Nucleate Podcast

The Nucleate Podcast welcomes Matias Serebrinsky, co-founder of Psymed Ventures. Raised in Argentina by a physician father and an economist mother, he shares how his early life influenced his comfort with risk and his drive to do work that helps others. Matias shares his path from Sony marketing to starting CookUnity, and eventually to building a venture fund focused on brain and mental health.

The conversation provides a look into the latest trends in neurotech and brain health investing, from psychedelic therapeutics to precision psychiatry and RNA therapies. Matias offers plenty of advice for entrepreneurs on pitching their startup ideas and how to pair technical knowledge with business acumen. Be sure to also check out his podcast, Business Trip, to learn more about the intersection of neuroscience and technology.
Time Stamps
0:38 Introduction to Matias and his early career
8:17 Why he pivoted into the neuroscience industry and medtech
10:06 The investment approach that led to a $1.2B psychedelics deal
18:21 Psymed's lens for evaluating new technologies
27:08 The latest trends across neurology and brain health
34:54 What qualities to look for in a strong scientific founder
37:58 The Psymed elevator pitch
42:40 Advice for entrepreneurs on how to pitch effectively
48:07 Introduction to the Business Trip podcast hosted by Matias Serebrinsky and Greg Kubin
50:14 Quick fire questions

In this episode of the Nucleate Podcast, Dr. Jo Viney, co-founder, president, and CEO of Seismic Therapeutic, shares her trajectory from academic immunology training in London to major biotech companies and startup leadership. She discusses how early clinical lab exposure to autoimmune patients sparked her passion for translational science and highlights why the Boston ecosystem is an ideal place to launch biotech startups due to its unparalleled funding, incubator space, and collaborative peer networks. She also reflects on the lessons learned from co-funding Pandion Therapeutics—including how following surprising data led to a major asset acquisition by Merck—and describes the bittersweet feeling of handing off a company she helped build.

The conversation then explores Seismic Therapeutic's approach to tackling autoimmune diseases by integrating machine learning into protein drug discovery. Jo details how combining structural biology, machine learning, protein engineering, and immunology allows Seismic to accelerate drug design cycles, optimize enzyme therapeutics, and tackle complex agonist and cell-selective antibody design. She emphasizes that machine learning serves as a powerful tool guided by human hypothesis-driven research rather than a standalone cure-all. Jo closes with practical advice for emerging scientific founders, encouraging them to seek out diverse viewpoints, pressure-test their ideas with critics, and keep patient impact as their true North Star.

Here's a segment breakdown with timestamps:
00:27 – Academic beginnings to Startups
02:05 – International experience shaping perspective
03:03 – Location and choosing Boston
03:53 – Influences, mentors, & successful mentorship
04:54 – Biotech CEO Sisterhood
05:08 – Leading other scientists now
05:78 – Larger pharma versus the smaller biotechs
07:28 – Co-founder at Pandion, drug development, & inspiration to start the company
08:62 – Acquisition of company: success and navigation
10:12 – Initial Conversations
10:86 – Emotionally Tied Science & Company
11:28 – Seismic Therapeutic focus on autoimmune disease
12:73 – Structural biology & prediction technologies emerging
12:58 – Data & Technology
15:47 – Experiences with AI
15:77 – AI drug discovery engines
16:04 – Founding a company out of a venture creation firm
17:11 – The Founding Process
17:88 – Fundraising conversations with investors for an academic labs
18:43 – When to move on from an idea or keep investing
19:24 – Biggest mistakes from lab to startup
19:52 – Rapid Fire Questions

Here's a segment breakdown with timestamps:
[0:58 – 1:43] Introduction & Career Background
[1:44 – 7:04] Regulation & the "Daughter Test"
[7:05 – 13:15] From Tech to Biotech: The Pivot
[13:16 – 21:35] AI at Retro & the OpenAI Partnership
[21:36 – 25:20] The 10-Year Lifespan Mission Explained
[25:21 – 33:20] Lead Program: Alzheimer's & Autophagy
[33:21 – 40:00] Broader Pipeline & Company Philosophy
[40:01 – 45:50] Cell Replacement vs. Cell Rejuvenation
[45:51 – 51:55] AI-Designed Transcription Factors & Partial Reprogramming
[51:56 – 54:03] On Biohackers & the DTC Longevity Industry
[54:04 – 56:02] "Whose Lives Are We Extending?" & Closing Thoughts

See the episode breakdown with time stamps below:
0:00 – Cold open: the "unexpected collaboration" teaser
0:35 – Growing up in Zimbabwe and an unplanned path into medicine
5:41 – The "9-month detour" into pharma that turned into a 30-year career
20:01 – Learning to lead: finance, business instincts, and the power of asking questions
23:55 – Launching Gleevec — and the patients who make it all worth it
31:21 – Taking the leap: becoming CEO of Millennium and betting big on Velcade
39:41 – Layoffs done right: dignity, trust, and the "milk mustache" story
49:57 – Inside the $8.8B Takeda acquisition and navigating a clash of cultures
1:08:30 – Failure and resilience: Forum Therapeutics and a rocky start at Lundbeck
1:22:48 – The $2.2B Alder bet, boardroom battles over share classes, and closing lessons on culture (plus the rapid-fire round)

Time Stamps:
(3:10) Phillip’s background and how it shaped his character
(6:13) What first sparked his passion for science
(9:15) What inspired his PhD journey
(17:35) The discovery of restriction enzymes and DNA synthesis, concerns about DNA manipulation and how NIH guidelines came to be
(25:00) How to communicate your science and translate that knowledge for public benefit
(33:17 The discovery of RNA splicing
(48:40) The founding of Alnylam
(58:10) The creation of the biotech industry
(1:03:30) How to keep up with the latest science and important trends to watch
(1:12:55) Advice for founders looking to launch their own companies
(1:16:47) Traits to look for in a mentor and what makes a strong mentor-mentee relationship
(1:19:53) Critical pieces of company culture that drive success
(1:24:59) Quick fire questions