Progress, Potential, and Possibilities

Send us a textDr. Edward Holland is a world-renowned leader in corneal transplantation and severe ocular surface disease, and is the Co-Founder of the Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration ( HFSR - https://www.hollandfoundationforsight.org/ ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals affected by these conditions, including limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) – a rare and devastating condition that can result in chronic pain, profound vision loss, and blindness.Through this HFSR initiative, Centers of Excellence (COEs) focused on the advanced sight restoration procedures of Ocular Surface Stem Cell Transplantation (OSST) are being launched across the country. As part of its mission, the foundation is also committed to broadening education and training so that more physicians nationwide can learn and implement The Cincinnati ProtocolTM for the management of these patients.Dr. Holland is also the Director of Cornea Services at Cincinnati Eye Institute ( https://www.cincinnatieye.com/doctors/edward-j-holland-m-d/ ) and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati ( https://med.uc.edu/landing-pages/profile/Index/Pubs/hollanej ). Dr. Holland attended the Loyola-Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago and trained in Ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota.  He completed a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the University of Iowa and then completed a second fellowship in ocular immunology at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Holland formerly served as the President for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and served as the Program Chair for 12 years.  Dr. Holland was a former member of the Board of Trustees for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and served as the Secretariat of the Annual Meeting.  Dr. Holland has served as the Chair of the Eye Bank Association and was the former Chair of the Medical Advisory Board as well as a longtime member of the Board of Directors.  Robert Dempsey, MBA is also a Co-Founder of the Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration.Mr. Dempsey brings more than two decades of domestic and global experience in the ophthalmic space driving successful drug development, business transactions and commercialization. His widespread experience in Ophthalmology stems from diverse Leadership roles across Commercial, Business Development, Medical Affairs and Venture Backed Startups. He brings deep relationships with Key Opinion Leaders and comprehensive knowledge of the ophthalmic ecosystem. Most recently, Mr. Dempsey served as the Chief Executive Officer for AsclepiX Therapeutics, following his CEO role at TearClear accelerating business and commercial strategies which led to several value inflection points and positive FDA engagements. Mr. Dempsey holds a Master's in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in healthcare marketing from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.Important Episode Link - Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration Launches Light After Darkness Fundraising Campaign - https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/10/22/3171067/0/en/Holland-Foundation-for-Sight-Restoration-Launches-Light-After-Darkness-Fundraising-Campaign.html#EdwardHolland #RobertDempsey #HollandFoundationForSightRestoration #OcularSurfaceStemCellTransplantation #Ophthalmology #LightAfterDarkness #Cornea #LimbalStemCell #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textMeghan Gutierrez is the Chief Executive Officer of the Lymphoma Research Foundation ( https://lymphoma.org/ ), the nation's largest nonprofit organization devoted to funding lymphoma research and education, advancing both the study of new cancer therapies and improved patient care.An expert in government relations and health care policy, Meghan has pursued an array of public policy issues during her career, ranging from mental health parity and rare disease awareness to medical technology and the treatment of chronic disease. Following her work as a Congressional staff member for Dr. Greg Ganske, one of the U.S. House of Representatives' foremost leaders on health care policy, she served as a health policy and communications advisor for several national nonprofit and educational institutions, including Columbia University and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.Meghan joined the Lymphoma Research Foundation in 2008 as its chief program, policy and communications officer. She was a driving force behind programs such as the country's only Adolescent and Young Adult Lymphoma Initiative and development of the first mobile app for people with lymphoma. She became Chief Executive Officer in 2014. In this role Meghan represents the Foundation before several audiences, including the U.S. Congress, Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health. She has written and lectured extensively about the needs of lymphoma patients and served on committees and panels of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, Institute of Medicine, and National Cancer Institute, among others.Jennifer Branstetter is Executive Director, North America Corporate Affairs & Patient Advocacy Lead at BeOne Medicines USA ( https://beonemedicines.com/ ), a global oncology company that is discovering and developing innovative treatments that are more affordable and accessible to cancer patients worldwide. With a portfolio spanning hematology and solid tumors, BeOne is expediting development of its diverse pipeline of novel therapeutics through its internal capabilities and collaborations.Jennifer has a demonstrated 25+ year history of working with Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies, in government, and with nonprofits and the media, and has been a strategist for multi-faceted state and federal public affairs and patient advocacy campaigns.Previously, Jennifer was a Senior Director, Corporate Affairs (North America) at BeOne and also held positions at Cullari Communications Global, Branstetter Consulting, as Director of Policy and Planning in the Commonwealth of PA, Governor's Office, for Governor Tom Corbett, as Director of Education and Outreach for Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, as Communications Manager for the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and as Deputy Press Secretary in the Pennsylvania Office of the Lieutenant Governor during the administration of Governor Tom Ridge.#MeghanGutierrez #JenniferBranstetter #BeOneMedicines #LymphomaResearchFoundation #PatientAdvocacy #PatientCentricAI #PatientNavigation #ClinicalTrialEligibility #FinancialToxicityDetection #PatientDistress #AutomatedInsuranceNavigation #EquityRadar #RegulatoryAdvocacy  #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us a textTony Baldassarre is CEO, President and Director of UniDoc ( https://unidoctor.com/ ), an eHealth Innovator and creator of the H3 Health Cube ( https://unidochealth.com/h3-health-cube/ ), a self-contained virtual clinic that enables patients to have comprehensive medical appointments remotely, offering access to physicians and specialists in real-time, and opens the doors to a large segment of the population challenged by access, experience, or understanding of the evolving Internet Of Medical Things. Mr. Baldassarre has held senior management and director positions of new business start-ups and established multinational organizations with over 30 years of experience in the Security, Information Technology and Communications industries.Mr. Baldassarre is involved in all aspects of UniDoc's business model from Operations, P&L oversight, product distribution, product promotions, sales and development activities and initiatives.Mr. Baldassare is also the President of LRG Security Canada Inc. and LRG Security Europe, companies involved in security and low-voltage products, distributing items like cameras, networking gear, and tools.#AntonioBaldassarre #TonyBaldassarre #UniDoc #InternetOfMedicalThings #DocInABox #UniDocHealthCorp #VerizonInnovationLabs #ClinicianAssistedExaminations #H3HealthCube #Telemedicine #Interoperability #HealthProfessionalShortage #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Claudia Mahler, Ph.D. is the United Nations Independent Expert on the Human Rights of Older Persons ( https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/ie-older-persons/ms-claudia-mahler-independent-expert-enjoyment-all-human-rights-older-persons ). Dr. Mahler holds a law degree and a doctorate from Leopold‑Franzens‑Universität Innsbruck in Austria, and has spent over two decades researching and advocating for human rights. She has worked extensively on economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as minority rights, asylum law, and social protection, bringing a deep expertise in the legal and policy frameworks that protect vulnerable populations.Before joining the UNHRC, Dr. Mahler was a senior researcher at the German Institute for Human Rights, taught human rights law at several universities, and served as a consultant to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In her current role, Dr. Mahler focuses on advancing the rights of older persons globally, including promoting access to work, protecting older adults in conflict zones, and leading efforts to draft a legally binding international instrument on their rights. Her work combines rigorous research, international advocacy, and a passionate commitment to ensuring that older adults can live with dignity, security, and equality worldwide. Important Episode Links Report - Older persons in armed conflict and peacebuilding - https://docs.un.org/en/A/80/203Report - Intersection between older persons' right to social protectionand their right to work -https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/60/24#ClaudiaMahler #UnitedNations #IndependentExpert #HumanRightsOfOlderPersons #MinorityRights #AsylumLaw #SocialProtection #UnitedNationsHumanRightsCouncil #OlderPersonsInArmedConflicts #AccessToWork #Ageism #AgeDiscrimination #AgeTech #Longevity #Lonliness #SocialIsolation #Aging #Ageing #HumanRights #OlderPersons#STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Justin T. Collier, MD is Healthcare CTO for North America at Lenovo ( https://www.lenovo.com/ ) where he brings his expertise in clinical informatics and technology together to help advance clinical outcomes and patient experience ( https://techtoday.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/healthcare ).  Prior to joining Lenovo, Dr. Collier served for nearly 6 years as the Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry Practice manager at World Wide Technology, the global technology solutions provider that offers digital strategy, supply chain, and IT services to large commercial and public sector organizations, supporting their healthcare ecosystem clients nationwide. Before that, Dr. Collier served HCA Healthcare as their TriStar Division Chief Medical Information Officer for over 7 years, tackling initiatives in EHR, data and analytics, telemedicine, and clinician mobility solutions. Dr. Collier has been a long-time member of the Tennessee HIMSS chapter, previously serving on their board and continuing to serve on their advisory council.Dr. Collier has a MD from the Medical College of Georgia and did his Residency in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program, at The Ohio State University.Lenovo is a global technology company headquartered in Beijing, China, with operational headquarters in Morrisville, North Carolina (USA).#JustinCollier #Lenovo #Healthcare #Digitization #ElectronicHealthRecords #EHR #Interoperability #ApplicationProgrammingInterfaces #SmartHospital #Automation #ClinicalWorkflowModernization #Cybersecurity #EdgeAI #HumanCenteredTechnologyDesign #CaregiverSupport #ClinicalWellBeing #Burnout #DigitalTherapeutics #Biometrics #Robotics #RemoteMonitoring #VirtualCare #AgingInPlace #PhysicalMedicine #Rehabilitation #IoT #SmartDevices #EdgeComputing #AIEnableSolutions #CloudInfrastructure#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textSiouxie Boshoff is the founder of SWITCH ( https://switchsweets.com/ ), formerly known as Scrummy Sweets, where she has turned a personal mission to enjoy candy without compromising health into a thriving business, creating sugar-free, keto-friendly, and blood-sugar-conscious treats made with clean, natural ingredients.From humble kitchen experiments to launching a full line of guilt-free sweets, Siouxie has built a brand that proves candy can be delicious, clean, and healthy. Siouxie joins us today to share her journey, the evolution from Scrummy Sweets to SWITCH, and her insights on creating a purpose-driven company in a sugar-saturated world.Siouxie also has two lifestyle blogs - Lipedema Living ( https://lipedemaliving.com/ ) and 365 Days of Awesome  ( https://www.365daysofawesome.com/ ) where she blogs about her personally journey and experiences.#SiouxieBoshoff #Switch #ScrummySweets #SugarFree #KetoFriendly #Lipedema #Obesity #Diabetes #DercumsDisease #SugarAlcohols #Starches #Allulose #MonkFruitExtract #SolubleFiber #CassavaRoot #TapiocaFiber #ArtificialSweeteners #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Amar Rewari MD, MBA, FASTRO ( https://amarrewari.com/ ) is a physician executive and oncology leader with over 20 years of experience bridging clinical medicine, healthcare finance, and health policy.After earning his MD and MBA from Yale University, Dr. Rewari began his career in healthcare investment banking at Credit Suisse—an experience that shaped how he approaches the business and economics of healthcare.Today, Dr. Rewari leads the radiation oncology service line at Luminis Health ( https://www.luminishealth.org/en/find-a-provider/amar-rewari?language_content_entity=en ), overseeing operations and strategic growth for a program that serves more than 200 patients daily across three centers, and teaches health policy and economics as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.Nationally, Dr. Rewari serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Radiation Oncology ( ASTRO - https://www.astro.org/about-astro/board-and-leadership/board-of-directors/bios/amar-rewari ), where he chairs both the Health Policy Council and the Corporate Advisory Council. In these roles, he leads efforts around payment reform, advocacy, value-based innovation, and collaboration between providers and industry to advance the field of radiation oncology.Dr. Rewari is also the founder and co-host of Value Health Voices ( https://www.valuehealthvoices.com/ ), a podcast that makes health policy and economics accessible to clinicians and leaders, and Chair of the Board for the Fund for Education Abroad ( https://fundforeducationabroad.org/ ), advancing nonprofit governance and global education access for students with financial need.Featured by NBC News, TIME, Politico, and NewsNation, Dr. Rewari is driven to connect insights from the front lines of care to the broader policies shaping a smarter, fairer, and more sustainable healthcare system.#AmarRewari #RadiationOncology #LuminisHealth #FundForEducationAbroad #AmericanSocietyForRadiationOncology #ValueHealthVoices #Radiotherapy #PaymentReform #ReimbursementLevels #Medicare #AlternativePaymentModels #ValueBasedPaymentDesign #HealthPolicy #EpisodeBasedPayment #RelativeValueUnits #Coding #PriorAuthorization #FederalResearchFunding #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Abba Zubair, MD, PhD is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida ( https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/zubair-abba-c-m-d-ph-d/bio-00092417 ), where he also has served as the medical director of Transfusion Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy. Dr. Zubair earned his medical degree from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, and went on to complete a Ph.D. in Cancer Immunobiology at the University of Sheffield in England. From there, he pursued advanced training in pathology and transfusion medicine in the U.S., completing a residency at the University of Pennsylvania and a clinical fellowship at Harvard Medical School. For more than two decades, Dr. Zubair led the Stem Cell Therapy Laboratory at Mayo Clinic Florida, pioneering the development of clinical-grade cell therapy products. His research has focused on mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC), hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), immune cells, and extracellular vesicles — with the aim of translating basic research into therapies for degenerative disease, brain injury, transplant-related complications, and beyond.In perhaps one of the most extraordinary bridges between earthly medicine and outer space, Dr. Zubair has sent his lab's stem cells to the International Space Station — aiming to understand how microgravity affects cell behavior, bone loss, and regenerative potential. This research has profound implications not only for astronauts, but for patients on Earth suffering from osteoporosis, bone degeneration, and other conditions. Beyond his scientific and clinical roles, Dr. Zubair is a devoted educator and leader: in 2024 he was named Vice Dean of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (Florida), shaping the next generation of physicians; previously he served as Associate Dean of the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and as Dean of Education at a Mayo-Clinic affiliated hospital venture in Abu Dhabi. #AbbaZubair #MayoClinic #LaboratoryMedicine #Pathology #TransfusionMedicine #StemCellTherapy #MesenchymalStemCells #StromalCells #HematopoieticStemCells #ImmuneCells #ExtracellularVesicles #Exosomes #Secretome #RegenerativeMedicine #Immunotherapy #Bioreactors #ClinicalGradeManufacturing #CosmicRadiation #DeepSpaceExploration #Microgravity #InternationalSpaceStation #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Brian Wang, PhD is a Program Director at ARIA ( https://www.aria.org.uk/ ), the UK's bold, mission-driven R&D funding agency, where he leads the Sculpting Innate Immunity opportunity space ( https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/sculpting-innate-immunity/ ): a fascinating initiative to see if rather than harnessing the adaptive immune system in infectious disease for new antibodies, instead asking how we can better mobilize the body's first line of defense, the innate immune response.With a PhD in organic chemistry at Berkeley and having conducted post-doctorate research in synthetic biology at MIT, Dr. Wang moved into pandemic preparedness during COVID — leading R&D at Alvea and later co-founding Panoplia Laboratories, a nonprofit organization that evaluates AI-driven biology and conducts biosecurity research in the public interest — before joining ARIA. ARIA, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency, is the UK's new experiment in high-risk, high-reward research. Modeled in part on America's DARPA for high-risk, high-reward science, ARIA funds bold bets that might not find a home in academia or industry.Important Episode Link - Sustained Viral Resilience Programhttps://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/sculpting-innate-immunity/sustained-viral-resilience/#BrianWang #ARIA #AdvancedResearchAndInventionAgency #SculptingInnateImmunity #SustainedViralResilience #SustainedInnateImmunoprophylactics #SyntheticBiology #Biosecurity #Countermeasures #DayZeroAntivirals #BroadSpectrumAntivirals #InnateImmuneSystem #OpportunitySpace #ProgramDirector #RespiratoryViruses #SystemsImmunology #MaterialsChemistry #ArtificialIntelligence #Biodefense #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Norman Putzki, MD is Senior Vice President, Global Clinical Development Head, and U.S. Development Site Head at Novartis ( https://www.novartis.com/ ) where he oversees global teams working on next-generation gene therapies, RNA-based medicines, targeted biologics, and innovative small molecules.Dr. Putzki most recently served as Global Head of Development for Neuroscience and Gene Therapy at Novartis, where he oversaw one of the world's most ambitious pipelines aimed at transforming the lives of patients with neurological, neuromuscular, and rare genetic diseases.  A physician–scientist by training, with an MD from University of Duisburg Essen, Dr. Putzki has built a career at the intersection of clinical medicine, translational research, and large-scale drug development. Before joining Novartis, Dr. Putzki led programs across multiple therapeutic areas at Biogen Idec and has played key roles in advancing clinical treatments for conditions long considered intractable including MS and Parkison's disease.Beyond his scientific and clinical contributions, Dr. Putzki is widely recognized for his commitment to patient-centered innovation and his ability to bring together cutting-edge science, regulatory acumen, and real-world medical insight. Important Episode Links - Zolgensma Web Site - https://www.zolgensma.com/Itvisma Web Site - https://www.itvisma.com/Nature Medicine Papers For Itvisma Phase III study - Intrathecal onasemnogene abeparvovec in treatment-naive patients with spinal muscular atrophy: a phase 3, randomized controlled trial - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04103-wIntrathecal onasemnogene abeparvovec for treatment-experienced patients with spinal muscular atrophy: a phase 3b, open-label trial - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04119-2#NormanPutzki #Novartis #Neuroscience #GeneTherapy #SpinalMuscularAtrophy #SMN1 #SurvivalMotorNeuron1 #Zolgensma #OnasemnogeneAbeparvovec #AdenoAssociatedVirusSerotype9 #AAV9 #SMA #AveXis #Itvisma #NewbornScreening #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Marc Hedrick, MD is President and CEO of Plus Therapeutics, Inc. ( https://plustherapeutics.com/ ), a U.S. clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, focused on developing innovative, targeted radiotherapeutics for adults and children with difficult-to-treat cancers of the central nervous system. The company's lead programs focus on leptomeningeal metastases (LM) and recurrent glioblastoma (GBM), leveraging image-guided local beta radiation and targeted drug delivery to improve outcomes.Additionally, Plus' subsidiary CNSide Diagnostics develops proprietary lab tests such as CNSide®, designed to identify tumor cells that have metastasized to the central nervous system in patients with carcinomas and melanomas. The CNSide® CSF Assay Platform enables quantitative analysis and molecular characterization of tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid that inform and improve the management of patients with leptomeningeal metastases.Previously, Dr. Hedrick served in a number of executive leadership roles including President, CEO, and Director at Cytori Therapeutics, Inc., and President and CEO of StemSource, Inc.  Dr. Hedrick is a trained general, vascular, and plastic surgeon and former Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).  Dr. Hedrick also served as Co-Director of the Laboratory of Regenerative Bioengineering and Repair at UCLA.Dr. Hedrick obtained his MD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas and a MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA in 2005.#MarcHedrick #PlusTherapeutics #Radiotherapeutics #Cancer #CentralNervousSystem #Glioblastoma #LeptomeningealMetastases #Rhenium #ConvectionEnhancedDelivery #Oncology #Theranostic #NanoliposomeTechnology #Radioembolization #AlginateMicrospheres#BMEDAChelation#CNSide #REYOBIQ #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Sadie Elisseou, MD is Founder and CEO of Trauma-Informed Practices, LLC (https://www.sadie-elisseou.com/). Dr. Elisseou is a nationally recognized physician-educator and one of the leading voices in trauma-informed care, a strategic framework for supporting survivors of physical, sexual, psychological, and structural traumas. Dr. Elisseou is a board-certified primary care physician, who received her B.A. and M.D. at Brown University and completed residency and chief residency at Yale School of Medicine. She a practicing physician in the VA healthcare system, and an instructor at Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine, where she has become widely known for transforming how clinicians understand and care for patients with trauma histories.Dr. Elisseou is the co-developer of some of the country's most widely adopted trauma-informed physical exam trainings, helping thousands of healthcare professionals integrate compassion, safety, and empathy into routine clinical encounters. Her work has been implemented across the VA, community health centers, academic medical systems, and national professional societies.Dr. Elisseou is also the co-founder of the National Veterans Health Administration TIC Collaborative, a member of the Trauma Informed Health Care, Education and Research (TIHCHER) collaborative, and a member of the Harvard Medical School TIC Steering Committee. She is invited to speak about TIC for broad audiences including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), disaster relief organizations, and health officials in developing nations. She has also been named an Ambassador of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation. #SadieElisseou #TraumaInformedPractices #BrownUniversity #YaleSchoolOfMedicine #HarvardMedicalSchool #BostonUniversitySchoolOfMedicine #VeteransHealthAdministration #Trauma #TraumaInformedCare #ReTraumatization #SubstanceAbuseAndMentalHealthServicesAdministration #SAMHSA #UniversalTraumaPrecautions #ClinicianBurnout #EmergencyDepartment #Telehealth #BodySizeDiversity #Healing #Resilience #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Jamuna Ravi is the Chief Executive Officer of Vayah Vikas ( https://vayah-vikas.org/ ), an organization dedicated to transforming well-being and quality of life for older adults across India. Under her leadership, Vayah Vikas has emerged as one of the most forward-thinking initiatives in the aging sector—integrating digital health, preventive care, social engagement, and evidence-based longevity practices to support India's rapidly growing elder population.Dr. Ravi is a seasoned technology leader who has spent more than three decades building and leading large IT organizations before turning her attention to social impact and healthy-aging initiatives. A computer-science engineering graduate of Birla Institute of Technology and Science, she has held senior leadership and delivery roles across India and internationally, including long tenures at Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys, senior roles with Shell and HSBC Technology, and a period as founder-director of an IT consultancy. Over the course of her technology career Dr. Ravi led large portfolios, global delivery centers and cross-functional teams — with responsibility for strategy, program delivery, and people management across banking, energy, utilities and other verticals. She is widely recognized in the IT community as an advocate for inclusion and women in technology, and as a leader who combines deep technical knowledge with pragmatic enterprise execution. After retiring from full-time executive work in technology, Dr. Ravi moved into pro-bono and social impact roles focused on aging, leadership and community well-being. She joined Vayah Vikas as Chief Executive Officer, bringing her product, systems and program-management experience to bear on building scalable, tech-enabled programs for older adults in India. At Vayah Vikas Dr. Ravi has focused on translating enterprise best practices into impact-oriented initiatives: strengthening organizational operations, expanding member engagement, and championing age-friendly digital inclusion and workplace healthy-aging programs. She has represented Vayah Vikas at industry forums and moderated sessions at national senior-care conclaves, signaling her role as a bridge between the tech world and the elder-care ecosystem. Beyond Vayah Vikas, Dr. Ravi has taken on board and advisory roles that leverage her governance and governance-scale experience including at Bank Of India.  She is also active in mentoring and speaking on leadership, emotional intelligence, and purposeful retirement. Her career arc—from computer-science engineer and global IT leader to social-impact CEO—gives her a rare combination of operational discipline, technical literacy, and a commitment to dignity and connection in aging. #JamunaRavi #VayahVikas #BirlaInstituteOfTechnologyAndScience #TataConsultancyServices #Infosys #AlexanderThomas #KrisGopalakrishnan #DeviPrasadShetty #Health #Healthcare #LegalAdvisory #FinancialGuidance #CommunityBuilding #Longevity #Aging #FamilyCaregiving #DementiaCare #Loneliness #DigitalLiteracy #AIAwareness #Intergenerationality #RohiniNilekaniPhilanthropies #MultiGenerationalWorkplaces #SocialConnectedness #AgeTech #Geroscience #AgingInPlace #Lonliness  #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Ritu Saluja-Sharma, MD is a double-board–certified physician in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, and the visionary founder of Head Heart Hands ( https://www.headhearthandsmd.com/ ), a comprehensive, holistic wellness program for individuals and organizations.Dr.  Saluja-Sharma earned her M.D. from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For over 15 years, Dr. Saluja-Sharma has worked on the front lines in hospital emergency departments in the Washington, D.C. area, confronting firsthand the chronic and lifestyle-driven illnesses that plaque a large portion of our population and lead to many of the acute emergencies she saw in the ER.Driven by the belief that many conditions she treated in the ER could have been prevented, she created Head Heart Hands to offer science-based coaching, corporate wellness programs, and engaging family-friendly resources. Her latest work, The Wonder of What We Eat Cookbook / Workbook series ( https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0FPMLYSYB/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=71acc446-4655-42d6-908b-da16920d4108&ref_=ap_rdr ) , co-created with her children, focuses on the pediatric obesity epidemic and brings more than 75 kid-friendly, nourishing recipes to life, grounded in her teaching framework that connects Head (knowledge), Heart (mindset), and Hands (practical skills).Dr. Saluja-Sharma's work stands at the intersection of acute care and long-term prevention. She's passionate about shifting healthcare from reaction to resilience—helping individuals and communities thrive, not just survive.#RituSalujaSharma #EmergencyMedicine #LifestyleMedicine #HeadHeartHands #WakeForestUniversitySchoolOfMedicine #MetabolicHealth #RootCauses #UltraProcessedFoods #CalorieDenseFoods #SedentaryLifestyles #SleepDisruption #Stress #Genetics #Epigenetics #SocioeconomicFactors #FoodAsMedicine #TheWonderOfWhatWeEat #Incretin #Insulin #Leptin #Ghrelin #Microbiome #Phytochemicals #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textRichard Daly is President and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals ( https://catalystpharma.com/ ), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing, and commercializing novel medicines for patients living with rare diseases.Catalyst has successfully brought three therapies to market: FIRDAPSE ( https://firdapse.com/ ) for Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS), AGAMREE ( https://agamree.com/ ) for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), and FYCOMPA ( https://www.fycompa.com/ ) for epilepsy.Prior to joining Catalyst, Mr. Daly served as President of CARsgen Therapeutics Corporation, an emerging oncology company focused on developing CAR-T therapies for both liquid and solid tumors, and as Chief Operating Officer of BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, a pre-commercial biotech company focused on oncology with assets in late Phase 3 clinical trials. Before joining BeyondSpring, Mr. Daly served as Chairman and CEO of Neuralstem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of central nervous system therapies based on its neuronal stem cell technology; as a partner of RavineRock Partners, a commercial consulting practice focused on biotech and pharmaceuticals; and as President of AstraZeneca US Diabetes. Mr. Daly also has served on the board of directors of Opiant Pharmaceuticals and Synergy Pharmaceuticals.Mr. Daly received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.#RichardDaly #CatalystPharmaceuticals #RareDiseases #OrphanDiseases #FIRDAPSE #LambertEatonMyasthenicSyndrome #AGAMREE #DuchenneMuscularDystrophy #FYCOMPA #Epilepsy #PotassiumChannelBlocker #VoltageGatedCalciumChannels #Dystrophin #NextGenerationSteroid #DissociativeSteroid #GlucocorticoidReceptor #AMPAReceptorAntagonist #Glutamate #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Carina Kern, Ph.D. is the CEO of LinkGevity ( https://www.linkgevity.com/ ),  an AI-powered biotech company driving innovation in drug discovery for aging and resilience loss. Dr. Kern has developed a new Blueprint Theory of Aging, which takes an integrative approach to understanding aging, combining evolutionary theory, genetics, molecular mechanisms and medicine, and is used to structure LinkGevity's AI. Dr. Kern's labs are based at the Babraham Research Campus, affiliated with the University of Cambridge and her research has led to the development of a first-in-class necrosis inhibitor targeting cellular degeneration (Anti-Necrotic™). This novel therapeutic is ready to begin Phase II clinical trials later this year, as a potential breakthrough treatment for aging, with UK Government, Francis Crick Institute KQ labs, and European Union (Horizon) support. The Anti-Necrotic™ has also been selected as one of only 12 global innovations for NASA's Space-Health program, recognizing its potential to mitigate accelerated aging in astronauts on long-duration space missions. Dr. Kern has held academic and leadership roles in interdisciplinary networks, including serving as President of the London Evolutionary Research Network and Co-Chair of the CleanTech Business Challenge, an initiative co-led by University College London and the London Business School.Dr. Kern completed her PhD at UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing.#CarinaKern #LinkGevity #BlueprintTheoryOfAging #BiologicalResilience #UniversityOfCambridge #BabrahamResearchCampus #CellularDegeneration #NecrosisInhibitor #AntiNecrotic #CaenorhabditisElegans #UCLInstituteOfHealthyAgeing #Senescence #Apoptosis #CellDeath #Necroptosis #Pyroptosis #Ferroptosis #PathoPathways #Gerotherapeutics #RyanodineReceptorInhibitors #CellPermeantCalciumChelators #LINK001 #AcuteKidneyInjury #SpaceMedicine #Exposome #Longevity#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textThijs Spoor is Chief Executive Officer at Perspective Therapeutics ( https://perspectivetherapeutics.com/ ), a clinical-stage, radiopharmaceutical company that is pioneering innovative treatments for cancers. The Company's proprietary technology utilizes the alpha emitting isotope Pb-212 to deliver powerful radiation directly to cancer cells via high-affinity targeting peptides.Prior to this, Thijs was the Chairman at Verifi H2O. Thijs also held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, Inc. and KBP BioSciences.Thijs also has served as CEO at AzurRx BioPharma, where they focused on developing targeted therapies for gastrointestinal diseases, and CEO at FluoroPharma, a company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization novel molecular positron emission tomography (PET) agents for the cardiovascular, oncology and neurology arenas.Thijs also worked as a Strategy Consultant at Oliver Wyman, a Biotechnology Analyst at J.P. Morgan, and a Medical Devices Analyst at Credit Suisse. Thijs began their career at GE Healthcare, where he served as the Director of Strategic Marketing and played a key role in reshaping the company's strategic directions in various areas.Thijs completed his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Toronto and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School.#ThijsSpoor #PerspectiveTherapeutics #Radiopharmaceuticals #NuclearMedicine #Cancer #Oncology #AlphaEmittingIsotopes #AlphaParticles #BetaParticles #Radiation #Lead #Pb212 #Lutetium #Actinium #CellTargetingPeptide #Chelator #Linker #NeuroendocrineTumors #SomatostatinReceptorSubtype2 #Melanoma #Theranostic #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textNeil Klompas, CPA, CA is President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Augurex ( https://augurex.com/ ), a leading edge diagnostic company focused on developing and commercializing advanced diagnostics with the aim of improving patient outcomes and ending diagnostic delays in autoimmune conditions.Mr. Klompas has been involved in healthcare and biotechnology for over 30 years in various senior leadership roles spanning operational, financial and research and development responsibilities. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Zymeworks (NASDAQ: ZYME), where he had previously held the role of Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that, Mr. Klompas' experience included roles with KPMG, a global financial services firm, in both the United States and Canada where he advised on transactions and financial engagements across the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices sectors. Mr. Klompas serves as a director on the boards of InMed Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ; INM), NervGen Pharma (TSXV; NGEN), and HTuO Biosciences. He has previously served as a director and advisor to various biotechnology companies, including previously serving on the boards of Ovensa Inc., and Liminal Biotherapeutics. Mr. Klompas holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia, and is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant.#NeilKlompas #Augurex #AutoimmuneConditions #Diagnostics #AxialSpondyloarthritis #axSpA #ChronicInflammatoryDisease #AnkylosingSpondylitis #BackPain #1433ηEtaProtein #Anti1433EtaAutoantibody #SPINEstat #JOINTstat#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textBen Zimmer is CEO of Priovant Therapeutics ( https://www.priovanttx.com/ ), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on delivering novel therapies for autoimmune diseases associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality. Priovant is developing oral brepocitinib, a potential first-in-class dual inhibitor of TYK2 and JAK1, across multiple severe autoimmune indications, unlocking new treatment options for patients who are underserved by existing therapies.Ben joined Priovant from Roivant, where he was a member of the founding team in early 2015 and held multiple leadership roles across the organization, including President, Roivant Health, Chief Operating Officer, and Head, Public Affairs. As President, Roivant Health, Ben led and oversaw the launch of Roivant's Chinese biopharmaceutical subsidiaries, healthcare technology companies (including Datavant), and computationally powered drug discovery platform (including VantAI). Earlier in his career, Ben was a consultant at McKinsey & Co and co-founded and led a public policy non-profit. He holds a BA magna cum laude from Harvard College and a JD from Yale Law School.#BenZimmer #PriovantTherapeutics #AutoimmuneDiseases #Brepocitinib #TYK2 #JAK1 #Dermatomyositis #NonInfectiousUveitis #Pfizer #Roivant #VivekRamaswamy #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textEvan Mathis ( https://evanmathis.co/ ) is a three-time Emmy Award–winning, multi-disciplinary creative director and filmmaker whose work spans sports, entertainment, brand storytelling, and cinematic short-form content.Evan recently expanded his creative scope into deeply human, health-centered storytelling with the short film The Hemingway ( https://www.thehemingway.film/ ) which he co-directed with ALS patient Patrick Sean O'Brien. The film offers an intimate, unfiltered, and darkly humorous look at life with this severe disability ( The Hemingway Trailer HD 2025 - https://vimeo.com/1044832501 ).The Hemingway has been celebrated on the festival circuit, earning awards and recognition for its originality, emotional depth, and collaborative spirit including Best Documentary Short at the San Francisco International Film Festival.With an educational foundation in fine art and journalism, and a deep fluency in design and technology, throughout his career, Evan has collaborated with leading agencies and global brands. Evan's career has been defined by a versatile creative curiosity. In sports and competition, Evan has led major campaigns for the Daytona 500, the U.S. Open, NFL on FOX, College Football on FOX, ESPN's World Cup coverage, UFC Fight Night, WWE Raw, and high-profile personality-driven work such as Skip Bayless.In entertainment, Evan has contributed to prestige series and blockbuster titles, including World War Z, Furious 6, Homeland, The Normal Heart, Monk, Burn Notice, White Collar, and key branding for USA Network, TNT Originals, TV Land, and others. Evan's brand and lifestyle portfolio includes campaigns for L'Oréal, Discover Card, Scion, Velocity, and a wide range of integrated commercial and digital initiatives.Evan's work has earned accolades from the Emmys (three times over), as well as from One Show, Clios, and Promax BDA. He has also judged for Promax BDA, The Television Academy, and SXSW Interactive. His projects and design thinking have been featured in top publications such as Adweek, Ad Age, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated. In addition to his creative output, Evan is a sought-after speaker: he has presented at major design and media conferences in New York, Los Angeles, London, Cape Town, Toronto, and Chicago. #EvanMathis #PatrickSeanOBrien #TheHemingway #ALS #Documentary #AmyotrophicLateralSclerosis #LouGehrigsDisease #TransFattyLives #LeonardFlorenceCenterForLiving #Humor #Dignity #Neuralink #SevereDisabilities #EyeTracking #Imagination #Escapism #Advocacy #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textEdmund Benami is Co-Founder and CEO of NeuraLight ( https://neuralight.ai/ ), a pioneering health-tech company focused on applying advanced computer vision and deep-learning techniques to accelerate and improve drug development and patient monitoring in neurological diseases. NeuraLight's mission is to develop objective and sensitive biomarkers in neurology by extracting oculometric markers (measures of eye movement) from standard webcams or smartphones, thereby providing richer digital endpoints for neurological drug development and patient care.Edmund is a repeat entrepreneur and an award-winning mathematician, with over 20 years of experience designing novel AI algorithms and building world-class teams to take on some of the most challenging technological challenges in signal processing, computer vision and AI.Edmund has both BS and MS in Mathematics from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.#EdmundBenami #NeuraLight #NeurologicalDisorders #OculometricBiomarkers #Oculometry #Saccades #SmoothPursuit #Fixation #PupilDynamics #BlinkPatterns #Vergence #ALS #NeurodegenerativeDisorders #Diagnosis #DiseaseMonitoring #DrugDevelopment #ProgressiveSupranuclearPalsy #CorticobasalDegeneration #FrontotemporalDementia #LewyBodyDementia #RemoteNeurologyCare #ArtificialIntelligence #ComputerVision #Gaze #AlzheimersDisease #ParkinsonsDisease #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textLes Johnson is a physicist, author, and space technologist ( https://www.lesjohnsonauthor.com/ ) who most recently served as the Chief Technologist at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. Les is also the Founder of Infinite Frontiers Consulting ( https://www.lesjohnsonauthor.com/infinite-frontiers-consulting-llc.html ), an aerospace consulting firm dedicated to helping turn innovative space ventures into reality. After decades leading of missions at NASA and collaborating across the industry, Les is excited to work with clients and partners who are pushing boundaries and advancing cutting-edge space technologies.Over a distinguished career with NASA, Les played a central role in developing advanced space propulsion systems and pioneering technologies designed to expand humanity's reach beyond Earth orbit. He has led and contributed to multiple interplanetary technology demonstration missions, including work on solar sails, in-space propulsion, and deep-space exploration architectures.In addition to his NASA career, Les is an accomplished science fiction author and popular science writer, known for making complex space science accessible to broad audiences. His books—both fiction and nonfiction—explore the scientific and philosophical dimensions of humanity's future in space ( https://www.amazon.com/stores/Les-Johnson/author/B002OUOYZQ?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true ) . A frequent public speaker and advocate for space exploration, Les continues to inspire curiosity and innovation in the next generation of scientists and engineers.Les holds a Master's degree in Physics from Vanderbuilt and a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Transylvania University, where he also conducted research in plasma and materials science. His academic foundation has informed his long-standing commitment to bridging theoretical science with practical space engineering.#LesJohnson #NASA #GeorgeCMarshallSpaceFlightCenter #VanderbiltUniversity #StrategicDefenseInitiative #GoldenDome #SpaceBasedHighEnergyLasers #ParticleBeamWeapons #MissileDefense #GeneralResearchCorporation#PropulsiveSmallExpendableDeployerSystem #SolarSail #CubeSat #NearEarthAsteroidScout #InterstellarTravel #Mars #ProximaCentauri #CrewHealth #LifeSupport #PlanetarySunshades #Geoengineering #Astrobiology #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us a textDave Rosa is President & Chief Executive Officer of NeuroOne ( https://nmtc1.com/ ), a developmental-stage medical technology company developing high-definition, minimally invasive thin film electrodes for the diagnosis and treatment of various neurological conditions ( https://nmtc1.com/technology ). The company's initial focus is on epilepsy and the fast‑growing neurostimulation device market.Mr. Rosa is an entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the medical device industry spanning a variety of technologies and products. In addition to CEO roles with early-stage medical device companies, Mr. Rosa's background also includes senior roles with C.R. Bard Inc., Boston Scientific Inc., and St. Jude Medical, where his responsibilities included marketing, product development and business development. He has been named as an inventor on multiple medical device patents, serves on seven corporate boards, and has raised $200M in the capital markets. Mr. Rosa holds an MBA from Duquesne University and a BS in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University.IMPORTANT EPISODE LINKS - Electrochemical Testing of a New Polyimide Thin Film Electrode for Stimulation, Recording, and Monitoring of Brain Activity -https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9611492/First Food and Drug Administration Cleared Thin-Film Electrode for Intracranial Stimulation, Recording, and Monitoring of Brain Activity—Part 1: Biocompatibility Testing -https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9100917/#NeuroOne #DaveRosa #MinimallyInvasive #ThinFilmElectrodes #Theranostics #Stereoelectroencephalography #NeurologicalConditions #Epilepsy #MovementDisorders #ChronicPain #PsychiatricDisorders #Glioblastoma #CognitiveDisorders #Neurostimulation #NerveAblation #BloodBrainBarrier #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Julia Moore Vogel, PhD, MBA is Assistant Professor and Senior Program Director at The Scripps Research Institute ( https://www.scripps.edu/science-and-medicine/translational-institute/about/people/julia-moore-vogel/ ) where she is responsible for managing a broad portfolio of patient-centric health research studies, including The Long COVID Treatment Trial ( https://longcovid.scripps.edu/locitt-t/ ), a fully remote, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial targeting individuals with long COVID, testing whether the drug Tirzepatide can reduce or alleviate symptoms of long COVID. Prior to this current role, Dr. Vogel managed The Participant Center (TPC) for the NIH All of Us Research Program ( https://www.scripps.edu/science-and-medicine/translational-institute/translational-research/precision-medicine/index.html ) which was charged with recruiting and retaining 350,000 individuals that represent the diversity of the United States. TPC aims to make it possible for interested individuals anywhere in the US to become active participants, for example by collaborating with numerous outreach partners to raise awareness, collecting biosamples nationwide, returning participants' results and developing self-guided workflows that enable participants to join whenever is convenient for them. Prior to joining the Scripps Research Translational Institute, Dr. Vogel created, proposed, fundraised for, and implemented research and clinical genomics initiatives at the New York Genome Center and The Rockefeller University. She oversaw the proposal and execution of grants, including a $44M NIH Center for Common Disease Genomics in collaboration with over 20 scientific contributors across seven institutions. She also managed corporate partnerships, including one with IBM that assessed the relative value of several genomic assays for cancer patients. Dr. Vogel has a BS in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a  PhD in Computational Biology and Medicine from Cornell and an MBA from Cornell. Important Episode Links - Nature Reviews Microbiology - Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations -https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2npj Digital Medicine - Long-term changes in wearable sensor data in people with and without Long Covid -https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01238-xMayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes - A Randomized Trial of At-Home COVID-19 Tests, Telemedicine, and Rapid Prescription Delivery for Immunocompromised Individuals -https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542454825000384#JuliaMooreVogel #ScrippsResearchInstitute #EricTopol #LongCovidTreatmentTrial #AllOfUsResearchProgram #ComputationalBiology #NewYorkGenomeCenter #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #ImmuneDysregulation #MicrovascularInjury #MetabolicDysfunction #Neuroinflammation #AutonomicDysfunction #Tirzepatide #Zepbound #RemoteClinicalTrial #Cornell #RockefellerUniversity#MemorialSloanKetteringCancerCenter #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textKomeil Nasrollahi is a seasoned innovation and business‐development leader currently serving as Senior Director of Innovation & Venture Partnerships at Siemens Healthineers ( https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/ ), where he is charged with forging strategic collaborations, identifying new venture opportunities and accelerating transformative healthcare technologies. With an academic foundation in industrial engineering from Tsinghua University (and additional studies in the Chinese language) and undergraduate work in civil engineering from Azad University in Iran, Komeil  blends technical fluency with global business acumen. Prior to his current role, Komeil held senior positions driving business engagement and international investment, including leading market‐entry and growth initiatives across China and the U.S., demonstrating a strong ability to navigate cross‐cultural, high‐stakes innovation ecosystems. In his current role, Komeil works at the intersection of healthcare, technology and venture creation—identifying high-impact innovations that align with Siemens Healthineers' mission to “pioneer breakthroughs in healthcare, for everyone, everywhere, sustainably.” Based in the Greater Philadelphia region, his international exposure and multilingual capability (including English, Chinese and Persian) enable him to bridge diverse geographies and stakeholder groups in service of advancing healthcare innovation. Komeil's leadership reflects a deep commitment to translating emerging technologies into meaningful clinical and market outcomes, making him a key driver in Siemens Healthineers' venture partnerships and innovation strategy.#KomeilNasrollahi #SiemensHealthineers #TsinghuaUniversity #AzadUniversity #ChesterCountyEconomicDevelopmentCouncil #WestChesterUniversity #SiemensAG #MedicalTechnology #VenturePartnerships #DigitalSolutions #MedicalImaging #LaboratoryDiagnostics #DigitalHealth #ArtificialIntelligence #HealthcareIT #EnterpriseServices #PrecisionMedicine #DigitalTwins #SystemsBiology #BioelectronicMedicine #AutonomousClinicalSystems #MedicalRobotics #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textShari and Bill Hall ( https://familiesfightingflu.org/family-story/the-hall-family/ ) are a really remarkable couple whose story shines a light on just how far-reaching the effects of influenza can be — not only for the person who gets sick, but for the loved ones who care for them.What began as an ordinary illness became a life-changing experience for the Hall family, one that tested their strength, deepened their compassion, and opened their eyes to the true impact of flu.Through this amazing journey, they've become powerful advocates for awareness and prevention — reminding us all that influenza isn't “just the flu.” It's an extremely serious illness that can touch every part of life, from health and family to community and hope.Shari and Bill's experience is both deeply personal and universally relevant, and it underscores why sharing these stories matters, because behind every statistic about influenza, there are real people — families, caregivers, and survivors — whose lives have been changed.#Influenza #Vaccine #FluShot #TheHallFamily #ShariHall #BillHall #Advocacy #AutoimmuneInjury#SystemicInflammation #MicrovascularInjury #ExtracorporealMembraneOxygen #ECMO #LifeSupport #Hospitalization #Bronchitis #CardiacArrest #Amputation #Rehabilitation #NerveDamage #Recovery #Caregiving #FamiliesFightingFlu #ICU #CSLSeqirus #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Adnan Masood, Ph.D. ( https://medium.com/@adnanmasood ) is Chief AI Architect at UST ( https://www.ust.com/ ), the giant global digital transformation solutions company.  Dr. Masood brings over two decades of leadership in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large-scale system architecture, bridging cutting-edge academic research with real-world business outcomes.At UST, Dr. Masood leads the firm's global strategy for cognitive computing, AI, ML, and generative-AI initiatives. He oversees the development of scalable data-integration platforms, high-performance recommendation systems, and enterprise-grade AI solutions — all while fostering deep collaborations with elite research institutions, including Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL) and MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Before his current role, Dr. Masood's experience spanned financial-services technology, start-ups, systems architecture, and cloud-native engineering — always grounded in a strong research mindset focused on machine learning, Bayesian belief networks, and enterprise engineering. Recognized as a Microsoft Regional Director and a Microsoft MVP for Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Masood is not only a practitioner but a thought leader and educator. He has taught data science, spoken at international conferences, authored best-selling books on functional programming and AI governance, and mentors the next generation — for example volunteering as a STEM robotics coach for middle-school students. In his role at UST, Dr. Masood has also helped shape the company's AI-center-of-excellence model — guiding clients to build governance, cross-functional AI teams, and measurable value from AI investments.#AdnanMasood #UST #AI #ML #GenerativeAI #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #CognitiveServices #CognitiveRobotics #QuantumComputation #QuantumComputing #Cryptography #MicrosoftMVP #MIT #Stanford#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textAriel Garten is a neuroscientist, innovator, and entrepreneur whose driving purpose is to empower and help others overcome mental obstacles in order to live healthy, happy lives and reach their maximum potential, by harnessing real-time brain data to improve focus, relaxation, and meditation.Ariel is Co-Founder of InteraXon, the makers of Muse: the brain sensing headband ( https://choosemuse.com/ ). Muse is the award-winning wearable, clinical-grade Electroencephalography (EEG) device used by meditators and researchers around the world ( https://musehealth.ai/ ).Before founding InteraXon, Ariel was not only trained as a neuroscientist, working in research labs exploring the neural basis of consciousness as well as researching Parkinson's disease and hippocampal neurogenesis, and a practicing psychotherapist, but also started her own international clothing line. Ariel's creativity and entrepreneurial spirit combined with her fascination with the brain lead her to start InteraXon with partners in Silicon Valley developing the platform technology that ultimately sparked the creation of Muse. #ArielGarten #InteraXon #Muse #Electroencephalography #EEG #NonInvasive #NeuroTechnology #DeepBrainStimulation #HippocampalNeurogenesis #Neuroplasticity #Psychotherapist #Biofeedback #Meditation #BrainwavePatterns #Wearables #Mindfulness #ImprovingSleep #EnhancingFocus #ReducingStress #DiagnosticTool #SleepDisorders #CognitiveEnhancement #AgeTech #Memory #Learning #Neurofeedback #BrainComputerInterfaces #Dementia#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Fred Grossman, D.O., FAPA is President and Chief Medical Officer of Coya Therapeutics ( https://coyatherapeutics.com/ ), a clinical-stage company focused on developing multi-modality, Regulatory T Cell (Treg) therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Coya has already developed strong proof of concept data in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's, and is also active in the autoimmune and metabolic disease domains.Dr. Grossman brings over 20 years of drug development expertise having held senior executive leadership positions in large and small pharmaceutical companies, leading the development and FDA approval of numerous multi-billion dollar blockbuster drugs addressing significant unmet medical needs particularly across CNS disorders. He has close relationships with thought leaders worldwide and has negotiated directly with the FDA and Global Health Authorities for approval of many drugs across therapeutic areas. Dr. Grossman held executive positions at Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Sunovion. He served as President and Chief Medical Officer at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a $1.5 Billion per annum global pharmaceutical company based in India, overseeing development of an entire pipeline including generics, complex generics including 505(b)(2) candidates, and next-generation biologics (including bi-specific antibodies). Dr. Grossman also previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Mesoblast, Inc., developing allogeneic cellular therapies for inflammatory diseases. Dr. Grossman is Board-Certified in Psychiatry and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and was a Fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has held several academic appointments and authored numerous scientific publications.#RegulatoryTCells #Tregs #AutoimmuneDisorders #ShimonSakaguchi #ImmuneSystem #FredGrossman #CoyaTherapeutics #NeurodegenerativeDiseases #AmyotrophicLateralSclerosis #ALS #Alzheimers #CNSDisorders #StanleyAppel #Immunomodulation #ProInflammatoryCytokines #SelfTolerance #Microglia #Macrophages #CTLA4Ig #LowDoseIl2 #FusionProtein #ImmuneCheckpointModulator #FrontotemporalDementia #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDouglas Leech is Founder and CEO of Ascension Recovery Services ( https://www.ascensionrs.com/ ), an organization focused on developing and managing comprehensive, fully integrated behavioral health systems, treating Substance Use Disorders and co-occurring mental illness across the full continuum of care.Mr. Leech has a B.S. degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University and worked at Ernst & Young in Pittsburgh before returning to Morgantown, West Virginia and founding Ascension RS. Through his own struggles with addiction and subsequent recovery, Mr. Leech developed a passion for helping those suffering from the diseases of addiction and set out to increase access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment across West Virginia and the United States. Mr. Leech has built Ascension RS into a national leader for developing comprehensive behavioral health systems that provide the highest quality clinical care with a sustainable business model. Mr. Leech also founded West Virginia Sober Living ( WVSL - https://westvirginiasoberliving.com/ ), a self-sustaining 501(c)(3) non-profit, operating recovery residences, job creation and reintegration programming, and a network of peer recovery coaches providing broad community support for SUD throughout West Virginia. #DouglasLeech #AscensionRecoveryServices #SubstanceUseDisorders #MentalIllness #BehavioralHealth #IntensiveOutpatientPrograms #PartialHospitalizationPrograms #ResidentialTreatmentCenters #RecoveryResidences #PeerRecoveryCoachNetworks #WorkforceDevelopmentPrograms #WestVirginiaSoberLiving #AmericanSocietyOfAddictionMedicine #PawneeNationOfOklahoma #NativeAmericans #CulturallyTailoredApproaches #HarmReduction #OverdosePrevention #TraditionalHealingPractices#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textYael Elish is CEO and Founder of StuffThatWorks (https://www.stuffthatworks.health/open-stuff), a company that offers an online platform where people suffering from chronic diseases can share information to learn which treatments work best for their specific condition, based on the experience of their peers combined with a smart, AI-based crowdsourcing system.Last week, StuffThatWorks announced the alpha launch of OpenStuff ( https://www.openstuff.com/open-stuff ), the world's first patient-powered AI health search. Built on 1.3 billion structured data points shared by over 3 million people living with 1,250 chronic conditions, OpenStuff transforms lived patient health experiences into real-time, actionable insights.A passionate entrepreneur with expertise in crowdsourcing and consumer-facing products, Yael was on the Waze founding team (Waze is now a subsidiary company of Google that provides satellite navigation software on smartphones and other computers), where she drove the overall product strategy that led the company from User One to one of the world's most notable crowdsourcing endeavors. Yael also co-founded eSnips and NetSnippet, and was part of the senior management team that took Commtouch to its successful NASDAQ IPO in 2000.Prior to Commtouch, Yael led the sales and marketing efforts for various start-ups in Israel. Yael holds a first degree in Foreign Relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.#StuffThatWorks #OpenStuff #YaelElish #Crowdsourcing #ChronicDiseases #RareDiseases #ArtificialIntelligence #Healthcare #Medicine #Repurposing #ClinicalTrials #RealWorldData #RealWorldEvidence #PatientAdvocacy #Israel #PharmaceuticalResearch #Waze #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textJoel Krikston is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in venture investments and strategic innovation within the healthcare sector.Joel currently serves as Managing Director Venture Investments Merck Global Health Innovation Fund ( https://www.merckghifund.com/?profile=joel-krikston ) and Co-Founder of MSD Idea Studios ( https://www.msd.de/ideastudio/ ), a global innovation hub organization that is committing $38 million to scale high-impact health technologies that directly align with Merck's access and R&D priorities. They are strategically located in the innovation hubs of Singapore and Berlin. With a career spanning over two decades, Joel has held pivotal roles at renowned organizations like Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and JPMorgan, focusing on biotechnology, corporate development, and health equity. As the Managing Director of Venture Investments and Head of Strategic Innovation Alliances, Joel excels in bridging the gap between life sciences and digital health technology. He is a recognized advocate for diversity and inclusion, emphasizing health equity in his professional endeavors. Joel's board engagements extend to various innovative healthcare startups, showcasing his commitment to shaping the future of healthcare. Joel also contributes to academia as a venture mentor and guest lecturer at prestigious institutions, including NYU Stern and Princeton University. Joel has an MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU, completed his Bachelor's degree in Finance and International Business at Fairfield University, and has specialized certifications from Harvard and MIT, underscoring his dedication to ongoing learning and leadership in healthcare innovation.#JoelKrikston #MSDIdeaStudios #MerckGlobalHealthInnovationFund #InvestmentBanking #CorporateVentureCapital #LifeSciences #DigitalHealth #NYUStern #BNPParibas #ABNAMRO #InnovationHubs #LungCancer #VentureMentor #JohnsonAndJohnson #JPMorgan #BillTaranto #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Théau Peronnin, Ph.D. is a physicist by training and a visionary leader in the field of quantum computing. After earning his master's degree from École Polytechnique in Paris and completing his PhD in quantum physics at École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Dr. Peronnin embarked on a mission to tackle one of the greatest technological challenges of our time: building a truly fault-tolerant quantum computer. In 2020, Dr. Peronnin co-founded the quantum‐computing start-up Alice & Bob ( https://alice-bob.com/ - based in Paris with global ambitions) and took the helm as its CEO. Under his leadership, the company has focused on a novel architecture known as “cat qubits” — a design that embeds error correction directly into the qubits, aiming to significantly reduce the hardware complexity and error rates compared with more conventional quantum-computing approaches. Dr. Peronnin's work sits at the intersection of deep physics and engineering enterprise. He was part of academic research advancing superconducting qubit read-out and control techniques, and has since translated that research momentum into building infrastructure: labs, cleanrooms, cryogenic systems, and a growing team of quantum experts. Dr. Peronnin frequently speaks about how quantum computing will not simply accelerate existing algorithms, but unlock totally new classes of problems — in materials, chemistry, biology and beyond. Beyond technology, Dr. Peronnin emphasizes the importance of ecosystem, funding and audacity: he argues that Europe must pair deep science with industrial scale and ambition if it hopes to lead in the quantum race.Important Episode Link - Cat Qubits and LDPC Codes, a New Step Towards Quantum Error Correction - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI0Yg-QRAns#ThéauPeronnin #AliceAndBob #QuantumComputing #CatQubits #Superposition #Entanglement #QuantumInterference #Coherence #Decoherence #NISQ #NoisyIntermediateScaleQuantum #MicrowaveQuantumNode #SuperconductingQubits #MicrowaveSuperconducting #CryogenicEngineering #QuantumNode #QuantumCommunication #SchrödingersCat #SuperconductingMicrowaveCavities #BosonicQubit #TransmonQubit #TrappedIons #PhotonicQubits #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textXaque Gruber ( https://www.xaquegruber.com/ ) is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and artist.Xaque is the writer and director of the hit independent film Sallywood ( https://sallywoodmovie.com/ ) — a touching, funny and deeply insightful look at the career of actress Sally Kirkland ( https://www.sallykirkland.com/ ), as well as current trials and tribulations navigating life and identity in the film industry. The limited theatrical release for Sallywood debuted on November 8, 2024 and Buffalo 8 will release the film on digital platforms on November 14, 2025.Through Sallywood, Xaque explores themes of ageism, resilience, and the quiet struggles faced by Hollywood's “working class” — the actors, crew members, and creatives who live just outside the spotlight but keep the dream machine running.Xaque's first TV writing credit came with reuniting the cast of his favorite 80s soap “Dynasty” for the 2006 CBS special “Dynasty Reunion: Catfights & Caviar.” Since then, he's written “The Scream Awards (Spike),” “The World Music Awards (ABC),” “The Producer's Guild of America Awards,” and many others.Xaque has written for feature length films including "M.I.A." and "Broken Roads" and for the short films "The Pistol", "THE" and  "Laurel Casey: The Hurting Truth". Before his filmmaking career, Xaque wrote for outlets including The Huffington Post, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Miami Herald, and worked in television, visual art, and education. His storytelling — across every medium — is known for its empathy, wit, and sharp social observation.Xaque is also the author/illustrator of the book "A Big Adventure In The Smallest State: A History of Rhode Island For All Ages" ( https://www.amazon.com/Big-Adventure-Smallest-State/dp/1403333262 ).Xaque has an MA in Education from Tufts University and an MS in Television Production & Writing from Boston University.Important Episode Link - Support Sally Kirkland's Urgent Medical Care -https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-sally-kirklands-urgent-medical-care#XaqueGruber #Sallywood #SallyKirkland #Ageism #Hollywood #Resilience #IntergenerationalFriendships #EricRoberts #JenniferTilly #KeithCarradine #MariaConchitaAlonso #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textKaren Mayer Cunningham is a nationally recognized leader in special education advocacy and the Founder and CEO of the Special Education Academy ( https://specialeducationacademy.com/ ), an organization dedicated to empowering parents to navigate the complex world of special education with clarity, confidence, and purpose.After confronting the challenges of the system firsthand as a parent, Karen transformed her experience into a mission — helping families across the country understand their rights, communicate effectively with schools, and ensure that every child receives the support and services they are entitled to under the law.Through the Special Education Academy, Karen has built a trusted community and a practical, education-based training model that bridges the gap between parents and educators. Her work emphasizes collaboration, knowledge, and empowerment — giving families the tools to become informed, effective advocates for their children.Known for her energy, honesty, and engaging communication style, Karen has become a leading voice for reform and accountability in special education, inspiring parents and professionals alike to work together toward a more equitable and inclusive educational system.Karen is also an accomplished stand-up comedian.Karen's new book, The Epic IEP: A Powerful Playbook for Parents, Educators, and Advocates Navigating the Special Education Process  ( https://theepiciep.com/ )  is available for pre-order and will be released January 27, 2026 ( https://www.amazon.com/Epic-IEP-Educators-Advocates-Navigating/dp/1637635125 ).:Links to Karen's Podcast -• Buzzsprout: https://specialeducationboss.buzzsprout.com• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w?si=53e4f3b73e514a06• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/271518986/• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d75378a3-0f8b-4fd1-989b-67a5723b5377/special-education-boss%C2%AE-with-karen-mayer-cunningham• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI3YgeQrpe51K4Ia4GWqS3fTnGj_DGLan#KarenMayerCunningham #SpecialEducationAcademy #IndividualizedEducationProgram #IndividualsWithDisabilitiesEducationAct #504Plan #RehabilitationActOf1973 #AutismSpectrumDisorder #EmotionalDisturbance #Deafness #Blindness #IntellectualDisability #OrthopedicImpairment #SpecificLearningDisability #LanguageImpairment #SpeechImpairment #TraumaticBrainInjury #PresentLevelsOfAcademicAchievementAndFunctionalPerformance #Comedy #Humor #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textEdward You is recently coming off an amazing career at the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) where most recently he served in roles as Supervisory Special Agent, National Counterintelligence Task Force, Counterintelligence Division, as well as a Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate.  He was also previously simultaneously detailed as a Liaison Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of National Security, and as a National Counterintelligence Officer for Emerging and Disruptive Technologies, in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).Mr. You was responsible for creating programs and activities to coordinate and improve FBI and interagency activities to identify, assess, and respond to biological threats or incidents.  He supported FBI initiatives to build partnerships with the life sciences community, domestically and internationally, and lead efforts to identify and address potential security challenges in advanced biotechnology. His overall goal was to safeguard the scientific community, the life science research enterprise, and the U.S. bioeconomy.  Before being promoted to the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, Mr. You served as a member of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI Hazardous Evidence Response Team. Mr. You has also been directly involved in policy-making efforts with a focus on biosecurity.  He served as an active Working Group member of the White House National Security Council Policy Coordinating Committee on Countering Biological Threats and represented the FBI as an Ex Officio member of the National Institutes of Health National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity.  He also served on two National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committees, the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Microbial Threats and the Committee on Science, Technology, and Law's Forum on Synthetic Biology.  He is currently a Senior Fellow for the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. You had extensive experience in academic research having worked for three years in autoimmune disease research at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and six years in human gene therapy and retrovirology at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, where he received his Master of Science (M.S.), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  Just prior to joining the FBI, Mr. You worked for three years in the commercial biotechnology sector conducting cancer research and assay development at AMGEN, Inc.Mr. You recently set up EHY Consulting LLC, dedicated to consulting activities focused on safeguarding science and innovation at the intersection of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and national security.#EdwardYou #FederalBureauOfInvestigation #WeaponsOfMassDestructionDirectorate #FBI #SupervisorySpecialAgent #Biosecurity #Bioeconomy #Biohackers #DualUse #Anthrax #Ricin #FBIHazardousEvidenceResponseTeam #JointTerrorismTaskForce #AutoimmuneDisease #MolecularBiology #GeneTherapy #Angiogenesis #WMDCoordinator #Chemical #Biological #CBRN #UnitedNationsInterregionalCrimeAndJusticeResearchInstitute #UNICRI #NationalAcademies #NationalCounterintelligenceAndSecurityCenter #OfficeOfTheDirectorOfNationalIntelligence #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textChristian Maugee is a PhD Candidate at the University of Florida, in Genetics and Genomics ( http://www.vulpelab.net/graduate-and-undergrad-students.html ), where his research explores how gene expression differs in the hearts of individuals with Friedrich's Ataxia (FA), a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disease.  His work could lead to new insights into the cardiac complications that can be associated with FA and how to potential treat them better.Christian's dissertation work is focused on identifying gene modulators of the transcriptional phenotype of FA in human induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs). He accomplishes this through use of a novel method: Perturb-seq - a CRISPR screen coupled with single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) readout. Christian is driven by much more than academic curiosity, as he brings a unique and deeply human perspective to his work as someone living with FA. He doesn't just study the challenges faced by those with disabilities; he lives them. His work is not only informed by data and theory, but by resilience, authenticity, and a commitment to making research more inclusive and impactful.In the lab, Christian loves mentoring, and outside of the lab he loves fundraising and raising awareness for FA, mainly through FARA ( https://www.curefa.org/ ) and MDA ( https://www.mda.org/disease/friedreichs-ataxia ).Christian received a Bachelor's degree in Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology, from the University of South Florida.Important Episode Link - The Science Guy: Back In The Lab For FAhttps://www.ataxia.org/billnye-for-fa/#ChristianMaugee #FriedreichsAtaxia #UniversityOfFlorida #Genetics #Genomics #MolecularBiology #UniversityOfSouthFlorida #Frataxin #MitochondrialDysfunction #OxidativeStress #Neurodegeneration #AmyotrophicLateralSclerosis #FrontotemporalDementia #Dystonia #HypertrophicCardiomyopathy #DilatedCardiomyopathy #Cardiomyocytes #InducedPluripotentStemCells #Epigenetic #BillNye #Mitochondria #RareDisease #Neurology #Biogen #Omaveloxolone #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textKenneth Russell DeGraff ( https://www.russelldegraff.com/ ) is a Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School ( https://shorensteincenter.org/person/k-russell-degraff/ ), where he focuses on the challenges American voters face in understanding how legislation in Congress affects them, and how they can engage with or benefit from these laws. He is also a Visiting Scholar Vanderbilt University Law School.Kenneth spent nearly two decades on Capitol Hill, culminating in 12 years as the chief climate and technology advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Kenneth played several key roles in helping Congress architect, enact, explain and enforce significant legislation as well as helping form coalitions and lead negotiations to enact policies and laws spanning administrations from different parties, reflecting his skill in bipartisan collaboration. Kenneth's work included pivotal contributions to President Biden's “Investing in America” jobs strategy, featuring landmark laws like the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS & Science Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.Before his advisory role to Speaker Pelosi, Kenneth served as the Legislative Director and Assistant to Congressman Mike Doyle, focusing on sectors such as technology, healthcare, and consumer protection. Prior to working on the Hill, Kenneth was a Policy Analyst at Consumer Union and was a Truman Scholar from Butler University where he received a B.A., Communications and Political Science.Important Episode Link - Truth in the Machine -https://www.truthinthemachine.com/#KennethRussellDeGraff #CapitolHill #HouseSpeakerNancyPelosi #Congress #Legislation #Policies #Laws #Bipartisan #Moonshots #ClimateChange #InvestingInAmerica #InflationReductionAct #CHIPSAndScienceAct #InfrastructureInvestmentAndJobsAct #CongressmanMikeDoyle #ConsumerUnion #RecursiveSelfImprovement #ArtificialIntelligence #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Douglas G. Adler, MD, F.A.C.G., A.G.A.F., F.A.S.G.E. ( https://douglasgadler.com/ ) is Director of the Center for Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy, AdventHealth Porter in Denver, Colorado ( https://www.adventhealth.com/find-doctor/doctor/douglas-adler-md-1891748687 ). Dr. Adler is also the Editor-in-Chief of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy ( https://www.giejournal.org/ ). Prior to moving to Colorado, Dr. Adler was a tenured Professor of Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, UT. Dr. Adler was also the GI Fellowship Program Director at the University of Utah School of Medicine for seven years. Dr. Adler focuses his clinical, educational, and research efforts on the diagnosis and management of patients with gastrointestinal cancers and complex gastrointestinal disease, with an emphasis on therapeutic endoscopy. Dr. Adler is an internationally recognized expert on all facets of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), gastrointestinal stenting, Gastric Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (GPOEM), and other topics. He is the author of more than 600 scientific publications, articles, and book chapters and he has published 9 gastroenterology textbooks, including the first textbook on Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound. Dr. Adler has also published more than 70 articles on history, aviation, aerospace, and astronomy.Dr. Adler received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York, NY. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Dr. Adler completed both a general gastrointestinal fellowship and a therapeutic endoscopy/ERCP fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He then returned to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for a fellowship in endoscopic ultrasound.#DouglasAdler #TherapeuticEndoscopy #AdventHealthPorter #GastrointestinalEndoscopy #EndoscopicRetrogradeCholangiopancreatography #EndoscopicUltrasound #GastrointestinalStenting #GastricPeroralEndoscopicMyotomy #Transluminal #Lumen #Choledochoduodenostomy #MinimallyInvasive #GlucagonLikePeptide1Agonists #FecalMicrobiotaTransplantation #Colonoscopy #AdvancedPancreaticobiliaryEndoscopy #NeilArmstrong #BuzzAldrin #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Michael McCullar, PhD is Chief Executive Officer  of RegCell ( https://regcellbio.com/ ), a biotechnology company has developed a best-in-class proprietary platform that allows the generation of epigenetically reprogrammed antigen-specific regulatory T-cells (Tregs) that are stable in vivo and maintain a high degree of functionality (S/F-Epigen-Tregs) to restore immune tolerance and ultimately reverse autoimmune disorders as well as the limitations with transplantation.Dr. McCullar has a wealth of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, spanning more than two decades. Throughout his career, he has been involved in various aspects of drug development and played pivotal roles in the success of several pharmaceutical companies. Dr. McCullar formerly served as the CEO of OnQuality Pharmaceuticals, where he provided executive leadership to this targeted oncology supportive therapy company focused on developing pioneering medications tailored to address the intricacies of cancer treatment-related toxicities. Before that, he was Chief Operating Officer at Tolero Pharmaceuticals, where he had a prominent role in the company's acquisition by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and also served as the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Astex Pharmaceuticals, during it's acquisition by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. Dr. McCullar has held several high-level executive positions at SuperGen, showcasing his commitment and upward career path within the company. His journey at SuperGen culminated in the role of Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations, where his expertise paved the way for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Dacogen as a treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes, and the acquisition of Astex Therapeutics, which resulted in the formation of Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Dr. McCullar holds a Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of California, Riverside and an MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.#MichaelMcCullar #RegCell #RegulatoryTCells #Tregs #AutoimmuneDisorders #Transplantation #ShimonSakaguchi #ImmuneSystem #SelfAntigens #Tolerance #AntiInflammatoryCytokines #AntigenPresentingCells #Thymus #BoneMarrow #Anergy #AntigenSpecificTregs #AntigenTargeting #Homing #EpigeneticEditing #Reprogramming #AutologousManufacturing #Japan #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Brian A. Grierson, Ph.D. is a leading physicist and engineer in magnetic fusion energy and is currently Director of Fusion Energy Technologies at General Atomics ( https://www.ga.com/ ) in San Diego. In this role, he leads the technical vision, design strategy, and integration of plasma physics, engineering, diagnostics, and tritium fuel‐cycle technologies for fusion pilot‐plants aimed at moving fusion from experimental facilities toward viable commercial power ( https://www.ga.com/magnetic-fusion/ ).Dr. Grierson's career bridges academic research and applied development. He earned his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2004, majoring in Applied Mathematics, Engineering & Physics, with emphases in nuclear engineering and plasma physics. He then pursued graduate studies at Columbia University, where he obtained his M.S. (2005), M.Phil. (2008), and Ph.D. in Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics in 2009, defending a dissertation titled “Interchange Turbulence in a Dipole‐Confined Plasma.” After his Ph.D., Dr. Grierson joined the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory ( PPPL - https://www.pppl.gov/ ), working on experimental diagnostics and plasma behavior at the DIII‐D National Fusion Facility ( operated by GA - https://d3dfusion.org/ ) and other tokamak projects. Over several years Dr. Grierson held roles including Associate Research Physicist, Staff Physicist, and Research Physicist within PPPL's ITER & Tokamaks Department, and led groups focused on the plasma edge (“pedestal”), ion transport, and diagnostics development. In 2014, Dr. Grierson was awarded a U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Research Program grant to advance diagnostics of main‐ion behavior at the edge of fusion plasmas — work critical for understanding confinement, stability, and performance of devices like ITER and future tokamaks. In recognition of his research contributions, Dr. Grierson received the Kaul Foundation Prize for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research and Technology Development in 2017. In 2021, he joined General Atomics to direct the Fusion Pilot Plant Design Hub and served as Director of the Fusion Pilot Plant Design Hub for 4 years. Under his leadership, GA has put forth a concept for a compact advanced steady‐state tokamak Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) that draws on innovations in plasma physics, simulation tools like the proprietary FUSE (Fusion Synthesis Engine), modular breeding blanket design, materials engineering, control, diagnostics, and systems integration ( https://www.ga.com/magnetic-fusion/promise-of-fusion ). Dr. Grierson has also played a major role in partnerships such as GA's collaboration with Savannah River National Laboratory ( https://www.srnl.gov/ ) to address tritium fuel handling — a critical component of making fusion power practical. General Atomics (GA) is an American energy and defense corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, that specializes in research and technology development. This includes physics research in support of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion energy. The company also provides research and manufacturing services for remotely operated surveillance aircraft, including its MQ-1 Predator drones, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless, and laser technologies.#BrianGrierson #GeneralAtomics #FusionEnergy #Nuclear #ITER #Thermonuclear #Tokamak #ExperimentalPhysics #Energy #PlasmaPhysics #NuclearFusion #Tritium #Deuterium #CollisionlessTerrellaExperiment #InertialConfinementFusion #NationalIgnitionFacility #MagneticConfinementFusion #SustainedPlasmaBurns #FuelCycle #ElectricityGeneration #BurningPlasma #TritiumBreeding #BreedingBlankets #EdgePlasma #ProgressPotSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Aliza Apple, Ph.D. is a Vice President of Catalyze360 AI ( https://www.lilly.com/science/partners/catalyze-360 ) and Global Head of Lilly TuneLab ( https://tunelab.lilly.com/ ) at Eli Lilly where she leads the strategy, build and launch of Lilly's external-facing AI/ML efforts for drug discovery.Lilly Catalyze360 represents a comprehensive approach to enabling the early-stage biotech ecosystem, agnostic of the therapeutic area, designed to accelerate emerging and promising science, strategically removing barriers to support biotech innovation.In her previous role at Lilly, Dr. Apple served as the COO and head of Lilly Gateway Labs West Coast, where she supported the local biotech ecosystem through early engagement and providing tailored offerings to meet their needs. Prior to Lilly,  Dr. Apple served as a co-founder at Santa Ana Bio, a venture-backed precision biologics company focused on autoimmune disease, and as an advisor to the founders of Firefly Biologics. Prior to biotech, Dr. Apple was a partner in McKinsey & Co's life sciences practice. During her nine years at McKinsey in New York and San Francisco, she collaborated with leaders from over 20 biopharma companies to develop their corporate and portfolio strategies, evaluate business development opportunities and improve their organizational effectiveness. Dr. Apple completed her Ph.D. in bioengineering at UC Berkeley and UCSF, and holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Georgetown University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell Medical College supported by the NIH Kirschtein National Research Service Award.#AlizaApple #Catalyze360 #TuneLab #EliLilly #LillyGatewayLabs #DrugDiscoveryModels #SmallMolecules #AntibodyTherapeutics #InSilicoPropertyPredictions #AI #ML #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #LillyVentures #InnovationHubs #Preclinical #DiscoveryChemistry #StructuralBiology #Toxicology #Immunogenicity #DrugMetabolism #Pharmacokinetics #Pharmacodynamics #ClinicalOperations #SmallMoleculeDrugDevelopment #LargeMoleculeDiscoveryProcess #CorporateVentureCapital #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Leonard Petrucelli, PhD ( https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/petrucelli-leonard-ph-d/bio-00027816 ), is a leading translational neuroscientist and Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic — Jacksonville, where he leads the Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory ( https://www.mayo.edu/research/labs/neurodegenerative-diseases/overview ). Dr. Petrucelli's lab seeks to understand and prevent neuronal degeneration and death in diseases characterized by abnormal protein aggregation and defects in RNA metabolism. His team uses a combination of cell biology, induced pluripotent stem cell technology, transcriptomics and mouse modeling to gain insight into disease mechanisms. They then leverage their findings to develop new therapeutic strategies and clinical tools tailored for these complicated disorders. Their current work focuses on a range of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Dr. Petrucelli trained in molecular and cellular biochemistry (Ph.D., Loyola University & Stritch School of Medicine) after earning a B.S. in Biology from Barry University, and he joined Mayo Clinic as a research fellow before rising to professor and department chair. His group combines human neuropathology, cell and molecular biology, and animal models to connect disease-linked genes and protein misprocessing to neuronal dysfunction and degeneration. Scientifically, Dr. Petrucelli is best known for mechanistic work on aggregation-prone proteins and pathways that underlie neurodegeneration — including seminal contributions on TDP-43 biology, progranulin (GRN) dysfunction, and pathogenic mechanisms associated with C9orf72 repeat expansions — and for translating those findings toward biomarkers and therapeutic strategies. His lab's work appears in high-impact journals and has helped define key pathogenic cascades now pursued by academic and industry drug-development programs. Beyond his laboratory, Dr. Petrucelli serves in prominent advisory and leadership roles across the field: he is a voice on state and national Alzheimer's advisory efforts, has advised disease-focused nonprofits and consortia (including Target ALS and others), and participates on scientific advisory boards for translational ventures. He is also an R35 (Research Program Award) recipient and an investigator with an extensive record of NIH-supported projects investigating mechanisms and potential interventions for FTD/ALS and related dementias. #LeonardPetrucelli #Neuroscience #Neurodegenerative #MayoClinic #Proteinopathies #Tauopathies #AlzheimersDisease #ParkinsonsDisease #AmyotrophicLateralSclerosis #HuntingtonsDisease #PrionDiseases #CreutzfeldtJakobDisease #ProgressiveSupranuclearPalsy #CorticobasalDegeneration #FrontotemporalDementia #ChronicTraumaticEncephalopathy #RichardRainwater #BruceWillis #TauopathyChallenge #RainwaterFoundation #AgingMindFoundation #AlzheimersAssociation #CurePSP #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Robert Allen, PhD is Chief Scientific Officer of Invivyd ( https://www.invivyd.com/ ), a biopharmaceutical company devoted to delivering protection from serious viral infectious diseases, beginning with SARS-CoV-2, by deploying a proprietary integrated technology platform, to create best in class monoclonal antibodies.Dr. Allen brings over 30 years of experience across the infectious disease space, most recently as the Chief Scientific Officer of SmartPharm Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Sorrento Therapeutics. During that time, he led efforts to develop gene-encoded monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 that could be quickly adapted to respond to emerging variants of concern. He also served concurrently as Senior Vice President, Antiviral and Oncolytic Immunotherapy Development, at Sorrento Therapeutics. Prior to his time at SmartPharm Therapeutics, Dr. Allen held multiple senior scientific roles across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries including at Sorrento Therapeutics, SIGA Technologies, and the Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute. Dr. Allen holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Columbia University, an M.S. in Applied Biology from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in Biology from Rhodes College. He has published extensively in the field of virology and completed his postdoctoral training in virology at Washington University in St. Louis and Emory University.#RobertAllen #Invivyd #Biopharmaceuticals #InfectiousDiseases #SARSCoV2 #MonoclonalAntibodies #Immunocompromised #RareViralEpitopes #Pemivibart #PreExposureProphylaxis #Covid19 #EmergencyUseAuthorization #EUA #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Mark Lloyd Davies, Ph.D. is the Global Head for the Strategic Partnerships and Resource Group at Johnson & Johnson ( https://www.jnj.com/ ) where he leads a global team that forges novel strategic public-private partnerships to secure collaborations that accelerate groundbreaking R&D, advances strategies that widen access to care for patients and health systems worldwide, and ultimately unlocks possibilities that transform lives.Dr. Davies has built a distinguished career at the intersection of science, policy, and global health strategy.Before taking on his current global role, Dr. Davies held a number of senior leadership positions within Johnson & Johnson, where he was instrumental in shaping external engagement strategies and guiding policy development in areas ranging from pharmaceutical innovation to public health preparedness, leading strategic initiatives such as the Johnson & Johnson Lung Cancer Initiative.Dr. Davies was previously Chair of the Med Tech Europe Research & Innovation Committee, where he worked on the evolution of the EU funded Innovative Medicines Initiative, as well as at Sanofi, involved in various External Affairs initiatives.Dr. Davies holds a Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in Climate Change, Physical Geography and Geology, and a BSc, Biology and Geography, Earth Sciences, Climate Change, from the University of London, UK.#MarkLloydDavies #StrategicPartnershipsAndResourceGroup #JohnsonAndJohnson #PublicPrivatePartnerships #MedTechEurope #InnovativeMedicinesInitiative #InnovativeHealthInitiative #OperationWarpSpeed #LungCancerInitiative #GlobalNeurodegenerationProteomicsConsortium #Antarctica #ClimateChange #PhysicalGeography #Geology #CARBX #DrugsForNeglectedDiseasesInitiative #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us a textWade Demmer is Vice President of Research & Development at Medtronic where he is responsible for the development of new generations of pacemakers ( https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/l/patients/treatments-therapies/pacemakers.html ). With extensive expertise in medical technology and innovation, he leads the company's R&D efforts to develop cutting-edge healthcare solutions and is dedicated to advancing medical advancements that improve patient outcomes and transform healthcare delivery.Wade began his career at Intel, where he gained valuable experience in technology development and engineering. Building on his technical expertise, he transitioned into the medical device industry, bringing a strong innovation-driven mindset to healthcare solutions.Wade is best known for his pioneering work on pacemakers, where he contributed to the design and development of advanced cardiac pacing technologies. His innovative approaches have helped improve the reliability, longevity, and patient comfort of pacemaker devices, significantly impacting the field of cardiac care.Wade received his Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), with a focus on Computer Engineering, from Iowa State University, and his MBA from University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.#WadeDemmer #Medtronic #Pacemaker #MedicalDevice #Defibrillator #Bradycardia #CardiacResynchronization #RateAdaptivePacing #Micra #HeartRhythm #HeartFailure #Arrhythmias #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #Research #Podcast #PodcasterSupport the show

Send us a textProfessor Eyal Zimlichman, MD is an internal medicine physician, a health care executive and a researcher focused on assessing and improving health care quality and value, patient engagement and patient safety.Professor Zimlichman is currently Chief Transformation, Innovation and AI Officer at Sheba Medical Center ( https://www.shebaonline.org/ ), the largest hospital system in Israel and one that is routinely listed among the top 10 on Newsweek's list of best hospitals worldwide. Professor Zimlichman is also the Founder and Director of Sheba's ARC ( Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate - https://arcinnovation.org/ ) innovation program: an open global innovation ecosystem which aims to redesign healthcare through digital health solutions by 2030, focused on connecting entrepreneurs and clinicians, identifying needs, and advancing the development and deployment of new technologies from within hospital settings. Prior to these roles Professor Zimlichman has held the position of Lead Researcher at Partners Health Care Clinical Affairs Department in Boston where he was involved in the efforts to bring about a strategic care redesign initiative. Professor Zimlichman has served on several advisory committees commissioned by the Office of the National Coordinator for health information technology at the US Department of Health and Human Services and is chairing and sitting on several committees at the Israeli Health Ministry.  Professor Zimlichman is also founding member of the International Academy of Quality and Safety in Health Care ( https://isqua.org/networks/isqua-academy.html ).Professor Zimlichman is a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health Executive Health Care Management Master of Science program and earned his MD, specializing in internal medicine, at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel.#EyalZimlichman #InternalMedicine #HealthcareExecutive #ShebaMedicalCenter #Israel #OpenInnovation #DigitalHealth #MedicalQualityManagement #Telemedicine #DisruptiveInnovation #TelAviv #ShebaLongevityCenter #ArtificialIntelligence #VirtualReality #Telepsychiatry #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Brigitte Robertson, MD ( https://www.adial.com/team/brigette-roberston-md/ ) is Chief Medical Officer of Adial Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharma company focused on developing therapies for the treatment of addiction and related diseases, specifically Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). In the U.S. alone, an estimated 35 million people suffer from AUD, resulting in significant health, social and financial costs. Current treatment options present significant barriers to patient adoption including abstinence and side effects which can lead to social stigmatization.Dr. Robertson has nearly 20 years of academic, clinical, and pharmaceutical industry experience. She has managed global development portfolios across multiple CNS indications, mechanisms, and in biotech, small, and large pharma. Her experience spans all phases of development, from the bench to bedside, and she has actively engaged throughout her career in advancing biomarkers to improve translation and trial outcomes (leveraging precision approaches, omics, wearables and AI). She is a scientific advisor to biotech companies, has served on industry and academic consortia and authored numerous articles published in leading peer-reviewed journals.Dr. Robertson's industry career started at GlaxoSmithKline as a physician scientist in translational medicine for the Center for Excellence in Drug Discovery. She subsequently held senior roles in clinical development at Sepracor/Sunovion, Neurovance, Euthymics, and Shire/Takeda, where she served as VP and the Therapeutic Area Head of Neuroscience. In this last role, she led global clinical development and helped drive the disease area strategy for a large portfolio of early and late-stage assets in neurological, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders, resulting in successful approvals across several indications.Dr. Robertson then served as the Chief Medical Officer of Yumanity Therapeutics, and led development of novel small molecule treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. She comes to Adial from Delix Therapeutics, where she most recently served as CMO, setting the strategy and leading clinical development for their portfolio of psychedelic-related analogs targeting the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, and psychiatric illness including Depression, Anxiety/PTSD, and Substance use.Dr. Robertson completed residency training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, followed by a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry and a second post-doctoral research fellowship, sponsored by the NIH in neuroimaging and psychopharmacology at the University of California in San Diego (UCSD). In addition, she has held faculty positions at CCP Children's hospital in San Diego, USCD, and Duke University.#BrigitteRobertson #AdialPharmaceuticals #Addiction #AlcoholUseDisorder #Ondansetron #DrugRepurposing #5HT3Receptor #SingleNucleotidePolymorphisms  #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #Research #Podcast #PodcasterSupport the show

Send us a textBilu Huang ( https://biluhuang.com/ ) is a visionary scientist dedicated to finding solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity. His interdisciplinary work spans multiple fields, including biological aging, dinosaur extinction theories, geoengineering for carbon removal, and controlled nuclear fusion technology.Born in Sanming City, Fujian Province, Huang is an independent researcher whose knowledge is entirely self-taught. Driven by curiosity and a relentless pursuit of scientific exploration, he has achieved numerous research results through his dedication and passion for science.As a talented theoretical gerontologist,  he proposed the Telomere DNA and ribosomal DNA co-regulation model for cell senescence (TRCS) and he is now using this latest theory to develop biotechnology to rejuvenate cells which will be used to completely cure various age-related degenerative diseases and greatly extend human life at Fuzhuang Therapeutics ( https://lab.fuzhuangtx.com/en/ ).#Aging #Longevity #BiluHuang #FuzhuangTherapeutics #TelomereDNAAndRibosomalDNACoRegulationModelForCell #Senescence #TRCS #DinosaurExtinctionResearch #CarbonRemovalTechnology #ControlledNuclearFusion #TelomereDNA #RibosomalDNA #CellularAging #GeneticProgram #Telomere #P53#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Karen Knudsen, MBA, PhD, is the Chief Executive Officer of The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy ( PICI - https://www.parkerici.org/ ), a 501c3 nonprofit organization driving the next generation of cancer treatment by accelerating the development of breakthrough immune therapies to turn all cancers into curable diseases.Dr. Knudsen most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and ACS Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), where she led both organizations through a period of transformative growth, significantly expanding research investments, advocacy reach, and direct patient support initiatives. Under her leadership, ACS evolved into a unified, high-performing enterprise, increasing revenue by more than 30 percent and broadening its impact to serve over 55 million lives annually. Moreover, Dr. Knudsen developed and scaled innovative programs that included joint ventures and an impact innovation arm to accelerate progress against cancer.Prior to ACS, Dr. Knudsen served as Executive Vice President of Oncology Services at Jefferson Health and Enterprise Director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, growing a multi-state oncology network and spearheading advancements in translational cancer research that increased early access to the most advanced cancer care. A globally recognized expert in prostate cancer, Dr. Knudsen has authored over 200 scientific publications and generated practice-changing discoveries. Dr. Knudsen held leadership roles with organizations including the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors, the Association of American Cancer Institutes, and the American Association for Cancer Research. She currently serves on the boards of Exai Bio, Paradigm Health, and Research!America, and advises multiple biotech ventures including ArteraAI and Transcarent.Dr. Knudsen holds numerous awards for her scientific and healthcare accomplishments, and this year will be honored with the Allen Lichter Visionary Leader Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), recognizing her lifetime achievement of outstanding contributions to the field of oncology.Dr. Knudsen holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from Temple University's Fox School of Business. She has been recognized as one of Forbes' “50 Over 50: Women of Impact”, a CNBC Changemaker, and is a CEO Council Member for both the Wall Street Journal and CNBC.#Oncology #Immunooncology #Cancer #KarenKnudsen #ParkerInstituteForCancerImmunotherapy #AmericanCancerSociety #JeffersonHealth #UniversityOfCalifornia #LudwigInstituteForCancerResearch #UniversityOfCincinnati #ProstateCancer #CART #CellTherapy #CheckpointInhibitors #TumorAntigenDiscovery #TumorMicroenvironment #OncolyticViruses #Pluvicto #Philadelphia #CarlJune #JamesAllison #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textAyah Hamdan is the Head of Health, at Plug and Play Tech Center ( https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/ ), where she spearheads strategies that bring together startups, corporations, and investors to solve some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare. Plug and Play Tech Center is one of the world's largest innovation platforms and startup accelerators, headquartered in Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, California), with innovation hubs across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and are best known for their model bringing together Startup Accelerator Programs, Corporate Innovation Partnerships and Venture Capital Investments under one roof.Ayah's role is pivotal in accelerating the development and scaling of health technologies with real-world impact. Before stepping into this leadership position, Ayah founded Fatima Connect, a digital health venture focused on serving refugee populations—a project that has been recognized in prestigious publications like the Harvard Medical Review. Ayah also has deep experience in research and public health, including roles in epidemiology, clinical studies, and community health initiatives. Ayah holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley.#AyahHamdan #PlugAndPlayTechCenter #StartupAccelerator #CorporateInnovation #VentureCapitalInvestments #DigitalHealth #BigDataAnalytics #Diagnostics #HospitalWorkflow #MedicationAdherence #Sensors #Wearables #Telemedicine #AI #VR #AR #ArtificialIntelligence #Longevity #HealthyAging #ChronicDiseaseManagement #RegenerativeCare #Prevention #SaeedAmidi #PejmanNozad #PeterThiel #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show