The Pulse Podcast

Brought to you by the Harvard Biotech Club

The Pulse Podcast takes a deep dive into biotech stories, features key biotech figures, and inspires the next generation of biotech leaders. The Pulse is presented by the Harvard Biotech Club. hbcpulse.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Melissa McCracken: A Scientist’s Journey into Biotech VC

    6D AGO

    Melissa McCracken: A Scientist’s Journey into Biotech VC

    Melissa McCracken is a partner at Nextech Invest, a leading oncology-focused venture capital firm. She is a board member for multiple private and public biotech companies. Melissa is a scientist by training from UCLA with her research on engineered immunity for cancer. She also completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University where she expanded her research in the field of immuno-oncology. Prior to Nextech, Melissa was a senior associate at Third Rock Ventures and helped build and launch Celsius Therapeutics, which is now part of AbbVie. In this episode, * Melissa traces her career path: from interning at Amgen in high school and college to pursuing a PhD at UCLA and a postdoc at Stanford working on cancer immunology before making the jump to venture capital. * She discusses her experience building companies as a senior associate at Third Rock Ventures, where she helped create Celsius Therapeutics, a company focused on discovering therapeutics for oncology and autoimmune disease. * Melissa shares her experience working in the biotech ecosystem in Europe, when she moved to Switzerland to first work at Nextech Invest as a principal. * She discusses her role in opening Nextech’s Boston office as a partner and some of the recent advancements in cancer therapeutics that she’s most excited about. * Melissa talks about her favorite things to do outside of work, such as spending time with her kids and doing yoga. Co-Hosts: Yossef Baidi and Fang Xie Planning: Yossef Baidi and Fang Xie Post-Production: Yossef Baidi, Fang Xie, and Rui Li 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

    48 min
  2. Soufiane Aboulhouda: A story of startups and serendipity

    JAN 14

    Soufiane Aboulhouda: A story of startups and serendipity

    Soufiane (Souf) is a synthetic biologist by training from Harvard Medical School. During his PhD, he founded Nucleate, a non-profit biotech organization that represents the largest global community of bio-innovators and offers numerous free entrepreneurship programs for academic trainees. In this episode, * Souf shares his background and how he got into research during his undergraduate years before starting his PhD at Harvard where he joined George Church’s lab. * He describes why he got involved with the Harvard Biotech Club and the various initiatives he led as co-president, including Activate Bio, the predecessor to Nucleate. * Souf also discusses Nucleate’s growth as an organization and the plans for it in the future now that it has expanded globally. * Outside of science, Souf enjoys hiking, working out, and cooking. Co-Hosts: Yossef Baidi and Fang Xie Planning: Yossef Baidi and Fang Xie Post-Production: Yossef Baidi 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

    58 min

  3. 12/21/2025

    John Maraganore: The Importance of Being Unreasonable

    Dr. John Maraganore, founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and co-founder of City Therapeutics, discusses his journey from a Greek immigrant household to pioneering RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics. He highlights Alnylam’s growth from a startup to a major biotech company, leading to the first FDA-approved RNAi therapy. John shares insights on decision-making, mentorship, and the future of RNA therapies. He also discusses his new ventures, including Corsera Health, focusing on cardiovascular disease prevention using RNAi. * John shares his upbringing in Chicago, growing up with Greek immigrant parents. He describes his early interest in science and research, leading him to choose a PhD path over an MD. He credits his mother with giving him optimism and his father with fostering a passion for science. * John explains the challenges of developing small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules and the decade-long effort to create acceptable human therapeutics. * John reflects on his career and the importance of being unreasonable and persistent in driving progress. He shares his excitement about his new upcoming book, “The Importance of Being Unreasonable,” which will provide insights on leading biotech companies. * John advises aspiring entrepreneurs to gain industry experience before starting their own companies. He emphasizes the importance of networking and staying in close touch with academic leaders and venture capitalists. He shares his philosophy of giving back to the community and helping young leaders succeed. Co-Hosts: Jennifer Jiang, Yossef Baidi & Fang Xie Planning: Yossef Baidi Post-production: Jennifer Jiang, Fang Xie & Yossef Baidi 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

    55 min
  4. George Church: Embracing Outliers in Science and in Life

    07/24/2025

    George Church: Embracing Outliers in Science and in Life

    Dr. George Church, is a genetics professor at Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute. George is a pioneer in synthetic biology and personalized genomics. In 2017, Time magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In addition to being a scientist, George is also a prolific serial entrepreneur. He has co-founded over 50 biotech startups through his lab at Harvard. George also serves as a Faculty Advisor for the Harvard Biotech Club. In this episode, * George shares his career path to become a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute, where his lab focuses on various topics related to synthetic biology. * George discusses his work on developing genome sequencing methods during his PhD and its impact on the Human Genome Project. * George discusses the development of genome editing methods and how his lab and other pioneers developed CRISPR systems as a genome editing modality, and eventually co-founded Editas. * George reflects on his philosophy for conducting research and how he likes to “embrace the outliers” when it comes to science and life in general. * George shares his insights on entrepreneurship and we discuss how Colossal Biosciences seeks to use de-extinction (e.g., woolly mammoth, dodo bird, dire wolf) to increase Earth’s biodiversity. * George shares his hobbies, such as his passion for reading and interests he picked up later in life, such as art and photography. Not surprisingly, his favorite movies are Jurassic Park series. Read George's Book "Regenesis" Learn more about George Church Co-Hosts: Yossef Baidi & Fang Xie Planning: Yossef Baidi Post-production: Yossef Baidi Thanks for reading The Pulse Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. 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

    1h 1m
  5. Chris Bahl: From Protein Geek to Biotech CEO

    06/12/2025

    Chris Bahl: From Protein Geek to Biotech CEO

    Chris Bahl is the Co-founder and CEO of AI Proteins. He also established the Boston Protein Design and Modeling Club (BPDMC), where he serves as Co-organizer. After completing his PhD in biochemistry from Dartmouth, Chris joined David Baker Lab at the University of Washington, where he pioneered the ability to design mini-proteins as a postdoc with the future Nobel Laureate. Chris later joined Institute of Protein Innovation as one of the founding faculty members, with co-appointments at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In 2021, Chris left academia and co-founded AI Proteins. In this episode, * Chris shares his career journey from academic faculty to founder, CSO, and recently CEO of AI Proteins, which is a Boston-based startup with a niche in using AI to design proteins. Over the past 3 years, the company has generated 150 protein drug candidates * Chris discusses how mini-proteins could transform medicine, agriculture, and beyond. He offers his vision on the future and the trend of AI powered protein design. * Chris reflects on his own path and offers career advice for academic scientists interested in becoming a startup founder. * As a self-proclaimed protein geek, Chris credits the vibrant Boston biotech ecosystem with helping him grow into a mature biotech entrepreneur. About Chris Bahl Christ Bahl’s TED talk AI Proteins BPDMC Co-Hosts: Fang Xie and Yossef Baidi Planning: Yossef Baidi Post-production: 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

    43 min

  6. 05/08/2025

    Peter Kolchinsky: Create Your Own Luck by Doing Things Outside of Class

    Peter Kolchinsky: Scientist, investor, author, founder of No Patient Left Behind, and co-founder of RA Capital Management. Peter is a virologist by training from Harvard University. After finishing his PhD, he went on to create RA Capital, a leading biotech venture capital firm. In this episode, Peter shares his journey to starting RA Capital and becoming a venture capital investor. * He shares his background, growing up in an entrepreneurial family. * He shares the origin of why he started the Harvard Biotech Club during his PhD. * We discuss how Peter started RA Capital and his career as a venture capital investor. * We discuss drug pricing and how Peter created No Patient Left Behind, to help make innovative medicines more affordable for patients. About Peter Read more about Peter’s views and opinions Read Peter’s Book “The Great American Drug Deal” Photos (front row, from left): Michelle Boisvert (Co-President of Harvard Biotech Club), Fang Xie (Host), Peter Kolchinsky (Guest), Yossef Baidi (Host), Binita Shah (Co-President of Harvard Biotech Club); (Back rows): Harvard Biotech Club Leadership members, friends, and guests. The event organizer: Monica Cassandras (the third row, the first from left); the HBC website manager: Isabella Jaen Maisonet (the second row, the second from left). Location: Serengeti Atrium, Broad Institute. 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

    1h 49m

  7. 03/02/2025

    Madalyn Won: Making the Jump from Academia into Consulting

    Maddie is a parasitologist by training from Harvard University. After her PhD graduation, she joined McKinsey as an associate. In this episode, Maddie shared her journey from the lab to consulting. 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

    32 min

  8. 01/17/2025

    Emily Gaudiano: From Lab Bench to Biotech Venture Capital

    * Emily Gaudiano reflects on her PhD in Arlene Sharpe Lab at Harvard Medical School and shares the pivotal moments that influenced her career. * With experience in recruiting interns for VC, she offers valuable insights and actionable strategies for graduates aspiring to break into biotech VC. * She shares her experience as an intern and later as a full-time Associate in MPM BioImpact and SV Health Investors, offering a glimpse into life in the Biotech VC industry. Emily is an energetic person. She likes traveling, scuba-diving, and cooking. Guest speaker: Emily Gaudiano Podcast hosts: Fang Xie & Yossef Baidi The Pulse is brought to you by the Harvard Biotech Club 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

    41 min
  • 8 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Pulse Podcast takes a deep dive into biotech stories, features key biotech figures, and inspires the next generation of biotech leaders. The Pulse is presented by the Harvard Biotech Club. hbcpulse.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Brought to you by the Harvard Biotech Club
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Griffin GSAS Harvard Biotech Club
  • Show Website
    The Pulse Podcast

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