The Healthtech Podcast

Lawrie Kidd, consultant anaesthetist and Clinical Product Lead at DrDoctor, blends frontline practice with healthtech product work. He talks about everyday IT frictions that pile up for clinicians. He explores misaligned tech/business models, the hidden human and environmental costs of solutions, and how co-design and embedded teams can rebuild trust and deliver practical pathway improvements.

Hjalmar Nilsonne, Co-founder and CEO of Neko Health, builds preventive health scanning and longitudinal data systems. He describes Neko’s £299 full-body scans, mole mapping and cardiovascular bed tests. Listens to how they built custom imaging, shifted to consumer-first clinics, use AI to aid clinicians, and aim to scale prevention and prove ROI for broader access.

Tharni Vasavan, Horizon Scanning Senior Health Technology Lead at NICE, shares her journey from women's health research to healthtech innovation. She discusses the crucial role NICE plays in evaluating emerging technologies for the NHS and explains Early Value Assessment for promising solutions. Tharni highlights the importance of horizon scanning to identify disruptive technologies and underscores the exciting opportunities in femtech to address health data gaps. Her advice for innovators emphasizes early engagement with NICE for successful evidence planning.

Jacob West, Managing Director for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Microsoft UK, shares his extensive background in health policy and his mission to integrate AI in the UK healthcare system. He discusses Microsoft's pivotal role in enhancing security through AI solutions and data platforms. Jacob highlights the successful deployment of Microsoft 365 in the NHS, revealing productivity boosts for knowledge workers. He also addresses the importance of responsible AI practices and invites healthtech startups to collaborate with Microsoft for innovative solutions.

Madeleine Ballard, CEO of the Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC), is a global health advocate dedicated to professionalizing community health workers. She recounts her journey from HIV activism to founding CHIC, highlighting how community networks improved HIV outcomes in Liberia. Madeleine discusses the need for political organizing to advance CHW policy, financing challenges, and the importance of integrating CHWs into national health systems. She emphasizes the role of trust in healthcare and warns against the risks of neglecting human connection in an increasingly tech-driven world.

James is joined by Rafaël Michali, co-founder and co-CEO of SAVA. SAVA is redefining the way people interact with their health by developing the most advanced biosensing technology science has to offer, capable of accessing bodily information in a painless, real-time and affordable way.Connect with Rafaël: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafa%C3%ABl-michali-656136101/Learn more: https://www.sava.health/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

Sam Winward, co-founder and CEO of Pastel Health, is revolutionizing chronic pain care in the NHS. With a rich background in medicine and healthtech, he explains how Pastel merges brick-and-mortar and remote services for better patient experiences. Delving into the challenges of unit economics with previous roles at Babylon, he shares insights on value-based care and the importance of clinician fulfillment. Sam highlights the urgent need for efficient care packages, driven by AI, to enhance service quality while ensuring quick access and empowerment for patients.

Dr Ross Harper, CEO and co-founder of Limbic, builds clinical-grade AI tools for mental health. He discusses linking diagnosis to AI-led treatment pathways. He explains using LLMs to deliver validated CBT-style support and boost engagement. He outlines safety via a clinical reasoning layer, evidence showing human-plus-AI improves outcomes, and how AI can scale and reshape care models.

Oscar Ferguson, a former doctor and now the CEO of Deaku, shares his compelling journey from medicine to health content creation. He discusses how his medical background shapes his understanding of creator challenges. The conversation dives into the nuances of long-form versus short-form content, addressing audience trust and retention. Oscar highlights the importance of collaboration tools for creators and warns of AI's role in misinformation. Finally, he encourages clinicians to define their missions and supports networking during career transitions.

Hannah Madan joins us to share a rollercoaster journey of co-founding Prima Mente— an AI-driven neuroscience company building foundations models for the brain. This episode is packed with thought-provoking insights, including:— The biological hypothesis behind Prima Mente that "No one believed was true"— How Hannah made it by doing "just enough", not by being a top student— A baptism by fire— landing her first role as Chief of Staff and flying out for a YC launch party on her 25th birthday— Prima Mente's "Ecosystem plays" and atypical competitive strategies— Hannah's unique focus on the people she works with— deep personal understanding and fostering reflective behaviour — A decentralised vision for the future of healthcareConnect with Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahmadan/Learn more: https://www.primamente.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.comChapters:00:00:00 Welcome to the Health Tech Podcast00:01:23 Uncovering Novel Biology in the Neurodegenerative Space00:02:03 Primemente's Integrated Approach: Clinical Studies, Wet Lab, and Machine Learning00:03:22 Early Life 00:04:38 Undergraduate Studies00:08:58 PhD Research: The Link Between Diet, Diabetes, and Bowel Cancer00:12:23 Chief of Staff at Cambridge Cancer Genomics (CCG) and YC00:15:10 CCG's Mission: Liquid Biopsies for Cancer Treatment Monitoring00:19:05 The Road to Prima Mente00:22:19 Establishing Team Culture: Communication, Self-Reflection, and Growth00:27:13 Scientific Hypothesis: Cell-Free DNA and Epigenetics in Neurodegenerative Conditions00:30:03 Technical Approach: Using Transformer Architecture and Foundation Models00:33:47 The Pleiades Model and Diagnostic Accuracy00:34:56 The Sandbox Study: Pushing for Earlier Diagnosis00:37:47 Future Strategy: Focusing on Novel Clinically Actionable Targets