Empowered Patient Podcast

Empowered Patient Podcast with Karen Jagoda is a window into the latest innovations in digital health, the application of AI for administrative and clinical uses, the changing dynamic between doctors and patients, personalized medicine, cell and gene therapies, aging in place, wearables and sensors, clinical trials and advances in clinical research, payer trends, transparency in the medical marketplace and challenges for connected health entrepreneurs. This show continues to evolve driven by the convergence of a diverse array of industries.

Driving Innovation in Cell Therapy Manufacturing with Ryan Clarke Syntax Bio TRANSCRIPT 02/12/2026

Driving Innovation in Cell Therapy Manufacturing with Ryan Clarke Syntax Bio TRANSCRIPT Ryan Clarke, Co-Founder and CTO of Syntax Bio, is focused on solving manufacturing challenges in producing stem cell-derived therapies, specifically the process of stem cell differentiation. The Cellgorithm platform was designed to make differentiation an engineering problem by using a modified form of CRISPR to turn genes on and off in a specific, controlled sequence, reducing processing time from months to days and resulting in cost savings. One goal is to use AI and machine learning to build models capable of predicting optimal gene regulation sequences accelerating the discovery of new differentiation protocols and treatments for degenerative diseases. Ryan explains, "The key problem that we are focused on applies to stem cell-derived cell therapies. And so, just for a little bit of context setting, we use induced pluripotent stem cells or IPS cells. And about 20 years ago, when these were first derived, everybody was very excited because this is the platform where you could then have an infinite supply of stem cells to then make any tissue-specific cell type at will, theoretically. Fast forward 20 years, and there are finally some cell therapies in phase three clinical trials, but none are approved yet. And that just tells you that the development cycle for this modality is actually slower than the other modalities, like biologics or small molecules. And the problem is manufacturing in particular, or how do you convert the stem cell into the target tissue cell type for the process of stem cell differentiation? And so we are solely focused on making stem cell differentiation an engineering problem rather than a kind of dark art." "We have a program for type one diabetes that is making pancreatic beta cells from IPS cells. And we have also done some work in the musculoskeletal system. So these other cell types we focus on are more demonstrations of the platform technology, but we are interested in possibly co-developing those with other pharmaceutical partners, and that's the musculoskeletal cells of the hematopoietic system. And we've done some work on retinal cells as well, but we endeavor to make many other cell types. And our goal is to partner with the therapeutic experts in the area to develop these." #SyntaxBio #CellTherapy #CRISPR #StemCells #Biotech #RegenerativeMedicine #Diabetes #Manufacturing #Innovation #GeneTherapy #LifeSciences #Bioengineering #SyntheticBiology #CellProgramming /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39946965

Driving Innovation in Cell Therapy Manufacturing with Ryan Clarke Syntax Bio 02/12/2026

Driving Innovation in Cell Therapy Manufacturing with Ryan Clarke Syntax Bio Ryan Clarke, Co-Founder and CTO of Syntax Bio, is focused on solving manufacturing challenges in producing stem cell-derived therapies, specifically the process of stem cell differentiation. The Cellgorithm platform was designed to make differentiation an engineering problem by using a modified form of CRISPR to turn genes on and off in a specific, controlled sequence, reducing processing time from months to days and resulting in cost savings. One goal is to use AI and machine learning to build models capable of predicting optimal gene regulation sequences accelerating the discovery of new differentiation protocols and treatments for degenerative diseases. Ryan explains, "The key problem that we are focused on applies to stem cell-derived cell therapies. And so, just for a little bit of context setting, we use induced pluripotent stem cells or IPS cells. And about 20 years ago, when these were first derived, everybody was very excited because this is the platform where you could then have an infinite supply of stem cells to then make any tissue-specific cell type at will, theoretically. Fast forward 20 years, and there are finally some cell therapies in phase three clinical trials, but none are approved yet. And that just tells you that the development cycle for this modality is actually slower than the other modalities, like biologics or small molecules. And the problem is manufacturing in particular, or how do you convert the stem cell into the target tissue cell type for the process of stem cell differentiation? And so we are solely focused on making stem cell differentiation an engineering problem rather than a kind of dark art." "We have a program for type one diabetes that is making pancreatic beta cells from IPS cells. And we have also done some work in the musculoskeletal system. So these other cell types we focus on are more demonstrations of the platform technology, but we are interested in possibly co-developing those with other pharmaceutical partners, and that's the musculoskeletal cells of the hematopoietic system. And we've done some work on retinal cells as well, but we endeavor to make many other cell types. And our goal is to partner with the therapeutic experts in the area to develop these." #SyntaxBio #CellTherapy #CRISPR #StemCells #Biotech #RegenerativeMedicine #Diabetes #Manufacturing #Innovation #GeneTherapy #LifeSciences #Bioengineering #SyntheticBiology #CellProgramming /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39946925

Origins and Future of Medical Imaging with Dr. David Sodickson Function Health TRANSCRIPT 02/12/2026

Origins and Future of Medical Imaging with Dr. David Sodickson Function Health TRANSCRIPT Dr. Daniel Sodickson is Chief Medical Scientist at Function Health and author of the new book, The Future of Seeing: How Imaging Is Changing Our World. Building on the drive to improve medical imaging, AI and neural networks are now reshaping image interpretation and how and what data are collected. This approach produces high-quality results with minimal additional data and is inspiring innovative scanning techniques and equipment design. The future of medical imaging is the everywhere scanner, enhancing a single-shot session with a large hospital machine with continuous health monitoring through wearables and devices integrated into everyday life. Daniel explains, "One of the things that imaging can do is peel away all of the obscuring layers of skin or skull or whatever else there is, without having to make a single cut, and show us the inner workings, show us inner space, what's inside. I think that means being able to detect tumors early enough that they can be cured, to guide surgeries, to try to understand what normal anatomy is, and exactly when it turns abnormal. So I think the ability to see what was once invisible has become so much a part of medicine that it's almost hard to imagine it without it." "There are many analogies between inner space and outer space, and between the tools we have built as humans over the millennia to inspect them. I guess what I'd say, though, is that somehow the inspection of inner space, that sort of medical imaging for understanding our health, is a little bit more intimate. It causes us to ask very personal questions like, " Am I okay? Are my kids okay? Am I normal? What is normal? I think when we look at other types of imaging, imaging the world around us, imaging the cosmos a great distance from us, there are also existential questions, but it's really more, where do I fit in the big picture? So I think in some ways medical imaging picks up where, say, astronomical imaging leaves off and leaves us wondering who we are and how we're built." #DanielSodickson #FutureofSeeing #FunctionHealth #AIHealthcare #MedicalImaging #HealthTech #FunctionHealth #DigitalHealth #MRI #HealthcareInnovation #PatientEmpowerment #FutureOfMedicine #HealthcareAccessibility /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39972405

Origins and Future of Medical Imaging with Dr. David Sodickson Function Health 02/12/2026

Origins and Future of Medical Imaging with Dr. David Sodickson Function Health Dr. Daniel Sodickson is Chief Medical Scientist at Function Health and author of the new book, The Future of Seeing: How Imaging Is Changing Our World. Building on the drive to improve medical imaging, AI and neural networks are now reshaping image interpretation and how and what data are collected. This approach produces high-quality results with minimal additional data and is inspiring innovative scanning techniques and equipment design. The future of medical imaging is the everywhere scanner, enhancing a single-shot session with a large hospital machine with continuous health monitoring through wearables and devices integrated into everyday life. Daniel explains, "One of the things that imaging can do is peel away all of the obscuring layers of skin or skull or whatever else there is, without having to make a single cut, and show us the inner workings, show us inner space, what's inside. I think that means being able to detect tumors early enough that they can be cured, to guide surgeries, to try to understand what normal anatomy is, and exactly when it turns abnormal. So I think the ability to see what was once invisible has become so much a part of medicine that it's almost hard to imagine it without it." "There are many analogies between inner space and outer space, and between the tools we have built as humans over the millennia to inspect them. I guess what I'd say, though, is that somehow the inspection of inner space, that sort of medical imaging for understanding our health, is a little bit more intimate. It causes us to ask very personal questions like, " Am I okay? Are my kids okay? Am I normal? What is normal? I think when we look at other types of imaging, imaging the world around us, imaging the cosmos a great distance from us, there are also existential questions, but it's really more, where do I fit in the big picture? So I think in some ways medical imaging picks up where, say, astronomical imaging leaves off and leaves us wondering who we are and how we're built." #DanielSodickson #FutureofSeeing #FunctionHealth #AIHealthcare #MedicalImaging #HealthTech #FunctionHealth #DigitalHealth #MRI #HealthcareInnovation #PatientEmpowerment #FutureOfMedicine #HealthcareAccessibility /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39971810

Stem Cell Therapy Aims to Rebuild Brain Circuits in Parkinson’s Patients with Dr. Howard Federoff Kenai Therapeutics TRANSCRIPT 02/11/2026

Stem Cell Therapy Aims to Rebuild Brain Circuits in Parkinson’s Patients with Dr. Howard Federoff Kenai Therapeutics TRANSCRIPT Dr. Howard Federoff, Scientific Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer, and Executive Vice President of Corporate Medicine and Science at Kenai Therapeutics, is developing a cell therapy for Parkinson's disease that involves transplanting IPSCs into the brain to replace lost dopamine neurons. The goal is not to cure the underlying cause of the disease, but to restore motor function and reverse the disease's progression. Initial clinical focus was on patients with moderate to moderate-severe idiopathic Parkinson's, showing efficacy and safety, leading to expanding the study to include earlier-stage and familial forms of the disease. Howard explains, "Kenai was formed about three and a half years ago, and the intention is to develop a cellular product, which means that what is manufactured will be eligible in the right patient groups who have a diagnosis of Parkinson's to be placed into the brain. And consequent to its placement, the cells will then form new circuits, dopamine circuits that are lost owing to the disease diagnosis that will have occurred years earlier." "The induced pluripotent stem cell approach is one we favor for several reasons. The nature of what then becomes the IPSC, as we like to call it, starts with a normal human volunteer whose medical history is very detailed and does not contain any familial personal history of neurodegeneration. That cell then undergoes a process called reprogramming. And in our case, it's done with a slightly different approach than many others. And the reprogramming effectively creates a cell that is pluripotent, meaning it can become any cell of the body. That's when it is designated as an induced pluripotent stem cell." #KenaiTherapeutics #ParkinsonsDisease #CellTherapy #StemCells #Neuroscience #MedicalInnovation #ClinicalTrials #RegenerativeMedicine #Biotechnology #BioTech #AdvancedBiologics #NeurologicalDisorders #Neurology #DrugDevelopment /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39946830

Stem Cell Therapy Aims to Rebuild Brain Circuits in Parkinson’s Patients with Dr. Howard Federoff Kenai Therapeutics 02/11/2026

Stem Cell Therapy Aims to Rebuild Brain Circuits in Parkinson’s Patients with Dr. Howard Federoff Kenai Therapeutics Dr. Howard Federoff, Scientific Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer, and Executive Vice President of Corporate Medicine and Science at Kenai Therapeutics, is developing a cell therapy for Parkinson's disease that involves transplanting IPSCs into the brain to replace lost dopamine neurons. The goal is not to cure the underlying cause of the disease, but to restore motor function and reverse the disease's progression. Initial clinical focus was on patients with moderate to moderate-severe idiopathic Parkinson's, showing efficacy and safety, leading to expanding the study to include earlier-stage and familial forms of the disease. Howard explains, "Kenai was formed about three and a half years ago, and the intention is to develop a cellular product, which means that what is manufactured will be eligible in the right patient groups who have a diagnosis of Parkinson's to be placed into the brain. And consequent to its placement, the cells will then form new circuits, dopamine circuits that are lost owing to the disease diagnosis that will have occurred years earlier." "The induced pluripotent stem cell approach is one we favor for several reasons. The nature of what then becomes the IPSC, as we like to call it, starts with a normal human volunteer whose medical history is very detailed and does not contain any familial personal history of neurodegeneration. That cell then undergoes a process called reprogramming. And in our case, it's done with a slightly different approach than many others. And the reprogramming effectively creates a cell that is pluripotent, meaning it can become any cell of the body. That's when it is designated as an induced pluripotent stem cell." #KenaiTherapeutics #ParkinsonsDisease #CellTherapy #StemCells #Neuroscience #MedicalInnovation #ClinicalTrials #RegenerativeMedicine #Biotechnology #BioTech #AdvancedBiologics #NeurologicalDisorders #Neurology #DrugDevelopment /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39946815

Transforming MRI Data to Identify Biomarkers for Diagnosing and Treating Back Pain with Brent Ness Aclarion TRANSCRIPT 02/10/2026

Transforming MRI Data to Identify Biomarkers for Diagnosing and Treating Back Pain with Brent Ness Aclarion TRANSCRIPT Brent Ness, CEO and President of Aclarion, highlights the challenges of diagnosing and treating chronic lower back pain, a leading driver of healthcare costs and opioid addiction. Traditional MRI and CT imaging do not reveal the biochemical source of pain within spinal discs, leading to misdiagnosis and unsuccessful treatment. The Aclarion technology uses MR spectroscopy to measure pain-causing biomarkers and, through a cloud-based, AI-powered SaaS model, analyzes the raw data and sends the physician a report within minutes. Brent explains, "The diagnosis and accurate treatment planning of back pain are incredibly complex. And when you think about pain management physicians, rehab, all the way up to spine surgery identifying the source of pain accurately leads to better treatment and then obviously better outcomes.There are 266 million people around the world who suffer from chronic low back pain. So I'm not talking about the kind that you had a rough weekend skiing, golfing, or hiking, and you're a little sore. I'm talking about the kind that keeps people from participating in a meaningful life. " "When you think about the joints and the sources of blood flow, the nerves that are all around your spinal cord, the vertebral columns, and there's just a lot of moving parts and a lot of really, let's just call it high-value real estate that can actually be the source of pain. And really, our superpower is to help physicians see the invisible. Meaning that normally when you go to the doctor, and they do a workup on you, they'll use an MRI or a CT scanner. And those modalities are really good at pinpointing anatomical issues that might be causing pain. What we do is we use MR spectroscopy, not to make a picture of your back, but rather to measure the biomarker content inside the discs that are invisible on a normal MRI. And as it turns out, what's inside your disc can actually be the source of pain." #ACON #CLARITYtrial #lowbackpain #spinesurgery #MRSpectroscopy #Biomarkers #AugmentedIntelligence #innovation #ChronicPain #BackPain #MedicalTechnology #AI #HealthcareInnovation #SpineCare #MRI #PainManagement #DigitalHealth #Diagnostics #HealthTech #PatientCare /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39946755

Transforming MRI Data to Identify Biomarkers for Diagnosing and Treating Back Pain with Brent Ness Aclarion 02/10/2026

Transforming MRI Data to Identify Biomarkers for Diagnosing and Treating Back Pain with Brent Ness Aclarion Brent Ness, CEO and President of Aclarion, highlights the challenges of diagnosing and treating chronic lower back pain, a leading driver of healthcare costs and opioid addiction. Traditional MRI and CT imaging do not reveal the biochemical source of pain within spinal discs, leading to misdiagnosis and unsuccessful treatment. The Aclarion technology uses MR spectroscopy to measure pain-causing biomarkers and, through a cloud-based, AI-powered SaaS model, analyzes the raw data and sends the physician a report within minutes. Brent explains, "The diagnosis and accurate treatment planning of back pain are incredibly complex. And when you think about pain management physicians, rehab, all the way up to spine surgery identifying the source of pain accurately leads to better treatment and then obviously better outcomes.There are 266 million people around the world who suffer from chronic low back pain. So I'm not talking about the kind that you had a rough weekend skiing, golfing, or hiking, and you're a little sore. I'm talking about the kind that keeps people from participating in a meaningful life. " "When you think about the joints and the sources of blood flow, the nerves that are all around your spinal cord, the vertebral columns, and there's just a lot of moving parts and a lot of really, let's just call it high-value real estate that can actually be the source of pain. And really, our superpower is to help physicians see the invisible. Meaning that normally when you go to the doctor, and they do a workup on you, they'll use an MRI or a CT scanner. And those modalities are really good at pinpointing anatomical issues that might be causing pain. What we do is we use MR spectroscopy, not to make a picture of your back, but rather to measure the biomarker content inside the discs that are invisible on a normal MRI. And as it turns out, what's inside your disc can actually be the source of pain." #ACON #CLARITYtrial #lowbackpain #spinesurgery #MRSpectroscopy #Biomarkers #AugmentedIntelligence #innovation #ChronicPain #BackPain #MedicalTechnology #AI #HealthcareInnovation #SpineCare #MRI #PainManagement #DigitalHealth #Diagnostics #HealthTech #PatientCare /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39946740

First Non-Steroidal MRA Drug Approved for Heart Failure with Dr. Alanna Morris-Simon Bayer TRANSCRIPT 02/09/2026

First Non-Steroidal MRA Drug Approved for Heart Failure with Dr. Alanna Morris-Simon Bayer TRANSCRIPT Dr. Alanna Morris-Simon, Senior Medical Director for US Medical Affairs at Bayer, describes the symptoms and diagnostics used to classify heart failure and the key at-risk populations for this condition. The rapidly evolving landscape of heart failure treatments now includes the Bayer drug KERENDIA, a non-steroidal MRA approved to reduce cardiovascular death and heart failure in adults with an ejection fraction of 40% or more. This drug is part of an emerging trend to treat multiple related conditions simultaneously and could prevent the onset of heart failure and treat established heart failure. Alanna explains, "At a basic level, heart failure is a clinical syndrome, and that's important. I'm actually a heart failure cardiologist as well. And so this is important because patients have to have signs and symptoms. And those signs and symptoms really result from the heart being unable to either fill with blood properly or squeeze that blood out in a way that meets the body's demands. Either way, patients experience the same symptoms, and those include symptoms like swelling and weight gain, shortness of breath, either at rest or with activity, fatigue, abdominal swelling and bloating, loss of appetite, as well as other symptoms." "If a doctor or a clinician suspects a diagnosis of heart failure, 99.99% of the time, they'll start by ordering an echocardiogram or a heart ultrasound. Of course, the guidelines tell us to get a chest X-ray, get labs, those sorts of things. But really, we make the diagnosis for the most part based on the results of an echocardiogram because that echocardiogram allows us to visualize how the heart is pumping. It allows us to classify the type of heart failure so that if we see that the squeeze of the heart is impaired, we call that heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. And that's when the ejection fraction or EF is 40% or less. If the EF is in the 41 to 49% range, we classify that as heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction. And if patients have an ejection fraction of 50% or greater, we call that heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or HFpEF." "And we were excited that the FDA actually granted a priority review for KERENDIA because this really only occurs when the FDA recognizes that a treatment can fill a significant unmet need for a disease or a population of patients. And lo and behold, in July of 2025, finerenone was approved by the FDA under the trade name KERENDIA to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure, and urgent heart failure visits in adults with an ejection fraction of 40% or more." #Bayer #Finerenone #Pharma #HeartFailure #HFpEF #HFmrEF #MRA #UnmetNeed #Cardiology #KERENDIA #FDA #CardiovascularHealth #MedicalBreakthrough #PatientCare #Innovation /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39987355

First Non-Steroidal MRA Drug Approved for Heart Failure with Dr. Alanna Morris-Simon Bayer 02/09/2026

First Non-Steroidal MRA Drug Approved for Heart Failure with Dr. Alanna Morris-Simon Bayer Dr. Alanna Morris-Simon, Senior Medical Director for US Medical Affairs at Bayer, describes the symptoms and diagnostics used to classify heart failure and the key at-risk populations for this condition. The rapidly evolving landscape of heart failure treatments now includes the Bayer drug KERENDIA, a non-steroidal MRA approved to reduce cardiovascular death and heart failure in adults with an ejection fraction of 40% or more. This drug is part of an emerging trend to treat multiple related conditions simultaneously and could prevent the onset of heart failure and treat established heart failure. Alanna explains, "At a basic level, heart failure is a clinical syndrome, and that's important. I'm actually a heart failure cardiologist as well. And so this is important because patients have to have signs and symptoms. And those signs and symptoms really result from the heart being unable to either fill with blood properly or squeeze that blood out in a way that meets the body's demands. Either way, patients experience the same symptoms, and those include symptoms like swelling and weight gain, shortness of breath, either at rest or with activity, fatigue, abdominal swelling and bloating, loss of appetite, as well as other symptoms." "If a doctor or a clinician suspects a diagnosis of heart failure, 99.99% of the time, they'll start by ordering an echocardiogram or a heart ultrasound. Of course, the guidelines tell us to get a chest X-ray, get labs, those sorts of things. But really, we make the diagnosis for the most part based on the results of an echocardiogram because that echocardiogram allows us to visualize how the heart is pumping. It allows us to classify the type of heart failure so that if we see that the squeeze of the heart is impaired, we call that heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. And that's when the ejection fraction or EF is 40% or less. If the EF is in the 41 to 49% range, we classify that as heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction. And if patients have an ejection fraction of 50% or greater, we call that heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or HFpEF." "And we were excited that the FDA actually granted a priority review for KERENDIA because this really only occurs when the FDA recognizes that a treatment can fill a significant unmet need for a disease or a population of patients. And lo and behold, in July of 2025, finerenone was approved by the FDA under the trade name KERENDIA to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure, and urgent heart failure visits in adults with an ejection fraction of 40% or more." #Bayer #Finerenone #Pharma #HeartFailure #HFpEF #HFmrEF #MRA #UnmetNeed #Cardiology #KERENDIA #FDA #CardiovascularHealth #MedicalBreakthrough #PatientCare #Innovation /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39946685

AI-Powered Virtual Tumor Boards Democratize Access to Expert Cancer Analysis with Steve Brown and Lisa Booth CureWise TRANSCRIPT 02/04/2026

AI-Powered Virtual Tumor Boards Democratize Access to Expert Cancer Analysis with Steve Brown and Lisa Booth CureWise TRANSCRIPT Steve Brown, Founder and CEO and Lisa Booth, Vice President of Operations of CureWise, are both cancer survivors, which led them to develop an AI-powered tumor board platform to advance cancer diagnoses and treatment. This approach to precision medicine provides patients with the opportunity to better understand their specific condition, educating them about possible courses of action that may be more appropriate than the standard of care. The platform also helps patients find relevant clinical trials and manage the side effects of their treatments. Steve explains, "So the mission really is to harness AI to advance cancer care. And ultimately, for that reason, anybody who's touched by cancer is hopeful that we will be making more progress toward cures for cancer. And we believe that that's going to happen through precision medicine, which really means recognition that everybody's cancer is unique. And at some point, we're going to treat cancer that way because we're going to know enough about how it all works. We're going to be able to individualize care. So our mission is to advance that cause." Lisa elaborates, "When Steve and I started working together, one of the things I said was that I needed a way as a patient to be able to access different perspectives of a radiologist, an interventional radiologist, a pathologist, a geneticist, an oncologist, etc. And I can get that in Seattle, but most of the people I work with can't, meaning the patients and my friends in the cancer community don't have access to that because they don't exist in their communities." #CancerCare #AI #PrecisionMedicine #PatientEmpowerment #HealthTech #CancerSurvivors #DigitalHealth #Oncology #TumorBoard #ClinicalTrials #HealthcareInnovation #PatientAdvocacy #PatientLedInnovation #CancerAndAI #TumorBoardTech #AIForPatients #SteveBrownAI #LisaBoothSurvivor #MedicalAutonomy #HealthTechWithHeart #NOfOneMedicine /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39900215

AI-Powered Virtual Tumor Boards Democratize Access to Expert Cancer Analysis with Steve Brown and Lisa Booth CureWise 02/04/2026

AI-Powered Virtual Tumor Boards Democratize Access to Expert Cancer Analysis with Steve Brown and Lisa Booth CureWise Steve Brown, Founder and CEO and Lisa Booth, Vice President of Operations of CureWise, are both cancer survivors, which led them to develop an AI-powered tumor board platform to advance cancer diagnoses and treatment. This approach to precision medicine provides patients with the opportunity to better understand their specific condition, educating them about possible courses of action that may be more appropriate than the standard of care. The platform also helps patients find relevant clinical trials and manage the side effects of their treatments. Steve explains, "So the mission really is to harness AI to advance cancer care. And ultimately, for that reason, anybody who's touched by cancer is hopeful that we will be making more progress toward cures for cancer. And we believe that that's going to happen through precision medicine, which really means recognition that everybody's cancer is unique. And at some point, we're going to treat cancer that way because we're going to know enough about how it all works. We're going to be able to individualize care. So our mission is to advance that cause." Lisa elaborates, "When Steve and I started working together, one of the things I said was that I needed a way as a patient to be able to access different perspectives of a radiologist, an interventional radiologist, a pathologist, a geneticist, an oncologist, etc. And I can get that in Seattle, but most of the people I work with can't, meaning the patients and my friends in the cancer community don't have access to that because they don't exist in their communities." #CancerCare #AI #PrecisionMedicine #PatientEmpowerment #HealthTech #CancerSurvivors #DigitalHealth #Oncology #TumorBoard #ClinicalTrials #HealthcareInnovation #PatientAdvocacy #PatientLedInnovation #CancerAndAI #TumorBoardTech #AIForPatients #SteveBrownAI #LisaBoothSurvivor #MedicalAutonomy #HealthTechWithHeart #NOfOneMedicine /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39900190

Effectively Treating Rare Epileptic Disorder Dravet Syndrome with Nayla Chaijale UCB TRANSCRIPT 02/04/2026

Effectively Treating Rare Epileptic Disorder Dravet Syndrome with Nayla Chaijale UCB TRANSCRIPT Nayla Chaijale, Medical Strategy Lead for Rare Syndromes at UCB, describes Dravet syndrome, a rare, medication-resistant epileptic encephalopathy that involves seizures and significant co-morbidities like cognitive and developmental delays. Their approved drug FINTEPLA has a unique mechanism of action that modulates pathways in the brain and has demonstrated a significant reduction in the frequency of convulsive seizures in those with this condition. Nayla notes that the good news is that most patients with Dravet syndrome have a mutation in the SCN1A gene, a critical biomarker that enables accurate diagnosis. Nayla explains, "So, Dravet syndrome is a rare condition in epilepsy, and what we call it is neurodevelopmental and epileptic encephalopathy. I'm just going to call it DEEs, to say that it's a rare epileptic syndrome. Even though it's very rare, it's also very burdensome for the patients and their families. So, people living with these conditions start having the symptoms at a very early age, between two and 15 months of life. And it usually appears after a fever or a high temperature. And the symptoms are seizures that usually are long, prolonged seizures. It's not just about the seizures, it's also the other symptoms, such as potential cognitive delays and other developmental delays, problems with sleep, problems with behavior over time." "The good news about Dravet syndrome is that there is a very well-established biomarker. So, there is a genetic test for it, for the gene code that is called SCN1A. And also, in science, we love to have acronyms, but really, it's related to a specific type of receptors or proteins that are in charge of neuronal transmission and communication, like in the neurons. And these are called sodium channel neurotransmitters. And there is a mutation of that gene that is very characteristic, around 90% of these patients will have that mutation of the gene. So, having that biomarker will give a very good indication to the healthcare provider that the person living with the conditions may have Dravet syndrome." #UCB #DravetSyndrome #RareEpilepsy #FINTEPLA #Neuroscience #RareDiseases #EpilepsyAwareness #MedicalInnovation #PatientCare #NeurodevelopmentalDisorders #ClinicalTrials #RareDiseases /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39900100

Effectively Treating Rare Epileptic Disorder Dravet Syndrome with Nayla Chaijale UCB 02/04/2026

Effectively Treating Rare Epileptic Disorder Dravet Syndrome with Nayla Chaijale UCB Nayla Chaijale, Medical Strategy Lead for Rare Syndromes at UCB, describes Dravet syndrome, a rare, medication-resistant epileptic encephalopathy that involves seizures and significant co-morbidities like cognitive and developmental delays. Their approved drug FINTEPLA has a unique mechanism of action that modulates pathways in the brain and has demonstrated a significant reduction in the frequency of convulsive seizures in those with this condition. Nayla notes that the good news is that most patients with Dravet syndrome have a mutation in the SCN1A gene, a critical biomarker that enables accurate diagnosis. Nayla explains, "So, Dravet syndrome is a rare condition in epilepsy, and what we call it is neurodevelopmental and epileptic encephalopathy. I'm just going to call it DEEs, to say that it's a rare epileptic syndrome. Even though it's very rare, it's also very burdensome for the patients and their families. So, people living with these conditions start having the symptoms at a very early age, between two and 15 months of life. And it usually appears after a fever or a high temperature. And the symptoms are seizures that usually are long, prolonged seizures. It's not just about the seizures, it's also the other symptoms, such as potential cognitive delays and other developmental delays, problems with sleep, problems with behavior over time." "The good news about Dravet syndrome is that there is a very well-established biomarker. So, there is a genetic test for it, for the gene code that is called SCN1A. And also, in science, we love to have acronyms, but really, it's related to a specific type of receptors or proteins that are in charge of neuronal transmission and communication, like in the neurons. And these are called sodium channel neurotransmitters. And there is a mutation of that gene that is very characteristic, around 90% of these patients will have that mutation of the gene. So, having that biomarker will give a very good indication to the healthcare provider that the person living with the conditions may have Dravet syndrome." #UCB #DravetSyndrome #RareEpilepsy #FINTEPLA #Neuroscience #RareDiseases #EpilepsyAwareness #MedicalInnovation #PatientCare #NeurodevelopmentalDisorders #ClinicalTrials #RareDiseases /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39900070

AI Platform Facilitating Improved Accessibility to Clinical Trials with Vanessa Lemarié myTomorrows TRANSCRIPT 02/03/2026

AI Platform Facilitating Improved Accessibility to Clinical Trials with Vanessa Lemarié myTomorrows 02/03/2026

Providing Access to Uncovered Specialty Medications with Paul Pruitt SHARx TRANSCRIPT 02/02/2026

Providing Access to Uncovered Specialty Medications with Paul Pruitt SHARx TRANSCRIPT Paul Pruitt, Chief Growth Officer at SHARx, which is a company that partners with employers to provide access to drugs not covered by insurance, such as specialty medications. The SHARx model acts as a complementary service to existing Pharmacy Benefit Managers and allows employers to opt out of covering the most expensive drugs. Paul's personal experience managing his sons' rare condition and navigating the administrative burden and frustration of the insurance system gives him deep insights into the factors driving up the cost of medications. Paul explains, "When we started SHARx eight years ago, the really highest cost biologics and what we call specialty medications were about 35% of the dollars that were being spent within a pharmacy program. And this year, we rarely see it under 50%. So it's really become a huge issue that we're noticing and realizing why many employers have to make the jump to do something different." "The highest cost medications are 1% to 5% of how a plan is used on the pharmacy side, but it's 90% of the dollars. So we've seen a lot of employers say, "Hey, we really care about our employees. We want to offer great benefits, but if we can't stay in business or offer a plan at all, then what good is that?" So what changes can we make? And that's where they come to us and say, "Hey, we can't participate. We may not be able to cover these medications this way going forward, but because we care about our folks, we want them to have access more affordably." That's why they partner with SHARx so that we can deliver that type of service to their people after they've made that determination of what they can and cannot cover any longer." #SHARx #PrescriptionDrugs #HealthcareCosts #PatientAdvocacy #HealthcareTransparency #PBMReform #SpecialtyPharmacy #HealthcareInnovation #PatientCentric #DrugPricing #HealthcareCrisis #RareDiseases /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39897365

Providing Access to Uncovered Specialty Medications with Paul Pruitt SHARx 02/02/2026

Providing Access to Uncovered Specialty Medications with Paul Pruitt SHARx Paul Pruitt, Chief Growth Officer at SHARx, which is a company that partners with employers to provide access to drugs not covered by insurance, such as specialty medications. The SHARx model acts as a complementary service to existing Pharmacy Benefit Managers and allows employers to opt out of covering the most expensive drugs. Paul's personal experience managing his sons' rare condition and navigating the administrative burden and frustration of the insurance system gives him deep insights into the factors driving up the cost of medications. Paul explains, "When we started SHARx eight years ago, the really highest cost biologics and what we call specialty medications were about 35% of the dollars that were being spent within a pharmacy program. And this year, we rarely see it under 50%. So it's really become a huge issue that we're noticing and realizing why many employers have to make the jump to do something different." "The highest cost medications are 1% to 5% of how a plan is used on the pharmacy side, but it's 90% of the dollars. So we've seen a lot of employers say, "Hey, we really care about our employees. We want to offer great benefits, but if we can't stay in business or offer a plan at all, then what good is that?" So what changes can we make? And that's where they come to us and say, "Hey, we can't participate. We may not be able to cover these medications this way going forward, but because we care about our folks, we want them to have access more affordably." That's why they partner with SHARx so that we can deliver that type of service to their people after they've made that determination of what they can and cannot cover any longer." #SHARx #PrescriptionDrugs #HealthcareCosts #PatientAdvocacy #HealthcareTransparency #PBMReform #SpecialtyPharmacy #HealthcareInnovation #PatientCentric #DrugPricing #HealthcareCrisis #RareDiseases /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39897320

AI-Powered Diagnostics and Targeted Radiotherapy for CNS Cancers with Dr. Marc Hedrick Plus Therapeutics TRANSCRIPT 01/28/2026

AI-Powered Diagnostics and Targeted Radiotherapy for CNS Cancers with Dr. Marc Hedrick Plus Therapeutics TRANSCRIPT Dr. Marc Hedrick, President and CEO of Plus Therapeutics Inc., has expanded their focus from glioblastoma to leptomeningeal metastasis, a central nervous system cancer that is a growing challenge due to increased survival rates from primary cancers. Their highly sensitive, advanced diagnostic test, CNSide, can detect cancer cells in cerebrospinal fluid, addressing the shortcomings of imaging and outdated standard-of-care practices. Using AI and advanced data analytics, their lead drug candidate is uniquely suited for treating CNS cancers because its safety at high doses enables the precise delivery of radiation. Marc explains, "Since we last talked and we discussed primarily the use of radiotherapeutics for the treatment of glioblastoma. We've expanded that pretty significantly into a disease called leptomeningeal metastasis. And I think we may have touched on that briefly, at least conceptually, a few years ago. But now it's really real. We've just completed a phase one trial, and we're expanding that with the goal of getting the drug approved, perhaps sooner than with glioblastoma, by focusing on leptomeningeal cancer, for which there's nothing approved. And maybe it would be a good idea to back up and explain a little bit about what that is, because there's an epidemic of it that's not commonly understood." "So the central nervous system is a protected organ in the body. Now, I mean the brain and the spinal cord. And it's that way for a reason to keep bad things out. Things like infections, tumors, or certain chemical toxins. And that includes drugs. Only about 2% of all drugs get into the central nervous system, which is a problem from a therapeutic perspective. But there's an epidemic in terms of metastases to the brain and spinal cord. Let's call those the CNS collectively. And that's because many common tumors like breast cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, and melanoma are better controlled locally with drugs that don't have to worry about getting into the central nervous system. They just need to get into those specific organs and tissues and then exert control over the tumor where it occurred." $PSTV #LM #CNS #Cancer #LeptomeningealMetastases #CNSide #BrainCancer #Oncology #Radiotherapeutics #MedicalInnovation #CancerResearch #Biotechnology #PatientCare #ClinicalTrials #HealthcareInnovation #CancerTreatment #Neuroscience #MedTech /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39819535

AI-Powered Diagnostics and Targeted Radiotherapy for CNS Cancers with Dr. Marc Hedrick Plus Therapeutics 01/28/2026

AI-Powered Diagnostics and Targeted Radiotherapy for CNS Cancers with Dr. Marc Hedrick Plus Therapeutics Dr. Marc Hedrick, President and CEO of Plus Therapeutics Inc., has expanded their focus from glioblastoma to leptomeningeal metastasis, a central nervous system cancer that is a growing challenge due to increased survival rates from primary cancers. Their highly sensitive, advanced diagnostic test, CNSide, can detect cancer cells in cerebrospinal fluid, addressing the shortcomings of imaging and outdated standard-of-care practices. Using AI and advanced data analytics, their lead drug candidate is uniquely suited for treating CNS cancers because its safety at high doses enables the precise delivery of radiation. Marc explains, "Since we last talked and we discussed primarily the use of radiotherapeutics for the treatment of glioblastoma. We've expanded that pretty significantly into a disease called leptomeningeal metastasis. And I think we may have touched on that briefly, at least conceptually, a few years ago. But now it's really real. We've just completed a phase one trial, and we're expanding that with the goal of getting the drug approved, perhaps sooner than with glioblastoma, by focusing on leptomeningeal cancer, for which there's nothing approved. And maybe it would be a good idea to back up and explain a little bit about what that is, because there's an epidemic of it that's not commonly understood." "So the central nervous system is a protected organ in the body. Now, I mean the brain and the spinal cord. And it's that way for a reason to keep bad things out. Things like infections, tumors, or certain chemical toxins. And that includes drugs. Only about 2% of all drugs get into the central nervous system, which is a problem from a therapeutic perspective. But there's an epidemic in terms of metastases to the brain and spinal cord. Let's call those the CNS collectively. And that's because many common tumors like breast cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, and melanoma are better controlled locally with drugs that don't have to worry about getting into the central nervous system. They just need to get into those specific organs and tissues and then exert control over the tumor where it occurred." $PSTV #LM #CNS #Cancer #LeptomeningealMetastases #CNSide #BrainCancer #Oncology #Radiotherapeutics #MedicalInnovation #CancerResearch #Biotechnology #PatientCare #ClinicalTrials #HealthcareInnovation #CancerTreatment #Neuroscience #MedTech /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39819510

Proactive Care and Digital Tools Are Transforming Senior Living Facilities with Kristy Yoskey PointClickCare TRANSCRIPT 01/27/2026

Proactive Care and Digital Tools Are Transforming Senior Living Facilities with Kristy Yoskey PointClickCare TRANSCRIPT Kristy Yoskey, VP and Market Leader at PointClickCare, sees the evolution of demands of those living in senior living facilities from expecting basic housing to a desire for lifestyle choices, health services, and engagement in meaningful activities. On the facilities side, there is a shift from reactive to proactive care, where technology is used to monitor residents, identify behavioral changes, support clinical decision-making, and intervene early to prevent adverse events. In addition, the complexity of resident care is increasing, blurring the line between hospitality and healthcare and requiring greater care coordination and real-time updates for providers and family members. Kristy explains, "We've seen a real shift within senior living, and this is sort of a passion of mine. Residents in senior living are not just looking for hospitality, a place to go, and a roof over their heads anymore. They want lifestyle. They want health, they want purpose in life, they want independence. So we've seen real shifts in acuity levels, which means complexity, care needs are shifting. And we're seeing families sort of wanting more transparency, real-time updates. COVID really shifted a lot of things post-2020, and senior living did not necessarily get past that." "So they want to know that their loved one's not only safe, but they're also thriving, and they're receiving care. Residents want to know that someone's going to help coordinate their care and not just put them in an apartment and leave them alone. They're moving in for something that they need, some sort of help or something that is beyond what they can do in a community-type home. So the last thing I'll say here is that hospitality and healthcare have really become blurred in senior living since COVID. It's been a hot topic. We're seeing a lot more clinical services onsite and a lot more coordinated care happening. So the teams, the tools, all of that happening onsite within assisted independent memory care are now a necessity." #PointClickCare ##SeniorLiving #HealthTech #AI #DigitalHealth #ElderCare #ResidentWellness #HealthcareInnovation #ProactiveCare #SeniorCare #PointClickCare #WellnessCoordination #HealthcareTransformation #AgingInPlace #ClinicalTechnology /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39792790

Proactive Care and Digital Tools Are Transforming Senior Living Facilities with Kristy Yoskey PointClickCare 01/27/2026

Proactive Care and Digital Tools Are Transforming Senior Living Facilities with Kristy Yoskey PointClickCare Kristy Yoskey, VP and Market Leader at PointClickCare, sees the evolution of demands of those living in senior living facilities from expecting basic housing to a desire for lifestyle choices, health services, and engagement in meaningful activities. On the facilities side, there is a shift from reactive to proactive care, where technology is used to monitor residents, identify behavioral changes, support clinical decision-making, and intervene early to prevent adverse events. In addition, the complexity of resident care is increasing, blurring the line between hospitality and healthcare and requiring greater care coordination and real-time updates for providers and family members. Kristy explains, "We've seen a real shift within senior living, and this is sort of a passion of mine. Residents in senior living are not just looking for hospitality, a place to go, and a roof over their heads anymore. They want lifestyle. They want health, they want purpose in life, they want independence. So we've seen real shifts in acuity levels, which means complexity, care needs are shifting. And we're seeing families sort of wanting more transparency, real-time updates. COVID really shifted a lot of things post-2020, and senior living did not necessarily get past that." "So they want to know that their loved one's not only safe, but they're also thriving, and they're receiving care. Residents want to know that someone's going to help coordinate their care and not just put them in an apartment and leave them alone. They're moving in for something that they need, some sort of help or something that is beyond what they can do in a community-type home. So the last thing I'll say here is that hospitality and healthcare have really become blurred in senior living since COVID. It's been a hot topic. We're seeing a lot more clinical services onsite and a lot more coordinated care happening. So the teams, the tools, all of that happening onsite within assisted independent memory care are now a necessity." #PointClickCare ##SeniorLiving #HealthTech #AI #DigitalHealth #ElderCare #ResidentWellness #HealthcareInnovation #ProactiveCare #SeniorCare #PointClickCare #WellnessCoordination #HealthcareTransformation #AgingInPlace #ClinicalTechnology /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39792765

Using Behavioral Science to Expand Clinical Trial Participation and Patient Engagement with Sarah Smith Oracle Life Sciences TRANSCRIPT 01/26/2026

Using Behavioral Science to Expand Clinical Trial Participation and Patient Engagement with Sarah Smith Oracle Life Sciences TRANSCRIPT Sarah Smith, Qualitative Specialist and Global Behavioral Science Strategy Lead at Oracle Life Sciences, is focused on the critical role of behavioral science in improving recruitment and retention in clinical trials. Oracle Life Sciences is working to address historical underrepresentation in clinical trials by combining behavioral insights with integrated technologies to identify at-risk populations and understand barriers to participation. Using nudges to encourage trial participation, conducting decentralized trials, and applying AI to reshape patient engagement are strong tools for building trust and improving accessibility. Sarah explains, "Behavioral science is about understanding behavior. It draws from a number of disciplines like psychology, anthropology, and behavioral economics. But what it tells us is that people aren't rational. They don't always do the things that we expect them to do. So if we want to engage people, if we want to engage them properly, if we want to ensure that all the things we do are equitable and have an equal playing field, then we need to really understand why people do the things they do and to try and help us make sense of that in a way that encompasses everybody." "We see treatment and technology advancing, but there are many communities that aren't part of that still, that are underrepresented. Factors like gender, ethnicity, culture, conditions that carry a stigma, socioeconomic issues, and geographic limitations - all of these things can limit the opportunity, ability, and willingness of individuals to participate in clinical trials. And that means the impact of those trials is less generalizable because those people are not represented. They're just simply not there. So the treatment that is aimed at these people is not measured in those groups. Oracle is working to address this by combining a deeper understanding of behavior with integrated technology to try to close this gap in representation to give more inclusive patient-centered care that unifies clinical, behavioral, and safety data across settings. To give a more holistic view, to give more coordinated care, to identify risks earlier, to identify patients that perhaps just need a bit more attention - a more personalized engagement." #OracleLifeSciences #lifesciences #ClinicalResearch #PatientCentricity #PatientEngagement #ClinicalTrials #Healthliteracy #BehavioralScience #HealthEquity #AI #Healthcare #Diversity #Inclusion #MedicalResearch #Innovation /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39792730

Using Behavioral Science to Expand Clinical Trial Participation and Patient Engagement with Sarah Smith Oracle Life Sciences 01/26/2026

Using Behavioral Science to Expand Clinical Trial Participation and Patient Engagement with Sarah Smith Oracle Life Sciences Sarah Smith, Qualitative Specialist and Global Behavioral Science Strategy Lead at Oracle Life Sciences, is focused on the critical role of behavioral science in improving recruitment and retention in clinical trials. Oracle Life Sciences is working to address historical underrepresentation in clinical trials by combining behavioral insights with integrated technologies to identify at-risk populations and understand barriers to participation. Using nudges to encourage trial participation, conducting decentralized trials, and applying AI to reshape patient engagement are strong tools for building trust and improving accessibility. Sarah explains, "Behavioral science is about understanding behavior. It draws from a number of disciplines like psychology, anthropology, and behavioral economics. But what it tells us is that people aren't rational. They don't always do the things that we expect them to do. So if we want to engage people, if we want to engage them properly, if we want to ensure that all the things we do are equitable and have an equal playing field, then we need to really understand why people do the things they do and to try and help us make sense of that in a way that encompasses everybody." "We see treatment and technology advancing, but there are many communities that aren't part of that still, that are underrepresented. Factors like gender, ethnicity, culture, conditions that carry a stigma, socioeconomic issues, and geographic limitations - all of these things can limit the opportunity, ability, and willingness of individuals to participate in clinical trials. And that means the impact of those trials is less generalizable because those people are not represented. They're just simply not there. So the treatment that is aimed at these people is not measured in those groups. Oracle is working to address this by combining a deeper understanding of behavior with integrated technology to try to close this gap in representation to give more inclusive patient-centered care that unifies clinical, behavioral, and safety data across settings. To give a more holistic view, to give more coordinated care, to identify risks earlier, to identify patients that perhaps just need a bit more attention - a more personalized engagement." #OracleLifeSciences #lifesciences #ClinicalResearch #PatientCentricity #PatientEngagement #ClinicalTrials #Healthliteracy #BehavioralScience #HealthEquity #AI #Healthcare #Diversity #Inclusion #MedicalResearch #Innovation /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39792695

Using Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression with Dr. Josh Eloge Connected Neuroscience TRANSCRIPT 01/22/2026

Using Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression with Dr. Josh Eloge Connected Neuroscience TRANSCRIPT Dr. Josh Eloge, Associate Director for the Woman's Board Treatment Research Center, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Rush University Medical Center, and Founder of Connected Neuroscience has a focus on treatment-resistant depression which is defined as depression that is not relieved by at least two first-line medications. Research has identified that TRD is associated with hyperactivity in a specific brain region, shifting attention from a chemical view of depression to a neurobiological one. Research on deep-brain stimulation and implantable technology is demonstrating neuromodulation and reductions in hyperactivity. Josh explains, "So depression, kind of a low mood, is something that is universally experienced, right? It's part of the human condition to a certain extent. However, when a low mood persists for most of the time and is accompanied by problems with being able to enjoy things, disruptions in sleep, appetite, or even thoughts about life not being worth living, one might be experiencing something called a major depressive episode, part of a major depressive disorder. And this is a specific psychiatric disorder that requires attention. Frankly, there are poor outcomes associated with this. About one in five Americans will experience a major depressive episode at some time in their life, so it's a little bit more common than people might think, and there are some effective treatments. So in my work, both seeing patients and in the research that I do here at Rush, we're looking at major depressive episode and trying to think how can we best treat this disorder to get people back to being able to enjoy things that they like to do, being with their family, have meaningful work, these sorts of things." "However, the research also shows that about a third of patients who try these different medications don't ultimately get the response that we are hoping for. And this has been termed treatment-resistant depression - when you try at least two of these first-line medications, but the symptoms are still present, and this is where a lot of the research that we've been working on in this specific population has been focused on." #ConnectedNeuroscience #MentalHealth #Neuroscience #DeepBrainStimulation #TreatmentResistantDepression #MedicalResearch #Innovation #RushUniversity #BrainHealth #ClinicalTrials #Psychiatry #NeuroModulation #DBS #TRANSCENDstudy #TRD /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39600610

Using Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression with Dr. Josh Eloge Connected Neuroscience 01/22/2026

Using Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression with Dr. Josh Eloge Connected Neuroscience Dr. Josh Eloge, Associate Director for the Woman's Board Treatment Research Center, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Rush University Medical Center, and Founder of Connected Neuroscience has a focus on treatment-resistant depression which is defined as depression that is not relieved by at least two first-line medications. Research has identified that TRD is associated with hyperactivity in a specific brain region, shifting attention from a chemical view of depression to a neurobiological one. Research on deep-brain stimulation and implantable technology is demonstrating neuromodulation and reductions in hyperactivity. Josh explains, "So depression, kind of a low mood, is something that is universally experienced, right? It's part of the human condition to a certain extent. However, when a low mood persists for most of the time and is accompanied by problems with being able to enjoy things, disruptions in sleep, appetite, or even thoughts about life not being worth living, one might be experiencing something called a major depressive episode, part of a major depressive disorder. And this is a specific psychiatric disorder that requires attention. Frankly, there are poor outcomes associated with this. About one in five Americans will experience a major depressive episode at some time in their life, so it's a little bit more common than people might think, and there are some effective treatments. So in my work, both seeing patients and in the research that I do here at Rush, we're looking at major depressive episode and trying to think how can we best treat this disorder to get people back to being able to enjoy things that they like to do, being with their family, have meaningful work, these sorts of things." "However, the research also shows that about a third of patients who try these different medications don't ultimately get the response that we are hoping for. And this has been termed treatment-resistant depression - when you try at least two of these first-line medications, but the symptoms are still present, and this is where a lot of the research that we've been working on in this specific population has been focused on." #ConnectedNeuroscience #MentalHealth #Neuroscience #DeepBrainStimulation #TreatmentResistantDepression #MedicalResearch #Innovation #RushUniversity #BrainHealth #ClinicalTrials #Psychiatry #NeuroModulation #DBS #TRANSCENDstudy #TRD /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39600600

Addressing Health Disparities Through Workforce Diversity and Improved Access to Clinical Trials with Dr. Eugene Manley STEMM & Cancer Health Equity Foundation TRANSCRIPT 01/21/2026

Addressing Health Disparities Through Workforce Diversity and Improved Access to Clinical Trials with Dr. Eugene Manley STEMM & Cancer Health Equity Foundation TRANSCRIPT Dr. Eugene Manley, biomedical scientist turned social impact leader and Founder and CEO of the STEMM & Cancer Health Equity Foundation, is focused on increasing STEMM workforce diversity and improving outcomes for underserved cancer patients. He highlights the lack of diversity in foundational lung cancer research and the need to expand the number of cell lines being included to develop more effective therapies. Eugene also raises concerns about barriers to clinical trial participation and the need to engage local community partners and AI to raise awareness and improve accessibility. Eugene explains, "The SCHEQ Foundation, which is a short name for STEMM and Cancer Health Equity, is tasked with working to increase STEMM workforce diversity and improve outcomes for underserved patients navigating the cancer care continuum. This is done broadly through trying to increase STEMM access and exposure, mentorship and training programs to help students navigate career transitions, and providing information and resources to underserved patients to help them navigate and access the care they're entitled to." "There are many paths into the medical field now. If you're trying to do particularly applied research or do things that directly impact patient outcomes, then yes, you might want to go more of a technical path. But as we mentioned, AI is the new thing on the block. It's a lot of looking at trends, variances, and differences in data, and then you can use that to predict how things may act or behave. However, the downside of this is that the data is often based on one population, one race, or ethnicity, which makes it harder to broadly generalize these results. So that's a lot of the challenges that we're seeing right now." #SCHEQ #HealthEquity #STEMM #CancerResearch #DiversityInScience #BiomedicalResearch #ClinicalTrials #LungCancer #HealthDisparities #MedicalInnovation #SocialImpact #HealthcareAccess #PrecisionMedicine /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39600540

Addressing Health Disparities Through Workforce Diversity and Improved Access to Clinical Trials with Dr. Eugene Manley STEMM & Cancer Health Equity Foundation 01/21/2026

Addressing Health Disparities Through Workforce Diversity and Improved Access to Clinical Trials with Dr. Eugene Manley STEMM & Cancer Health Equity Foundation Dr. Eugene Manley, biomedical scientist turned social impact leader and Founder and CEO of the STEMM & Cancer Health Equity Foundation, is focused on increasing STEMM workforce diversity and improving outcomes for underserved cancer patients. He highlights the lack of diversity in foundational lung cancer research and the need to expand the number of cell lines being included to develop more effective therapies. Eugene also raises concerns about barriers to clinical trial participation and the need to engage local community partners and AI to raise awareness and improve accessibility. Eugene explains, "The SCHEQ Foundation, which is a short name for STEMM and Cancer Health Equity, is tasked with working to increase STEMM workforce diversity and improve outcomes for underserved patients navigating the cancer care continuum. This is done broadly through trying to increase STEMM access and exposure, mentorship and training programs to help students navigate career transitions, and providing information and resources to underserved patients to help them navigate and access the care they're entitled to." "There are many paths into the medical field now. If you're trying to do particularly applied research or do things that directly impact patient outcomes, then yes, you might want to go more of a technical path. But as we mentioned, AI is the new thing on the block. It's a lot of looking at trends, variances, and differences in data, and then you can use that to predict how things may act or behave. However, the downside of this is that the data is often based on one population, one race, or ethnicity, which makes it harder to broadly generalize these results. So that's a lot of the challenges that we're seeing right now." #SCHEQ #HealthEquity #STEMM #CancerResearch #DiversityInScience #BiomedicalResearch #ClinicalTrials #LungCancer #HealthDisparities #MedicalInnovation #SocialImpact #HealthcareAccess #PrecisionMedicine /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39600535

How Community-Based Clinical Trials Can Transform Patient Access and Participation with Ro Wickramasinghe Pi Health TRANSCRIPT 01/20/2026

How Community-Based Clinical Trials Can Transform Patient Access and Participation with Ro Wickramasinghe Pi Health TRANSCRIPT Ro Wickramasinghe, Vice President and Head of Global Business at Pi Health, identifies fundamental problems plaguing clinical trials, including operational inefficiencies and limited access to trials. Pi Health is addressing these challenges by developing an integrated software platform for clinical trial sponsors, sites, and patients and partnering with community-based cancer treatment centers worldwide. The company has built a hospital in India to serve as a living laboratory to test and refine its model to democratize access and increase the ethnic diversity of trial participants. Ro explains, "I think the challenge has always been, from a pharma-biotech perspective, is to find patients, but, from the other perspective, its patients participating in trials and being able to find clinical trials. So a lot of stats get bandied around, but despite many eligible patients, the percentage of eligible patients who actually end up in a clinical trial is really small. It's like 5% to 8%, so not a huge amount. I think that's kind of one problem." "So we have it in chicken and egg scenario where we as a company develop clinical trial software, but when ultimately the vision for us is for that to really become the standard of care and really make trials more efficient for the clinicians that treat the patients and run the trials for these pharma companies and biotech companies that develop the drugs and sponsor the study." "But having said that, I think to run lots of studies, what we decided to do was to build our own cancer hospital in India. And the beauty of that is that it is fully vertically integrated at the point of care. So the data gets captured on those patients in FICS, which is the software we've developed and then we can run trials. We have run trials for pharma and biotech at that site using our software. So it was, I guess, one of the quicker ways to test the software in a real-world environment and also getting lots of data on FICS and how it can benefit patients from the point of care to being on trials." #PiHealth #ClinicalTrials #HealthTech #CancerResearch #Innovation #DigitalHealth #PharmaTech #PatientAccess #MedTech #Healthcare #ClinicalResearch #GlobalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #India /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39600515

How Community-Based Clinical Trials Can Transform Patient Access and Participation with Ro Wickramasinghe Pi Health 01/20/2026

How Community-Based Clinical Trials Can Transform Patient Access and Participation with Ro Wickramasinghe Pi Health Ro Wickramasinghe, Vice President and Head of Global Business at Pi Health, identifies fundamental problems plaguing clinical trials, including operational inefficiencies and limited access to trials. Pi Health is addressing these challenges by developing an integrated software platform for clinical trial sponsors, sites, and patients and partnering with community-based cancer treatment centers worldwide. The company has built a hospital in India to serve as a living laboratory to test and refine its model to democratize access and increase the ethnic diversity of trial participants. Ro explains, "I think the challenge has always been, from a pharma-biotech perspective, is to find patients, but, from the other perspective, its patients participating in trials and being able to find clinical trials. So a lot of stats get bandied around, but despite many eligible patients, the percentage of eligible patients who actually end up in a clinical trial is really small. It's like 5% to 8%, so not a huge amount. I think that's kind of one problem." "So we have it in chicken and egg scenario where we as a company develop clinical trial software, but when ultimately the vision for us is for that to really become the standard of care and really make trials more efficient for the clinicians that treat the patients and run the trials for these pharma companies and biotech companies that develop the drugs and sponsor the study." "But having said that, I think to run lots of studies, what we decided to do was to build our own cancer hospital in India. And the beauty of that is that it is fully vertically integrated at the point of care. So the data gets captured on those patients in FICS, which is the software we've developed and then we can run trials. We have run trials for pharma and biotech at that site using our software. So it was, I guess, one of the quicker ways to test the software in a real-world environment and also getting lots of data on FICS and how it can benefit patients from the point of care to being on trials." #PiHealth #ClinicalTrials #HealthTech #CancerResearch #Innovation #DigitalHealth #PharmaTech #PatientAccess #MedTech #Healthcare #ClinicalResearch #GlobalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #India /episode/index/show/empoweredpatient/id/39600500

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