Episode 17: Carl Novina
Carl Novina: From Academic Discovery to Company Creation
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Substack, and YouTube
Dr. Carl Novina is a physician-scientist, biotech founder, and Science Partner at Flagship Pioneering. Before joining Flagship, he spent nearly two decades as a principal investigator at Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Broad Institute, where he studied RNA biology, cancer immunology, and therapeutic innovation. He received his MD from Columbia, his PhD from Tufts, and completed postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Phillip Sharp at MIT.
Carl has co-founded multiple biotech companies, including Microbial Machines, Dynamic Cell Therapies, and NextRNA Therapeutics, spanning engineered microbes, cell therapies, and RNA-targeted medicines. He also served as a scientific advisor to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Biotech Club, led its biotech incubator for nearly a decade, and co-edited Biotechnology From Idea to Market.
In this episode, we discuss:
Carl’s journey from MD/PhD training and RNA biology research to biotech company building.
How he founded companies while running an academic lab, and what he learned translating scientific discoveries into engineered microbes, cell therapies, and RNA-targeted medicines.
His involvement with the Harvard Biotech Incubator and how he evaluates whether a scientific idea can become a company.
His recent transition from academia to Flagship Pioneering and his new role in identifying and developing new biotech opportunities.
His advice for young scientists on career decisions, mentorship, and entrepreneurship.
His vision for the future of biotech, including emerging therapeutic platforms and AI.
A thought experiment about an interstellar journey, and Carl’s message to remain optimistic, focus on possibility, and resist cynicism and fatalism.
The books, movies, and activities he enjoys outside of science.
Co-hosts: Sherin Xirenayi and Fang Xie
Co-Producers: Sherin Xirenayi and Fang Xie