Podcasts about ut southwestern medical center

Dr. Shaalan Beg and Dr. Kristen Ciombor discuss practice-changing studies in GI cancers and other novel treatment approaches that were presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting. Transcript Dr. Shaalan Beg: Hello, I'm Dr. Shaalan Beg, welcoming you to the ASCO Daily News Podcast. I'm a medical oncologist and an adjunct associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. There were some remarkable advances in gastrointestinal cancers that were presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, and I'm delighted to be joined by Dr. Kristen Ciombor to discuss some exciting GI data. Dr. Ciombor is the Ingram Associate Professor of Cancer Research and a co-leader of Translational Research and the Interventional Oncology Research Program at the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. Our full disclosures are available in the transcript of this episode. Dr. Ciombor, it's great to have you on the podcast today. Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Thanks, Dr Beg. It's great to be here. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Alright, let's kick it off. Big year for GI cancers. We'll start off with LBA1. This was the ATOMIC study sponsored by NCI and the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) and the Alliance group. This is a randomized study of standard chemotherapy alone or combined with atezolizumab as adjuvant therapy for stage III mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer. Dr. Kristen Ciombor: I think this study was really definitely practice-changing, as you can tell because it was a Plenary. But I do have some concerns in terms of how we're actually going to implement this and whether this is the final answer in this disease subtype. So, as you said, the patients were enrolled with stage III resected mismatch repair deficient colon cancer, and then they were randomized to either modified FOLFOX6 with or without atezolizumab. And that's where it starts to become interesting because not many of us give FOLFOX for 6 months like was done in this study. Obviously, the study was done over many years, so that was part of that answer, but also the patients received atezolizumab for a total of 12 months. So the question, I think, that comes from this abstract is, is this practical and is this the final answer? I do think that this is practice-changing, and I will be talking to my patients with resected mismatch repair deficient colon cancer about FOLFOX plus atezolizumab. I think the big question is, do these patients need chemotherapy? And can we do a neoadjuvant approach instead? And that's where we don't have all the answers yet. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Yeah, but it has been great to see immunotherapy make its way into the adjuvant space after having made such a big impact in the metastatic space, but still some unanswered questions in terms of the need for chemotherapy and then the duration of therapy, which I guess we'll have to stay tuned in for the next couple of years to to get a lot of those questions answered. Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Yeah, but a big congratulations to the study team, to the NCTN, the NCI. I mean, this is really a great example of federally funded research that needs to continue. So, great job by the study team. The DFS 10% difference is really very large and certainly a practice-changing study. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Yeah, and and sticking with colon cancer, and and this another federally funded study, but this time funded by a Canadian cancer clinical trials group was LBA3510. This is the CHALLENGE study. It's a randomized phase 3 trial of the impact of a structured exercise program on disease-free survival for stage III or high-risk stage II colon cancer. This study got a lot of buzz, a lot of mainstream press coverage, and a lot of discussions on what that means for us for the patients who we're going to be seeing next week in our clinic. What was your takeaway? Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Yeah, this is a really interesting study, and I was so glad to see it presented because this partially answers one of the questions that patients always have for us in clinic, right? You know, once they've completed their standard chemotherapy and surgery, what else can they do to help prevent recurrence? And so we've always known and sort of extrapolated that healthy lifestyle habits are good, but now we have data, particularly in these patients. Most of them were stage III colon cancer patients, those had high-risk stage II cancer. And basically, the goal was to increase their physical activity by at least 10 MET hours per week. So, my big question, of course, as I came into this presentation was, “Okay, what does that mean exactly? How does that translate to real life?” And really what the author presented and explained was that basically most patients could hit their target by adding a 45- to 60-minute brisk walk 3 to 4 times a week. So I think this is very approachable.  Now, in the confines of the study, this was a structured exercise program, so it wasn't just patients doing this on their own. But I do think kind of extrapolating from that, that this is very achievable for most patients. And not only did this prevent recurrence of their prior cancer, but actually the rate of new primary cancer diagnoses, was less, which is really interesting, especially in the breast and prostate cancer. So this was a really interesting, and I think practice-changing study as well, especially given that this is something that most patients can do. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Yeah, and there was a lot of discussion in the hallways after the presentation in terms of how this really changes our existing practice because most folks already recommend exercise as a way for improving outcomes in cancer patients. So we've already been doing that. Now we have some data on how much it can impact the benefit. But there was some discussion about what the actual degree of impact was. There was a drop-off rate in terms of how long folks were able to stick with this exercise regimen. But you've seen this in clinic when someone have their surgery, they have their chemotherapy, they've been so intimately involved with the oncology world, with the oncology practice, and they somehow feel that they're being let loose into this mean, angry world without any guidance and they're looking for something to do. “What more can I do in terms of my lifestyle?” And then here we have very solid data, as solid as can be for an intervention like exercise, showing that there is an impact and you can give a prescription for exercise when someone wraps up their chemotherapy for colon cancer, thanks to the study. Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Yeah. It was a great study. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Moving to gastroesophageal cancer, another late-breaking abstract. This is LBA5. The MATTERHORN trial was a phase 3 trial of durvalumab plus FLOT for resectable GE junction and gastric cancer. And again, another area where immunotherapy has made an impact, and here we're seeing it move closer for earlier-stage disease. What was your take-home for the MATTERHORN trial? Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Yeah, so this study looked at neoadjuvant perioperative durvalumab plus our current standard chemotherapy of FLOT versus placebo plus FLOT. And this was a large study, almost 1,000 patients were randomized. And the primary endpoint was event-free survival, and it was definitely met in favor of the D + FLOT arm, as Dr. Klempner discussed after Dr Janjigian's presentation. I do think there are still some unanswered questions here. Overall survival is not yet mature, so we do have to wait and see how that shakes out. But it's very interesting and kind of is reflective of what, as you said, we're looking at earlier and earlier lines of therapy, particularly with immunotherapy, in these GI cancer spaces. So it makes a lot of sense to test this and and to look at this. So the toxicity was pretty similar to what we would expect. Primary endpoint was met, but again, we'll have to wait and see what the survival data looks like. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Yeah, and in oncology, we know, especially for treatment that does add additional cost, it does add additional potential toxicity that we want to see that overall survival nudged. I did see some polls on social media asking folks whether their practices changed from this, and I think the results were favoring adding durvalumab for this group of patients but understanding that there are caveats to the addition of treatments and the eventual FDA approval in that indication as well. Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Exactly. I completely agree with that. Dr. Shaalan Beg: All right. How about we stick with gastroesophageal cancer? LBA4002 was trastuzumab deruxtecan versus ramucirumab plus paclitaxel for second-line treatment in HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic gastric cancer or GE junction cancer. This was the DESTINY-Gastric04 study. And again, antibody-drug conjugates making a big impact across different diseases. And here we have more data in the HER2-positive gastric cancer space. Your thoughts on this study? Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Yeah, so this is a really important space in gastroesophageal cancer because the HER2 positivity rate is fairly high as compared to some of our other tumor types. So, I do think one of the important things was that patients did have biopsy confirmation of HER2 status, which was very important, and then they were randomized to either T-DXd versus the kind of second-line standard of ramucirumab-paclitaxel. So this was a great practical study and really answers a question that we had for a while in terms of does anti-HER2 therapy in the second-line really impact and improve survival. So we did see a statistically significant improvement favoring T-DXd. I do think it's always important to look at toxicity, though, too. And there was about almost 14% rate of interstitial lung disease, which of course is the most feared toxicity from some of these antibody-drug conjugates, especially T-DXd. So I do think it's important to keep that in mind, but this is definitely a great addition to the armamentarium for these HER2-positive patients. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And pancreas cancer was on the stage after a very long time with a positive clinical trial. This is Abstract 4006. These were preliminary results from a phase 2 study of elraglusib in combination with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel alone for previously untreated metastatic pancreas cancer. This is a frontline clinical trial of gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel plus/minus the study drug. There were other cohorts in this study as well, but they reported the results of their part 3B arm. And great to see some activity in the pancreas space. And your thoughts? Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Yeah, we definitely need better treatments in pancreas cancer. This was a very welcome presentation to see. The elraglusib is an inhibitor of GSK-3beta, and it's thought that that mediates drug resistance and EMT. And so this is, I think, a perfect setting to test this drug. So patients basically were randomized. Patients with metastatic pancreas cancer were randomized 2: 1 to gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel plus or minus this elraglusib. So, what we saw was that overall survival was better with the addition of this new drug. And overall, not only the 1-year overall survival, but also median overall survival.  The thing that was interesting, though, was that we saw that the overall survival rates were 9.3 months with the combination versus 7.2 months with just gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. And that's a little bit lower than we've seen in other studies. So, not sure what was going on there. Was it the patients that were a bit sicker? Was it a patient selection, you know, thing? I'm not really sure how to explain that so much. Also, the toxicity profile was much higher in terms of visual impairment, with over 60% of patients being treated with the combination versus 9% with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. So these were mild, grade 1 and 2, but still something to be cautious about. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And especially with this being a phase 2 trial, making sure that in a larger study we're able to better evaluate the toxicity and see if the control arm in the larger confirmatory study performs differently will be really important before this compound makes it to the clinic in our space. But very exciting to see these kinds of results for pancreas adenocarcinoma. Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Yeah. Dr. Shaalan Beg: We've talked, it seems, a couple of times on this podcast about the BREAKWATER clinical trial. We did hear PFS and updated OS data, updated overall survival data on first-line encorafenib plus cetuximab plus modified FOLFOX6 for BRAF-mutated colorectal cancer. This was LBA3500. And eagerly anticipated results – we have all previously heard the progression-free survival results – but here we heard updated overall survival results, and very well-received study it seemed from the audience that time. So what are your takeaways on the updated results for BREAKWATER? Dr. Kristen Ciombor: In my opinion, this was one of the most practice-confirming studies. As you mentioned, we've already seen some of the preliminary data of BREAKWATER at prior meetings. But really what was particularly impactful for me was the median overall survival with the BREAKWATER regimen. So, again, patients received FOLFOX, encorafenib cetuximab in the first line if they had BRAF-mutated V600E-mutated colorectal cancer. And the median PFS was 12.8 months, which was actually really remarkable in this traditionally very aggressive, poor prognosis subtype of tumors. So, by seeing a median overall survival of 30.3 months was just incredible, in my opinion. Just a few years ago, that was considered the median overall survival for all comers for metastatic colorectal cancer. And we know the median overall survival was more in the less than 12 months range for BRAF. So this was incredibly impactful, and I think should be absolutely practice-changing for anyone who is eligible for this regimen.  I think again, where the practice meets the study is what's kind of important to think about too, how long did patients get FOLFOX, and certainly it adds toxicity to add a BRAF-targeted regimen on top of FOLFOX already. So, one of the other interesting things about the study, though, was that even though it didn't complete treatment, they actually did look at encorafenib/cetuximab alone and in the first line without chemotherapy. And those preliminary results actually looked okay, especially for patients who might not be able to tolerate chemotherapy, which we certainly see in practice. So, overall, definitely more data. And I agree that it's certainly practice-changing. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And it completely, as you mentioned, changes the outlook for a person who's diagnosed with BRAF-mutated metastatic colon cancer today versus even 7 or 8 years ago. Dr. Kristen Ciombor: And we're seeing this over and over in other subtypes too, but how you choose to treat the patient up front really matters. So really giving the right regimen up front is the key here. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And along the same lines, Abstract 3501 wanted to answer the question on whether people with MSI-high metastatic colorectal cancer need double checkpoint inhibitor therapy or is single therapy enough. So this [CheckMate-8HW] study compared nivo plus ipi with nivo alone, nivo monotherapy for MSI-high metastatic colorectal cancer. And we've known that both of these are fairly active regimens, but we also know the chance of immune-related adverse events is significantly higher with combination therapy. So this was a much-needed study for this group of patients. And what were your takeaways here? Dr. Kristen Ciombor: This, of course, has been really nivo-ipi in the first-line MSI-high metastatic colorectal cancer is now a standard of care. And not everybody is eligible for it, and there could be reasons, toxicity reasons, and other things too. But as we've been seeing for the last couple of years, immunotherapy clearly beats chemo in this space. And now looking at doublet versus single immunotherapy treatment in the first line, I think really nivo-ipi does beat out monotherapy. I will say, however, there is a caveat in that we still haven't seen the nivo-ipi versus nivo in the first line. So what has been presented thus far has been across all lines of therapy, and that does muddy the waters a little bit. So definitely looking forward and and we've asked this many times and based on the statistical plan and and what not, you know, we just haven't seen that data yet. But I do think it's becoming increasingly important to consider doublet immunotherapy for these patients as long as there are no contraindications. With the again, with the caveat that we have to have these toxicity discussions in the clinic with patients because many patients can tolerate it, you know, this regimen fairly well, but there can be very severe toxicities. So, I think an informed discussion should really be had with each patient before moving forward. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Yeah, informed decision, making them aware of the potential of real significant toxicities, immune-related toxicities with double therapy. But I am curious in your practice, how often do you see people choosing doublet therapy as frontline? Dr. Kristen Ciombor: So patients are really savvy, and a lot of times they've heard this data before or have come across it in patient advocacy groups and other things, and it's really nice to be able to have that conversation of the risk versus benefit. So I will say not all of my patients choose doublet, and many of them are still cured with immunotherapy monotherapy. So the big question there is, will we ever understand who actually needs the doublet versus who can still be cured or have very good long-term outcomes with just the single agent? And that has not been answered yet. Dr. Shaalan Beg: What a great point. So the last abstract I was hoping we could talk about is POD1UM-303 or the INTERAACT2 subgroup analysis and impact of delayed retifanlimab treatment for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal. What were your thoughts here? Dr. Kristen Ciombor: This was a study, actually we saw at ESMO, we saw the primary data at ESMO last year, and this was an update with some exploratory analyses. But this was really an important study because once again, we're looking at immunotherapy in later lines of therapy. That's how we started looking at and investigating immunotherapy, and now we're moving it up and up in the treatment course. So this was a study of carboplatin/paclitaxel plus or minus retifanlimab. Actually it was retifanlimab versus placebo. And it was a positive study, as we heard last year. This actually led to FDA approval of this regimen last month, just before ASCO, and it has now been incorporated in the NCCN guidelines as the preferred first-line option.  So what I thought was important from the additional data presented at ASCO was looking at the different subgroups, it did not appear that patients with liver mets or not had different outcomes. So that was really good to see because sometimes in colon cancer we see that immunotherapy doesn't work as well when patients have liver mets. And interestingly, because we use immunotherapy in anal cancer without any biomarkers, unlike with colon cancer or some of the other tumor types, also the authors looked at PD-L1 status, and it did look like maybe patients did a little bit better if they had higher PD-L1 expression, but patients still could benefit even if they were PD-L1 negative. So that was important, I think, and we will continue to see further data come out from this study. I want to mention also that EA2176 just completed accrual, so that was carbo-taxol plus or minus nivolumab. And so we should be seeing that data sometime soon, which will hopefully also confirm the ongoing role for immunotherapy in the first-line setting for anal cancer. Dr. Shaalan Beg: That was a fantastic review. Thank you, Dr Ciombor. Thanks for sharing your valuable insights with us today on the ASCO Daily News Podcast. Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Thanks for having me here. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And thank you to our listeners for your time today. You will find links to the abstracts discussed today in the transcript of this episode. And if you value the insights that you hear on the podcast, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts. Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. More on today's speakers:   Dr. Shaalan Beg  @ShaalanBeg  Dr. Kristen Ciombor @KristenCiombor Follow ASCO on social media:    @ASCO on Twitter   @ASCO on BlueSky  ASCO on Facebook    ASCO on LinkedIn    Disclosures:   Dr. Shaalan Beg:   Consulting or Advisory Role: Ipsen, Cancer Commons, Foundation Medicine, Science37, Nant Health, Lindus Health Speakers' Bureau: Sirtex Research Funding (Inst.): Delfi Diagnostics, Universal Diagnostics, Freenome Dr. Kristen Ciombor: Consulting or Advisory Role: Pfizer, Incyte, Exelixis, Bayer, ALX Oncology, Tempus, Agenus, Taiho Oncology, Merck, BeiGene Research Funding (Inst.): Pfizer, Boston Biomedical, MedImmune, Onyx, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Novartis, Incyte, Amgen, Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Array BioPharma, Incyte, Daiichi Sankyo, Nucana, Abbvie, Merck, Pfizer/Calthera, Genentech, Seagen, Syndax Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Incyte, Tempus

Managing pain in pediatric patients is a critical aspect of prehospital care. Yet, this remains a challenging area for many EMS providers.   A new study out called “Barriers and Enablers in Prehospital Pediatric Analgesia” sheds light on the complexities of assessing and treating pain in children during ambulance rides. Led by Dr. Hoi See Tsao, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, the research identifies key hurdles EMS workers face and suggests actionable solutions to improve care.   Dr. Tsao, a specialist in pediatric emergency medicine with a passion for prehospital care, shared her insights and findings during a recent interview. “When pain in kids is not treated, it can lead to adverse effects such as increased anxiety, decreased pain tolerance, and fear of future healthcare encounters,” she pointed out. The stakes are high, and the study highlights both challenges and opportunities for EMS professionals.

In this specialty podcast, Dr. Alissar El Chediak is joined by Dr. Jon Odorico and Dr. Ron Parsons to discuss the current state of pancreas transplantation, identify barriers and strategies for referral and candidate selection, and discuss solutions to address the decline in procedures. Alissar El Chediak, MD is a transplant nephrologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Jon Odorico, MD is a transplant surgeon at the University of Wisconsin. Ron Parsons, MD is a transplant surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania.   References: Generating strategies for a national comeback in pancreas transplantation: A Delphi survey and US conference report

Research from Professor Mamta Jain at UT Southwestern Medical Center and her colleagues reveals how electronic alerts, patient navigation, and mailed outreach can significantly increase hepatitis C screening and treatment in traditionally difficult-to-reach populations. Their work demonstrates that while electronic reminders are effective, combining multiple approaches with adequate clinical staffing and resources leads to the greatest improvements in patient care across all stages of the hepatitis C care continuum.

On Tuesday, Abundance Energy, sonnen and Energywell announced a collaboration meant to bring the behind-the-meter, battery-enabled technology to the Lone Star State. A virtual power plant is a network of decentralized energy sources working together to generate, store and manage electricity. In other news, a political action committee accused of breaking election laws raised six figures for a Prosper Independent School District trustee election — but its secretive spending failed to unseat the two incumbents it aimed to replace; Children's Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center announced on Tuesday that they have secured a nine-figure financial donation as they work toward constructing a $5 billion pediatric campus in Dallas that will span nearly 5 million square feet; and Micah Parsons wants a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys. A first-round draft pick in 2021, the premier edge rusher has become a household name as one of the most feared defenders in the NFL. Parsons, a four-time Pro Bowler who has twice been named to the All-Pro team, has 52.5 sacks in four seasons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey y'all, this week, I'm so excited to introduce you to someone who's doing truly innovative work at the intersection of clinical care and coaching.Laura Kirk is the Assistant Director of Advanced Practice Providers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and she also serves as Vice President of External Education for the Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH). She's a Physician Assistant, a certified life coach, a leader, and a total force for humanistic change in the healthcare space.In this episode, Laura shares her personal evolution—from practicing PA to coaching advocate to system-level change agent. At UT Southwestern, she's part of a clinician coaching program designed to support well-being, enhance communication, and ultimately improve patient care.Laura talks about what it's like to see coaching integrated into the heart of a massive academic health system, and why it's worth investing in these skills—not just for personal growth, but for culture change in medicine.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Jason Ackrivo, MD, MSCE Guest: Bethany Lussier, MD Respiratory decline in patients with neuromuscular diseases and mitochondrial myopathies can be challenging to identify, especially because its early signs may be subtle and vary from person to person. However, knowing how to evaluate a patient's respiratory function is key to improving outcomes and quality of life. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to discuss this importance and provide recommendations for optimizing respiratory care are Drs. Jason Ackrivo and Bethany Lussier. Dr. Ackrivo is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Lussier is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of its Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

Josh Blackwell, PharmD, MS, BCSCP, is the Co-Founder of Pharmacy Initiative Leaders (PILs) and is a Clinical Pharmacy Manager at UT Southwestern Medical Center. We talk through the power of mentorship and how PILs was designed to fill a gap in mentorship for pharmacy professionals. PILs has helped pharmacy leaders to be at their best for every stage of their career. He has great advice for new and seasoned practitioners on being both a mentee and a mentor! 

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Kaitlin Batley, MD Guest: Esra Caylan, MD Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2d) presents with a variability of symptoms, including respiratory, neurological, and ocular ones, making it difficult to diagnose. Because of this, a multidisciplinary care team that's tailored to each patient's needs is key to effectively identifying and treating this disease. Hear about the role of a multidisciplinary team and strategies for personalizing treatment with Drs. Kaitlin Batley and Esra Caylan. Dr. Batley is the Director of Pediatric Neuromuscular Medicine at Children's Health and an Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Caylan is a pediatric pulmonologist at Children's Health and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Mark Meyer (Chief Financial Officer Health System at UT Southwestern Medical Center) and Kelly Kloeckler (Associate Vice President Revenue Cycle Operations, UT Southwestern) Discuss the methods and tactics their team has found succes in at UT. This episode is brought to you by our good friends at Switch RCM. Please reach out to Nate and the team: Nate@switchrcm.com You will not regret it. Those cats are doing some very interesting things. Don't forget to like and subscribe!

Dr Thomas Hutson from UMC Cancer Center in Lubbock, Texas, Dr Rana McKay from UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center in California, Dr Tian Zhang from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and moderator Dr Sumanta Kumar Pal from City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California, discuss published data and updates from the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium meeting on management strategies for clear cell and non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma. CME information and select publications here.

Dr Thomas Hutson from UMC Cancer Center in Lubbock, Texas, Dr Rana McKay from UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center in California, Dr Tian Zhang from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and moderator Dr Sumanta Kumar Pal from City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California, discuss published data and updates from the 2025 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium meeting on management strategies for clear cell and non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma. CME information and select publications here.

“I think everyone should have Lp(a) measured.”  Dr. Ann Marie Navar    Key Resources to Go Deeper:  - Dr. Ann Marie Navar  - Lp(a)  - Get a Free Test to Check Your Lp(a) Level   - Previous episode with Dr. Navar about ApoB  About This Episode:  Join us for an enlightening discussion about Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), a critical but often overlooked marker for cardiovascular health. In this episode, host Barbara Hannah Grufferman takes a deep dive with medical expert Dr. Ann Marie Navar from UT Southwestern Medical Center about why this single test could be vital for understanding your heart disease risk, especially if you have a family history of early cardiovascular disease.  Key Topics Covered:  - What Lipoprotein(a) is and how it differs from standard cholesterol measurements  - Why Lp(a) testing is particularly important for certain individuals  - The genetic nature of Lp(a) and its implications for family health  - Current treatment options and promising new therapies on the horizon  - Practical steps for discussing Lp(a) testing with your healthcare provider  Key Takeaways:  - Lp(a) is a distinct type of cholesterol particle not captured in routine lipid panels  - High Lp(a) levels significantly increase risk of heart disease and stroke  - Lp(a) levels are primarily determined by genetics and remain stable throughout life  - Current guidelines recommend universal Lp(a) testing for adults  - New treatments specifically targeting high Lp(a) levels are expected by 2026  - Managing other risk factors can help offset the risk of elevated Lp(a)  - Coronary artery calcium scoring can provide additional risk assessment  Learn More About Dr. Ann Marie Navar  Dr. Navar is a preventive cardiologist and epidemiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center whose research focuses on cardiovascular disease prevention, risk prediction, and clinical decision-making. She is a leading expert in advanced lipid testing and cardiovascular risk assessment. This is Dr. Navar's second appearance on AGE BETTER, following her previous discussion about the ApoB test, which was one of the most down-loaded episodes in 2024.   Connect With Barbara:  Have ideas for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you!  - Email: agebetterpodcast@gmail.com  - Connect on Instagram HERE  Note: This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider about your specific situation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Brain & Life Podcast, co-host Dr. Katy Peters is joined by Shea Hammond, athlete and founder of CP Soccer. Shea shares about his personal experience growing up with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and how staying active and working with a physical therapist has helped him continue to reach his goals. He also discusses CP Soccer's mission, to build a nationwide soccer league for kids who are affected by cerebral palsy, stroke or traumatic brain injury, and what's next for the organization. Dr. Peters is then joined by Dr. Mauricio Delgado, professor of neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, former president of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and co-founder member of the Mexican Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Dr. Delgado explains how CP is diagnosed and treated, and what the future for those affected and their caregivers looks like.   Additional Resources CP Soccer Biking Gives Freedom to a Teen with Cerebral Palsy How Parents Advocate for Their Children with Rare Diseases   Other Brain & Life Podcast Episodes RJ Mitte on Living Confidently with Cerebral Palsy Gavin McHugh is Building an Acting Career and a Community with Cerebral Palsy Josh Blue Uses Humor to Ease the Stigma Around Cerebral Palsy We want to hear from you! Have a question or want to hear a topic featured on the Brain & Life Podcast? ·       Record a voicemail at 612-928-6206 ·       Email us at BLpodcast@brainandlife.org   Social Media: Shea Hammond @shea_hammond; Dr. Mauricio Delgado @utswmedcenter Hosts: Dr. Daniel Correa @neurodrcorrea; Dr. Katy Peters @KatyPetersMDPhD

In this episode of the Onc Now Podcast, host Jonathan Sackier is joined by Heather McArthur, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at University of Texas, UT Southwestern Medical Center, USA. They discuss recent advancements in breast cancer immunotherapy and the future of personalised care.  Timestamps:    00:00 - Introduction  01:20 - Transformative breakthroughs in immunotherapy  03:51 - Communicating new research to the public  05:48 - Racial disparities in cancer screenings  07:22 - Unmet needs in treating triple-negative breast cancer  11:48 - Genomic profiling and molecular pathways   13:30 - Barriers to personalised treatment plans  15:09 - Designing and conducting large-scale, international trials  19:16 - Optoacoustic imaging in cancer  22:52 - The ‘first' cell and the heterogeneity of breast tumours  25:21 – Heather's three wishes for healthcare 

Guest: Amber Salter, PhD A recent study examined the association between comorbidities, adverse events, and early trial discontinuation in phase III clinical trials for disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis. Join Dr. Amber Salter as she explains her findings and implications for clinical practice, including personalized treatment approaches. Dr. Salter is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and she presented on this research at the ACTRIMS Forum 2025.

Richard Winters, M.D. is an emergency physician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is the director of leadership development for the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a member network of over 47 national and international healthcare systems. Dr. Winters develops and delivers leadership programs and provides executive coaching for leaders around the world. Dr. Winters authored the Wall Street Journal bestselling book You're the Leader. Now What?: Leadership Lessons from Mayo Clinic, which was published by Mayo Clinic Press on September 6, 2022. And he serves as core faculty for the Accelerate Leadership Program at Mayo Clinic.Dr. Winters is a consultant in Emergency Medicine and finance chair for the Midwest Department of Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He serves on the Rochester Emergency Department Executive Committee and the Specialty Council for Emergency Medicine.Prior to returning to Mayo Clinic in March of 2015, Richard served as the President of an 800-physician medical staff, President/CEO of an Independent Practice Association in the Central Valley of California with 450-physician members, as CEO of a Physician Hospital Organization, and as Managing Partner of a democratic emergency medicine partnership.He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas Executive and Professional Coaching Program and is an International Coaching Federation professional certified coach. Richard completed a Healthcare Management Executive MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Winters attended Mayo Medical School from 1990-1994. He is board certified and residency trained in Emergency Medicine from the University of California, San Francisco at Fresno.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

Dr. Shaalan Beg and Dr. David Wang discuss key abstracts in GI cancers from the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, including major advances in CRC, neoadjuvant approaches in esophageal cancer, and innovative studies on ctDNA. TRANSCRIPT Dr. Shaalan Beg: Hello and welcome to the ASCO Daily News Podcast. I'm Dr. Shaalan Beg. I'm a medical oncologist and an adjunct associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Today, we're bringing you some key highlights from the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, and I'm delighted to be joined by the chair of GI25, Dr. David Wang. Dr. Wang is a GI medical oncologist at the University of Michigan. Our full disclosures are available in the transcript of this episode.  Dr. Wang, thanks for coming on the podcast today. Dr. David Wang: Well, thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. Dr. Shaalan Beg: GI25 featured major therapeutic advances across the spectrum of GI malignancies, and it was exciting to hear about innovations and novel approaches that are shaping the future of our field. Before we start talking about specific abstracts, could you share some of your key highlights from the meeting? Dr. David Wang: Sure. Our theme this year was “Breaking Boundaries to Enhance Patient Centered Care.” Past years' themes have focused more on precision oncology, but we wanted to broaden our focus on patients and to be more holistic, which kind of led us into some of the Intersection [sessions] that we had. Each day started with a different Intersection. The first one was “Emerging Therapies in GI Cancers”, where invited speakers talked about bispecific antibody drug conjugates, theranostics, CAR T and other cell-based therapies. The second day was on “Personalized Risk Assessment for GI Cancers,” and this included looking at polygenic risk scores for colorectal cancer, microRNAs and liquid biopsies such as exosomes and pancreatic cancer and non-endoscopic screening modalities in esophageal cancer. And on our final day, we wanted to talk about “Integrative Oncology and Integrative Medicine,” looking at evidence-based uses of acupuncture and supplements in patients who are receiving treatment for cancer, mindfulness-based practices and exercise. And of course, we had a fantastic keynote talk by Dr. Pamela Kunz from the Yale School of Medicine titled, “Disrupting Gastrointestinal Oncology: Shattering Barriers with Inclusive Science.” She highlighted the intersection of science, patient care, and health and gender equity. And I would encourage your podcast listeners to access the lecture in ASCO's Meeting Library if they haven't yet had a chance to hear Dr. Kunz's wonderful lecture.  We were really happy this year because the attendance hit a new record. We had over 5,000 people attend either in person or virtually from their home or office, and we had almost 1,000 abstracts submitted to the meeting, so these were either record or near record numbers. We offered a lot of different networking opportunities throughout the meeting, and attending found these to be incredibly rewarding and important and this will continue to be an area of emphasis in future meetings. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Let's take a deeper dive into the exciting studies presented at GI25. The late breaking abstract LBA143 was CheckMate-8HW. This was the first results of NIVO + IPI versus NIVO monotherapy for MSI-high metastatic colorectal cancer. What are your thoughts about this study? Dr. David Wang: Yeah, so we know that colorectal cancer patients with MSI-high tumors don't necessarily respond well to chemotherapy. And we were fortunate because last year CheckMate-8HW actually looked at two different arms – so this was NIVO + IPI compared to standard of care chemotherapy and showed its very significant improvement in median progression-free survival. And that was actually published in the New England Journal of Medicine back in November of 2024. This year's presentation actually focused now on NIVO + IPI versus NIVO monotherapy. And as you know IPI+NIVO can be quite toxic. So this was an important analysis to be done. So we know that NIVO is definitely more easily tolerated. So what was interesting was that the 2-year and 3-year progression-free survival not surprisingly favored IPI+NIVO and this was statistically significant. And the overall response rate was also better with IPI+NIVO versus NIVO alone. I know we're always concerned about toxicities and there were higher grade 3 and 4 toxicity incidences in the combination arm versus the monotherapy arm, but overall, only about 28 additional events in several hundred patients treated. So I think that's well-tolerated. Our discussant Dr. Wells Messersmith actually said that, with this new data, he would consider doing combination immunotherapy in any patient that presented in the front line with MSI-high or deficient mismatch repair colorectal cancer that was metastatic. Dr. Shaalan Beg: One of the focuses for directing first-line therapy for colorectal cancer has been right and left sided colon cancer because we know these are two different cancers with their own unique molecular subtypes. We heard on Abstract 17, the DEEPER trial, the final analysis of modified FOLFOXIRI plus cetuximab versus bevacizumab for RAS wild-type and left sided metastatic colorectal cancer. How do you summarize the findings of this study and what should our readers be aware of? Dr. David Wang: Interestingly, this was a phase 2 study and the emphasis of the abstract was actually a subgroup analysis of those patients with RAS wild-type and BRAF wild-type as well as left sided cancers. So, I think the entire study enrolled 359 patients, but the analysis that was discussed at the meeting really focused on 178 patients that fit that characteristic. Very similar to what we've seen in prior studies, left-sided tumors have better response to cetuximab versus bevacizumab. And if you flip it so that you now are looking at right sided tumors, targeting EGFR is actually detrimental. The depth of response was better with cetuximab in these left sided RAS and BRAF mutant tumors. And so the lead author actually suggested that this could be a new first-line standard of care. And the question is, is there a benefit of doing this triple agent regimen with modified FOLFIRINOX? We know there's a lot more toxicity with that. Not clear that there's a benefit for that over FOLFOX, maybe in younger patients that could tolerate it. When our discussant, again Dr. Wells Messersmith, spoke about this, he said that, in his practice he would, again, favor cetuximab over bevacizumab in combination with chemo, these left-sided RAS and BRAF wild-type tumors, but that he would actually prefer a doublet versus a triplet chemo regimen, and that is consistent with the current NCCN guidelines. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Another area where colorectal cancer has been a wonderful model to study new technology has been in the area of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). And the BESPOKE CRC trial is looking to see if ctDNA can inform adjuvant treatment decisions for stage II and III colorectal cancer. And in Abstract 15, we heard final results of the BESPOKE CRC sub-cohort. What were the findings there? Dr. David Wang: BESPOKE CRC is another one of these important ctDNA studies. It was an observational study, not a randomized trial, but it did provide a lot of different insights to us. We know that there were over 1,700 patients enrolled, and so it was reported that this is the largest ctDNA study in colorectal cancer performed in the United States. And they were able to analyze over 1,100 patients.  Some of the key findings were that postoperative adjuvant therapy management decisions actually changed in 1 out of 6 patients, so that's pretty significant. In terms of surveillance, we know that patients who have ctDNA positivity, this is prognostic of recurrence. In terms of patients who have positive ctDNA post-surgery, it looked like, at least in this observational study, the majority of patients who received any benefit were those who had positive ctDNA. So adjuvant therapy, even in stage II and stage III patients seemed to only benefit those patients who have positive ctDNA. I think that does raise the question, and this also was brought up in the discussion, which is “Can we de-escalate adjuvant therapy in terms of patients who are ctDNA-negative post-op?” And Dr. Richard Kim from Moffitt felt that we are not yet there. Obviously, we need randomized control trials where we are taking ctDNA results and then randomizing patients to receive adjuvant or non-adjuvant to really know the difference.  Other questions that come up with use of ctDNA include: What do you do with these patients who turn positive? This study for BESPOKE actually followed patients out to two years after surgery. So what you do with a positive ctDNA result wasn't really clear. It seems to suggest that once you turn positive, patients go on to more intensive surveillance. You know, again as an observation, patients who did turn positive were able to go to metastasis-directed therapy much more quickly. And again, this was supposedly to improve their curative intent therapy. And I think the other question that has been brought up all the time is, is this really cost effective? Patients want to know, and we want to give patients that information, but I think we're still stuck with what to do with a positive ctDNA level in a patient that's on surveillance because no randomized control studies have actually suggested that we need to start systemic therapy right away. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Yeah. And I guess in terms of practice informing or practice changing, these results may not give us a clear answer. But because a lot of patients are asking for these tests, it does give us some real world experiences on what to expect in terms of conversion of these positive into negative and the outcome so we can have a shared decision making with our patients in the clinic and then come up with a determination on whether ctDNA for molecular residual disease is something which would be worthwhile for the care of our patient. But more to come, I guess, in coming years to answer different problems around this challenge. Dr. David Wang: Yes, I agree. Dr. Shaalan Beg: The BREAKWATER trial looked at the use of encorafenib, cetuximab and chemotherapy for BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer. We've covered this combination for a second- third-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer previously. Abstract 16 from GI25 was evaluating the use of this regimen in the first-line space. Everyone was looking forward to these results, and what did the investigators present? Dr. David Wang: I think this is, as you mentioned, a nice follow up to later lines of therapy where Dr. Kopetz from MD Anderson pioneered use of encorafenib, cetuximab and binimetinib in the BEACON trial. Everybody was kind of curious what would happen now if you use encorafenib plus cetuximab plus chemotherapy in the first-line setting. And so this is an interim analysis that was pre-planned in the phase 3 open label BREAKWATER trial. And even though there were three arms, and so the three arms were encorafenib plus cetuximab, encorafenib plus cetuximab plus FOLFOX, or standard of care chemo, only two arms were presented in the abstract. So basically looking at encorafenib plus cetuximab and FOLFOX-6 versus standard of care therapy, and the overall response rate was statistically significant with a 60.9% overall response rate encorafenib plus cetuximab plus chemo arm versus standard of care chemo was only 40%. The interim overall survival also was different. It was 92% versus 87% at 6 months and 79% versus 66% at 12 months, again favoring the chemotherapy plus encorafenib plus cetuximab. In terms of the statistics, the p was 0.0004. However, the pre-plan analysis required the p-value to be 1x10 to the -8. And so even though this looks really good, it hasn't quite met its pre-specified significance level. The good thing is that this is only interim analysis and the study is ongoing with future analysis planned.  So the real question is: Does it matter when we actually use this regimen? We know that the regimen's approved in the second third-line setting. What about in the first line? And there was some preclinical data that the discussant reviewed that shows that patients actually benefit if this is done in the first-line setting. For example, there was some preclinical data showing that even FOLFIRI, for example, can upregulate RAS, which would make tumors more resistant to this combination. This was thought to be practice-changing in a patient that has B600E showing up treatment naive that we should probably consider this regimen. And actually this did receive accelerated FDA approval about a month ago. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Yeah, and for what it's worth, I put up a Twitter poll asking my Twitter followers on how the BREAKWATER trial results will change their approach for newly diagnosed BRAF mutated colorectal cancer. We got 112 responses; 72% said that they will incorporate encorafenib, cetuximab, FOLFOX for their frontline BRAF mutated patients. But 23% said that they would like to wait for overall survival results. Dr. David Wang: Wow, that's interesting. They really want that 1x10 to the -8. Dr. Shaalan Beg: I guess so. All right. Let's change gears and talk about esophageal cancer. LBA329 was the SCIENCE study which presented preliminary results from a randomized phase 3 trial comparing sintilimab and chemoradiotherapy plus sintilimab versus chemoradiotherapy for neoadjuvant resectable locally advanced squamous esophageal cancer. Where are we in this space? Dr. David Wang: Okay. So, yeah, this was an interesting trial. Again, just to set the context, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is more prevalent in Asia. And the study sites as well as the patients were mostly from Asia. So this was again a phase 3 trial with interim results. They only rolled 146 out of the planned 420 for this interim analysis. And yeah, they're using immune checkpoint inhibitor that we don't use in the United States, sintilimab, combined with their two standards of neoadjuvant therapy, either chemotherapy, which is more common in Asia, or or chemoradiation, which is more common in the US and Western Europe, versus chemoradiation. And so they actually had two primary endpoints, but only were reporting one. So their two primary endpoints were pathCR and the other one was event-free survival. The event-free survival, again, was not reported at the meeting.  What they found was that in terms of pathCR rate, if you take the two arms that are really informative about that, chemoradiation plus sintilimab versus chemoradiation alone, the pathCR rate was 60% versus 47%. We know that chemo alone doesn't induce as much of a pathCR rate, and that was 13%. So it was found that the delta in terms of pathCR between the chemoradiation arms, one with sintilimab and one without, was significant. And this actually confirms data again from Asia, like for the ESCORT-NEO trial where it used another immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab in addition to neoadjuvant chemo.  So as our discussant for this abstract said, yes, we know that radiation combined with chemotherapy improves pathCR rates, but we have recent data from the ESOPEC trial, we don't know that that necessarily will translate to overall survival. So again, waiting for additional enrollments and longer term follow up before incorporating this into clinical care here. Dr. Shaalan Beg: So David, how do the results of the SCIENCE trial compare with our practice in the United States and ongoing studies asking questions for neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal carcinoma in the United States? Dr. David Wang: I think obviously immune checkpoint inhibitor in the new adjuvant setting is important. Jennifer Eads at UPenn is running that EA2174 which is looking at chemoradiation plus or minus nivolumab, and then in non-pathCR responders randomized to adjuvant nivolumab per CheckMate 577 or nivolumab with intensification adding ipilimumab. We know that the ESOPEC trial just came out, and was published actually during the meeting, and that really focuses on adenocarcinomas. So adenocarcinomas of the GE junction, distal esophagus, now, we would probably treat very similarly to gastric using perioperative FLOT. However, the standard in the US for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma remains neoadjuvant chemoradiation. We know that squamous cell carcinomas are more exquisitely sensitive to radiotherapy. And then obviously in those patients who don't achieve a pathologic complete response, the expectation would be that they would go on to receive nivolumab per CheckMate 577. Again, the thought is that these tumors are more sensitive to immunotherapy given their higher incidences of mutational changes. And so again, this kind of goes along with the positive results seen in the SCIENCE trial that we just discussed with sintilimab but also EFFECT-neo with pembrolizumab. Obviously, we await the results of Jennifer's trial. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And the last abstract I was hoping we could get your perspective on was Abstract 652, which is a Phase 3 study of everolimus plus lanreotide versus everolimus monotherapy for unresectable or recurrent gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, the STARTER-NET trial. What were the results of this study? Dr. David Wang: So, I just want to give a shout out because we did have a session at this year's GI ASCO that looked at more rare tumors. So appendiceal tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, those kinds of things. So again, I would encourage your listeners to listen to that session if they have interest in that. Another type of rare tumor was adenosquamous tumors.  But in terms of the STARTER-NET trial, this was again an interim analysis of his phase 3trial and it was looking at combining everolimus plus lanreotide versus everolimus. So we know that in pancreatic-gastric neuroendocrine tumors, if you have low Ki-67, a well differentiated tumor, that the standard of care really is a somatostatin analog, and sometimes if they're more aggressive, we kind of consider molecular targeted therapy with everolimus. This was asking the question of whether we should do the combination on the frontline. And what was interesting is in this study, the patients were actually more of a poor prognostic set. So they had Ki-67 up to 20% or these were patients that actually had multiple liver lesions. And what they found was a median for progression free survival was improved with a combination out to 29.7 months versus 11.5 months with the somatostatin analog alone, and that the overall response rate was 23% versus 8.3%, again, favoring the combination. If you looked at subgroup analysis, it was actually those patients who had Ki-67 greater than 10%, so the more aggressive tumors, or those with diffuse liver lesions that had the most benefit. So I think that would be the patient population I would consider this new combination with using would be those patients again with poorer prognosis neuroendocrine tumor phenotype. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Thank you very much, Dr. Wang, for sharing your insights with us today and your great work to build a robust GI Cancers Symposium this year. Dr. David Wang: Well, thank you. I mean that really is a cooperative effort. We appreciate all the members of the GI25 Program Committee as well as the ASCO staff that just made it an outstanding meeting. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And thank you to all our listeners for your time today. You'll find links to the abstracts discussed today on the transcript of this episode.  Finally, if you value the insights that you hear on the ASCO Daily News Podcast, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions.  Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Find out more about today's speakers:  Dr. Shaalan Beg @ShaalanBeg  Dr. David Wang Follow ASCO on social media:   @ASCO on Twitter  @ASCO on BlueSky ASCO on Facebook   ASCO on LinkedIn   Disclosures:  Dr. Shaalan Beg:  Employment: Science 37  Consulting or Advisory Role: Ipsen, Array BioPharma, AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Cancer Commons, Legend Biotech, Foundation Medicine  Research Funding (Inst.): Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Merck Serono, Five Prime Therapeutics, MedImmune, Genentech, Immunesensor, Tolero Pharmaceuticals  Dr. David Wang: Honoraria:  Novartis Consulting or Advisory Role: Novartis, Cardinal Health, Bristol-Myers Squibb, BeiGene, Eisai  

In this episode, host Dan Karnuta welcomes Don Taylor, the chairman of the board of directors at the Healthcare Standards Institute Foundation, which is responsible for developing a national standard for the implementation of artificial intelligence as it relates to the governance of the healthcare industry. The in-depth discussion by the two faculty members and healthcare administration experts in The University of Texas at Dallas focuses on how artificial intelligence is being integrated into the healthcare industry and the urgent need for its governance and standardization. Since the use of AI is now, or soon will be, used in everything including clinical decision-making, administrative tasks, patient interaction and even insurance claims, Karnuta and Taylor discuss the significant concerns raised by its use including its ethics, patient privacy and organizational accountability. Karnuta is an associate professor in the Jindal School's Organizations, Strategy and International Management Area as well as director of its Professional Program in Healthcare Management. Taylor is a professor of practice in the Jindal School's Executive Education Area and director of its Alliance for Physician Leadership program. He also serves in the faculty of UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The cholesterol conundrum: Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses recent research suggesting that HDL, or 'good' cholesterol, may protect against brain atrophy and dementia. The study from UT Southwestern Medical Center, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, found that higher concentrations of small particle HDL are linked to better cognitive function and greater gray matter volume. Leyla emphasizes the importance of understanding cholesterol's role beyond just heart health and challenges common misconceptions. She also highlights the benefits of dietary fats and criticizes outdated medical advice that promotes low-fat diets. This episode encourages a more nuanced view of cholesterol and its significant impact on overall health.

TopMedTalk is at The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)'s annual general meeting; Anesthesiology 2024. Here we discuss key anesthesia updates, emphasizing patient safety and comfort. Does the evidence support allowing clear liquids up to surgery to reduce thirst without raising risks? Do new challenges around GLP-1 drugs, which delay stomach emptying, call for tailored pre-op guidance? Also, should we be rethinking gabapentinoids, which recent studies show may not effectively reduce opioid use as once believed? Presented by Desiree Chappell, Monty Mythen and Mike Grocott with their guests, Girish P. Joshi, Professor, Anesthesiology and Pain Management at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Ben Gibbison, Associate Professor of Cardiac Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at the University of Bristol, Honorary Consultant at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust.

This week on the AHRMM Subject Matter Expert Podcast, recorded live at the AHRMM24 Conference, host Justin Poulin is joined by Tim Martin, Director of Purchasing at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Fresh off his team's recognition with the prestigious Heartbeat of Healthcare award, Tim opens up about his passion for professional development and nurturing future supply chain talent. He also dishes on the most unexpected item he's ever had to source and entertains the thought of time-traveling back to mentor his younger self. You won't want to miss out on this insightful and candid conversation! #PowerSupply #AHRMM #Podcast #HealthcareSupplyChain #HeartbeatOfHealthcare #ProfessionalDevelopment #Mentoring

In this compelling episode of The Life of Flow Podcast, host Miguel is joined by Shon Chakrabarti MD MPH, CMO of Limflow, Michael Siah, Director of Limb Salvage at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Lucas. Together, they explore the groundbreaking acquisition of Limflow by Inari and its potential to revolutionize the treatment landscape for CLTI patients. Through dynamic discussion and candid reflections, the group unpacks the clinical, technical, and business implications of this strategic merger, highlighting its impact on patient outcomes, institutional approaches, and the future of endovascular therapies.Key Topics Covered:Understanding the Inari-Limflow Synergy (00:01 - 09:52):Why the acquisition makes sense for unmet patient needs.Strategic alignment with Inari's ethos of purpose-built solutions.Overlaps in vascular innovations and CLTI management.Clinical and Economic Implications of CLTI Therapies (09:53 - 24:04):The importance of vertical integration in hospitals for CLTI programs.Addressing misconceptions about the costs and outcomes of amputations.New reimbursement codes and economic incentives for hospitals.Evolution of DBA Techniques (24:05 - 38:43):The journey of deep vein arterialization from experimental to commercial viability.Insights into procedural advancements, including new access points and technologies.The collaborative WhatsApp group fostering a global exchange of ideas.The Path Forward: Research, Collaboration, and Education (38:44 - 48:24):The role of continued peer-to-peer training and global education in scaling CLTI solutions.Investigator-Initiated Research Programs to address pressing clinical questions.Future product developments and their potential to expand patient reach.What Lies Ahead for CLTI Therapies (48:25 - End):Predicting the evolution of the field over the next 5-10 years.Controversial yet thought-provoking ideas about preemptive applications of DBA.Reflections on patient outcomes and the transformative impact of new therapies.Memorable Quotes:“Inari and Limflow are united by a commitment to tackling large unmet patient needs with purpose-built solutions.” – Shon Chakrabarti“Even when DBA patency declines, patients often end up better off than when they started—this is a game changer.” – MiguelConnect with Us:Miguel – https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-montero-baker-a44354214/Lucas – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucasferrermdGuests:Shon Chakrabarti – https://www.linkedin.com/in/shon-chakrabarti-md-mph-018a7394/Michael Siah – https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-siah-965585b1/Stay tuned for future episodes diving deeper into groundbreaking innovations in cardiovascular and endovascular medicine. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with colleagues passionate about transforming patient care!

Dr. Sandra Hassink is joined by Dr. Ryan Buchholz, a Primary Care Pediatrician and Chief Medical and Quality Officer at a Community Health Center in Washington DC, as well as the Moderator and Abstract Chair for the Innovations in Obesity Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment Forum (IOPAT). Dr. Hassink is also joined by Dr. Sarah Barlow, Professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and Program Chair for the SOOb H-Program. Together they unpack the 2024 AAP National Conference and Exhibition (NCE). Related Resources: • AAP National Conference and Exhibition, Website (https://aapexperience.org/) • AAP Section on Obesity (https://tinyurl.com/3rx2rm4r) • 2024 Section on Obesity Annual Course (https://tinyurl.com/2tuz5f74) • Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight, Website (https://tinyurl.com/yc88y53j)

In this episode of the Brain & Life podcast, co-host Dr. Katy Peters is joined by Christina Coates, president and founding member of an organization called Hypertrophic Olivary Degeneration Association (HODA). Christina shares about her own journey with hypertrophic olivary degeneration and how she was inspired to found HODA and build an advocacy community. Dr. Peters is then joined by Dr. Vikram Shakkottai, professor of neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and Dedman Family Distinguished Chair in Neurologic Disease. Dr. Shakkottai discusses cerebellar ataxia, hypertrophic olivary degeneration, how these disorders are treated, and what upcoming research there is to look forward to.   We invite you to participate in our listener survey! By participating in the brief survey, you will have the opportunity to enter your name and email address for a chance to win one of five $100 Amazon gift cards.   Additional Resources HODA - Working to make HOD History Forming a Foundation Bolsters Hope After a Rare Diagnosis Advice for Caregivers of People with Rare Diseases What is ataxia and cerebellar or spinocerebellar degeneration?   Other Brain & Life Episodes on this Topic Neurofibromatosis Advocacy and Community Building with the Gilbert Family Foundation Making a Lasting Impact with The Brain Donor Project's Tish Hevel We Are Brave Together with Jessica Patay Strength in Unity: Advocating and Advancing Research for Brain Tumors   We want to hear from you! Have a question or want to hear a topic featured on the Brain & Life Podcast? ·       Record a voicemail at 612-928-6206 ·       Email us at BLpodcast@brainandlife.org   Social Media:   Guests: Christina Coates @hodassoc; Dr. Vikram Shakkottai @utswmedcenter Hosts: Dr. Daniel Correa @neurodrcorrea; Dr. Katy Peters @KatyPetersMDPhD  

BigTentUSA, in partnership with Katie Couric Media, Majic Ink Productions, Level Forward and All*In Action Fund, hosted a panel discussion about the Oscar-nominated short film RED, WHITE AND BLUE. The short film centers on a single mother living paycheck to paycheck in Arkansas who is forced to cross state lines in search of an abortion. As Lorraine Bracco has said about the film, it's “23 minutes you'll never forget.”We were thrilled to welcome back award-winning journalist Katie Couric, who moderated this critical conversation featuring Oscar-nominated filmmaker and writer, director and producer of the film, Nazrin Choudhury, OBGYN and reproductive rights activist Dr. Austin Dennard, and Nourbese Flint, President of All*In Action Fund. The powerful discussion focused how abortion policy is creating a healthcare crisis for many women and how reproductive rights are impacting political messaging and voter turnout.Below are links to the video recording and the audio podcast of our panel discussion. Hope to see you at our upcoming speaker events!Please note a one-time link to watch the film before the panel discussion was generously provided by Majic Ink Productions. Please check the film website for the latest screening information and how you can watch the film. ABOUT OUR SPEAKERSNAZRIN CHOUDHURY is a UK-US filmmaker who left the pursuit of medicine and a brief career in politics after her first foray into screenwriting garnered her a Focus on Talent Award with DNA FILMS. She is the recipient of the Imison award for her critically-acclaimed play, MIXED BLOOD, and an Arts Council of England award for her novel-in-progress, MY ENGLAND. Based in Los Angeles, Nazrin works extensively across film and television as a writer/producer/showrunner. Nazrin's directorial debut on the short film, RED, WHITE AND BLUE - which she also wrote and produced - earned her an Oscar nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 96th Academy Awards.AUSTIN DENNARD, M.D. is an OBGYN from Dallas, Texas. Dr. Dennard had to leave Texas to receive abortion care after learning she was carrying a fetus with anencephaly, a fatal condition in which the skull and brain do not fully develop. Dr. Dennard began her medical career in The University of Texas Southwestern Health system working at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. In addition to being a clinician, she has served as a clinical professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Listen to Dr. Dennard's NPR Story here.NOURBESE FLINT is President of All*In Action Fund, working to achieve abortion justice and build the political power of voters of color.  Prior to coming to All*In Action Fund she was the Senior Director of Black Engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she worked on the strategic partnership to strengthen Planned Parenthood's relationships within existing racial justice, reproductive justice, Black serving and civil rights organizations. Nourbese is a founding member of Trust Black Women, a national coalition dedicated to increasing respect and support of Black Women, and is one of the founding members of the Black Women's Democratic Club. She has been featured in MSNBC, CalMatters, Newsweek, and more.  MODERATORKATIE COURIC is an award-winning journalist and #1 New York Times best-selling author. Couric was the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast, serving as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from 2006 to 2011 following 15 years as co-anchor of NBC's Today show. In 2017, she founded Katie Couric Media (KCM), which has developed a number of media projects, including a daily newsletter, “Wake-Up Call”, a podcast, “Next Question”, digital video series and several documentaries. You can find it all at katiecouric.com.YOUTUBE RECORDING HEREAnd then Go… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bigtentnews.substack.com

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need decades of experience to master orthognathic surgery planning. With advancements in virtual surgical planning (VSP) and streamlined treatment approaches, even early-career surgeons can achieve precise, efficient results! Today, we are joined by Dr. Patrick Wong, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center and an OMS specializing in orthognathic surgery, facial trauma surgery, and cleft and craniofacial surgery. In this episode, Dr. Wong shares insights into his simplified orthognathic treatment planning technique for residents, detailing the step-by-step process for executing these complex surgeries. He explains why the Steiner method for cephalometric analysis may fall short in modern practice and highlights his preferred facial projection reference methods for optimal outcomes. We also explore four critical factors to consider when rotating the maxillofacial complex, emphasize the importance of ethnic-specific planning in contemporary procedures, and hear practical advice for preparing for VSP. Additionally, Dr. Wong walks us through his own VSP sequence and wraps up with his favorite books, shows, tools, and more!Key Points From This Episode:A brief overview of Dr. Wong's training and his current practice setup.Insight into his simplified orthognathic treatment planning technique for residents.The step-by-step process for planning and executing orthognathic surgeries.Why the Steiner method for cephalometric analysis falls short in modern practice.Dr. Wong's preferred facial projection reference methods for optimal outcomes.Four factors to consider when rotating the maxillofacial complex.The emphasis on ethnic-specific planning in contemporary orthognathic procedures.How to use the 90-90-10-10 rule to achieve the best aesthetic results.Advice to help residents prepare for virtual surgical planning (VSP).Benefits of VSP for planning complex surgical procedures.A look at Dr. Wong's VSP sequence, from bite planning to soft tissue overlay.Recommended books, shows, non-OMS habits, and more in the rapid-fire section!Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Dr. Patrick Wong on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-wong-29ab14239/Dr. Patrick Wong on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/dr.patrickewong/Dr. Patrick Wong Email — patrick.wong@utsouthwestern.eduUT Southwestern Medical Center — https://utswmed.org/‘Barcelona line. A multicentre validation study of a facial projection reference in orthognathic surgery' — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36609073/Can't Hurt Me — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544512287Ego is the Enemy — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1781257027/True Detective — https://www.hbo.com/true-detectiveEveryday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/ Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/ Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.comDr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-44

Ruba Sarris Sawaya is a distinguished medtech executive with over 20 years of experience. Ruba discusses her journey from pre-med research to leading roles in market access strategy and consulting for medical device companies. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity, lifelong learning, and strategic thinking in her career. Ruba shares insights on women's empowerment in a male-dominated industry and the significance of broadening skillsets beyond assigned roles. Guest links: www.MediStrat360.com | www.rizlabhealth.com  Charity supported: Save the Children Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at podcast@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host: Lindsey Dinneen Editing: Marketing Wise Producer: Velentium   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 040 - Ruba Sarris Sawaya [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host Lindsey, and I am so excited to introduce you to my guest today, Ruba Sarris Sawaya. Ruba is a medtech executive who has been passionately committed to the medtech industry over the last 20 years. She is a leader with a reputation for cultivating loyal, engaged, and collaborative teams and who carries a visionary mindset with the ability to conceptualize and execute effective strategies that have contributed to transformative growth and innovation in the medtech space. She is currently leading market access strategy for RizLab Health portable diagnostics devices, enabling access for patients with the greatest healthcare disparities. Concurrently, she is the managing partner for MediStrat360, medical device consulting firm with a mission to accelerate the journey from concept to market for groundbreaking medical devices. Her educational background includes a bachelor of arts from Austin College with a major in biology and a double minor in chemistry and physics, a master's in public health in epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center, in addition to her acceptance and completion of the leadership studies program at the highly competitive Posey Leadership Institute. Ruba brings a wealth of corporate strategy expertise, and a track record enabling successful device commercialization and market access. All right. Welcome to the show, Ruba. I'm so excited to talk with you today. [00:02:16] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Thank you very much, Lindsey. I'm excited to be here. I appreciated the invite. [00:02:19] Lindsey Dinneen: Sure. Oh, absolutely. I'm so glad we got connected. So I was wondering if you could start by telling us just a little bit about yourself and your background and maybe what led you to medtech. [00:02:32] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: So, I mean, I've spent the last 20 years working explicitly and specifically focused on medtech, dedicated to commercialization of really cool technologies that have a profound impact on patients' lives. And I'm grateful for the opportunity this career gave me to work on some really disruptive technologies and collaborate with some brilliant minds across the industry. I had a front row seat to seeing how the incredible impact to the medtech industry can have on transforming healthcare. So what brought me into it, I initially wanted to go to med school, like a lot of people. I covered all of the basics and then graduated. And then, I was doing preclinical research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. And I completed all the requirements for pre med the summer before, took the MCATs, did all of it. The summer before I was supposed to start, decided I had a soft heart and that may not be the best decision. And so there was a moment there of, I'm going to start with research and kind of see where I go. And ended up working with a lot of reps and connected with a lot of people within the medical device industry. So I started looking for jobs 'cause it felt like the perfect opportunity with the intent that the pre med thing was this sincerely and authentically with a focus on wanting to help patients, right? And the beautiful opportunity med device provided me is that it enabled me to do that without the risks and consequences tied to direct patient care. That soft empathy piece or the super empathy piece on mine wasn't at risk from that standpoint. So I was doing research at UT Southwestern in the physiology department, interacting and engaging from a folks working on trials perspective and then medical devices that were being used at that medical center and then started applying for jobs within medtech. Took one managing preclinical research way back when at Orthofix, transitioned and got promoted to running clinical affairs there, and then got promoted again and managed clinical affairs, government affairs, health economics outcomes, research and reimbursement for that organization. And that was a really long time ago and then moved into different career roles from there. But that's the story on that one. [00:04:52] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, that's incredible. So, okay. So let's bring it up to present day, and you are doing some fractional work and I know that you have, I'm sure quite a full schedule just in looking at your LinkedIn profile. I could see that you're extremely active in many avenues and I just love to hear some of what you're up to these days. [00:05:13] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: So I'm currently leading market access strategy and advising for a diagnostics company called RizLab Health, and they have a portable hemo analyzer that's really focused on enabling access for patients with the greatest healthcare disparities, which is really cool. I'm the managing partner for MediStrat360, so it's a consulting firm hyper focused on just medical device and accelerating that journey from concept to market for disruptive groundbreaking medical devices. So those are the two things that I'm currently focused on, and then I have some senior advising positions for quality regulatory and clinical for a couple of additional companies, one that's focused on sleep apnea devices. And that one's under an NDA. And then another diagnostics company. So I've got four fractional-- with RizLabs is to focus on device commercialization, go to market strategy. And then the focus for some of the other ones very much centered around regulatory clinical quality. [00:06:13] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay. Yeah. So, so with that you mentioned that you were doing this preclinical research and decided to switch gears a little bit. And now you've got such a, an amazing breadth of skill sets and experience and expertise. And I'm kind of wondering, within medtech, what was the journey like to learning, all these different aspects that now you are such an expert in. For example, say regulatory. [00:06:43] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: I think for me, because you don't see that often, you see a lot of folks that start in one specific area with respect to medtech, and they develop a pretty comprehensive depth in that area over the span of 20 years. I would argue that I've had an extraordinary career and that has not been my journey. And that has not been my journey mainly because I took roles within companies that were either smaller or midsize, and there was always a willingness to proactively volunteer, not even volunteer, but proactively volunteer, raise my hand when people left or when certain gaps existed that needed to be filled, and then proactively choosing to look at issues that were going on within an organization more holistically outside of my department. So just because my roles and responsibilities said I covered clinical didn't change the fact that I paid attention to a dynamic that said, there are reimbursement challenges that are happening. One, we were getting coverage and pushback from an insurance company tied to certain devices, engaging with an industry coalition to try and get some of those policies overturned, and recognizing that the information that I gained as a result of that experience identified certain gaps for the evidence portfolio for clinical affairs. So how did that happen? I think that happened because I had a habit of, I'm choosing to pay attention to what the organization needed and choosing to see the links for the existing roles and responsibilities that I had, and how they bridged across the organization. And then being proactive, quite frankly, about when I was really dedicated to every company I worked for and readily dedicated to the mission that they had and choosing to take roles that I may not have been ready for or may not have had full core competencies for in an effort to support that organization. So in a lot of cases I took it on and I was, I became an obsession and I learned everything I could and I addressed certain gaps by bringing in additional expertise with the intent that we still got the organization's mission accomplished in spite of the deficiencies or gaps or turnover that was going on. [00:08:59] Lindsey Dinneen: Wow. Yeah, that's incredible. I love that. You have been so curious and eager to learn and willing to step outside your roles and responsibilities and seek to understand what the organization needs. I'm sure that really helps now with your consulting work, because you're probably way better able to, and equipped to, find those gaps that you mentioned in a company's strategy or whatnot. And so I, what a strength to be able to bring that breadth of knowledge. [00:09:34] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: It's interesting when clients approach me about a dynamic that says, "We have this challenge." It is a prism where that challenge ties to different additional facets of the organization or facets of their market commercialization strategy. So we end up providing value and feedback that's not only solving the problem they came to us with, but providing recommendations that have an impact across different facets within that organization or within that product commercialization strategy. And I'm telling you it's, it is, that is one, I would argue, differentiating value prop that I bring to the table on the consulting side is offering that feedback where it's not it's not one sided. It's got depth to it and it touches different dimensions because we're not looking at it just within the scope of the problem as it's presented. [00:10:23] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. That's awesome. That's great. That's something very unique to be able to offer. And so, you know, that curiosity and growth mindset, willingness to fill in the gaps and figure out how to, where did that come from? Have you always been a very sort of curious, eager to learn, lifelong learner type individual, or is that something you developed over time? [00:10:50] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Both, I'll say both. The lifelong learner piece, definitely a part of my personality my whole life, one. Two, I will also say I was lucky in having some phenomenal mentors and strategic leaders that drove that value and the importance of that value, and enforcing us to see the bigger picture and think more holistically. And so I started out with that as part of who I am. And then on top of that, it was further reinforced by having some fantastic leaders that I was lucky enough to work with and for that emphasized the importance of that. [00:11:24] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah. And, you've mentioned having some amazing leaders that were in positions to really help mentor and guide and lead. And I'm wondering, what are some of the most impactful pieces of advice that you've received from leaders that you look up to and or now as accomplished leader yourself, what do you see as being some of the best pieces of leadership advice? [00:11:54] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: So I'm gonna I'm gonna share with you some of my favorites on what makes a good leader and things to pay attention to as a good leader. So to me, anybody who's trying to explore a leadership role within medtech-- it's to everything we just talked about-- it's unbelievably important to choose to see beyond the expected. So have a deep understanding. If you're a project manager for R&D and you want to get promoted to, you want to move up the ladder, you having a deep understanding of the technical aspects of medical device is important, but it's just as important to cultivate a deep understanding of not only the technical, but the technical and business aspects. So the willingness to learn beyond the scope that you are assigned to, the willingness to recognize the importance of strategic thinking, is really important from a leadership standpoint. Additional aspects that are important with respect to strategic thinking, don't be afraid to voice ideas, but be strategic about how and when you do that. So navigating a leadership role to me really requires developing a good acumen on knowing when to assert your ideas and when to hold back, learning how to read different situations and understand the dynamics at play. I think some of the most important advice I was ever given was that we all, especially when you join a new organization, we all have a proclivity for wanting to prove our value or demonstrate our value as soon as possible. And some of the best advice I've given that I've passed along is to be strategic, is to be really good about proactively recognizing when it's a good opportunity for you to do that. And when you're better off holding back and listening and observing and understanding the dynamics of play and choosing your moments wisely on when you make impactful contributions, right? Doing that, you maximize the effectiveness of the input you provide and the influence that you end up having and sometimes holding back initially, choosing to observe and listen gives you insights that better inform your strategy for what to do or how to do it. Building a network is also really important. That's another really good piece of leadership advice. We tend to keep our head down. Early on in my career, I definitely did that. I treat networking and the relationship management as a mandatory part of the job with roles I've had where I'm within an organization and outside of that. So I think that part is unbelievably important for leadership and success. And it's not just the creating a network offers job opportunities. It's creating a network offers opportunities to seek advice and to learn and to stay plugged in from an industry standpoint. So continuous learning is about being proactive and seeking those opportunities to challenge my current thinking, quite frankly, and expand my horizons from that standpoint. [00:14:57] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Oh my goodness. That was so much great advice. Thank you for sharing all of that. I think even the first thing you said, I really appreciated about, see beyond the expected. And I think that's such, I have never heard it put quite like that before, and I really like that of your willingness to go beyond your scope, so that you keep learning and I like your idea of continuing to even challenge your own beliefs and thoughts and processes. All those things. If you can keep doing that, then you're growing, you're learning, you can't stay stagnant that way. So yeah, I appreciate that advice a lot. [00:15:38] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: One, to be clear, it comes from tons of mistakes made and lessons learned over a couple of decades for starting out in a technical role and a technical career. Those are common mistakes I see made, which is you're presenting to management on a project update, and the tendency for us technical folks, for people that started their careers out in science, is to very much focus on the technical aspects of what are going on without taking into account how that information is being presented, the impact that it's having on the politics and the different players in the room and their intent. So it's choosing to see things in a different light than the way that you're used to processing them is very important. Strategic thinking. It's different. [00:16:27] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. And being willing, like you said, to look beyond and to approach things in a different way and maybe take a step back sometimes. Say, "Okay, I need to keep observing before I dive in with my solutions." [00:16:43] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Well, and take stretch rules. I think that's the other thing from a career development. Nobody owns your career. You own that. And If you love medtech, if you love whatever your profession may be, if your goal is advancement and leadership positions within that, but then that profession or that role, it's recognizing that you have to learn other things beyond just R&D if your goal is to manage a division or manage a sector . So I think, it's saying you're going to fulfill your roles and responsibilities and focus on accomplishing those goals, but be selfish about raising your hand for stretch opportunities that provide you exposure to other areas and dimensions of medtech that are outside of your scope, right? With the intent that you're getting that exposure is unbelievably important. [00:17:32] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yes, I could not agree more. One thing that I noticed from just looking at your LinkedIn profile is you are very passionate about a lot of issues facing our society, our community. And, I saw some speaking opportunities and things where you focus on women's empowerment and whatnot. And I was wondering if you might share a little bit about your passions outside of work that do speak to it. So even with women's empowerment, encouraging women in the medtech field and whatnot, because we have listeners who might really appreciate some of your perspective and advice on that. Would you be willing to share? [00:18:14] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Yeah, I mean, absolutely. Let's be very frank and transparent. I'm a woman that's been predominantly working in a male industry, and I've had some wonderful experiences, but I've also been granted some wonderful obstacles that tested my resilience and determination. I learned over time to see those challenges as an opportunity to strengthen my resolve and even my commitment. And so to me, a few pieces of advice to empower women as they navigate their own paths in leadership is to embrace your unique perspective. I think as women, we bring diverse experiences and insights to the table. And we should never underestimate the value of that viewpoint that we bring as women, right? Early in my career, and I've run into a lot of women that feel this pressure, to posture, to present themselves with a set of characteristics that are more akin to male dominated characteristics versus owning their executive presence, and recognizing the value they bring in authenticity for presenting who they are authentically and not underestimating the value of their own viewpoint versus others complying with the mass or succumbing to the pressure. So I think it's unbelievably important to honor and respect and embrace that unique perspective that you bring as a woman, trusting your instincts and not being afraid to voice your ideas. But again, unbelievably important to be strategic about when you choose to do that. And that piece of advice applies across both. And I think women have a tendency to coming into, especially high level, higher level management roles, a desire to want to prove our worth and prove we have a seat at the table. You have earned the right to sit at that table by default of the fact that you have been offered the job and you have it. Be smart, strategic about when and how you choose to weigh in, recognizing the politics at that same table, right? Is important. And then advocating for yourself and others to the point that you made about, I do quite a bit of speaking. I am on a mission to drive transformative technologies within healthcare. I'm also on a secondary mission to enable an increase in the number of extraordinary women and their commitment to that mission, right? So advocacy, empowerment, education, training on communications and engagement for women is a focus and how I choose to spend my time with the intent that I sincerely believe the more women that you have, more women and more diversity, quite frankly, that you can have in medtech, the better devices and the higher the impact that you can have with respect to innovation in medtech and an impact that MedTech can have on healthcare. So to me, that is a focus. [00:21:10] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, and I very much appreciate your perspective and your willingness to share about it. And the fact that this is a mission for you. So, thank you for continuing to support and elevate women in medtech, 'cause it's a need. And to your point, I appreciate you saying that women bring a unique perspective. And so that can be your superpower and you don't need to shrink. [00:21:37] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: 100 percent and authenticity, Lindsey. I think women bring a unique perspective and value the power of authenticity. Resist the urge to position or posture or present yourself as "A" because you believe that "A" is what they want to see. There is unbelievable power in an executive presence of a woman leader that is authentic in the way she presents herself. [00:22:07] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes, could not agree more. Yeah, so, your career has been so interesting and I love the running theme of you being willing to continue to learn and grow and step out of the current role so that you can fill in the gaps. And I'm wondering if there are any moments that stand out to you where it just made you go, "Wow, I am really in the right place, at the right time, in the right industry." [00:22:36] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: So there's been a few of those, but I think one of the most memorable was when-- I have had a few leadership roles within Medtronic, and there's an annual event that gets held there where patients will are willing to share their stories with company employees. And listening to those stories, you realize what a difference we were making to the daily lives of those individuals. It was unbelievably moving and it gives you a renewed sense of hope. So we all in that office, especially, it's an extraordinary group of people that are working unbelievably hard and all of us were running at 90 and it's a constant hurricane of work, right? You lose sight. of how those hundred little activities we do every day are contributing in a transformational way to the lives of others. And sitting through that two hour testimonial set with those patients was a really emotional experience that kind of puts everything in perspective. That was a good what seven years plus now since I sat through that and it still resonates with me. I still think about it all the time. [00:23:47] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah, I think that's really powerful too, to have those moments of realizing the impact that you're making and it is easy to get caught up in the daily grind. And, and forget that, oh my goodness is actually, this impacts somebody's life. [00:24:05] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: It brings it to focus, Lindsey. I loved that whole experience because, and I'm telling you, on the days when getting up in the morning is a little harder than others, it's a nice reminder to just force myself to recalibrate against that. And that we tolerate the craziness, we tolerate the difficulties, we tolerate the barriers and the more difficult days because we have an impact on the back end of the lives of other human beings. And that's the reason I've stayed in medtech for the last 20. There's something extraordinary about that. The ability to do that for someone else is amazing. [00:24:41] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, it's a gift and it's something to come back to when the days are hard and long and frustrating, because you really do know what you're doing matters. Yeah. [00:24:52] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Exactly right. [00:24:53] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Absolutely. Well, pivoting the conversation just for fun, imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want. It could be in your industry, but it doesn't have to be related to it. What would you choose to teach and why? [00:25:15] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Honestly, I would teach exactly what I'm, a lot of the time I'm teaching now, which is device commercialization. And, to your earlier question about give me a couple of things that inspired you and told you were right where you needed to be, I taught a course at University of New Mexico, their innovation center a few weeks ago. And one of the nicest comments I've ever gotten from a career perspective is somebody came up to me afterwards and said, "I've been working with folks for a decade plus, and this is the first time in my life I have gotten such a good training that I walked out having a solid understanding of how these pieces tie together from a regulatory perspective and commercialization perspective." So what would I teach exactly what I'm what a lot of the time I'm teaching now from a consulting perspective, which is device commercialization. I picked a career that, that I'm lit up by and that I'm inspired by. I'd be doing the exact same thing, Lindsey. I wouldn't change a thing. [00:26:13] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. That's so great. [00:26:16] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Yeah. [00:26:18] Lindsey Dinneen: That's very special. I love that. Yeah. Okay. And then how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:26:26] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: That I do quite a bit of mentoring. That I had an impact, that I inspired a group of people to maintain this mission to transforming healthcare. It's not just putting out and launching additional devices. It's sincerely a focus on looking at the areas across our healthcare system here in the U. S. and otherwise, and looking for opportunities to change the dynamic in a positive way. So after I die, what I want to be remembered for that the folks that I have, and I've taken on quite a bit over 20 years that I've tried to help grow and advance career wise that I inspired them to keep doing this. And I inspired them to do it well, and do it with integrity and do it right. [00:27:16] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Yeah, absolutely. And then final question, what is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:27:27] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: I mean, personal, probably my cat. We have a British short hair that has an insanely cute face and it's impossible-- I don't care how stressful of a day I've had-- impossible not to crack a smile thinking about that fluff ball. So yeah, our cat for sure. [00:27:46] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh my word, I love that. Animals are the best. [00:27:49] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Yes, well, and she's a recent addition. So we've had her a year. And it is definitely the stress buster. [00:27:57] Lindsey Dinneen: That's perfect. [00:27:59] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: For sure. [00:28:00] Lindsey Dinneen: That's perfect. Animals are inherently just happiness. Well, this has been an incredible conversation. I am so thankful for your willingness to share about your background and what you're up to now, but especially all of your advice. It was so packed full of just amazing pieces of advice to take away. And I really appreciate that you're willing to share all of that with us. So, gosh, thank you so much for your time and thank you for being here and and doing that. I really appreciate it. [00:28:33] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: Well, and likewise, thank you for doing this again. I'm a huge advocate for getting more folks and more people and more women and more individuals involved in medtech, and recognizing the phenomenal opportunities that medtech brings from a career standpoint. And so thank you for doing this because you're spreading that message and educating people on other career options besides, you know, firefighter, doctor, lawyer, engineer. So we appreciate what you're doing too, Lindsey, this is great. [00:29:03] Lindsey Dinneen: Thank you. That made my day [00:29:05] Ruba Sarris Sawaya: It's important. We got to spread the message. [00:29:09] Lindsey Dinneen: it's very true. It's very true. And we are so honored to be making a donation on your behalf as a thank you for your time today to Save the Children, which works to end the cycle of poverty by ensuring communities have the resources to provide children with a healthy, educational, and safe environment. So thank you so much for choosing that charity to support, and we just wish you the most continued success as you work to change lives for a better world. And thank you also to our listeners for tuning in and if you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, I would love it if you would share this episode with a colleague or two, and we will catch you next time. [00:29:55] Ben Trombold: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium. Velentium is a full-service CDMO with 100% in-house capability to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices from class two wearables to class three active implantable medical devices. Velentium specializes in active implantables, leads, programmers, and accessories across a wide range of indications, such as neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, cardiac management, and diabetes management. Velentium's core competencies include electrical, firmware, and mechanical design, mobile apps, embedded cybersecurity, human factors and usability, automated test systems, systems engineering, and contract manufacturing. Velentium works with clients worldwide, from startups seeking funding to established Fortune 100 companies. Visit velentium.com to explore your next step in medical device development.

In this episode of SEE HEAR FEEL, host Christine speaks with Dr. Yemi Sokumbi, a dermatologist and dermatopathologist at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, who is also the head of medical business development. They discuss key takeaways for innovation in healthcare, including the importance of embracing failure, solving familiar problems, and cross-pollination across medical disciplines. Dr. Sokumbi shares insights from her journey, emphasizing the value of tenacity and perseverance in bringing novel ideas to market, and touches on the nuances of encouraging diversity in innovation, particularly among women.00:00 Introduction to Dr. Yemi Sokumbi01:47 Defining Innovation in Medicine02:34 Lessons in Innovation and Failure05:25 Applying Innovation Lessons to Parenting07:19 Gender and Innovation10:14 Challenges and Perseverance in Innovation12:53 Final Thoughts on InnovationDr. Olayemi (Yemi) Sokumbi, MD is a dermatologist and dermatopathologist who is currently working at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where she also serves as Medical Director for Business Development. Additionally, she is involved with medical student and resident education in addition to her clinical work. She completed dermatopathology fellowship in 2014 at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was chief resident in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She has won numerous awards, including a 2022 Dean's Recognition Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, a 2018 Outstanding Medical Student Teacher Award from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the 2013 Richard K. Winkelmann Excellence in Research Award. 

On this Episode 492 of Health Solutions, Shawn & Janet Needham R. Ph. discuss overuse injuries in athletes and sports with Dr. Shawn E. Johnson. Dr. Johnson has been practicing as an orthopedic surgeon since 2008. She specializes in the treatment of Overuse Injuries, Acute Traumatic Injuries, and Chronic Joint Disorders. Dr. Johnson completed her undergraduate degree at Texas State University. She then obtained her medical degree at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. After completing her orthopedic surgery residency, she became a staff orthopedic surgeon in the US Army. Dr. Johnson served for nearly 10 years and then completed a Sports Medicine Orthopedic Fellowship at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation. Dr. Johnson has opened her Houston-based private practice, Austin County Orthopedics, and is available for appointments and consultations! 00:00 - Start 00:33 - Dr. Johnson's Introduction 01:09 - Dr. Johnson's Background 05:09 - Overuse Injuries 08:48 - Cross-Training 10:52 - Education 17:06 - Stress Fractures 20:24 - Behave Like an Athlete 21:54 - Staying Involved 24:32 - Anti-Inflammatory 26:28 - Return to Sport 27:23 - Empowering People 29:15 - Medications 30:18 - Alternative Treatments 32:04 - Surgery 38:07 - Dr. Johnson's Passion 42:32 - Dr. Johnson's Contact Information 44:56 - Closing Comments Episode Resources Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/austincountyorthopedics Instagram ~ https://www.instagram.com/austin.county.orthopedics/ LinkedIn ~ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-johnson-aa928a183/ Website ~ https://www.drshawnmdortho.com/ EP 492: Athlete Overuse Injuries with Dr. Shawn E. Johnson and Shawn & Janet Needham R. Ph. ~ #athlete #athletic #athletics #sports #sportsinjury #overuse #injury #injuries #medications #pharmaceuticals #pharmaceutical #AustinCountyOrthopedics #directspecialtycare #timewithyoursurgeon #podcastshow #podcast #podcastguest #optimalhealth #healthfreedom #MedicalFreedom #medicaleducation #medicalcare #HealthCare #PriceTransparency #freemarket #Liberty #FitAfter50 #FitOver50 #fitover40 #fitafter40 #Boise #IdahoFalls #Tricities #SiouxFalls #Wenatchee #EducateAndEmpower #NeedhamHealthSolutions #TeamNeedham #ShawnNeedham #HealthSolutions #MosesLakeProfessionalPharmacy #MLRX #SickenedTheBook #ShawnNeedhamRPh #ThinkOutsideTheSystem #OptimalHealthMatters #ItsTime ~ *** #BenShapiro & #DaveRamsey Fans. Learn how to be in the driver's seat for your healthcare choices {not the system or doctors!}

In this episode of the Dr. Geo Podcast, Dr. Geo sits down with Dr. Xiaosong Meng from UT Southwestern Medical Center to discuss TULSA (Transurethral Ultrasound Ablation), an advanced focal treatment for prostate cancer. They explore how TULSA works, its benefits, and how it compares to other focal therapies like HIFU, cryoablation, and IRE. The episode also highlights key factors such as MRI guidance, potential side effects, and the suitability of TULSA for patients with both BPH and prostate cancer.Key Points:Comparison of TULSA with HIFU, cryoablation, and IRE.Importance of MRI guidance and tumor location.Discussion on potential side effects and 'natural' focal therapies.TULSA's suitability for patients with BPH and prostate cancer.Role of TULSA in salvage treatments for recurrent prostate cancer.----------------Tune in for our in-depth 4-part series on Focal and Ablation Therapies, featuring insightful interviews on the latest advancements in treatment.Thank you to our September Sponsors!Focal One- The first and only robotic platform for precise focal ablation using high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This minimally invasive treatment offers unmatched precision with no surgery, cutting, or radiation, and helps preserve healthy tissue while minimizing side effects. For more details, click [HERE] Profound Medical- TULSA Pro- The innovators behind Tulsa-Pro. Their transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA) procedure targets prostate tissue from the inside out through the urethra, reducing risks like erectile dysfunction and incontinence. With real-time MRI and robotics, Tulsa-Pro provides precise, incision-free treatment for effective cancer control. Learn more about Profound Medical and Tulsa-Pro, click [HERE]----------------Thanks for listening to this week's episode. Subscribe to The Dr. Geo YouTube Channel to get more content like this and learn how you can live better with age.You can also listen to this episode and future episodes of the Dr. Geo Podcast by clicking HERE.----------------Follow Dr. Geo on social media. Facebook, Instagram Click here to become a member of Dr. Geo's Health Community.Improve your urological health with Dr. Geo's formulated supplement lines:XY Wellness for Prostate cancer lifestyle and nutrition: Mr. Happy Nutraceutical Supplements for prostate health and male optimal living.You can also check out Dr. Geo's online dispensary for other supplement recommendations Dr. Geo's Supplement Store____________________________________DISCLAIMER: This audio is educational and does not constitute medical advice. This audio's content is my opinion and not that of my employer(s) or any affiliated company.Use of this information is at your own risk. Geovanni Espinosa, N.D., will not assume any liability for any direct or indirect losses or damages that may result...

This is a very important conversation on failure, what it can mean (and what it should not mean), and how it can be liberating to lean into it. Dr. Olayemi (Yemi) Sokumbi, MD is a dermatologist and dermatopathologist who is currently working at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where she also serves as Medical Director for Business Development. Additionally, she is involved with medical student and resident education in addition to her clinical work. She completed dermatopathology fellowship in 2014 at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was chief resident in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She has won numerous awards, including a 2022 Dean's Recognition Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, a 2018 Outsanding Medical Student Teacher Award from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the 2013 Richard K. Winkelmann Excellence in Research Award. 

Dr Kevin Kalinsky from Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dr Heather McArthur from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, summarize the evolution of biomarker-driven treatment approaches for triple-negative breast cancer.

Dr Kevin Kalinsky from Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dr Heather McArthur from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, summarize the evolution of biomarker-driven treatment approaches for triple-negative breast cancer, moderated by Dr Neil Love. Produced by Research To Practice. CME information and select publications here (https://www.researchtopractice.com/WCWtK2024/TNBC).

I think we all had dreams as teenagers (or younger selves) - do you remember what yours were? Are your dreams the same now? Do you remember who you were vs. who you are now? This part of my conversation with Dr. Yemi Sokumbi touches on questions like these - the dreams she had an immigrant teen from Nigeria, the pressure she used to put on herself due to stereotype threat, and how it has been important for her to separate her identity from what she does at work. Dr. Olayemi (Yemi) Sokumbi, MD is a dermatologist and dermatopathologist who is currently working at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where she also serves as Medical Director for Business Development. Additionally, she is involved with medical student and resident education in addition to her clinical work. She completed dermatopathology fellowship in 2014 at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was chief resident in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She has won numerous awards, including a 2022 Dean's Recognition Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, a 2018 Outsanding Medical Student Teacher Award from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the 2013 Richard K. Winkelmann Excellence in Research Award. 

This week, we are joined by Dr. Nina Sanford, Assistant Professor and Chief of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology Service, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, for a discussion about the role of radiation in colorectal cancer, with an emphasis on the role of radiation in rectal cancer. Dr. Sanford is a wealth of knowledge so this is an episode you do NOT want to miss. Of note, rectal cancer episodes will be released in a few weeks so if all of this does not make sense, don't worry. It nicely sets the stage for what is to come! Content: - What is the role of radiation in rectal cancer vs. colon cancer? Why do we use it more in rectal cancer?- How to evaluate your patients for radiation and how to decide long course vs. short course radiation - Side effects of radiation therapy for rectal cancer- Role of radiation for oligmetastatic colorectal cancer** Want to review the show notes for this episode and others? Check out our website: https://www.thefellowoncall.com/our-episodesLove what you hear? Tell a friend and leave a review on our podcast streaming platforms!Twitter: @TheFellowOnCallInstagram: @TheFellowOnCallListen in on: Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast

Today on the podcast, I spoke with Salman Moti about his thoughts on global citizenship. Salman is the Director of Health System Quality and Operational Analytics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Since an early age, he has been driven to understand the complexities around him to make better sense of the world. By navigating higher education as a first gen immigrant from Pakistan and exploring diverse areas such as finance, public health, and education, Salman has learned to embrace difference and encourage others to forge new paths. He also shares about his family and religious faith background as acts of service and self exploration about what it means to be a global citizen. Enjoy the conversation!

Today we give you our 19th clinical case and first sport concussion specific case. Nyaz is a neuropsychologist and Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. This will be our third conversation with her. We previously discussed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in episode 126, and the 2022 Concussion in Sport Group meeting in episode 127. Show notes are available at www.NavNeuro.com/139 _________________ If you'd like to support the show, here are a few easy ways: 1) Get APA-approved CE credits for listening to select episodes: www.NavNeuro.com/INS  2) Tell your friends and colleagues about it 3) Subscribe (free) and leave an Apple Podcasts rating/review: www.NavNeuro.com/itunes 4) Check out our book Becoming a Neuropsychologist, and leave it an Amazon rating   Thanks for listening, and join us next time as we continue to navigate the brain and behavior! [Note: This podcast and all linked content is intended for general educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of psychology or any other professional healthcare advice and services. No professional relationship is formed between hosts and listeners. All content is to be used at listeners' own risk. Users should always seek appropriate medical and psychological care from their licensed healthcare provider.]

Donghan “Mo” Yang, PhD, is a researcher in the field of data science and health informatics.  He joins us on OsteoBites to introduce the development of the Osteosarcoma Explorer (OSE), a data commons with clinical, genomic, protein, and tissue imaging data for osteosarcoma research. The OSE is one of the flagship projects cultivated within the CPRIT-funded Pediatric Cancer Data Core (Director: Yang Xie, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean of Data Science, UT Southwestern). The goal of the OSE project is to integrate publicly available and institutional osteosarcoma data of various types and share them with the research community via an interactive web interface. The OSE web portal is now accessible to the public at https://datacommons.swmed.edu/cce/ose.Dr. Yang is an Assistant Professor and a Texas Health Resources Clinical Scholar in the Quantitative Biomedical Research Center at Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center. He also serves as the Director of Biostatistics and Data Science Core at UT Southwestern. Dr. Yang's research focuses on developing methods, platforms, and infrastructure for the management, integration, and analysis of real-world healthcare data, including electronic health records, imaging, and molecular profiling data. He has led team efforts of building data commons – comprehensive database interfaced by user-friendly web portal – for adult and childhood cancers and other diseases. He also applies advanced analytics to gain insights from these real-world data resources.

Hey friend! I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Melissa Mauskar, a true rockstar in the world of vulvar health research. She illuminated some fascinating new findings about the hormone and microbiome landscapes in lichen sclerosus. I walked away feeling so hopeful about how this work might improve patient care down the road!

CardioNerds Dr. Rick Ferraro (CardioNerds Academy House Faculty and Cardiology Fellow at JHH), Dr. Gurleen Kaur (Director of the CardioNerds Internship and Internal Medicine resident at BWH), and Dr. Alli Bigeh (Cardiology Fellow at the Ohio State) as they discuss the growing obesity epidemic and how it relates to cardiovascular disease with Dr. Ambarish Pandey (Cardiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center). Show notes were drafted by Dr. Alli Bigeh. CardioNerds Academy Intern and student Dr. Shivani Reddy performed audio editing. Obesity is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and it is on the rise! Here, we discuss how to identify patients with obesity and develop an approach to address current lifestyle recommendations. We also discuss the spectrum of pharmacologic treatment options available, management strategies, and some therapy options that are on the horizon. This episode was produced in collaboration with the American Society of Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) with independent medical education grant support from Novo Nordisk. See below for continuing medical education credit. Claim CME for this episode HERE. CardioNerds Prevention PageCardioNerds Episode PageCardioNerds AcademyCardionerds Healy Honor Roll CardioNerds Journal ClubSubscribe to The Heartbeat Newsletter!Check out CardioNerds SWAG!Become a CardioNerds Patron! Pearls and Quotes - Lifestyle & Pharmacologic Management of Obesity Identify obese patients not just using BMI, but also using anthropometric measurements such as waist circumference (central adiposity). Lifestyle modifications are our first line of defense against obesity! Current recommendations emphasize caloric restriction of at least 500kcal/day, plant-based and Mediterranean diets, and getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity weekly exercise. Dive into the root cause of eating and lifestyle behaviors. It is crucial to address adverse social determinants of health with patients to identify the driving behaviors, particularly among those individuals of low socioeconomic status. Newer weight loss agents are most effective at achieving and maintaining substantial weight loss, in particular Semaglutide (GLP-1) and Tirzepatide (GLP-1/GIP). Initiate at a low dose and titrate up slowly. Obesity is a risk factor and potential driver for HFpEF. Targeted treatment options for obese patients with HFpEF include SGLT-2 inhibitors and semaglutide, which recently showed improvement in quality of life and exercise capacity in the STEP-HFpEF trial. Show notes - Lifestyle & Pharmacologic Management of Obesity How do we identify and define obesity? The traditional definition of obesity is based on body mass index (BMI), defined as BMI greater than or equal to 30.0 kg/m2 (weight in kg/height in meters).Recognize that BMI may not tell the whole story. A limitation of BMI is it does not reflect differences in body composition and distribution of fat.Certain patients may not meet the BMI cutoff for obesity but have elevated cardiovascular risk based on increased central adiposity, specifically those that are categorized as overweight.The devil lies in the details of anthropometric parameters. Include waist circumference measurements as part of an obesity assessment of visceral adiposity. A waist circumference greater than 40 inches for men and greater than 35 inches for women is considered elevated. What are some current lifestyle recommendations for obese patients? Lifestyle recommendations are the first line of defense against obesity.Current ACC/AHA guidelines suggest a target of reducing caloric intake by 500 kcal per day. For patients with severe obesity, this number may be higher.Emphasis on hypocaloric plant-based and Mediterranean dietsReduce total carbohydrate intake to 50-130 grams per day.Focus on a low-fat diet with less than 30% of total energy coming from fat with a high-protein diet to main...

Dr. Jasel Martin, DrPH, MS, MBA, CHES is an Implementation Science Research Program Manager at UT Southwestern Medical Center.She is an author, 3x entrepreneur, health promotion, health disparities & policy lecturer, Black wellness content creator, health diversity & community health expert, clinical nutritionist, and clinical exercise physiologist.She conferred a Bachelor of Biology at Oakwood University, A Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration at University of Phoenix. Then pursued a Master of Science in Exercise Science at Georgia State University, Clinical Internship in Clinical Exercise Physiology at Emory University. And lastly got her Doctor of Public Health at Loma Linda University. Full Episode ShownotesJoin Early Access Community WaitlistJoin Our Email BlastConnect with guestOn InstagramWebsiteFollow The Public Health Millennial on InstagramConnect with Omari on LinkedInChapters@0:00 Episode Teaser@1:46 Dr. Jasel Martin, DrPH, MS, MBA, CHES Introduction@3:24 Episode highlights@3:55 Welcome guest@4:35 Identify and personal background@5:28 Bridge gap to real world health challenges@8:33 Fundamental of theory in practice@11:01 Practice Based Evidence @14:20 Moving health equity forward @19:27 Blue Zones and public health @27:20 What is public health?@29:26 Bachelors in Biology at Oakwood University @32:45 Undergrad takeaways@35:00 Dental School not being right choice@37:50 Making decision to pursue MBA at University of Phoenix@39:10 Medical Services Specialist at Georgia Department of Humans@41:49 MBA Takeaways @42:43 Master of Science in Fitness and Health Promotion at Georgia State University@46:15 Health Scientist at CDC @48:55 Deciding to get a DrPH at Loma Linda University @51:50 DrPH vs PhD perspective @53:00 Several roles at Andrews University54:25 Postdoc at University of Maryland@56:55 Roles after Postdoctoral @1:00:02 Executive Program Director at Colorado Technical University@1:02:43 Implementation Science Program Manger at UT Southwestern Medical Center @1:06:40 Connect with Dr. Jasel Martin, DrPH, MS, MBA, CHES@1:07:30 The importance of wellness in life@1:10:00 VIV Wellness Academy@1:11:25 The Furious Five@1:19:07 HousekeepingSupport the showThanks for tuning in. Let's all work together towards a culture of health, wellbeing, and equity for all. ⭐⭐ SUBSCRIBE & Leave a 5-STAR REVIEW! ⭐⭐ Follow & Support:- Early Access Community Waitlist- The Public Health Millennial on IG - The Public Health Millennial on LinkedIn - The Public Health Millennial Website- Omari Richins, MPH on LinkedIn- Support on The Public Health Store

Dr. Ryan Potts is VP of Research and Head of the Induced Proximity Platform at Amgen that works on ways to bring two or more molecules in close proximity to each other to tackle drug targets that are currently considered “undruggable.” Ryan conducts early-stage research to discover new high-impact medicines for serious diseases that have a high unmet medical need. Their work examines biological pathways, drug targets, disease drivers, and new ways to create drugs that have the desired effects. He also leads Amgen's Research & Development Postdoctoral Fellows Program. Outside of science, Ryan enjoys spending quality time with his family and his kids. They enjoy exploring the natural world, hiking, and exploring the nearby Santa Monica Mountains and local beaches. Ryan is also an avid traveler and sports fan. Ryan received his BS in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he was awarded his PhD in cellular and molecular biology from UT Southwestern Medical Center. After completing his PhD, Ryan served on the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center for eight years before accepting a position on the faculty at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He joined the team at Amgen in 2020. In this interview, he shares more about his life and science.

Chilvana Patel, Associate Professor and Neurology Residency Program Director at University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Texas, interviewing Dr. Bhai who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Director of the Neuromuscular Center in the Institute of Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and Dr. Vissing  who is a professor in Department of Neurology  at university of Copenhagen, Denmark and Director of Copenhagen Neuromuscular Center at the National Hospital about their  recently published articles in Muscle and Nerve in April 2023 on Diagnosis and management of metabolic myopathies.

In today's episode we talk about the Food is Medicine Movement.  My guests are Drs. Jaclyn Albin and Minako Abe.  Food Is Medicine is the provision of healthy food to prevent, manage or treat chronic disease within our health care system by closing the gap between a medical nutrition prescription and the ability of a patient to fill and consume it on a regular basis. We reference the 2023 paper published in Circulation: Food Is Medicine: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association by Volpp KG et al Jaclyn Albin, M.D., CCMS, DipABLM, is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She specializes in internal medicine, pediatrics, lifestyle medicine, and culinary medicine.  Minako Abe, MD, BCEM, DipABLM has dual board certifications from the United States in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. She has had 15 years of clinical experience in Emergency Medicine in New York and New Jersey.  Since 2014, she has worked with the Hakushin Koseikai Medical Foundation and as a director of the International Society for Personalized Medicine. She is the vice-president of the Tokyo Cancer Clinic and is actively engaged in research and activities to further the fields of Lifestyle, Cellular Immunotherapy, and Regenerative Medicine. 

Join Amy Baxter, a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine and CEO of Pain Care Labs, to unravel the complexities of this critical topic. We'll explore the interconnectedness of pain and reward areas in the brain, genetic factors influencing addiction susceptibility, and the distinct feeling of euphoria in the context of opioids. Discover how the brain responds to prolonged opioid exposure and how liver metabolism genes play a role. Join us to gain valuable insights into the science behind addiction and treatment approaches for opioid use disorder. Amy Baxter is a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine at Augusta University, federally funded for neuromodulation research to reduce needle pain, multimodal low back pain, and opioid reduction. After attending Yale University and Emory Medical School, she completed her residency and a child maltreatment fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, an emergency pediatrics fellowship in Norfolk, Virginia, and a K30-NIH Clinical Research Certificate at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She is also CEO, Pain Care Labs, and can be reached on Twitter @AmyBaxterMD. She discusses the KevinMD article, "Misunderstandings about opioid use disorder." Careers by KevinMD is your gateway to health care success. We connect you with real-time, exclusive resources like job boards, news updates, and salary insights, all tailored for health care professionals. With expertise in uniting top talent and leading employers across the nation's largest health care hiring network, we're your partner in shaping health care's future. Fulfill your health care journey at KevinMD.com/careers. VISIT SPONSOR → https://kevinmd.com/careers Discovering disability insurance? Pattern understands your concerns. Over 20,000 doctors trust us for straightforward, affordable coverage. We handle everything from quotes to paperwork. Say goodbye to insurance stress – visit Pattern today at KevinMD.com/pattern. VISIT SPONSOR → https://kevinmd.com/pattern SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE → https://earnc.me/hq3ELr Powered by CMEfy.

Vanessa Sperandio is a professor at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in both the departments of microbiology and biochemistry. She joined the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health as the chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology in spring 2022. Sperandio's research focuses on the signaling mechanisms between mammalian hosts, their beneficial microbiota, and bacterial pathogens. Sperandio was a 1997 fellow of the Pew Charitable Trust and was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology in 2013.[3] She is also a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences and selected as a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases.   In this episode: Personal/Professional Journey Our relationship with Bacteria Neurotransmitters Microbiome Imbalance Nutritional Therapy Interventions Processed Foods and our gut How to eat for our gut microbiome Supplements and Probiotics Psychedelics, Microbiome, and Addiction   The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.  

Join Amy Baxter, a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine, as we explore the intricate balance between physicians' roles in perpetuating the crisis, addressing systemic factors, and the influence of pharmaceutical industry-sponsored education. Discover the brain's response to pain and opioids, contextual risk factors for opioid use disorder post-surgery, and the potential of non-opioid alternatives. Amy Baxter is a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine at Augusta University, federally funded for neuromodulation research to reduce needle pain, multimodal low back pain, and opioid reduction. After attending Yale University and Emory Medical School, she completed her residency and a child maltreatment fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, an emergency pediatrics fellowship in Norfolk, Virginia, and a K30-NIH Clinical Research Certificate at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She is also CEO, Pain Care Labs, and can be reached on Twitter @AmyBaxterMD. She discusses the KevinMD article, "Ending the opioid crisis starts with physicians." The Podcast by KevinMD is brought to you by the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience. With a growing physician shortage, increasing burnout, and declining patient satisfaction, a dramatic change is needed to make health care more efficient and effective and bring back the joy of practicing medicine. AI-driven ambient clinical intelligence promises to help by revolutionizing patient and provider experiences with clinical documentation that writes itself. The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, is a voice-enabled, ambient clinical intelligence solution that automatically captures patient encounters securely and accurately at the point of care. Physicians who use DAX have reported a 50 percent decrease in documentation time and a 70 percent reduction in feelings of burnout, and 83 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational. Rediscover the joy of medicine with clinical documentation that writes itself, all within the EHR. VISIT SPONSOR → https://nuance.com/daxinaction SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE → https://earnc.me/8g2s5S Powered by CMEfy.

Join the Surgical Oncology team from UTSouthwestern and the University of Miami as they tackle a journal review covering how to choose perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis for pancreatoduodenectomy. Listen in as they also review novel methodology and the origins of the study. Learning Objectives:  What antibiotics are you giving before your Whipple? In the group's final episode together, we review the 1st of its kind, registry linked, pragmatic surgical trial in North America. In the episode we dissect “Piperacillin-Tazobactam Compared With Cefoxitin as Antimicrobial Prophylaxis for Pancreatoduodenectomy - A Randomized Clinical Trial” and discuss the practice changing findings, and the future of surgical clinical trials.  Hosts:  Adam Yopp, MD, FACS (@AdamYopp) is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the UT Southwestern Medical Center and is Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology. He also serves as Surgical Director of the Liver Tumor Program. Caitlin Hester, MD (@CaitlinAHester) is a recent graduate of the MD Anderson Complex General Surgical Oncology fellowship and is now a new faculty member in the Division of Surgical Oncology within the Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami where she specializes in surgery for cancers of the liver, pancreas, and other gastrointestinal sites.  Gilbert Murimwa, MD (@GilbertZMurimwa) is a PGY-4 Research Fellow and General Surgery Resident at the UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is studying the pancreatic tumor microenvironment and targeted therapies in the lab of Rolf Brekken within the Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research. He also does work on access to care, social determinants of health, and interventions to mitigate disparities in surgical and oncologic outcomes under the mentorship of Patricio Polanco.  Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more.   If you liked this episode, check out surgical oncology episodes here: https://behindtheknife.org/podcast-category/surgical-oncology/