EP 220: Turning human brain physiology into RNA medicines with Graham Dempsey of Quiver Bioscience

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Graham Dempsey, CEO and co-founder of Quiver Bioscience. They discuss Graham’s path into neuroscience and biotech, how Quiver is building genetically validated programs in pain and neurodevelopmental disorders, and what recent advances in RNA-based therapies could mean for the future of neurological disease.

Show Notes: 

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast

00:59 Welcome to Graham

01:29 The motivations and mission driving Quiver Bioscience

04:34 Quiver’s approach to targeting the brain for neurological disease

06:58 Nav1.7 as a lead pain program and the mechanisms of pain signaling

12:11 Patient population and unmet need in chronic pain 

13:37 The Dup15q neurodevelopmental program and recent clinical progress

17:29 How the company chooses which diseases to pursue and why genetically validated pain and epilepsy programs lead the pipeline

20:10 Modeling pain in a dish and how cellular electrophysiology reveals disease and drug effects

27:42 Lessons from building a biotech company

29:53 Today’s biotech climate and why Graham is optimistic 

31:56 Emerging delivery technologies that could unlock the next wave of oligonucleotide therapies

33:51 How molecular shuttles cross the blood–brain barrier and the advantage of a dual target approach

37:05 Graham’s path from aspiring sports medicine doctor to building light-based platforms in neuroscience

40:15 Graham’s early exposure to biotech leadership and a formative encounter with Roy Vagelos

42:09 Closing remarks

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Find out more:

• Quiver Bioscience (https://www.quiverbioscience.com/)