Tim Harris is a molecular biologist, biochemist and geneticist. He is also a science and business leader with over 40 years of experience in a range of molecular research areas. Tim is currently an Operating Partner at SV Health Investors. Outside of SV, he holds a seat on the Board of Directors of Phenome TX in Edinburgh and is a visiting professor at Columbia University. Before joining SV, Tim served in several senior management positions including Executive VP of Corporate Development at Repertoire Immune Medicines, Executive VP of R&D at Bioverativ (now part of Sanofi-Genzyme), the Senior VP for Precision Medicine at Biogen which followed his role as Senior VP of Translational Medicine also at Biogen, and Senior Vice President of R&D at Sequana/Axys. Tim also served as Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Advanced Technology Program at SAIC-Frederick in Maryland, currently known as Frederick National Laboratory, which operates the National Cancer Institute’s leading center for cancer and AIDS research. In 1999, Tim founded SGX Pharmaceuticals. He built SGX to more than 130 employees, raised $85M in capital, and generated more than $20M in revenue during his six year tenure as CEO before it was sold to Eli Lilly. In 2024, Tim published his well regarded memoir, “In Pursuit of Unicorns: A Journey Through 50 Years of Biotechnology”. With first-hand experience of biotech’s evolution over decades, the book highlights the most impactful advances in biotech and gives a compelling, insider view of the breakthroughs that have shaped modern biotechnology. John Maraganore, former CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and a previous guest of The Pulse, has praised it as “a new bible for the history of biotechnology.” In this episode, * Tim shares his upbringing in the UK, influenced by his father, a chemist, and his interest in science, sparked by Sir Robert Robinson, a Nobel Laureate. * He discusses his move from academia to CellTech and his motivation in staying on the industry track. He describes his time at Glaxo as a senior manager and later move to San Diego and join Sequann, a startup applying genetics into drug development. * He shares the backstory of why he wrote his new book “In Pursuit of Unicorns: A Journey Through 50 Years of Biotechnology”, a first of kind biotech history book, which aims to provide a comprehensive view of biotech history. * He discusses the current biotech and policy landscape, including concerns about major health decisions being made without strong scientific backing and ongoing challenges around drug pricing and access in the U.S. * He shares advice for trainees: follow what genuinely interests you, commit deeply (“10,000 hours is real”), and carry forward the “three Ps” — patience, persistence, and practicality. * He reflects on his transition into venture capital at SV health investors, explaining how science-driven technical due diligence, strong management teams, and company culture shape investment decisions, and why choosing the right people matters most. * He explores the future of biotech, highlighting AI-driven drug discovery as the next major frontier he would invest in, while also sharing personal interests like his love of carpentry outside of work. Co-hosts: Malvika Dua and Tanner Baldwin Producers: Malvika Dua and Fang Xie This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hbcpulse.substack.com
