The Emerging Biotech Leader
Episodes
Driving Global Patient Access: Managed Access as a Strategic Lever
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Emerging Biotech Leader, Kim Kushner sits down with Nicky Wisener, Vice President, Managed Access Practice at Clinigen Group, t...
Rare Disease Commercialization: Beyond Approval
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Emerging Biotech Leader, host Kim Kushner sits down with Matt Trudeau, President of ITF Therapeutics, to discuss what it means ...
Clinical Operations as a Strategic Function
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Emerging Biotech Leaders, host Ramin Farhood speaks with Meaghan Powers, Senior Director of Clinical Operations at SSI Strategy. Wi...
How Clinical Operations Shapes Biotech Strategy
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Clinical operations translates scientific research into the studies and data needed to bring new therapies to patients. In this episode of The Emergin...
50 Episodes in: Lessons from The Emerging Biotech Leader
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kim and Ramin celebrate the anniversary of The Emerging Biotech Leader, marking three years, 50 episodes, and listeners across 50 countries. Unlike pa...
Biotech Leadership: The CEO–CMO Dynamic
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Kim Kushner and Adriana Valenciano, Head of Client Delivery at SSI Strategy, take a closer look at what truly drives progress in...
From TPP to Teamwork: Creating Structure as a Biotech CMO
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Being a Chief Medical Officer looks very different on the inside than it does from the outside. In this episode, Dr. Ed Tucker talks openly about what...
Adapting Biotech Leadership Across Development and Therapies
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Biotech leaders are asked to do a lot; move fast, manage limited resources, and guide teams through very different stages of development. In this epis...
The CMO’s Role in Building a Scalable Biotech Strategy
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Emerging Biotech Leader, Kim Kushner speaks with Dr. Michael Goldstein, ophthalmologist and multi-time Chief Medical Officer, a...
Designing Patient-Centric Trials That Work
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to bring patient-focused values into the real decisions that shape drug development, especially when you're moving fast, working lea...
Build the Company You Say You Are: How culture shapes real-world execution
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Kim speaks with Jill Milne, Ph.D., CEO of Astria Therapeutics, about what it really takes to build a biotech company around patient n...
From Vision to Viability: The Decisions That Define a Biotech
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it really take to launch a biotech company that lasts? In this episode, host Kim Kushner sits down with Dr. Marcia de Souza Lima, a physicia...
Five Fundamentals for Building a Biotech That Lasts
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Emerging Biotech Leader, host Kim Kushner speaks with Al Beardsley, CEO of Cirius Therapeutics, about the foundational principl...
The Many Shapes of a CMO
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Chief Business Officer Kim Kushner talks with Dr. Carrie Brownstein, SVP Medical at SSI Strategy, about how to think through the fit ...
Expanding the CMO Role: The Value of Difference
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Emerging Biotech Leader, Chief Business Officer Kim Kushner and Dr. Carrie Brownstein, SVP Medical at SSI Strategy are joined b...
The Road Ahead: Biotech in 2025
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As biotech innovation accelerates across therapeutic areas organizations face complex strategic decisions about their future. In this episode of The E...
Conducting the Medical Office
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When does a biotech need a Chief Medical Officer? "If you're asking, you probably needed one yesterday," suggests Dr. Benit Maru in this straight-talk...
Right Time, Right Team: How to Optimize Medical Leadership
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what makes a great biotech CMO? In this episode of the Emerging Biotech Leader, Dr. Steven Zelenkofske shares the practical, ha...
The New Board Game: Strategic Moves in Biotech
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The relationship between biotech leadership and their boards is evolving, particularly as private equity takes a larger role in the industry. In this ...
Supercharging Biotechs: The Power of Strategic Board Engagement
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can biotech CEOs and their boards foster strong, trusting relationships that drive effective decision-making and long-term success? In this episod...
How Smart Risk Management Safeguards Your Biotech Venture
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of "The Emerging Biotech Leader" podcast, host Ramin Frahood speaks with Helen Kargaryani, VP Global Head of Quality/Quality Services ...
Where Risk Meets Opportunity: Strategies for MedTech Success
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode offers critical insights on leveraging risk management as a strategic advantage in medical device development. In a conversation with Ram...
Patients as Partners: A Winning Strategy for Drug Development - Laurie Smaldone-Alsup: 37
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The latest Emerging Biotech Leader podcast tackles the important topic of patient-focused drug development, offering valuable insights for the biotech...
Rare Diseases, Real Lives: Bridging Patient Needs and Drug Development - Dr. Edward M. Kaye : 36
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Emerging Biotech Leader, Kim Kushner sits down with Edward M Kaye, M.D., CEO and director of Stoke Therapeutics, to talk about his ...
Real-World Evidence and Putting Patients at the Center of Drug Development - Dr. Chantal van Gils : 35
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Summary:In this episode, host Kim Kushner is joined by Dr. Chantal van Gils, a leading expert in evidence and value strategy at SSI Strategy. Building...
Daring to Fail Forward: The Mindset Catalyzing Healthcare Breakthroughs - Christian Howell : 34
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features an interview with Christian Howell, Chief Commercial Officer at Cognito Therapeutics, a biotech company pioneering a neurotechno...
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in the Biotech Development Process - Dr. Thomas Lönngren : 33
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Overview:In this podcast interview, Ramin Farhood hosts Dr. Thomas Lönngren, an expert in drug regulation, approval, and market access. Thoma...
Redefining Roles: From Medical Practice to Biotech Ventures - Keith Gottesdiener : 32
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Emerging Biotech Leader podcast, hosts Kim Kushner and Ramin Farhood interview Keith Gottesdiener, President and CEO of Prime M...
Balancing Current Needs and Long-Term Goals in Biotech : 31
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this engaging episode of the Emerging Biotech Leader podcast, Kim Kushner, Ramin Farhood, and Jackie Levine discuss the key lessons learned from th...
Growing Early Biotech Startups Through Connection - Dan Bloomfield : 30
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Emerging Biotech Leader podcast, hosts Kim Kushner and Ramin Farhad speak with Dr. Dan Bloomfield, Chief Medical Officer of Ant...
Lessons In Biotechs with Bold Missions - Bob Honigberg : 29
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Emerging Biotech Leader podcast, hosts Kim Kushner and Ramin Farhad are joined by Bob Honigberg to further discuss the consider...
Lessons In Clinical Trials With The Unlikely Entrepreneur - Jim Min : 28
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I believe that we can eradicate heart attacks from this world...If we can leverage these tools to accomplish those three goals, whether it's in coron...
Building A Biotech - Adriana Valenciano : 27
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I think outcomes for a lot of people means meeting milestones. So hitting that next clinical milestone, CMC milestone, et cetera, and that's, I thi...
Recalibrating Early Stages of Corporate Build - Johan Strömquist : 26
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Getting a drug to market is a change journey. The whole process is a change journey. And we pass through so many different stages and gates on the ...
When's the Best Time to Think About Safety? It's Now - Gregory Fiore : 25
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“The reality is that the earlier one thinks about and invests in a safety process and a safety system, the more dividends that early thinking pays d...
Cultivating A Culture of Safety - Jason Campagna : 24
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Safety doesn't live outside of you. It's not a yellow ribbon that you wear in hospitals that says, ‘it's patient safety week.’ It's not a sign ...
Launch & Leadership In Early Biotech - Adriana Valenciano and Jacqui Levine : 23
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“It's not always smooth sailing or a straight line path. So being able to address those different inflection points, being able to resource accordin...
The Myth Of The Industry Sellout - Benit Maru : 22
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“You're actually able to make a difference, not just at your local level or your regional level, but much more on a global level. You know, you may ...
Following a Drug Through Development In Pursuit of a Passion - Victoria Niklas : 21
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“I will always have deep empathy for patients and want to do the best that I can, but I feel very satisfied that I'm driving development of OHB 607,...
Changing the Patient Care Paradigm - Leah Damesek : 20
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“There are clear distinctions, as we've talked about, between device and pharma from a medical affairs perspective. I think they each require this s...
Bringing Paradigm Changing Devices To Market - Shon Chakrabarti : 19
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“My primary advice is to get comfortable with discomfort right away and open your mind to how your particular skill set can benefit patients on this...
Pioneering With Patients First - Kate Goldstein : 18
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“A lot of the work is in asking ‘how do we distill this down into the simplest, most digestible narrative that feels obvious when you hear it back...
Pioneering In The Emerging Field Of Digital Therapeutics - Scott Xiao : 17
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“I won't say that we had this all planned out because when I started, it was just a crazy idea that we were excited about, but it ended up working o...
How To Juggle Priorities As A CMO - Hootan Khatami : 16
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“You may not have the resources as a CMO, especially with smaller biotech companies, but you have to be resourceful.” Ramin Farhood, Senior Vice P...
Navigating The CMO Role - Chris Morabito : 15
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“The expansions of your expertise and your external network are two key fundamental things that one should be focusing on as you think about develop...
Medical Affairs Should Start Long Before Product Launch - Max Craig : 14
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Medical Affairs, timing is everything.If we had to summarize this next Episode of the Emerging Biotech Leader in one sentence, it would be “a dee...
Making A Mark In Medical Affairs - Rachel Couchenour : 13
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“I've found that it's usually not the ‘what’ or the ‘how’ that will get me where I need to go with a Senior leader. It's the why. They want ...
Innovate Faster With A Digital-Led Biotech Strategy - Bonus Episode
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“The good news and the bad news are the same news.” Rik Reppe, VP Digital, Acquis Consulting Group We are excited to announce a new service, Dig...
What Does Authentic Leadership Look Like In Action? - Doug Locke : 12
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“The best leaders that I've seen are the ones that realize that it’s always “go, go, go,” and they need to move fast. But they still conscious...
Leading & Succeeding: What It Takes To Build A Biotech - Ilan Ganot : 11
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“I don't know any other leader that's had that type of prior steps in their careers. It almost feels like you need pieces of all those things to act...
What is the future of digital medicine? - Jen Seda : 10
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Digital impacts our lives all the time in every way, including in medicine.” Jen Seda, M.D. The day of digital medicine is here. And while soft...
Shaping the future of early diagnosis with digital medicine - Dr. Sharief Taraman : 9
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As everyday consumers, we interact with AI (Artificial Intelligence) daily. Whether unlocking the home screen of our phones via facial recognition, us...
The Intersection of Data Science and Life Sciences - Madhav Gurijala : 8
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Digital biomarkers have opened up a series of questions worth contemplating as both newer and more mature biotechs evaluate the following: Are we mea...
Using digital biomarkers for faster, cheaper clinical trials - Chris Benko : 7
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Biomarkers themselves have been a part of medical research for decades. However, digital biomarkers have become increasingly important to the modern c...
Team Agility De-Risks Scientific Innovation - Adriana Valenciano : 6
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to launch a new class of medicine? When launching a new therapeutic, many unknowns exist, but some principles remain constant. By l...
Building a New Class of Medicine in Biotech - Dr. Usman (Oz) Azam : 5
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What if there were a way to genetically engineer fungi species and transform them into human therapeutics to help with neurological disorders? Today’...
The Medical Office is a Value Driver - Doug Locke : 4
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Securing funding as an early-stage biotech is no easy feat. There are a few key strategies that help differentiate a funding thesis. What separates bu...
Career Path to a Biotech CEO - Niren Shah : 3
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When most people think about the path to becoming a CEO, they conjure up a straight climb up the corporate ladder, rung by rung. But that’s not the ...
Characteristics of Successful Chief Medical Officers - Dr. Benit Maru : 2
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At biotech companies, things often evolve at light speed, and the natural tendency of a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) can be to try and manage every det...
Leading Within a Biotech Unicorn - Dr. Suku Nagendran : 1
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Being Chief Medical Officer at an emerging biotech company can feel like draining the ocean with a dixie cup. No CMO can fulfill the duties of the med...
Introducing The Emerging Biotech Leader
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Biotech—it's complicated.A successful product launch requires grit, determination, and clear direction.But let’s be real, the path to launch isn’...