Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Drug Development In Rare Disease With Dr. Binodh DeSilva BioTalk Unzipped podcast

Content provided by BioTalk Unzipped. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by BioTalk Unzipped or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

BioTalk Unzipped »
Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Drug Development in Rare Disease with Dr. Binodh DeSilva

5d ago 31:28

MP3•Episode home

In this episode of BioTalk Unzipped, Gregory Austin and Dr. Chad Briscoe sit down with Dr. Binodh DeSilva, Senior Vice President of Bioanalysis at Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, to explore the science and soul behind rare-disease drug development.

From her early days studying electrochemistry at the University of Kansas to leading cutting-edge bioanalytical programs at Ultragenyx, Dr. DeSilva shares how curiosity and community shaped her four-decade career. She discusses the profound responsibility of working with limited, often irreplaceable patient samples with care.

A special thanks to AAPS (https://www.aaps.org/) for their help and support of this episode.

The conversation dives into:

Balancing rigor and agility in small-population clinical studies
Leveraging entrepreneurial mindsets from biotech within big pharma frameworks
The promise of dried blood spots (DBS) and patient-centric sampling
Mentorship, curiosity, and the future of scientific leadership
Her return to Sri Lanka with KU faculty to recruit the next generation of scientists

Throughout the discussion, DeSilva underscores a recurring theme: science thrives when curiosity meets compassion. This episode is a masterclass in both.

Guest Links

Dr. Binodh DeSilva

https://www.linkedin.com/in/binodh-desilva/

Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals - https://www.ultragenyx.com/

Hosts

Dr. Chad Briscoe

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadbriscoe/

Celerion - https://www.celerion.com/

Gregory Austin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryaustin1/

Celerion - https://www.celerion.com/

Keywords: BioTalk Unzipped, Binodh DeSilva, Ultragenyx, rare disease research, bioanalysis, dynamic drug development, dried blood spots, DBS sampling, biologics, AAPS NBC 2025, Gregory Austin, Chad Briscoe, Celerion, scientific leadership, mentorship in science, biopharma innovation, curiosity in research, Sri Lanka scientists, analytical chemistry, pharma innovation, drug development ethics.

39 episodes

#Science #Biology #BioTalk Unzipped #Fitness #Business #Medicine