Paulo Fontoura, Xaira Therapeutics

In this episode of Careers in Discovery, we're joined by Paulo Fontoura, Chief Medical Officer at Xaira Therapeutics. Paulo shares his journey from neurology and academia into big pharma and now Biotech, reflecting on what he learns along the way. He talks about Xaira’s bold mission to use AI not just to speed up drug development, but to rethink how we do it entirely - overcoming human limitations in how we explore biology. We also discuss why he leaves a successful career in pharma for the high-risk world of startups, how he stays optimistic in the face of failure, and what it really takes to build a company that’s aiming to change the game. A thoughtful conversation with a leader bringing deep experience - and fresh perspective - to the future of drug discovery.