Conversations with innovators on how they are building solutions to improve patient care at the intersection between healthcare, business, and technology
Episode 12: Baltimore's Rising Tide in Biotech. A Discussion with Matt Tremblay, CEO of Blackbird Labs
Matt Tremblay is the Chief Executive Officer of Blackbird Laboratories, a nonprofit technology development platform, and Managing Director of Wolf Point, an early stage biotech investment fund. Blackbird and Wolf Point aim to catalyze the creation of new medicines and enabling healthcare technologies in Baltimore. Blackbird laboratories is a $100 Million dollar fund started with the support of Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti that seeks to address the funding gap that many early stage research firms face. With research collaborations with Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland Baltimore, and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Blackbird seeks to utilize the depth of Baltimore’s specialized researchers in this field.
Prior to leading Blackbird, Matt was the chief operating officer of the drug discovery organization Calibr, where he led a team of biologists in the discovery of new therapeutic agents for metabolic, cardiovascular, and autoimmune diseases. In addition to Matt’s role with Blackbird, he serves as an executive advisor of Scripps Research, a San Diego based facility focused on cutting edge biomedical research.
*This episode was recorded in January 2024
Learn more about Matt and the excellent work at Blackbird (plus his favorite monolithic structure- Göbekli Tepe!) in the links below:
Blackbird Website (https://blackbirdlab.org/)
Biotech accelerator Blackbird Laboratories launches in Baltimore with Ravens owner’s support (https://technical.ly/startups/blackbird-laboratories-ravens-matt-tremblay/)Ravens’ owner puts up $100 million to turn science into cures — and Baltimore jobs (https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/science-medicine/bisciotti-foundation-blackbird-VUE4ZRPGMNGPRDXWSOEOGGGX3Q/)
Göbekli Tepe - Megalithic structure (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1572/)
17 Apr 2024
Episode 11: Johns Hopkins’ Bet on Healthcare Innovation in Baltimore - A Conversation with Christy Wyskiel
Christy Wyskiel is an entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder in the life sciences and healthcare industries. She is currently the Senior Advisor to the President of Johns Hopkins University for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In this role, she also serves as the Executive Director of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, a division of the university responsible for technology transfer, corporate research partnerships, and company incubation. During her tenure, Johns Hopkins University startups have raised over $4 billion in venture capital, and she has fostered the creation of over 150 companies, which have contributed to the $500 million the university generated from both licensing and industry collaborations. Christy was also one of the founders of UpSurge, an initiative to create equity among startup founders by providing them with access to resources in the Baltimore ecosystem. Christy is a proud resident of Baltimore and a key advocate to help Charm City reach its potential as a center for innovation.
*This episode was recorded in January 2023
Learn more about Christy and some of the initiatives mentioned in this episode in the links below:
About Christy Wyskiel (https://president.jhu.edu/profiles/christy-wyskiel/)
Johns Hopkins Tech Ventures (https://ventures.jhu.edu/bios/christy-wyskiel/)
UpSurge Baltimore (https://upsurgebaltimore.com/)
23 Jan 2024
Episode 10: Tying Together Venture Capital, Medicine, and Public Health with Dr. Luciana Borio
Dr. Borio is a physician, public health expert and investor at ARCH Venture Partners. An infectious disease doctor by training, dr. Borio has been actively involved in strengthening the public health infrastructure within the department of Health and Human Services and at the FDA where she was acting chief scientist. She was also a member of President Biden’s transition COVID-19 advisory board. More recently, Dr. Borio is focusing her work on addressing the pandemic of unmet need through investments in biologics manufacturing, clinical trials, and novel therapies at Arch. She is also a senior fellow for global health at the council on Foreign relations.
Learn more about Dr. Borio in the links below:
Council on Foreign Relations (https://www.cfr.org/expert/luciana-l-borio)
Arch Venture Partners (https://www.archventure.com/team/luciana-borio-m-d/)
New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/opinion/covid-pandemic-lessons.html)
20 Jun 2023
Episode 9: Understanding the Past, Present, and Future of Healthcare Innovation with Dr. Bob Wachter
Dr. Bob Wachter is a physician, professor, and healthcare leader. He is currently the chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). A prolific writer, Dr. Wachter has authored more than 250 articles and six books including "The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age." Dr. Wachter is a leading expert in the field of healthcare quality and patient safety, and he has been a strong advocate for the use of technology to improve healthcare outcomes. He was listed as one of the 50 most influential physician-executives in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare. He has also served on numerous national and international healthcare committees and has received many awards and recognitions for his contributions to the field.
Learn more about Dr. Wachter and his work in the news:
The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/opinion/coronavirus-vaccine-distribution.html)
Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/search/?query=robert+wachter&time=all&sort=relevancy)
JAMA (https://jamanetwork.com/searchresults?author=Robert+M.+Wachter&q=Robert+M.+Wachter)
NEJM (https://www.nejm.org/search?q=robert+m+wachter)
The Digital Doctor (https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Doctor-Hope-Medicines-Computer/dp/1260019608)
27 Mar 2023
Episode 8: Bringing Trusted Health Literacy to Communities: CEO and Founder of Grapevine Health Dr. Fitzpatrick
You may know Dr. Fitzpatrick from her articles in Forbes, the Atlantic, or her recent appearances on NPR. She and her company, Grapevine Health, are seeking to bridge the gap in health literacy so that people can understand the complexities of health and the healthcare system, and we are thrilled to have her on Health TechTalks! In this episode, Dr. Fitzpatrick shares her vision for bringing health literacy to the communities that need it most and how she plans to leverage her experience as a physician, a previous CMO of DC Medicaid, and as an Epidemic Intelligence officer at the CDC to resolve this pertinent healthcare issue.
Learn more about Dr. Fitzpatrick and her work in the news:
Grapevine Health (https://grapevinehealth.com/)
NPR (https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/02/13/1155671455/dr-lisa-on-the-street-busts-health-myths-and-empowers-patients)
Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisafitzpatrick/?sh=18dec53738df)
The Atlantic (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/public-health-value-speaking-plainly/617352/)
*This Episode was recorded in January of 2023
30 Jan 2023
Episode 7: How the White House is Changing the Face of Healthcare Innovation: A Conversation with Max Bronstein
The current White House administration has brought about plenty of changes over the last two years, though its shifts in healthcare policy rarely make the headlines. We had the pleasure of speaking with Max Bronstein, the Assistant Director for Health Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where we take a deep dive into understanding just how significant some of these changes are.
In this episode, Max shares how the White House’s renewed focus on healthcare affects the day-to-day management of the government, how a military program (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)) that played a fundamental role in the creation of the internet could be adapted to the healthcare setting (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)), and what funding this organization with a billion dollars means for filling the gap in health innovation left by the NIH and traditional industry.
Learn more about OSTP (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/)
The White House announces the launch of ARPA-H (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/advanced-research-projects-agency-for-health-arpa-h/)
Max Bronstein’s piece in Health Affairs (https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20170321.059289)
*This episode was recorded in January of 2023*
31 Aug 2022
Episode 6: The Best of Both Worlds - Integrating Academic Research into a Venture Backed Startup with CEO and Founder of Bayesian Health, Dr. Suchi Saria.
Bayesian’s AI platform, currently applied to sepsis, uses patient data to quickly identify patients at risk for sepsis and alert the respective providers so that necessary care can be given as quickly as possible. Bayesian also successfully employs scientific rigor to their venture backed startup. Along with The Johns Hopkins University, they recently published three papers, two in Nature Medicine, showing just how groundbreaking Bayesian's approach is. Using data from 764,707 encounters, 4000+ caregivers at five hospitals used the platform to reduce relative sepsis mortality by 18.2%. This is an incredible feat given that sepsis is the immediate cause of nearly 30% of all near hospital deaths.
In this episode, Dr. Saria shares how being an academic researcher with decades of experience in the field has allowed her to bring state of the art research into the real world, why she believes we are entering a new era in healthcare technology, and what she looks for in investors as she grows a venture backed startup.
Learn more (https://www.bayesianhealth.com/)
Bayesian raises $15M in funding (https://medcitynews.com/2021/07/johns-hopkins-spinoff-looking-to-build-better-risk-prediction-tools-emerges-with-15m/)
Bayesian & JHU announce ground-breaking results (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220721005824/en/Bayesian-Health-and-Johns-Hopkins-University-Announce-Ground-Breaking-Results-in-Nature-Medicine-That-for-the-First-Time-Associate-Lives-Saved-With-a-Clinically-Deployed-Artificial-Intelligence-Platform)
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bayesian-health/)
*This episode was recorded in August of 2022*
29 Jul 2022
Episode 5: It takes a village. Bringing community into modern motherhood with CEO and cofounder of Oath Care, Camilla Hermann
Historically speaking, the roles of raising a child were distributed amongst many members of a community. Modern customs have shifted much of this burden to the individual, especially the child bearer. Oath Care is seeking to reintegrate the sense of community when preparing for, and raising a child through the creation of a social platform that ensures new families can access support from medical specialists and fellow parents anywhere from pregnancy to early childhood. In this episode, Oath’s co-founder and CEO, Camilla Hermann, joins us to discuss how her team is employing new methods to old customs.
Learn more (https://www.oathcare.com/)
Oath raises $6M (https://www.oathcare.com/blog/oath-announces-6m-seed)
Oath’s app (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/oath-care-experts-community/id1621559210)
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/oathcare/)
*This episode was recorded in June 2022*
29 Jun 2022
Episode 4: A Millennial's Approach to Getting Healthcare to the Uninsured with Khang Vuong, CEO and Founder of Mira
With more than 30 million people uninsured in the US, there are still many clear gaps when it comes to accessing Healthcare. Mira Health, a NYC based startup, is on a mission to change that. Mira is a platform that uses an intelligent care navigation system that for $45 a month, its users can access healthcare services at a fixed cost. Khang Vuong, Mira’s founder and CEO joins us on today’s episode to discuss how his team, through strategic partnerships and intensive social media presence on TikTok, is helping thousands of under-benefitted people across the US find the right care at the lowest cost.
Learn more (https://www.talktomira.com/?campaignid=17303145746&adgroupid=&adid=&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Performance+Max+-+test+campaign&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=2282130041&hsa_cam=17303145746&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwzeqVBhAoEiwAOrEmzar9UZ02-WUPs6YjBWBWN7s9R1NTi2zEI5PfDNOPJvlQyVV1U_uhnBoCXRgQAvD_BwE)
Mira raises $2.7 M (https://www.axios.com/2020/10/09/mira-raises-27-million-for-its-health-insurance-alternative)
Mira’s TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@talktomiranow?lang=en)
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/talktomira/)
*This episode was recorded in May of 2022*
25 May 2022TRANSCRIPT
Episode 3: Smashing the Menopause taboo with CEO and Cofounder of Elektra Health, Alessandra Henderson
Menopause has long been a taboo in the office, in pop culture, and in social circles. The 50+ million women that are going through menopause and perimenopause are often left confused and alone when trying to navigate this phase of life. Elektra is on a mission to smash this taboo and help women along the way through education, virtual care, and community. In this episode, Alessandra shares her insights on why taboos and life’s inevitabilities are *fertile* grounds for innovation, what it was like to have Elektra’s first patient in March of 2020, and how women founders facing imposter syndrome can overcome it.
Learn more:
Website (https://www.elektrahealth.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=15695912078&utm_content=133221606682&utm_term=elektra%20health&gclid=CjwKCAjwp7eUBhBeEiwAZbHwkdpSxfHZgZ2kdgoNAbTfo4JB2SsGB43Sixalzq9llt9EjsRLAHKIARoCwMQQAvD_BwE)
Stay up-to-date with Elektra!
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/elektra-health/)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/ElektraHealth)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/elektrahealth)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/elektrahealth/)
*This episode was recorded in May of 2022*
23 Feb 2022
Episode 2: Reimagining virtual maternity care with CEO and Cofounder of Babyscripts, Anish Sebastian
Going through pregnancy can be both an exciting and terrifying experience, and having timely information can work wonders for peace of mind and for quality of care. Babyscripts provides these results for expecting mothers through its virtual maternity care platform, which serves as a liaison between pregnant women and their providers over the course of a pregnancy. In this episode, Anish Sebastian shares his vision for Babyscripts and why bringing maternity care into the 21st century is so important.
Learn more:
Babyscripts.com (https://babyscripts.com/)
Babyscripts secures $12M (https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/13/babyscripts-secures-12m-to-roll-out-its-virtual-maternity-care-model/)
An Integration-first approach (https://babyscripts.com/blog/why-we-chose-an-integration-first-approach-the-case-for-a-solution-that-integrates-with-the-emr)
A connected pregnancy is a healthier pregnancy (https://healthtransformer.co/babyscripts-is-showing-the-world-that-a-connected-pregnancy-is-a-healthier-pregnancy-88c62bb69e67)
Stay up-to-date with Babyscripts!
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/1eq/)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/Babyscripts)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/getbabyscripts)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/babyscripts/?hl=es)
*This episode was recorded in January of 2022*
9 Jan 2022
Episode 1: Demystifying Health Insurance Selection with Akash Magoon - CTO and Cofounder of Nayya
To say choosing your health insurance is a harrowing process is an understatement, but having the right insurance plan can be a game changer in the right situation. You would think the process of making such an important decision would be straightforward, but with all the variables that come with choosing that plan, it feels a lot more like rolling the dice. This can all change with the help of Nayya (https://nayya.com/), an insurtech startup out of New York that helps you pick the right insurance and maximize its value once you’re on it. Join us in our conversation with Akash Magoon (https://www.linkedin.com/in/akash-magoon-148a3029/) where he shares his entrepreneurial journey to becoming the cofounder of a company that has already raised over $50 million (https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/nayya) in funding and how he plans to help “100 million Americans save money on Healthcare.” Make sure to stick around for the Lightning Round at the end of the show!
Learn more:
No.1 Rising Insurtech Company (https://nayya.com/blog/nayya-named-as-the-no-1-rising-u-s-insurtech-company-by-insurtech-insights-future-50-awards)
Nayya's Revenue Surges 7x (https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/nayyas-revenue-surges-7x-capping-milestone-year-for-innovative-benefits-personalization-company-301442938.html)
Stay up-to-date with Nayya!
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/nayya/)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/nayya_inc)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WeAreNayya/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nayya_inc/?hl=en)
*This episode was recorded in December of 2021*
Inside a recent episode
Episode 3: Smashing the Menopause taboo with CEO and Cofounder of Elektra Health, Alessandra Henderson
Published 25 May 2022 · Transcript excerpt
[…] It's think of perimenopause as your hormones also with fluctuations, but declining. And so that's when symptoms, women typically start to experience symptoms. There are 34 symptoms of menopause and about 80% of women report that a symptom negatively impacted their life. Definitely. […]
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