Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us a textDr. Stephani Otte, Ph.D is Science Program Officer, Imaging, at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (https://chanzuckerberg.com/), who leads the organization’s Imaging program and is focused on the creation, dissemination, optimization, and standardization of transformative imaging technologies. Prior to CZI, Dr. Otte was Director of Science at a neuro-technology / microscopy company, Inscopix, involved in accelerating brain science and innovating mini-scope microscope solutions for real-time mapping of the human brain and it’s circuits. Dr. Otte received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego, and did postdoctoral fellowships in systems neuroscience at the Salk Institute and University of California, Berkeley. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is an organization established and owned by Dr. Priscilla Chan and her husband, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, with a focus on science, education, immigration reform, housing, criminal justice, and other local issues, with a mission to "build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone" and to "advance human potential and promote equality in areas such as health, education, scientific research and energy".Support the show

Send us a textDr. Joel Mozer is the Director of Science, Technology, and Research, United States Space Force (https://www.spaceforce.mil/). With a PhD in Physics, and MS in Atmospheric Science, from University of Arizona, Dr. Mozer serves as the principal scientific advisor to the Commander and is the senior authority for all science and technology matters for an organization of approximately 11,000 space professionals worldwide, and manages a global network of satellite command and control, communications, missile warning and launch facilities. In this role, he interacts with other principals, operational commanders, combatant commands, acquisition, and international communities to address cross-organizational science and technical issues and solutions. Dr. Mozer represents USSF science and technology on decisions, high-level planning, and policy, building coalitions and alliances throughout the U.S. government, industry, academia, the international community, and other scientific and technology organizations. Dr. Mozer entered government service in 1992 with the U.S. Air Force. Prior to his current assignment, he was Chief Space Experimentalist of the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicle Directorate. In that role, he was responsible for managing AFRL's $40 million-per-year investment in research and development related to the development of experimental satellites and payloads and conducted a team of 100 engineers and scientists at Kirtland and Holloman Air Force Bases, New Mexico — all working to develop cost-effective ways to assemble, integrate, test and fly novel spacecraft and systems and demonstrating new concepts for Department of Defense systems and missions. His area of specialization relates to space control and remote sensing — understanding the natural and man-made space environment and developing forecast tools for warfighters, theater battle commanders and other decision-makers to mitigate risks. Dr. Mozer has more than 30 years of space science, engineering, management, and financial experience working space and ground systems for the DoD. In addition to the Integrated Experiments Division, he served as Chief of the Battlespace Environment Division and led the laboratory’s Space Weather Center of Excellence and was a scientist at the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak. Before arriving at AFRL, Dr. Mozer worked at the Air Force’s Radar Attenuation and Scattering facility at Holloman AFB developing measurement and analysis techniques to study the radar cross-section of low-observable aircraft and technology. Prior to that, he worked for the Army’s Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory developing techniques to quantify the effects of natural and man-made battlefield obscurants on electro-optical sensors.Support the show

Send us a textXenobots are living micro-robots, built from cells, designed and programmed by a computer (an evolutionary algorithm) and have been demonstrated to date in the laboratory to move towards a target, pick up a payload, heal themselves after being cut, and reproduce via a process called kinematic self-replication. In addition to all of their future potential that has been mentioned in the press, including Xenobot applications for cleaning up radioactive wastes, collecting micro-plastics in the oceans, and even helping terraform planets, Xenobot research offers a completely new tool kit to help increase our understanding of how complex tissues/organs/body segments are cooperatively formed during the process of morphogenesis, how minds develop, and even offers glimpses of possibilities of what novel life forms we may encounter one day in the cosmos. This cutting edge Xenobot research has been conducted by an interdisciplinary team composed of scientists from University of Vermont, Tufts University, and Harvard, and our show is honored to be joined by two members of this team today. Dr. Josh Bongard, Ph.D. (https://www.uvm.edu/cems/cs/profiles/josh_bongard), is Professor, Morphology, Evolution & Cognition Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, University of Vermont. Dr. Bongard's lab focuses on the unique domain of evolutionary robotics with a goal of directing the evolution of increasingly complex, capable, and autonomous machines to perform a widening array of difficult tasks. Dr. Bongard completed his bachelor's degree in Computer Science from McMaster University, Canada, his M.S. in Evolutionary & Adaptive Systems, University of Sussex, UK, his Ph.D. in Informatics, University of Zurich, Switzerland, and a post-doc in the Computational Synthesis Laboratory at Cornell University. He is the co-author of the popular science book entitled "How the Body Shapes the Way We Think: A New View of Intelligence” and co-author of "Designing Intelligence: Why Brains Aren't Enough". Dr. Michael Levin, Ph.D. (https://allencenter.tufts.edu/our-team/michael-levin/), is Tufts University Professor who holds the Vannevar Bush endowed Chair in the Biology department, and who serves as both the director of the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, and Director, Allen Discovery Center at Tufts. Dr. Levin’s group's focus is on understanding the biophysical mechanisms that implement decision-making during complex pattern regulation, and harnessing endogenous bio-electric dynamics toward rational control of growth and form. Dr. Levin has dual B.S. degrees, in Computer Science and Biology, and received a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He did post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical School. Support the show

Send us a textDr Charlotte Yeh, MD Chief Medical Officer, AARP Services, Inc. (https://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/aarp-services/), where she works with the independent carriers that make health-related products and services available to AARP members, to identify programs and initiatives that will lead to enhanced care for older adults. AARP (formerly called the American Association of Retired Persons) is a United States–based interest group focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty. According to the organization, it had more than 38 million members as of 2018. Dr. Yeh has more than 30 years of healthcare experience – as a practitioner and Chief of Emergency Medicine at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Tufts Medical Center, as the Medical Director for the National Heritage Insurance Company, a Medicare Part B claims contractor, and as the Regional Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Boston. Dr. Yeh is widely recognized for her commitment to and passion for the healthcare consumer and has received numerous honors for her efforts on behalf of patients. As a health care leader, she has served on numerous boards and committees throughout her career, and currently sits on the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation Board, the Optum Labs Scientific Advisory Board, and the HX360 Executive Leadership Advisory Board. Dr. Yeh received a BA from Northwestern University and her medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. She completed her internship in General Surgery at the University of Washington and her residency in Emergency Medicine at UCLA.Support the show

Send us a textDr. Amy Throckmorton, Ph.D. (https://drexel.edu/biomed/faculty/core/ThrockmortonAmy/) is Associate Professor and Director of the BioCirc Research Laboratory, in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, at Drexel University. The BioCirc Research Laboratory seeks to improve the treatment strategies and therapeutic options for pediatric and adult patients suffering from acquired or congenital heart disease by developing unique features for inclusion in the design of blood pumps and to develop entirely new designs of blood pumps for patients with single ventricle or biventricular circulations as a bridge-to-transplant, bridge-to-recovery, or destination therapy. Prior to this position, in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at the Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Throckmorton served as Associate Professor and previously held the chaired Qimonda Assistant Professorship. Dr. Throckmorton received her PhD and MS in Biomedical Engineering, as well as a BS in Chemical Engineering, from the University of Virginia. After working in the chemical industry, Dr. Throckmorton served as a research assistant from 2000 to 2006 in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia. After receiving her PhD, she worked, as a postdoctoral fellow, on the development of blood-contacting medical devices in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Throckmorton currently conducts research in experimental and computational fluid mechanics as related to the development of innovative treatment strategies for pediatric and adult patients suffering from heart failure secondary to acquired and congenital heart disease. Therapeutic modalities under development will augment flow and pressure in the: 1) cavopulmonary circulation (pulmonary circulatory support) in patients with single ventricle physiology, and 2) systemic circulation in patients with single ventricle or biventricular circulations as a bridge-to-recovery or transplant. Dr. Throckmorton's research addresses complex and unresolved hurdles in the field of congenital heart disease and mechanical circulatory support. Core areas of her research include the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) under steady and transient rotational flow conditions, hydraulic performance testing of prototypes for validation of CFD predictions, blood bag experimentation, and animal testing. This research combines broad expertise in engineering, pediatric cardiology, adult cardiology, congenital heart surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and medical device design and manufacturing. Support the show

Send us a textMs. Fanny Sie is the One Roche Head of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health, at F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (https://www.roche.com/), a multinational healthcare company that operates in both the Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics segments, and in 2021 was the world’s largest pharma company by revenue. With her BS and MS from the University of Toronto, Ms. Sie is very focused on applications of Digital Health, and innovative techniques such as Artificial Intelligence, to generate actionable insights that may breed exponential improvements in both patient outcomes and economic development (https://www.roche.com/strongertogether/data-science-coalition.htm). Ms. Sie has over 15 years of experience bringing new products and services to the healthcare market, including extensive experience as a clinician, researcher and business development professional in the area of medical devices, AI and analytics, and digital health assets. Ms. Sie specializes in building meaningful and impactful health system transformations that leverage innovation and achieve fast and sustained growth for entrepreneurs and multinationals in the public and private sector. Support the show

Send us a textMs. Nashira Layade is Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Business Services, at Realogy Holdings Corp. (https://www.realogy.com/), and she leads Realogy’s technology infrastructure, security, operations, and support strategies. Realogy Holdings Corp. is an American publicly owned real estate and relocation services company which owns and franchises several real estate brands and brokerages (including Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, Cartus, Century 21 Real Estate, Citi-Habitats, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran Group, ERA Real Estate, Sotheby's International Realty and ZipRealty), which supported approximately 1.4 million home transactions in 2020, and offers relocation, lead generation, title, and settlement services. Most recently, Ms. Layade served as senior vice president, chief information security officer for Realogy, responsible for establishing and maintaining the enterprise vision, strategy, and programs necessary to ensure the adequate protection of Realogy’s digital information assets and technologies. Ms. Layade’s background includes nearly 20 years experience as an executive and thought leader in information security, data privacy, and risk management for multinational Fortune 500 firms in the financial services, media & entertainment, and real estate industries. Prior to joining Realogy in July 2016, Ms. Layade served as an executive director for information security at Time Warner Inc. for nearly five years, and before that served as a director of information security for Prudential Financial. From 2005 to 2009, Ms. Layade held key senior leadership positions at Citibank, including vice president and senior risk control officer, and prior to Citi, spent three years working as a global head of information security for Bloomberg LP. Ms. Layade holds an M.S. in Telecommunication Networks from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. She obtained a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania and is also an alumna of the prestigous Phillips Academy Andover.Support the show

Send us a textDr. Tohru Minamino is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine (https://juntendo-cvbm.com/en/about.html). He also serves as Director of the Cardiovascular Medicine, Juntendo University Hospital. He received his MD from the Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine in 1989 and his PhD from Faculty of Medicine, the University of Tokyo in 1997. Dr. Minamino is a medical cardiologist and research scientist focusing on molecular mechanisms of aging. He started his major research focusing on cardiovascular aging at Harvard Medical School (1997–2000), and his research interests have currently been growing in the biology of aging including metabolic pathways of longevity and senolysis. He has published more than 100 papers including in Nature, Nature Medicine, Cell, Cell Metabolism, and Lancet. Dr. Minamino has won several awards including Satoh Memorial Award in Japanese Circulation Society, and Erwin von Bälz Award (1st prize). Support the show

Send us a textDr. Clarice D. Aiello (https://samueli.ucla.edu/people/clarice-aiello/), is Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, at the UCLA Samueli School Of Engineering. Dr. Aiello is also leader of the new Quantum Biology Tech (QuBiT) Lab, a new center dedicated to interdisciplinary research on the possible quantum underpinnings of biological processes, within the UCLA California NanoSystems Institute (https://cnsi.ucla.edu/). With her Ph.D. from MIT in electrical engineering, and postdoctoral appointments in bio-engineering at Stanford, and in chemistry at Berkeley, Dr. Aiello's research group, the Quantum Biology Tech (QuBiT) Lab, is focused on performing quantum measurements on “living sensors,” such as proteins, cells and microorganisms, to understand how they interact with their environment. This knowledge can lead to a broad range of discoveries, for example, how animals navigate, advanced therapeutics for metabolic-related diseases, and quantum information strategies for computing.Support the show

Send us a textDr. Dean Radin, MS, PhD (https://noetic.org/profile/dean-radin/), is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Science (IONS) and Associated Distinguished Professor of Integral and Transpersonal Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). He is also Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board for the neurogenetics biotech startup, Cognigenics (https://www.cognigenics.io/). Dr. Radin's original career track as a concert violinist shifted into science after earning a BSEE degree in electrical engineering, magna cum laude and with honors in physics, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and then an MS in electrical engineering and a PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. For a decade Dr. Radin worked on advanced R&D at AT&T Bell Laboratories and GTE Laboratories. For over three decades he has been engaged in research on the frontiers of consciousness. Before joining the research staff at IONS in 2001, he held appointments at Princeton University, SRI International, and other academic and industrial facilities. Dr. Radin is author or co-author of hundreds of scientific, technical, and popular articles, four dozen book chapters, and four best-selling books including The Conscious Universe (recipient of the Scientific and Medical Network’s 1997 book award), Entangled Minds, Supernormal (recipient of the 2014 Silver Nautilus Book Award), and Real Magic. Dr. Radin’s books have been translated into over a dozen languages. Dr. Radin’s 100+ academic articles appear in peer-reviewed journals ranging from Foundations of Physics and Physics Essays to Psychological Bulletin, Psychology of Consciousness, and Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. He was featured in a New York Times Magazine article and he has been interviewed by dozens of television programs worldwide. He is a sought-after speaker, and has given over 600 talks for prestigious schools, government, military, business, scientific, and other groups around the world. Dr. Radin’s invited talks for industries have included Merck, Google, Johnson & Johnson, and Rabobank. His government talks have included the US Navy, US Army, the Naval Postgraduate School, DARPA, the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (India), the International Center for Leadership and Governance (Malaysia), and the Australian Leadership Retreat (Australia). In 2017 he was named one of the 100 most inspiring people in the world by the German magazine, OOOM, and as of 2021 his filmography on IMDB lists 26 documentaries he’s appeared in.Support the show