Dalibor Sames

Lowkey, you gotta hear about Dalibor Sames, dude’s a straight-up big change in biotech and neuroscience. So, he’s a YC S20 alum, which already says a lot, right? That’s like the startup Olympics. But what really makes him stand out is his crazy mix of science chops and startup hustle.

He’s been around the block with some legit companies like Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals and KureS, Inc. Both of these are biotech startups, but not just any, they’re all about taking lab discoveries and turning them into real drugs that can actually help people. Basically, Dalibor’s been on a mission to bridge the gap between bench and bedside, turning fancy chemistry into something that fights diseases.

But here’s where it gets even cooler. He’s also a professor at Columbia, leading a research group that’s deep into synthetic and medicinal chemistry, neuropharmacology, molecular design, all that high-level stuff. He’s like a scientist’s scientist, pushing the boundaries on how we understand and visualize brain chemicals and synapses. Think fluorescent false neurotransmitters, yeah, that’s a thing he helped develop, which are like super fancy tools to see what’s happening in the brain in real-time.

His work isn’t just academic fluff. He’s made real breakthroughs, like new ways to do chemical synthesis, especially C-H bond functionalization, which is a huge deal in making complex molecules easier and cheaper to produce. Plus, he’s cracked some mysteries around psychoactive compounds like tianeptine and kratom, which are super relevant for mental health stuff today.

What’s wild is, he took all this top-tier research and jumped into startups, co-founding Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, which just closed a $27 million Series A. That’s no joke, it shows he’s not just about the science but knows how to turn those discoveries into real products. His whole process screams one thing: dude’s driven by a deep desire to make a real impact, not just publish papers.

And he’s got the awards to prove it, Sloan Fellowship, McKnight Award, Pfizer Award for Creativity in Organic Synthesis. Dude’s recognized for pushing the envelope in both neuroscience and chemistry. He’s got degrees in Prague and Arizona, did postdoc at Sloan-Kettering, and now he’s out here crushing it at the intersection of chemistry and brain science.

Bottom line? Dalibor Sames is a scientist and entrepreneur who’s all about transforming how we understand and treat brain disorders. His story is about taking crazy smart science, jumping into startups, and actually making stuff that matters. No bullshit, just pure passion for pushing the limits and solving big problems. That’s why he’s the real deal.