Multiple hats

Reinventing STEM Careers: Unscripted Stories of Courage and Creativityif you're looking for a podcast to find your vision and make it happen, that's for you. In the inaugural 2026 episode of Multiple Hats, host Angelique Greco reintroduces the podcast dedicated to STEM professionals who seek to reshape their careers and find meaningful work. Angelique highlights her journey and the essence of the show—monthly unscripted interviews with science professionals who have engineered their careers to match their vision. Listeners gain insights into starting businesses, handling self-doubt, and redefining roles. The episode also touches on personal branding and thought leadership as crucial tools. Packed with inspiring stories of innovation and perseverance, this podcast encourages professionals to think outside the box and create their own paths.00:00 Welcome to Multiple Huts in 202600:29 What This Podcast is All About02:20 Angelique's Personal Journey04:13 The Power of Unscripted Interviews06:08 Inspiring Stories of Career Reinvention08:27 Special Series and Final Thoughts

What keeps a drug alive when the science is fragile, the funding dries up, and the company name changes four times?A 20-year survival story of near-death science, offshore funding, and final impact.🔍 What You’ll LearnIf you want a real look at how drug development and STEM careers work behind the scenes, this episode gives you the straight version, not the polished one.You’ll learn: • Why drugs are designed, not discovered, and what that means for your STEM career choices • Why starting with a strong target matters more than starting with an indication • How the financial crisis and investment landscape pushed this Australian project offshore • Why Momelotinib survived multiple handovers when it could have died at any stage • What it takes to grow from lab scientist to CEO, and the people you need around you Press play to hear the real story behind a drug that survived science hurdles, funding shocks, and corporate chaos to finally reach patients.🧠 About the GuestDr Chris Burns is the CEO and Managing Director of AmpliaTherapeutics. He is one of the few scientists who has watched a drug he helped design reach FDA approval. While he was heading Cytopia, Chris co-led the creation of Momelotinib, a JAK2 inhibitor approved for myelofibrosis in 2023 after two decades of stops, starts, handovers, and near-failures.📌 Episode Highlights00:00 Why very few scientists see their work reach patients 02:00 Designed, not discovered: the truth about drug creation 05:10 The creativity behind medicinal chemistry 08:15 How Momelotinib got its name 09:45 Preclinical wins, metabolic failures, and early near-death moments 12:00 The JAK2 discovery that shifted the entire program 15:20 Running across lily pads: designing drugs at the edge of knowledge 17:45 The metabolic wall that nearly killed the compound 20:00 Entering the clinical valley of death 21:10 The handover chain: Cytopia → YM Bioscience → Gilead → Sierra → GSK 27:00 Why Australian innovation keeps leaving the country 29:30 Practical funding advice for early biotechs 32:00 Winning the Prime Minister’s Prize 33:00 From scientist to CEO, step by step 36:00 The leadership habits that matter most🔗 Resources Mentioned• Ampio Therapeutics • Momelotinib FDA approval • Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation • JAK2 mutation discovery • Cytopia historical research(If you want direct links added, send them through.)🤔 Reflection TimeWhich part of your own work would survive longer if you treated it like a design process instead of waiting for inspiration?What’s one area in your STEM career where timing, allies, or better funding could shift everything?If your work went through four handovers, what would keep it alive?

Derisk you biotech assets with 3 key coniderations. Learn from drug development expert Angelique Greco and medtech-biotech founders and investors with tangible examples that show how real de-risking plays out. 🔍 What You’ll Learn Drug discovery feels like a maze when you're early in your career, especially when you're trying to build a biotech path without wasting years or cash. This episode gives you a clear way to turn solid science into something fundable.You’ll learn: • Where to find real support, from incubators to honest VC advice • Why early commercial input matters and how to fix your market slide • How smart entry points like animal health or adjacent indications de-risk your program and boost your funding chancesAction: Press play if you want 20 minutes that cut months of guesswork.🧠 About the Guest This episode brings insights from ShanShan Wang (RoamTech AI), Anushi Rajapaksa (Misti), Maryam Parviz (SDIP Innovations), Mike Lamprecht (Tenmile), and Ben Wright (Mimetic MedTech Foundry) on how founders can derisk and resource their team. Plus why you do not always need an indication at the start, with lessons from Dr Chris Burns, whose team discovered Momelotinib in Australia before its FDA approval.📌 Episode Highlights 00:00 Why de-risking matters for early biotech founders 00:20 Two angles: advice and smarter indication choices 01:00 How drug discovery fits a STEM entrepreneur path 01:40 Upskilling vs burning cash and time 02:10 Three pillars: compass, investors, venture studiosRoadmap & Upskilling 03:00 The value of a commercialization roadmap 03:45 Han Wang on first seeing the map 04:30 Anushi Rajapaksa on IP, regulatory and evolving the plan 06:00 Where to find training, Bridge program, NSW program 07:00 Why programs matter for network and support 08:00 Maryam Parviz on global doors opening 09:30 What you cannot Google: real conversations 10:30 How informal mentoring happens 11:00 Using tech transfer offices even if you're externalInvestor Advice 12:00 Why VC advice matters before fundraising 13:00 Mike Lamprecht on critical early experiments 14:00 What a realistic market conversation looks likeBridging Your Gaps 15:00 When to stop upskilling and bring experts 15:40 Ben Wright on scaling support instead of solo learning 16:00 How investors view founders who learn on the job 17:00 How venture studios derisk early biotech and medtech 18:00 Why structure and clinical champions matterSuccess Exists 18:45 Momelotinib as a real success story 19:10 When starting with the molecule works 20:00 Dr Chris Burns: from discovery to 2023 approvalSmarter Entry Points 22:00 Why some programs need a side door 22:30 What to check before picking an entry point 23:00 Ivermectin from livestock to humans 24:30 Ketamine and S-ketamine into severe depression 26:00 How new IP opened new paths 26:40 The semaglutide pivotFinal Takeaways 27:00 Do not do it alone 27:15 Get advice early, including from VC 27:30 Philanthropy can be a real path 27:45 Be realistic and optimistic, success exists

From pitch decks to de-risking strategies — how to turn promising research into an investible opportunityYou’ve got strong data and maybe even a breakthrough idea, but can you convince an investor or pharma partner that it’s worth their millions?🔍 What You’ll Learn: In this second part of the Drug Discovery Roadmap series, we move from the bench to the boardroom. If you’re a STEM researcher or biotech founder wondering what turns great science into an investible opportunity, this episode unpacks it straight from investors, pharma veterans, and researchers who’ve been through the process.You’ll learn: • How to pitch your science to investors — what to include, what to leave out, and how to get a second meeting. • Why a realistic, conservative market size matters more than billion-dollar dreams. • The smart ways to de-risk your project — from alternate indications to veterinary and agricultural applications.🎯 Play this episode to learn how to make your science fundable and credible in the eyes of those who write the cheques.🧠 About the Guests: Recorded live at the 2025 ARCS Drug Discovery Forum, this episode features insights from industry investors and researchers who’ve lived the highs and lows of drug translation:Mike Lamprecht, Investment Manager at Tenmile, on what catches his eye in a biotech pitch (and what sends red flags).Dr Wolfgang Jarolimek, Head of Drug Discovery at Syntara, on why you should never bet everything on one indication.Dr Daniel Beard, Founder and CSO of Shearflow, on how feedback from the Forum reshaped his strategy for stroke therapy.Tim Boyle, CEO of ARCS Australia, on why collaboration and “asking the right questions early” are key to commercial success.📌 Episode Highlights: 00:00 Welcome back — what makes a project investible 02:00 Tim Boyle on building the bridge between research and industry 03:45 The number one startup killer: running out of capital 04:00 Mike Lamprecht on how to pitch science to investors 06:00 Market size myths — why “$10B market” slides backfire 08:00 The antibiotic paradox: when life-saving drugs still fail commercially 10:00 Diagnostics, payers, and the hidden gap between science and buyers 11:00 Daniel Beard on differentiating his stroke therapy 14:00 How to reframe your science for clarity and investor appeal 16:00 What clinicians need to see before trials 17:00 De-risking your project: alternate indications and sectors 19:00 The case for parallel applications — human, veterinary, agriculture 20:00 Why every biotech needs backup plans 21:00 Closing takeaways: the intersection of science, strategy, and story♻️ Share this episode with researchers and biotech scientists and anyone trying to get their science to market.

You’ve got strong data and maybe even a first-in-class idea, but do you know what it really takes to get your molecule from the bench to the bedside?🔍 What You’ll Learn: If you’re a STEM researcher, biotech founder, or academic thinking about commercialising your work, this episode breaks down the unseen steps between great science and a viable medicine.You’ll learn: • Why promising discoveries often fail — and how to spot the strategic blind spots early. • How to define your target product profile and use it to align experiments, reduce risk, and attract funding. • The “adjacent” essentials that make or break translation: IP timing, manufacturing readiness, and regulatory strategy.🎯 Hit play to learn what investors, regulators, and industry partners really want to see before backing your science.🧠 About the Guests: This episode features insights from the 2025 ARCS Drug Discovery Forum, where early-stage researchers pitched their projects to a panel of industry veterans and investors. You’ll hear from:Tim Boyle, CEO of ARCS Australia, on why upskilling and connection across the ecosystem are critical for success.Dr Wolfgang Jarolimek, Head of Drug Discovery at Syntara, on the importance of early pharmacokinetics and target engagement.Mike Lamprecht, Investment Manager at Tenmile, on designing “fail fast” experiments that protect capital and credibility.Dr Pegah Varamini, University of Sydney, and Dr Daniel Beard, University of Newcastle, on the real-life questions and lessons from taking lab discoveries closer to market.📌 Episode Highlights: 00:00 From promising data to the maze of translation 02:15 Tim Boyle on why ARCS bridges research and industry 05:00 Why there’s no one-size-fits-all roadmap 08:00 Why “good science” isn’t enough for commercial success 10:00 The Target Product Profile — your map from lab to market 12:30 The art of “fail fast” and defining go/no-go experiments 13:45 The non-negotiables: pharmacokinetics and target engagement 16:00 When $500M fails: the Simtuzumab story 18:00 How Pegah Varamini prepared for investor questions 21:00 The GMP vs non-GMP debate — what founders should know 23:00 Parallel priorities: IP, formulation, and manufacturing 24:00 Key takeaways and what’s next in the series🤔 Reflection Time:If you had to define your Target Product Profile today, what would your “no-go” experiment look like?Which adjacent area — IP, manufacturing, or regulatory — could derail your science if ignored too long?Who do you need in your circle to ask the right questions before it’s too late?♻️ share this episode with researcher and biotechs scientists.

From student curiosity to space entrepreneurship, discover how enthusiasm, visibility, and action can unlock unexpected doors in STEM careers.Ever felt stuck in a career box, unsure how to take the next step? What if the secret wasn’t a perfect plan — but contagious enthusiasm that opens doors you didn’t know existed?🔍 What You’ll Learn:If you’re a STEM professional ready to design your own career — not just follow the one written for you — this short episode breaks down five lessons from Australian engineer and entrepreneur Nina Hooper, who built an extraordinary journey from Harvard to mining the moon.You’ll learn how to:Use enthusiasm as a catalyst to create life-changing opportunities — even without the “right” network or background.Let one step lead to the next, discovering that vision often emerges through motion, not planning.Build your own launchpad by testing ideas and learning through creation (even small projects count!).Work smarter, not harder, using AI and expert conversations to accelerate your learning and credibility.Share your story strategically, so opportunities and collaborators start finding you.🎧 Press play to discover how Nina turned curiosity into a global career — and how you can do the same starting this week.👉 Listen to the full interview with Nina Hooper for her complete story from Harvard to lunar resources:🔗 Full Episode — Multiple Hats💡 Or tune into the 5-minute Quick Fire Chat version for actionable insights you can apply today:🔗 Quick Fire Chat — Multiple Hats🧠 About the Guest:Nina Hooper is an Australian aerospace engineer and entrepreneur whose career spans Harvard, Stanford, venture capital, and her current role in business development at Interlune, a company developing technology to mine the moon for future energy resources. Passionate about creating opportunity through enthusiasm and initiative, Nina embodies how STEM professionals can design a career that’s anything but linear.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 — From curiosity to career: Why enthusiasm is gold03:00 — How a cold outreach led to an internship with a Nobel Prize winner07:00 — Vision emerges in motion: Why you don’t need the perfect plan10:00 — Creating your own vision through entrepreneurship during COVID13:00 — What running an ed-tech startup teaches you about sales, mindset & confidence15:00 — Working smarter with AI and mentors18:00 — The art of visibility: Why storytelling matters as much as hard work19:00 — Reflection prompts for your own reinvention journey🔗 Resources Mentioned:Interlune – https://interlune.space🤔 Reflection Time:How can you make your enthusiasm more visible this week so others feel compelled to help you?What’s one small step you can take — without waiting for a perfect plan — to move toward your next opportunity?How might you use AI or expert conversations to fill a skill gap faster and smarter?