🧬 Martin Brenner - iBio - Part 1 | How Childhood Influences Shape Career Paths | Unexpected Crossovers Between Engineering & Veterinary Clinics | Eli Lilly Nurturing His Professional Development | Communication Can Make or Break Leadership

The Biotech Startups Podcast

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Part 1 of 3.
My guest for this week’s episode is Martin Brenner, CEO and CSO of iBio. iBio uses its AI drug discovery platform to tackle complex and challenging drug targets to develop safer and more effective immunotherapies for difficult-to-treat cancers. Rather than leaving drug discovery to chance, iBio guides the process using artificial intelligence, making therapeutic development smarter, faster, and more precise. Martin is a seasoned executive and drug hunter with a unique journey spanning electrical engineering to veterinary medicine to scientific leadership roles. He has led drug discovery teams at several top global pharma companies, including Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Merck. Prior to his current role at iBio, Martin was VP and head of R&D at Stoke Therapeutics, CSO at Recursion, and CSO at Pfenex, which was eventually acquired by Ligand Pharmaceuticals.
Join us as we sit down with Martin Brenner as he discusses his early years and upbringing in Germany, his transition from electrical engineering at Ulm University to veterinarian medicine at LMU Munich, and the practical experience he gained from working in veterinary clinics. Martin discusses the discovery of his passion for pharmacology, the pursuit of his Ph.D. at Hanover, and his exciting time and professional development at Eli Lilly. Please enjoy my conversation with Martin Brenner.
Find Our Guest, Martin Brenner, at these links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbrenner/
https://ibioinc.com/
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
https://www.excedr.com
Timestamps:
00:28 Intro
02:14 Episode starts, Martin’s upbringing in Germany and how it influenced his leadership style and business philosophy
06:23 Going to Ulm University for electrical engineering, then pivoting towards veterinarian medicine
10:34 Experiences while in veterinary school at LMU Munich
14:43 The difficulties of veterinarian school, his experiences with vet clinic work, Martin’s light-bulb inspiration about wanting to make medicine
18:58 Jumping right into his Ph.D. at Hanover, his decision to pursue pharmacology and a job opportunity with Eli Lilly
20:55 Jumping into practical work at Eli Lilly while still finishing coursework at Hanover
23:53 Deciding to stay with Eli Lilly instead of going toward academia
26:01 The comparative unusualness of a grad student finding mentors and resources easily
29:02 His evolution in professional development managing 20 people, how to be a great VP/CEO
34:32 Outro
Long-Form Video Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:46 Episode starts, Martin’s upbringing in Germany and how it influenced his leadership style and business philosophy
07:25 Going to Ulm University for electrical engineering, then pivoting towards veterinarian medicine
13:50 Experiences while in veterinary school at LMU Munich
18:47 The difficulties of veterinarian school, his experiences with vet clinic work, Martin’s light-bulb inspiration about wanting to make medicine
23:11 Jumping right into his Ph.D. at Hanover, his decision to pursue pharmacology and a job opportunity with Eli Lilly
25:34 Jumping into practical work at Eli Lilly while still finishing coursework at Hanover
29:11 Deciding to stay with Eli Lilly instead of going toward academia
31:42 The comparative unusualness of a grad student finding mentors and resources easily
35:16 His evolution in professional development managing 20 people, how to be a great VP/CEO
40:31 Outro
Social & Website
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Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/

Enriched Notes:

Topics Mentioned:
LMU Munich https://www.lmu.de/en/
Biotech Startup Support https://www.excedr.com/resources-category/biotech-startup-support
Biotechnology Lab Essentials https://www.excedr.com/blog/biotechnology-lab-essentials
How to Fund an R&D Startup https://www.excedr.com/resources/rd-startup-funding-first-steps
How Partnering with Big Pharma Can Support R&D https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-biotech-partnerships-support-research
Understanding Tissue Culture https://www.excedr.com/blog/tissue-culture
Top Cities for Biotech https://www.excedr.com/blog/top-cities-for-biotech
Guide to the FDA Drug Approval Process https://www.excedr.com/blog/fda-drug-approval-process-guide
Understanding the NDA Process https://www.excedr.com/blog/new-drug-application-process
Understanding the Abbreviated New Drug Application https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-abbreviated-new-drug-application
Lab Equipment Leasing https://www.excedr.com/leasing
People Mentioned:
Rohit Kulkarni https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-kulkarni-5a0a4b24/
Mike Coghlan https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-coghlan-1a64a146/

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