Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us a textRichard Daly is President and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals ( https://catalystpharma.com/ ), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing, and commercializing novel medicines for patients living with rare diseases.Catalyst has successfully brought three therapies to market: FIRDAPSE ( https://firdapse.com/ ) for Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS), AGAMREE ( https://agamree.com/ ) for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), and FYCOMPA ( https://www.fycompa.com/ ) for epilepsy.Prior to joining Catalyst, Mr. Daly served as President of CARsgen Therapeutics Corporation, an emerging oncology company focused on developing CAR-T therapies for both liquid and solid tumors, and as Chief Operating Officer of BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, a pre-commercial biotech company focused on oncology with assets in late Phase 3 clinical trials. Before joining BeyondSpring, Mr. Daly served as Chairman and CEO of Neuralstem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of central nervous system therapies based on its neuronal stem cell technology; as a partner of RavineRock Partners, a commercial consulting practice focused on biotech and pharmaceuticals; and as President of AstraZeneca US Diabetes. Mr. Daly also has served on the board of directors of Opiant Pharmaceuticals and Synergy Pharmaceuticals.Mr. Daly received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.#RichardDaly #CatalystPharmaceuticals #RareDiseases #OrphanDiseases #FIRDAPSE #LambertEatonMyasthenicSyndrome #AGAMREE #DuchenneMuscularDystrophy #FYCOMPA #Epilepsy #PotassiumChannelBlocker #VoltageGatedCalciumChannels #Dystrophin #NextGenerationSteroid #DissociativeSteroid #GlucocorticoidReceptor #AMPAReceptorAntagonist #Glutamate #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Carina Kern, Ph.D. is the CEO of LinkGevity ( https://www.linkgevity.com/ ),  an AI-powered biotech company driving innovation in drug discovery for aging and resilience loss. Dr. Kern has developed a new Blueprint Theory of Aging, which takes an integrative approach to understanding aging, combining evolutionary theory, genetics, molecular mechanisms and medicine, and is used to structure LinkGevity’s AI. Dr. Kern’s labs are based at the Babraham Research Campus, affiliated with the University of Cambridge and her research has led to the development of a first-in-class necrosis inhibitor targeting cellular degeneration (Anti-Necrotic™). This novel therapeutic is ready to begin Phase II clinical trials later this year, as a potential breakthrough treatment for aging, with UK Government, Francis Crick Institute KQ labs, and European Union (Horizon) support. The Anti-Necrotic™ has also been selected as one of only 12 global innovations for NASA’s Space-Health program, recognizing its potential to mitigate accelerated aging in astronauts on long-duration space missions. Dr. Kern has held academic and leadership roles in interdisciplinary networks, including serving as President of the London Evolutionary Research Network and Co-Chair of the CleanTech Business Challenge, an initiative co-led by University College London and the London Business School.Dr. Kern completed her PhD at UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing.#CarinaKern #LinkGevity #BlueprintTheoryOfAging #BiologicalResilience #UniversityOfCambridge #BabrahamResearchCampus #CellularDegeneration #NecrosisInhibitor #AntiNecrotic #CaenorhabditisElegans #UCLInstituteOfHealthyAgeing #Senescence #Apoptosis #CellDeath #Necroptosis #Pyroptosis #Ferroptosis #PathoPathways #Gerotherapeutics #RyanodineReceptorInhibitors #CellPermeantCalciumChelators #LINK001 #AcuteKidneyInjury #SpaceMedicine #Exposome #Longevity#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textThijs Spoor is Chief Executive Officer at Perspective Therapeutics ( https://perspectivetherapeutics.com/ ), a clinical-stage, radiopharmaceutical company that is pioneering innovative treatments for cancers. The Company’s proprietary technology utilizes the alpha emitting isotope Pb-212 to deliver powerful radiation directly to cancer cells via high-affinity targeting peptides.Prior to this, Thijs was the Chairman at Verifi H2O. Thijs also held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, Inc. and KBP BioSciences.Thijs also has served as CEO at AzurRx BioPharma, where they focused on developing targeted therapies for gastrointestinal diseases, and CEO at FluoroPharma, a company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization novel molecular positron emission tomography (PET) agents for the cardiovascular, oncology and neurology arenas.Thijs also worked as a Strategy Consultant at Oliver Wyman, a Biotechnology Analyst at J.P. Morgan, and a Medical Devices Analyst at Credit Suisse. Thijs began their career at GE Healthcare, where he served as the Director of Strategic Marketing and played a key role in reshaping the company's strategic directions in various areas.Thijs completed his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Toronto and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School.#ThijsSpoor #PerspectiveTherapeutics #Radiopharmaceuticals #NuclearMedicine #Cancer #Oncology #AlphaEmittingIsotopes #AlphaParticles #BetaParticles #Radiation #Lead #Pb212 #Lutetium #Actinium #CellTargetingPeptide #Chelator #Linker #NeuroendocrineTumors #SomatostatinReceptorSubtype2 #Melanoma #Theranostic #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textNeil Klompas, CPA, CA is President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Augurex ( https://augurex.com/ ), a leading edge diagnostic company focused on developing and commercializing advanced diagnostics with the aim of improving patient outcomes and ending diagnostic delays in autoimmune conditions.Mr. Klompas has been involved in healthcare and biotechnology for over 30 years in various senior leadership roles spanning operational, financial and research and development responsibilities. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Zymeworks (NASDAQ: ZYME), where he had previously held the role of Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that, Mr. Klompas’ experience included roles with KPMG, a global financial services firm, in both the United States and Canada where he advised on transactions and financial engagements across the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices sectors. Mr. Klompas serves as a director on the boards of InMed Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ; INM), NervGen Pharma (TSXV; NGEN), and HTuO Biosciences. He has previously served as a director and advisor to various biotechnology companies, including previously serving on the boards of Ovensa Inc., and Liminal Biotherapeutics. Mr. Klompas holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia, and is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant.#NeilKlompas #Augurex #AutoimmuneConditions #Diagnostics #AxialSpondyloarthritis #axSpA #ChronicInflammatoryDisease #AnkylosingSpondylitis #BackPain #1433ηEtaProtein #Anti1433EtaAutoantibody #SPINEstat #JOINTstat#ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textBen Zimmer is CEO of Priovant Therapeutics ( https://www.priovanttx.com/ ), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on delivering novel therapies for autoimmune diseases associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality. Priovant is developing oral brepocitinib, a potential first-in-class dual inhibitor of TYK2 and JAK1, across multiple severe autoimmune indications, unlocking new treatment options for patients who are underserved by existing therapies.Ben joined Priovant from Roivant, where he was a member of the founding team in early 2015 and held multiple leadership roles across the organization, including President, Roivant Health, Chief Operating Officer, and Head, Public Affairs. As President, Roivant Health, Ben led and oversaw the launch of Roivant's Chinese biopharmaceutical subsidiaries, healthcare technology companies (including Datavant), and computationally powered drug discovery platform (including VantAI). Earlier in his career, Ben was a consultant at McKinsey & Co and co-founded and led a public policy non-profit. He holds a BA magna cum laude from Harvard College and a JD from Yale Law School.#BenZimmer #PriovantTherapeutics #AutoimmuneDiseases #Brepocitinib #TYK2 #JAK1 #Dermatomyositis #NonInfectiousUveitis #Pfizer #Roivant #VivekRamaswamy #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textEvan Mathis ( https://evanmathis.co/ ) is a three-time Emmy Award–winning, multi-disciplinary creative director and filmmaker whose work spans sports, entertainment, brand storytelling, and cinematic short-form content.Evan recently expanded his creative scope into deeply human, health-centered storytelling with the short film The Hemingway ( https://www.thehemingway.film/ ) which he co-directed with ALS patient Patrick Sean O’Brien. The film offers an intimate, unfiltered, and darkly humorous look at life with this severe disability ( The Hemingway Trailer HD 2025 - https://vimeo.com/1044832501 ).The Hemingway has been celebrated on the festival circuit, earning awards and recognition for its originality, emotional depth, and collaborative spirit including Best Documentary Short at the San Francisco International Film Festival.With an educational foundation in fine art and journalism, and a deep fluency in design and technology, throughout his career, Evan has collaborated with leading agencies and global brands. Evan’s career has been defined by a versatile creative curiosity. In sports and competition, Evan has led major campaigns for the Daytona 500, the U.S. Open, NFL on FOX, College Football on FOX, ESPN’s World Cup coverage, UFC Fight Night, WWE Raw, and high-profile personality-driven work such as Skip Bayless.In entertainment, Evan has contributed to prestige series and blockbuster titles, including World War Z, Furious 6, Homeland, The Normal Heart, Monk, Burn Notice, White Collar, and key branding for USA Network, TNT Originals, TV Land, and others. Evan's brand and lifestyle portfolio includes campaigns for L’Oréal, Discover Card, Scion, Velocity, and a wide range of integrated commercial and digital initiatives.Evan’s work has earned accolades from the Emmys (three times over), as well as from One Show, Clios, and Promax BDA. He has also judged for Promax BDA, The Television Academy, and SXSW Interactive. His projects and design thinking have been featured in top publications such as Adweek, Ad Age, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated. In addition to his creative output, Evan is a sought-after speaker: he has presented at major design and media conferences in New York, Los Angeles, London, Cape Town, Toronto, and Chicago. #EvanMathis #PatrickSeanOBrien #TheHemingway #ALS #Documentary #AmyotrophicLateralSclerosis #LouGehrigsDisease #TransFattyLives #LeonardFlorenceCenterForLiving #Humor #Dignity #Neuralink #SevereDisabilities #EyeTracking #Imagination #Escapism #Advocacy #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textEdmund Benami is Co-Founder and CEO of NeuraLight ( https://neuralight.ai/ ), a pioneering health-tech company focused on applying advanced computer vision and deep-learning techniques to accelerate and improve drug development and patient monitoring in neurological diseases. NeuraLight’s mission is to develop objective and sensitive biomarkers in neurology by extracting oculometric markers (measures of eye movement) from standard webcams or smartphones, thereby providing richer digital endpoints for neurological drug development and patient care.Edmund is a repeat entrepreneur and an award-winning mathematician, with over 20 years of experience designing novel AI algorithms and building world-class teams to take on some of the most challenging technological challenges in signal processing, computer vision and AI.Edmund has both BS and MS in Mathematics from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.#EdmundBenami #NeuraLight #NeurologicalDisorders #OculometricBiomarkers #Oculometry #Saccades #SmoothPursuit #Fixation #PupilDynamics #BlinkPatterns #Vergence #ALS #NeurodegenerativeDisorders #Diagnosis #DiseaseMonitoring #DrugDevelopment #ProgressiveSupranuclearPalsy #CorticobasalDegeneration #FrontotemporalDementia #LewyBodyDementia #RemoteNeurologyCare #ArtificialIntelligence #ComputerVision #Gaze #AlzheimersDisease #ParkinsonsDisease #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textLes Johnson is a physicist, author, and space technologist ( https://www.lesjohnsonauthor.com/ ) who most recently served as the Chief Technologist at NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. Les is also the Founder of Infinite Frontiers Consulting ( https://www.lesjohnsonauthor.com/infinite-frontiers-consulting-llc.html ), an aerospace consulting firm dedicated to helping turn innovative space ventures into reality. After decades leading of missions at NASA and collaborating across the industry, Les is excited to work with clients and partners who are pushing boundaries and advancing cutting-edge space technologies.Over a distinguished career with NASA, Les played a central role in developing advanced space propulsion systems and pioneering technologies designed to expand humanity’s reach beyond Earth orbit. He has led and contributed to multiple interplanetary technology demonstration missions, including work on solar sails, in-space propulsion, and deep-space exploration architectures.In addition to his NASA career, Les is an accomplished science fiction author and popular science writer, known for making complex space science accessible to broad audiences. His books—both fiction and nonfiction—explore the scientific and philosophical dimensions of humanity’s future in space ( https://www.amazon.com/stores/Les-Johnson/author/B002OUOYZQ?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true ) . A frequent public speaker and advocate for space exploration, Les continues to inspire curiosity and innovation in the next generation of scientists and engineers.Les holds a Master’s degree in Physics from Vanderbuilt and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Transylvania University, where he also conducted research in plasma and materials science. His academic foundation has informed his long-standing commitment to bridging theoretical science with practical space engineering.#LesJohnson #NASA #GeorgeCMarshallSpaceFlightCenter #VanderbiltUniversity #StrategicDefenseInitiative #GoldenDome #SpaceBasedHighEnergyLasers #ParticleBeamWeapons #MissileDefense #GeneralResearchCorporation#PropulsiveSmallExpendableDeployerSystem #SolarSail #CubeSat #NearEarthAsteroidScout #InterstellarTravel #Mars #ProximaCentauri #CrewHealth #LifeSupport #PlanetarySunshades #Geoengineering #Astrobiology #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us a textDave Rosa is President & Chief Executive Officer of NeuroOne ( https://nmtc1.com/ ), a developmental-stage medical technology company developing high-definition, minimally invasive thin film electrodes for the diagnosis and treatment of various neurological conditions ( https://nmtc1.com/technology ). The company’s initial focus is on epilepsy and the fast‑growing neurostimulation device market.Mr. Rosa is an entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the medical device industry spanning a variety of technologies and products. In addition to CEO roles with early-stage medical device companies, Mr. Rosa’s background also includes senior roles with C.R. Bard Inc., Boston Scientific Inc., and St. Jude Medical, where his responsibilities included marketing, product development and business development. He has been named as an inventor on multiple medical device patents, serves on seven corporate boards, and has raised $200M in the capital markets. Mr. Rosa holds an MBA from Duquesne University and a BS in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University.IMPORTANT EPISODE LINKS - Electrochemical Testing of a New Polyimide Thin Film Electrode for Stimulation, Recording, and Monitoring of Brain Activity -https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9611492/First Food and Drug Administration Cleared Thin-Film Electrode for Intracranial Stimulation, Recording, and Monitoring of Brain Activity—Part 1: Biocompatibility Testing -https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9100917/#NeuroOne #DaveRosa #MinimallyInvasive #ThinFilmElectrodes #Theranostics #Stereoelectroencephalography #NeurologicalConditions #Epilepsy #MovementDisorders #ChronicPain #PsychiatricDisorders #Glioblastoma #CognitiveDisorders #Neurostimulation #NerveAblation #BloodBrainBarrier #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

Send us a textDr. Julia Moore Vogel, PhD, MBA is Assistant Professor and Senior Program Director at The Scripps Research Institute ( https://www.scripps.edu/science-and-medicine/translational-institute/about/people/julia-moore-vogel/ ) where she is responsible for managing a broad portfolio of patient-centric health research studies, including The Long COVID Treatment Trial ( https://longcovid.scripps.edu/locitt-t/ ), a fully remote, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial targeting individuals with long COVID, testing whether the drug Tirzepatide can reduce or alleviate symptoms of long COVID. Prior to this current role, Dr. Vogel managed The Participant Center (TPC) for the NIH All of Us Research Program ( https://www.scripps.edu/science-and-medicine/translational-institute/translational-research/precision-medicine/index.html ) which was charged with recruiting and retaining 350,000 individuals that represent the diversity of the United States. TPC aims to make it possible for interested individuals anywhere in the US to become active participants, for example by collaborating with numerous outreach partners to raise awareness, collecting biosamples nationwide, returning participants’ results and developing self-guided workflows that enable participants to join whenever is convenient for them. Prior to joining the Scripps Research Translational Institute, Dr. Vogel created, proposed, fundraised for, and implemented research and clinical genomics initiatives at the New York Genome Center and The Rockefeller University. She oversaw the proposal and execution of grants, including a $44M NIH Center for Common Disease Genomics in collaboration with over 20 scientific contributors across seven institutions. She also managed corporate partnerships, including one with IBM that assessed the relative value of several genomic assays for cancer patients. Dr. Vogel has a BS in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a  PhD in Computational Biology and Medicine from Cornell and an MBA from Cornell. Important Episode Links - Nature Reviews Microbiology - Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations -https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2npj Digital Medicine - Long-term changes in wearable sensor data in people with and without Long Covid -https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01238-xMayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes - A Randomized Trial of At-Home COVID-19 Tests, Telemedicine, and Rapid Prescription Delivery for Immunocompromised Individuals -https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542454825000384#JuliaMooreVogel #ScrippsResearchInstitute #EricTopol #LongCovidTreatmentTrial #AllOfUsResearchProgram #ComputationalBiology #NewYorkGenomeCenter #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #ImmuneDysregulation #MicrovascularInjury #MetabolicDysfunction #Neuroinflammation #AutonomicDysfunction #Tirzepatide #Zepbound #RemoteClinicalTrial #Cornell #RockefellerUniversity#MemorialSloanKetteringCancerCenter #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #ResearchSupport the show