Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us a textDr. Bruce Levine, Ph.D. (https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/index.php/g5455356/p3504) is the Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy, and the Founding Director of the Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility (CVPF) in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Levine received a B.A. (Biology) from University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Immunology and Infectious Diseases from Johns Hopkins, and is responsible for a range of important therapeutic “Firsts” including First-in-human adoptive immunotherapy trials that included the first use of a lentiviral vector, the first infusions of gene edited cells, and the first use of lentivirally-modified cells to treat cancer. Dr. Levine is co-inventor of the first FDA approved gene therapy (Kymriah), chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) for leukemia and lymphoma, licensed to Novartis. Dr. Levine is co-inventor on 30 issued U.S. patents and co-author of over 200 manuscripts and book chapters with a Google Scholar citation h-index of 99. He is a Co-Founder of Tmunity Therapeutics (https://www.tmunity.com/), and of Capstan Therapeutics, both spin outs of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Levine is a recipient of the William Osler Patient Oriented Research Award, the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Healthcare Innovation, the National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match ONE Forum 2020 Dennis Confer Innovate Award, serves as Immediate Past-President of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine. He has written for Scientific American and Wired and has been interviewed by the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, Time Magazine, National Geographic, Bloomberg, Forbes, BBC, and other international media outlets. The Tribeca Film Festival is currently debuting a documentary, Of Medicine And Miracles, tracing the transformative work in personalized cancer therapy, of Dr. Levine and his team - https://tribecafilm.com/films/of-medicine-and-miracles-2022Support the show

Send us a textKeith Camhi is Managing Director, Techstars Future of Longevity Accelerator (https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/longevity), a program, run in partnership with Pivotal Ventures (https://www.pivotalventures.org/), an investment and incubation company created by Melinda French Gates, focusing on innovative solutions to address the unmet needs of older adults and their caregivers. The longevity accelerator core program themes include: Caregiver Support, Care Coordination, Aging in Place, Financial Wellness and Resilience, Preventive Health (both Physical and Cognitive), and Social Engagement. Keith was previously the SVP of Accelerators for Techstars globally and was inspired to move to the MD role for the longevity program based on having built a venture-backed startup serving older adults himself, having experienced the gaps in America’s care giving infrastructure firsthand, and wanting to support entrepreneurs who are building solutions to address this substantial market opportunity. Techstars is a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, a worldwide network and customized programming for early-stage entrepreneurs. It was founded in 2006 in Boulder, Colorado. As of May 2022, the company had accepted over 2,900 companies into its accelerator programs with a combined market capitalization of US$71 billion. Prior to Techstars, Keith founded and led the rapid growth of two tech companies in the health and fitness industry – one that reached #20 on the Deloitte Fast 500, and another that made Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 three times. He has raised over $50 million in venture funding, holds several patents for sensor and machine vision technology, has been an angel investor and LP in several venture funds, and enjoys mentoring promising startups. Keith received a BS in Computer Science from Cornell, and was an Leaders for Global Operations Fellow at MIT, where he received an MBA and an MS in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science.Support the show

Send us a textDr. Amber Salzman, Ph.D. is Chief Executive Officer and Director of Epic Bio (https://epic-bio.com/), a fascinating therapeutic epigenome editing startup, developing therapies to modulate gene expression at the level of the epigenome, which just recently emerged from stealth mode with a $55 million funding round. Dr. Salzman has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceuticals industry. Before joining Epic Bio, Dr. Salzman served as the president and CEO of Ohana Biosciences, pioneering the industry’s first sperm biology platform. Before Ohana, she served as the president and CEO of Adverum Biotechnologies and was a co-founder of Annapurna, SAS, where she served as President and CEO before its merger with Avalanche Biotechnologies to become Adverum. In that role, she saw the company’s stock price double. Dr. Salzman began her career as a member of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) research and development executive team, where she was responsible for operations in drug development across multiple therapeutic areas, overseeing global clinical trials with over 30,000 enrolled patients, managing 1,600 employees and a $1.25B budget. Following her time at GSK, Dr. Salzman served as the CEO of Cardiokine, a pharmaceutical company that developed treatments for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and saw the successful sale of the company to Cornerstone Therapeutics. Dr. Salzman currently serves on the Osler Diagnostics (UK) and AviadoBio (UK) Boards. Dr. Salzman received her bachelor’s degree from Temple University in computer science and holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from Bryn Mawr College. In addition to advocating for patients living with rare diseases, Dr. Salzman leads the Stop ALD Foundation, a non-profit medical research foundation focused on developing novel gene therapies for adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).Support the show

Send us a textDr. Nicole Ehrhart, VMD, MS (http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/DirectorySearch/Search/MemberProfile/cvmbs/1013/Ehrhart/Nicole) is the director of the Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging at Colorado State University (https://www.research.colostate.edu/healthyagingcenter/about/), where she leads an interdisciplinary research effort to identify basic and translational mechanisms that promote healthy aging. Dr. Ehrhart holds the Ross M. Wilkins M.D. Limb Preservation Foundation University Chair in Musculoskeletal Oncology and Biology. She is a board-certified veterinary surgeon (Diplomate ACVS; ACVS Founding Fellow in Surgical Oncology), a professor of surgical oncology in the Dept. of Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and a research faculty member at CSU’s Flint Animal Cancer Center. In Dr. Ehrhart’s research lab, the Laboratory of Comparative Musculoskeletal Oncology and Traumatology, she conducts translational aging, limb preservation, tissue engineering, and sarcoma research, as well as bone and muscle regenerative medicine, to benefit both human and canine patients. Dr. Ehrhart holds joint faculty positions in the School of Biomedical Engineering, the Cell and Molecular Biology program, the Gates Regenerative Medicine Center at the University of Colorado, and The University of Colorado Cancer Center. In addition to her research, Dr. Ehrhart has held several leadership positions in national and international organizations, such as the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Veterinary Society for Surgical Oncology (President), Veterinary Orthopedic Society (President) and Chair of the 2014 World Veterinary Orthopaedic Congress Committee. Support the show

Send us a textDr. John LaMattina, Ph.D. (https://www.johnlamattina.com), is an independent non-executive director at PureTech, a biotechnology company with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize new therapies for devastating diseases, where limited or no treatment options currently exist for patients, and has served as a member of their board of directors since 2009. Dr. LaMattina was previously President of Pfizer Global Research and Development and held positions of increasing responsibility during his 30-year career at Pfizer, including vice president of US Discovery Operations in 1993, senior vice president of Worldwide Discovery Operations in 1998 and senior vice president of Worldwide Development in 1999. During Dr. LaMattina’s leadership tenure, Pfizer discovered and/or developed a number of important new medicines including Tarceva, Chantix, Zoloft, Selzentry and Lyrica, along with a number of other medicines currently in late stage development for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and pain. Dr. LaMattina serves on the board of directors of Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Zafgen, Inc., Immunome Inc. and Vedanta Biosciences, Inc. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Frequency Therapeutics and is a trustee associate of Boston College. Dr. LaMattina is the author of numerous scientific publications and US patents. In addition, Dr. LaMattina is the author of the recently released Pharma and Profits: Balancing Innovation, Medicine, and Drug Prices (https://www.amazon.com/Pharma-Profits-Balancing-Innovation-Medicine-ebook/dp/B0B33V6B7Y), as well as Devalued and Distrusted: Can the Pharmaceutical Industry Restore Its Broken Image, Drug Truths: Dispelling the Myths About Pharma R&D, and an author of the Drug Truths blog at Forbes.com (https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnlamattina/?sh=4ea8dc042b0d). Dr. LaMattina was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of New Hampshire in 2007 and in 2010 was the recipient of the American Chemical Society’s Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management. Dr. LaMattina received a BS in chemistry from Boston College in 1971 and received a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of New Hampshire in 1975. He then moved on to Princeton University as a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Professor E. C. Taylor.Support the show

Send us a textDr. Arye Elfenbein, MD, PhD, is the Co-Founder of Wildtype (https://www.wildtypefoods.com/), a biotechnology company which produces cultured seafood (with a focus on cultivated Pacific salmon) from fish cells, sustainably and cost effectively, with the nutritional benefits, but without common contaminants such as mercury, microplastics, antibiotics, or pesticides, and without relying on commercial fishing or fish farming. Born in Israel and raised in Australia, Dr. Elfenbein combines his deep passion for medicine and unique childhood connection to the ocean to fuel Wildtype’s health and environmental mission. After studying at Dartmouth and Kyoto University, attaining a PhD and MD, Dr. Elfenbein began his residency at Yale where he first trained in Internal Medicine before completing training in Cardiology. After residency, he moved to San Francisco to work with Professor Dr. Deepak Srivastava at the revered Gladstone Institutes / UCSF, also known for being the scientific homes of Nobel laureates Dr. Shinya Yamanaka (iPs cells) and Dr. Jennifer Doudna (CRISPR). During his time at the Gladstone Institutes, Dr. Elfenbein’s research focused on cardiac regeneration following heart attacks. This research inspired him to apply the principles of stem cell biology beyond medicine, and to address the growing problems in our food system. When away from Wildtype, Dr. Elfenbein continues to work as a cardiologist with a focus on critical care, lending his expertise and passion for patient care to the ICU.Support the show

Send us a textTom Lawry is the National Director for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Health & Life Sciences, at Microsoft (https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/industry-blog/microsoft-in-business/author/tom-lawry/). In this role he serves as a strategic advisor to provider, payer and life science organizations across the Americas, creating enterprise-wide AI initiatives designed to transform healthcare at scale. He focuses on technological, process and cultural redesign leading to the creation of Intelligent Health Systems that better empower patients, consumers and clinicians. Tom has also served as Director of Worldwide Health for Microsoft where he worked with a similar portfolio of organizations in planning and implementing innovative analytical solutions to improve the quality and efficiency of health services delivered around the globe. Tom focuses on strategies for digital transformation applied to performance optimization including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP). He previously served as Director of Organizational Performance for Microsoft’s health incubator (Health Solutions Group). Prior to Microsoft, Tom served as a Senior Director at GE Healthcare with global responsibilities for revenue cycle management analytics and operational performance solutions. An accomplished entrepreneur, Tom was founder and CEO of Verus, a U.S.-based healthcare software company named as one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Washington Companies for three consecutive years and to the Deloitte Fast 500 Technologies list. For fourteen years, Tom served in various executive management roles in hospitals and integrated delivery networks in the United States and has published over 30 articles on topics relating to use technology and software to innovate healthcare. Tom is also an accomplished author of the books Hacking Healthcare: How AI and the Intelligence Revolution Will Reboot an Ailing System (https://www.amazon.com/Hacking-Healthcare-Intelligence-Revolution-Reboot/dp/1032260157), as well as AI in Health: A Leader’s Guide to Winning in the New Age of Intelligent Health Systems (https://www.amazon.com/Health-HIMSS-Book-Tom-Lawry/dp/0367333716/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=0367333716&psc=1).Support the show

Send us a text Dr. Dana K. Merriman Ph.D. (http://www.uwosh.edu/facstaff/merriman/VaughanHome), is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Biology, and Director of the Squirrel Colony, at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, and Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin. With her BA in Biological Science and her PhD in Physiology and Cell Biology, both from University of California-Santa Barbara, as well as having spent time as a Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Utah Health Sciences Center, a core focus of Dr. Merriman’s laboratory research over the years has been the development of a captive breeding colony of the 13-lined ground squirrels. This unique, one-of-a-kind captive breeding program, due to this species very unique cone-dominant, diurnal visual system, as well as their impressive physiological ability to survive in hibernation for over six months without food or water, has served investigators with animals and custom-dissected tissues from the US, Asia, and Europe for decades, as well as been core to Dr Merriman’s own work on vision, including cone cell biology and retinal function during the metabolic state transitions associated with hibernation. Over the years, Dr. Merriman expanded her research horizon well outside of vision, into neuroscience, and in recent years she has collaborated on studies of muscle physiology, viral genomics, molecular biology of transposable elements, and comparative genetics of the control of coat patterning. Dr. Merriman’s lab research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and the University of Wisconsin System Comprehensive Campuses tech transfer organization, WiSys. Support the show

Send us a text Dr. Rosamund Lewis, MD, CM is Head, WHO Smallpox Secretariat, Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses Unit, World Health Emergencies Programme, at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, leading on emergency preparedness and advising on health security for the agency in this very critical domain, including as technical lead for Monkeypox. She also holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor in the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa. Previous to this role, Dr. Lewis joined the WHO COVID-19 response team as the health sciences lead for management of infodemics. A public health physician with an early career in family and emergency medicine, Dr. Lewis has served the WHO, the Government of Canada, Ottawa Public Health and other agencies at global, national and municipal levels in emergency preparedness, health security, disease surveillance and response, offering country support for a range of immunization and disease control programs. Dr. Lewis has served other roles focused on field epidemiology in emergency settings with organizations like Doctors Without Borders, and new vaccines and health systems development with the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI). Along with a Bachelor of Science and medical degree from McGill University, Dr. Lewis holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, a Master of Management in Health Leadership, and fellowships in Family Medicine and Public Health and Preventive Medicine and has published extensively in her areas of work. Support the show

Send us a textDr. Stephen Moran, Ph.D., is Global Program Head, Neuroendocrine Tumors & Other Radiosensitive Cancers, for Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA - https://www.adacap.com/), a Novartis company and also a member of the Oncology Development Unit Leadership Team at Novartis. Prior to joining AAA, Dr. Moran was Global Head of Novartis Strategy, where he played a key role in defining the company’s strategy, prioritizing critical actions needed to deliver on the mission to discover new ways to extend and improve peoples’ lives. He also led numerous strategic initiatives, including gene therapy (AveXis, now Novartis Gene Therapies), RNA therapeutics (The Medicines Company), precision medicine and digital strategies. Dr. Moran joined Novartis as Strategic Assistant to the CEO, a position he held for two years and prior to this, he was an associate principal at McKinsey & Company serving as a leader in the healthcare practice, where he focused on health system sustainability, research and development strategy, and the economic analysis of clinical interventions across disease pathways. Dr. Moran holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, including an undergraduate exchange program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also received a Doctorate from the University of Oxford in Biophysics where he lectured on thermodynamics, quantum mechanics and electromagnetism as applied to biology. Dr. Moran has also been a guest lecturer in strategy at the University of St. Gallen International Executives MBA, masters and bachelor courses, and received the Young Investigator of the Year award in 2006 from Biochemical Journal.Support the show