The Doctor's Art

At the Edge of Precision Medicine | Euan Ashley, MBChB, DPhil

Sep 24, 2024

Euan Ashley, Chair of Medicine at Stanford University, is a trailblazer in precision medicine and genetic sequencing. He shares his inspiring journey from a small Scottish town to the forefront of cardiology, revealing the emotional depth of working in a cardiac intensive care unit. The conversation delves into the power of precision medicine in diagnosing rare diseases, the founding of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, and the hopeful future of AI in healthcare ethics, underscoring the transformative potential of personalized treatment.

01:07:30

Episode guests

Euan Ashley

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Precision medicine tailors treatments to individuals' genetic and lifestyle factors, aiming for precise healthcare interventions and improved patient outcomes.

Dr. Euan Ashley's journey into cardiology reflects a deep emotional connection with critically ill patients, highlighting the human aspect of medical care.

Artificial intelligence is positioned as a game-changer in healthcare, yet the importance of preserving human connections and ethical considerations remains paramount.

Deep dives

Exploring Meaning in Medicine

The discussion emphasizes the quest to understand what makes medicine meaningful and how this understanding can lead to the development of better doctors. It highlights the importance of the doctor-patient relationship and how cultivating this connection can improve patient care. By engaging with various professionals in healthcare, the podcast reveals that sharing experiences and insights can enrich the medical field. Personal stories from those involved in healthcare illustrate how profound connections during times of suffering can lead to lessons about life and healing.

Intro

3min

Journey to Medicine: A Childhood Dream Realized

2min

The Heart of Critical Care

17min

Unraveling Medical Mysteries through Genetic Medicine

6min

A Journey from Uncertainty to Diagnosis and Empowerment

6min

The Rise of Precision Medicine

12min

AI's Role in Healthcare: Opportunities and Ethical Dilemmas

22min

Precision medicine — the approach to health care that involves tailoring medical interventions to an individual's genetic makeup, environment and lifestyle — promises to deliver the right treatment to the right person at the right time. From preventing diseases decades before they appear, to specially designed cocktails of cancer drugs, to genetic modification of rare diseases, many of these applications sound straight out of science fiction.

At the forefront of precision medicine and medical genomics is Euan Ashley, MBChB, DPhill, Chair of Medicine at Stanford University Medical Center. A cardiologist and intensive care physician by training, Dr. Ashley has pioneered the use of genetic sequencing to identify risk factors for heart disease and new treatments for rare diseases. He is also the author of The Genome Odyssey: Medical Mysteries and the Incredible Quest to Solve Them (2021).

Over the course of our conversation, we discuss his path from growing up in a small Scottish town to now working at the cutting edge of medicine, the excitement and fulfillment he experiences as a clinician in the cardiac intensive care unit, remarkable patient stories of healing and resilience, the future of precision medicine, why he is optimistic about the development of artificial intelligence, and more.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

2:24 - Dr. Ashley’s path to medicine and to cardiology

7:19 - What life is like working in the CCU

21:34 - How the Undiagnosed Diseases Network was founded and what it does

33:22 - An overview of precision medicine

38:09 - The impact that genetic testing and genomic medicine is having on modern medicine and where it could go from here

45:00 - Dr. Ashley’s thoughts on how AI will change the field of medicine

51:40 - Making access to medical advancements in AI and genomics more equitable

1:04:39 - Dr. Ashley’s advice for healthcare professionals in training

Dr. Euan Ashley can be found on Twitter/X at @euanashley.

Visit our website www.TheDoctorsArt.com where you can find transcripts of all episodes.

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The Doctor's Art

At the Edge of Precision Medicine | Euan Ashley, MBChB, DPhil

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Exploring Meaning in Medicine

The Promise of Precision Medicine

Transitioning to Cardiology

Bridging the Gap with Genetic Medicine

The Role of AI in Healthcare

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts