New Modality Catalyst:
Jun Axup, Biotechnologist
Jun Axup is a biotechnologist, entrepreneur, investor, artist, musician, community-builder, and one of our Catalysts. Here’s a bit more about her:
What's your quick bio?
I’m the Scientific Director & Partner at IndieBio, a leading biotech startup accelerator for planetary and human health. I spend a lot of time thinking about longevity, brains, climate change, evolutionary sociology, and hacking the human condition.
What’s your biggest, most out-there dream of a better world?
I dream of a pro-science society where everyone can contribute to solving big world problems like climate change and human health. I hope to see the closing of the cultural divide between scientists and non-scientists, accurate representation in media, greater gender and race diversity, and more public and private support in translating science out of labs.
“I dream of a pro-science society where everyone can contribute to solving big world problems like climate change and human health.”
What is a cultural phenomenon, experiment, or moment that has inspired you in the past?
What I love about Silicon Valley, and many of the communities I run in, is the thirst for experimentation. We try building new technologies, reimagine spaces and family structures, and create art to challenge the mind and senses. Like all experiments, not all will work. But it is most important to try and try again.
What's your favorite thing about The New Modality?
I love The New Modality’s mission to document our changing times. We are in a time of great change technologically, socially, and environmentally. The New Modality creates a platform for individual voices to propose theories of change.
What are your favorite links that will help our audience learn about you, your life, your work, and your values?
This website: junaxup.com
And this: evolvingoctopus.com
New Modality Catalysts
The New Modality is about experiments in culture — and the people who do those experiments. NewMo Catalysts are people who do things we admire and want to celebrate. They also help us stay accountable to our values. To learn more about NewMo Catalysts (or nominate someone to be a Catalyst), check out the Catalyst FAQ.
This profile was edited by Katie MacBride. Katie is a writer and co-founder of Anxy magazine. More about Katie at her NewMo profile
The information in our Catalyst profiles usually comes directly from the subjects, and we usually don't fact-check them. You can learn more about The New Modality's fact-checking and epistemological ideas by reading the page about our process for truth and transparency.