resource for anyone thinking about entering public service, particularly local government and especially if you're a scientist, engineer, or technologist coming from the private sector.

David is a passionate believer in the power of data and technology to help us understand and solve the world's biggest challenges. He's fascinated by issues at the intersection of technology, data and public policy and generates new knowledge that he shares through public speaking, teaching, and writing.

In this episode of the show, Mark and David discuss a range of topics, including:

• The career growth and networking benefits of working in government
• How gaining public and private sector experience can position you in the key role of translator between government and corporate decision-makers
• Why David believes local government may be entering a prolonged phase of technological transformation.
• How David thinks the leadership responsibilities performed by local governments during the pandemic will impact the pace of technology adoption in local government and also the level of interest of technologists in entering public service
• The types of scientific and technology training that is particularly needed within local government and where in public service he sees exciting and meaningful career development opportunities for scientists and engineers

David Michaels, PhD is an epidemiologist and professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health. He was Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health from 2009-2017, the longest serving head of OSHA in its history, and was Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety and Health from 1998-2001, charged with protecting workers, residents and the environment around US nuclear weapons facilities.

Under David's leadership, OSHA strengthened exposure standards for silica and beryllium, and issued new rules on safety while greatly increasing the agency's focus on the healthcare industry. He also issued OSHA's first compliance guide and recommended practices for employers for preventing and addressing retaliation against whistleblowers who raise safety concerns.

David's current work is on the relationship between safety and health management systems, operational excellence and sustainability, a topic on which he lectures frequently, and on improving the protection of workers exposed to COVID-19 as the economy reopens.

David is a leader in efforts to protect the integrity of the science underpinning public health and environmental protections, and is author of numerous articles in leading scientific publications, as well as "Doubt is Their Product" (Oxford University Press, 2008) and "The Triumph of Doubt: Dark Money and the Science of Deception" (Oxford University Press, 2020). David's article co-authored with Gregory R. Wagner, MD entitled "Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Worker Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic" was just published by the Journal of the American Medical Society - otherwise known as JAMA.

On today's episode, Mark and David discuss a range of issues related to misinformation about COVID-19, David's new book "The Triumph of Doubt", and other topics including:

David's work with the National Academy of Sciences on the equitable dIstribution of a COVID-19 vaccine whenever it's deemed safe and effective

What David means by the "science of deception", a term he uses in his latest book, and whether there are ways to inoculate against its spread

The idea that historically science is supposed to be apolitical - has that notion ever reflected reality if we understand politics to be about power within a society and the ability to shape community behavior

Thinking about the current proliferation and consumption of misinformation and disinformation, particularly around topics grounded in science such as global warming and vaccine safety and efficacy, are we seeing something that's a difference in scale or in kind - meaning have we seen this type of dynamic before, but now it's supercharged by social media, for example, or is the current environment something new and different, and perhaps more dangerous

Are there particular topics that lend themselves to distortions, and are there specific antidotes that have proven effective in waking up the public, if you will, to the mirage concocted by scientists-for-hire

As a trained scientist, former Professor at the City of New York Medical School, and an expert in epidemiology and biostatistics, among other related topics, David Michaels is a "quant jock", if you will. As a political appointee and head of OSHA, he also is adept at navigating the policymaking terrain, where data are only one factor to be considered in formulating policy. Does a reliance on data and evidence - sometimes to the exclusion of other factors such as emotional arguments and appeals to shared values - hamstring scientists involved in policymaking who aren't trained or accustomed to these powerful forces in the policy ecosystem, and what can scientists and the institutions that train them do to address this issue

When David was leading OSHA and interacting with policymakers in Congress, what sort of arguments in support of OSHA policies did he find particularly persuasive

Given the existential threat to human health posed by this environment of manufactured doubt, what can listeners do in an effort to turn the tide

On this week's episode, Mark's guest is Steve Dickman, CEO of CBT Advisors, a strategic consultancy supporting the biotech industry.

Topics discussed during the episode include:

• How Steve made the transition from working at Science and at Nature - where he founded and ran the first Nature news bureau in Germany, among other responsibilities - to thriving in the ecosystem of VCs, Private Equity, and startups
• The obstacles Steve faced as he shifted his professional focus and how he overcame them
• How Steve develops and delivers persuasive, impactful stories for his clients, with examples from the startup environment of stories he felt were particularly compelling
• Steve's advice for listeners thinking about trying to break into the startup ecosystem, and, for those already working within it, what qualities and approach Steve has found to be hallmarks or similarities of successful entrepreneurs
• Common blindspots or areas for further development that Steve and his team frequently see in the field
• How Steve and his firm provide feedback, particularly when a business plan, for example, may be way off the mark
• During this period of historic uncertainty and flux, what challenges and opportunities Steve sees on the horizon, and his career advice for scientists and engineers looking to start or shift careers

Useful resources

• The works of statistician, data visualizer, and artist Edward Tufte on communicating data using graphics. Described by The New York Times as the 'Leonardo da Vinci of data,' and Bloomberg as the 'Galileo of graphics', Tufte taught data analysis and policy making at Princeton and Yale for 32 years and authored five books
• Michael Gilman's blog post on choosing your VCs https://lifescivc.com/2015/04/five-questions-to-ask-your-investors-before-you-take-their-money/
• Gilman's blog post on risk reduction in biotech startups: https://lifescivc.com/2014/05/risk-a-users-guide-for-drug-developers/ and why it's good to be virtual https://lifescivc.com/2016/01/the-virtues-of-virtual-and-why-were-devirtualizing/.
• Jeff Bussgang's book on how VCs operate reviewed by Steve Dickman: https://bostonbiotechwatch.com/2010/04/26/vc-from-both-sides-mastering-the-vc-game-by-jeffrey-bussgang/
• How data science is influencing life science VC investing, https://a16z.com/2020/01/13/bio-newsletter-january-next-decade/ and https://a16z.com/2020/01/08/komodo-health/
• Steve Dickman's post on Vijay Pande https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedickman/2016/02/02/can-biology-even-drug-discovery-be-clouded-its-early-but-andreesen-horowitz-vc-thinks-so/#4c16d6955a16 and his portfolio company Benchling https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedickman/2017/11/08/lab-notebook-software-bypassed-by-biologists-poses-tough-challenge-for-software-developers/#55c1c5ed1804
• Steve Dickman's post describing Baillie Gifford: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedickman/2017/04/12/the-long-game-in-life-sciences-181-billion-fund-baillie-gifford-invests-big-in-private-companies/#1907f7334d89
• Books recommended for listeners interested in biotech and the startup ecosystem:
  • Invisible Frontiers by Stephen Hall
  • Making PCR by Paul Rabinow
  • Hackers by Steven Levy (re the original hackers at MIT, one of whom, Tom Knight, is a co-founder and executive at Ginkgo, a synthetic biology unicorn)
  • Bad Blood
  • Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart (recent novel, topical for those interested in the money business)
  • Market Wizards by Jack Schwager (how individuals make money in all sorts of markets – a classic – deeply relevant)

In this week's episode, Jen Jortner Cassidy, Senior Customer Success Manager at LinkedIN, shares her passion for lifelong learning and how listeners can reap the benefits of learning as an enduring aspect in their lives as well as related topics, including:

The benefits of the process of learning in addition to the result of actually having a new skill in your toolbox

How she defines "learning" - meaning how much exposure or practice in a new area is considered a new learning, from her perspective

What she's learning about mindfulness

How she thinks the continued need to learn remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic will impact learning now and in the future

Her views on in-person learning vs. virtual learning

One fun thing listeners could learn to do today

On this episode, Mark discusses a range of translational research issues with the Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences at Harvard Innovation Labs, including:

What led Mike to focus on life science virtually from the start of his professional career.

From Mike's perspective, what do all successful startups have in common, and what are the big mistakes Mike has seen that doom startups

With his years of experience building and advising companies, what's Mike's proudest professional achievement

Mike's focus has been on complex, pioneering technologies. How does he effectively communicate to general audiences - investors and the media, for example - about the value and importance of new products he's developing

Translational research and commercialization have been buzzwords for quite a while, and many academics are interested in applying research done in the lab in a commercial context. This isn't an easy undertaking, and many fail. As someone who's been an academic and a successful entrepreneur, what advice does Mike have for his former colleagues in the academy who want to start businesses based on their research

The latest news from the Harvard Innovation Labs

Mike's professional heroes - those he most admires

In this week's episode, Mark and Marc discuss innovation in the life sciences industry, including the recent launch of Orange Grove's portfolio company, Asalyxa Bio. Topics include:

Remdesivir and Marc's view on this experimental medicine for combatting effects of COVID-19

Why Marc decided to focus his professional life on funding innovations in health care and what led him to concentrate there

With Marc's expertise in analyzing and putting together deals, what role the ability for founders and executives to craft compelling, accessible narratives about the value of their products plays in their ultimate success

Examples when Marc felt a particularly engaging pitch propelled a medicine forward to success while perhaps a medicine that was at least as innovative if not more stumbled and failed because of ineffective messaging about its benefits

With global teams racing to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, how Marc sees the deal or investment community responding

As an entrepreneur and health care investor, what Marc considers the most important thing entrepreneurs should be doing right now to position themselves for success despite the economic turbulence

Particle physicist and postdoctoral research associate Yangyang Cheng, PhD explores the universe and also shares her unique perspectives on her native country of China and the U.S. political landscape across media, including in the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times, on BBC News, and in SupChina, a New York-based, China-focused news, information, and business services platform.

In this episode, Mark and Yangyang discuss a variety of science, political, and communication topics, including:

How Yangyang developed her dual scientific and communication skills and how she sees connections and similarities in the way she does physics and the way she approaches her writing and public speaking

Growing up in China and coming to the U.S. after graduating from university, Yangyang's experiences doing physics in China as a female physicist

Yangyang's fascinating research as a particle physicist

Her interests about American politics

The techniques and principles that guide her communications to general audiences

Her op-ed pieces in the Sunday New York Times and the kinds of reactions she has received from them

In this inspiring and enlightening interview, Mark and Tracie Delgado, PhD discuss Tracie's professional journey, her fascinating research, and how she's able to effectively translate her work into engaging, accessible descriptions. Specifically:

Tracie's early years growing up in East LA and how that experience has shaped her research and fueled her passion for increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in science What it was like when Tracie arrived at UCLA to begin her studies, the types of challenges she faced, and how she was able to overcome them Her message for listeners who may relate to her background and experience some of these same challenges Tracie's leadership in an organization called the Society for Advancement for Chicanos and Native Americans, or SACNAS, and the organization's mission and activities How listeners can learn more about SACNAS and get involved in the organization Details about Tracie's fascinating research - studying how viruses, in particular the herpesvirus - can cause cancer Tracie's keys to effective communication and her recommendations for other scientists, engineers, or professionals in technical fields who want to become better communicators Tracie's Facebook page on COVID-19, which she started in her spare time to respond to the questions people in her life were asking her, and now serves as a resource for those far beyond her immediate circle of family and friends

Fabricio F. Costa, PhD is a science and technology expert, seasoned business strategist, and serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in top academic labs and companies including Harvard University, Northwestern University, Google, Apple, and others.

On this episode of When Science Speaks, Mark and Fabricio discuss a range of topics, including:

How Fabrizio developed his interest both in startups and also in his field of speciality, life sciences

As a consultant, the common red flags Fabricio sees when he's advising companies that can cause organizational underperformance

When Fabrico served as CEO of DataGenno, what it was like to be selected to present at a ceremony at the White House and what he learned from the experience

Fabricio's perspectives on the importance of science communication

As a native of Brazil who has spent many years in the U.S. working and studying, Fabricio shared lessons he's learned and insights he's gained as part of his cross-cultural engagements

Fabricio's various career transitions - going from PhD program to postdoc to starting companies - and the kinds of activities he participated in while in school and as a trainee to help position himself after graduation for his career choice

How Brazil - and Fabricio's own family - have suffered from the spread of COVID-19

In this episode, Mark talks with Chris Garabedian, Chairman and CEO of Xontogeny, which he founded in 2016 to support multiple promising technologies from early development through clinical proof of concept.

In 2017, Chris joined Perceptive Advisors to develop their Venture Fund strategy and launched the Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund in 2018 to support early stage companies seeded and incubated at Xontogeny and other ventures.

Chris has a broad base of experience and a track record of success over his decades long experience in the biopharma industry. He served as the President and CEO of Sarepta Therapeutics from 2011 to 2015, overseeing the turnaround of a company that is now a commercial stage leader in the genetic technology space after leading the development of the company's Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy program. Prior to Sarepta, Chris led Corporate Strategy for Celgene from 2007 to 2010. Prior to Celgene, Chris served in a number of global commercial and corporate development leadership roles at Gilead from 1997 to 2005. Chris serves on a number of Boards of life sciences companies and speaks at industry conferences on a wide range of important issues. Chris is also on the Board of Directors of MassBio and serves as a Senior Advisor for the Boston Consulting Group.

Chris earned his B.S. in Marketing from the University of Maryland.

Mark and Chris discussed a range of topics, including:

What led Chris to found Xontongeny - what was missing in the marketplace that Xontongeny delivers

What Chris finds effective founders have in common that increases the likelihood they'll succeed?

The kinds of red flags that stand out that may lead Chris and his team to decide to take a pass on investing in a startup

How Chris thinks the pandemic will shape program development moving forward

The skill sets or expertise founders should have beforethey walk in the door to speak to an accelerator or other potential funders

Some of the key services Xontongeny offers its scientific founders that are particularly important to helping them move successfully through the program development lifecycle, hopefully to approval

For scientists and entrepreneurs interested in translating their science to a viable commercial product, how should they begin to prepare and what should their mindset be as they think about working with a company like Xontongeny