Steven Katz, MD, CMO and SVP of Translational Science for Shinobi Therapeutics & Professor of Surgery at Brown University - Hiring Without Regret, Team Mismatches, and the Cost of Playing It Safe in Biotech

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Steven Katz, CMO and SVP of Translational Science for Shinobi Therapeutics, a biotech company pioneering off-the-shelf immune-evasive IPSC-derived cell therapies, and Professor of Surgery at Brown University. We get into why technical skills alone won’t cut it—and how the wrong hire, even if they look great on paper, can quietly derail an entire team. We talk about the pressure to stick with “proven” endpoints (even when they don’t fit the science), the temptation to play it safe, and how a quiet sense of nihilism can creep into teams when things aren’t going right. We also dig into what it’s really like managing a global biotech team, and how to make it work without losing your mind.

Steven is a trained surgical oncologist and associate professor at Brown University, Steven has spent his career helping patients with solid tumors—from removing liver and pancreatic cancers in the OR to pushing the limits of immunotherapy in biotech. He was previously CMO at Trius Life Sciences.

Here’s what you’re in for:

• What happens when you don’t clearly define what you’re hiring for
• How bad hires can quietly fracture entire clinical programs
• Why the “safe” development plan isn’t always the smartest—and when to take the risk anyway

TMI: Things You Didn’t Know About Steven

• Loves tennis, history, and TRX workouts
• Favorite thing in London? The West End theater scene (avoid: kids on Netflix!)

Timestamps:

04:06 – Lessons from surgery that shaped his biotech career

08:35 – Advice to surgeons and doctors considering a move to biotech

13:20 – Why IPSC is so promising for oncology and autoimmune disease

17:00 – Culture clash or culture strength? Japan–US dynamics at Shinobi

22:30 – When internal alignment falls apart

24:35 – Playing it safe vs. doing what’s right

26:19 – Common mistakes Steven still sees in biotech

30:15 – The problem with drug delivery in solid tumors

31:00 – Best and worst experiences with recruiters

33:08 – What happens when you hire the wrong person

34:46 – Final question: What is Steven most grateful for in his career

About Steven

Dr. Steven Katz is the CMO and SVP of Translational Science for Shinobi Therapeutics for Shinobi Therapeutics, a biotech developing off-the-shelf, immune-evasive, iPSC-derived cell therapies, and Professor of Surgery at Brown University. He has dedicated his career to helping patients with solid tumors in the operating room and developing novel immunotherapy solutions for those beyond the reach of current standard-of-care options.

Outside of his professional stint, he spends time with his children, doing TRX workouts, playing tennis, reading history and of course joining me on this podcast - welcome.

Connect with Steven:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katz-steve/ 
• Website: https://www.shinobitx.com/ 

About me

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm - Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-spence-clinical/ 
• Website: https://www.discera-search.com/ 

Opinions and comments expressed by the guest do not represent the company and are fully their own.