In this special episode in partnership with ESCP Business School, I’m joined by Clarissa Gorin, a pharmacist and ESCP Business School MSc Biopharmaceutical Management alum, who transitioned from the blockchain industry to head Medical Affairs at Ad Scientiam, a MedTech company specializing in digital biomarkers. Clarissa shares her journey from a traditional pharmacy career path to embracing tech innovation in healthcare, particularly in the fight against counterfeit medicines in developing countries. Her work at Ad Scientiam, which originated from the Paris Brain Institute, focuses on creating digital biomarkers using smartphone sensors and AI to monitor and predict the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Clarissa's unique perspective highlights the importance of adaptability and the practical application of technology to meet real-world needs in the healthcare sector. Throughout the episode, we dive into Clarissa's experiences in navigating cultural challenges in tech adoption, particularly in developing regions, and how this has shaped her approach to leading innovative projects. She emphasizes the value of understanding the specific needs of both patients and healthcare providers when developing new technologies, and the critical role that digital biomarkers and AI can play in the future of medical diagnostics and treatment. Clarissa also reflects on the importance of accessibility and humility in tech development, ensuring that solutions are not only high-tech but also practical and adaptable to diverse healthcare settings around the world. "Effective leadership hinges on adaptability and the ability to respond swiftly to change." MEET OUR GUEST Clarissa Gorin, Head of Medical Innovation, Medical Affairs at Ad scientam. Clarissa holds a dual degree in Pharmacy and a Master of Science (MSc) specialized in pharmaceutical and biotechnology management from ESCP Business School. She quickly developed a keen interest in emerging technologies, data management, and their applications in the healthcare sector. Following her initial professional experience focusing on the blockchain industry and the fight against counterfeit medicines in developing countries, Clarissa joined Ad Scientiam in 2020 as Head of Medical Affairs. Ad Scientiam, a MedTech company originating from the Paris Brain Institute, specializes in developing digital biomarkers that enable the monitoring and prediction of the progression of certain neurodegenerative pathologies and rare diseases. These innovative markers are derived from proprietary algorithms for measuring precise analysis movements, vocal activity, or image processing derived from smartphone sensors and AI technologies. Within Ad Scientiam, her role involves working collaboratively with the Scientific Board to ensure the development and validation of these biomarkers, leveraging her medical knowledge and expertise. 

In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Carl Dahlberg, who shared his fascinating journey from a computer science nerd to an emergency physician and medical innovator. Carl discussed how his passion for problem-solving has driven his diverse career, spanning IT, financial trading, and emergency medicine. He reflected on his transition into healthcare and how his tech background influenced his approach to medicine, emphasizing creativity and innovation. Carl highlighted a recurring theme in his career: a desire to solve important problems for real people, which ultimately led him to focus on healthcare innovation. He expressed concerns about the U.S. healthcare system's inefficiencies and the need for a fundamental redesign to improve outcomes and reduce costs. When discussing his work mentoring entrepreneurs, Carl emphasized the importance of listening to customers and stakeholders to truly understand the problems that need solving. He also shared his insights on leadership, noting that modern leaders should align incentives and communicate the mission clearly to their teams, rather than merely issuing directives. In a reflective segment, Carl shared his views on concepts like innovation, entrepreneurship, health equity, and spreading joy in organizations. He underscored the importance of joy in work, distinguishing it from mere fun, and emphasized that true satisfaction comes from tackling meaningful challenges. Carl concluded with advice for healthcare leaders: ensure that clinicians, who are the embodiment of the mission, have a voice in decision-making processes to avoid potentially disastrous oversights. "True satisfaction comes from solving important problems for real people, not just making a profit." MEET OUR GUEST Carl Dahlberg, President at Dahlberg Healthcare Solutions. Carl Dahlberg, a physician innovator whose passion is solving important problems for real people.  Holding degrees from The University of Michigan Medical School and MIT Sloan School of Management Carl has a multifaceted background spanning technology, medicine, art and business.  He’s co-founder of the MIT Sloan Physicians Group and a mentor with the MIT Sandbox and UM6P Explorer innovation programs.  Carl blends medical proficiency with entrepreneurial spirit and relentless creativity to drive positive change in healthcare and beyond.

In this episode, Naji welcomes Emilia McLaughlin, a biotech founder and CEO, to discuss her journey into the field. Emilia shares that her initial interest in medicine led her to study biochemistry, but she eventually found her passion in parasitology. She describes her shift from academic research to entrepreneurship as motivated by a desire to directly impact patient care, which she found lacking in academic work. Emilia highlights her experience with the incubator program Entrepreneur First, which catalyzed her transition into biotech entrepreneurship. She emphasizes the importance of building strong teams, hiring the right people, and maintaining a focus on patient needs in the biotech industry. She discusses the challenges of being a female founder in a predominantly male industry and the importance of supporting other women in making the leap from academia to entrepreneurship. Throughout the conversation, Emilia emphasizes the value of bravery and risk-taking in entrepreneurship, particularly for women, and underscores the importance of keeping patients at the forefront of healthcare innovation. "Nobody has all the answers. You've just got to throw yourself in and do the best you can." MEET OUR GUEST Emilia McLaughlin, Founder and CEO at Kyron Bio. Emilia McLaughlin is founder and CEO of kyron.bio, a startup based in Paris dedicated to pioneering tomorrow’s therapeutics. Originally from London, Emilia moved to Paris in 2017 to pursue a PhD in parasite molecular biology at the Institut Pasteur. Upon completing her PhD, she founded kyron.bio with the aim of enhancing the efficacy of protein therapeutics through innovative glycan modifications. Since its inception, Emilia has successfully recruited a world-class scientific team, established a state-of-the-art laboratory, secured core technology IP, and garnered over €1.2M in competitive grants from the French government and the EU. Additionally, she has raised €1.1M in equity funding. Currently, the company is testing its first therapeutic in human serum and has developed a robust pipeline of innovative products. In 2024, Emilia was recognized as a Woman in Leadership by the European Innovation Commission. She is passionate about empowering women to take on leadership roles and supports academics who aspire to transition into entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, Naji talked with Anthony Dowidowicz, a physician leader with a background in engineering and emergency medicine, about the exciting potential of quantum computing in healthcare. Anthony explains how his fascination with quantum mechanics led him from engineering to medical school and eventually to become a physician leader. They delve into the power of quantum computing, its unique characteristics, and its potential applications in healthcare. Anthony highlights that while quantum computing won't replace classical computers, it excels in solving complex problems, making it invaluable in healthcare where vast amounts of data need to be processed. Throughout the discussion, Anthony stresses the importance of virtuous leadership in healthcare, urging leaders to prioritize patients' well-being over short-term profits and to advocate for the ethical and equitable use of technology in healthcare. "Quantum computing can make healthcare more equitable and personalized" MEET OUR GUEST Anthony Dowidowicz a physician executive. Dr. Anthony Dowidowicz is a physician executive who has served as a senior physician  leader of health systems  and health plans.  He is an emergency physician by background and is a graduate of the MIT Sloan school of management where he founded and coordinates the MIT Physician Leadership Group.   As an engineer and lifelong technology enthusiast, Dr. Dowidowicz’s professional interests include physician leadership, health system design, and emerging computing technologies.

This episode is in partnership with Boston Biotechnology Summit, a bridge to collaboration and innovative synergies between healthcare stakeholders. In this episode, I hosted Jonathan Levy CEO of Pepkon, the biotech focused on developing first-in-class therapeutic peptides for oncology, who won the first prize in BBS 2024. Jonathan, who has a background in pharmacy and management, shared his journey from various roles in the French healthcare sector to leading Pepcon. He emphasized the importance of humility, listening, and learning in leadership, as well as recruiting a skilled team that shares the company's values. Under his leadership, Pepcon has raised significant funding and aims to start its first human clinical trials next year. Viewing his work as a mission to improve patient outcomes, Jonathan stressed the importance of scientific innovation and collaboration in advancing healthcare. "It's more than a job, it's a mission" MEET OUR GUEST Jonathan Levy, Chief Executive Officer of Pepkon. Jonathan Levy is CEO of Pepkon. He is a Pharmacist from University of Paris with a masters in management from ESSEC Business school. He has worked in various environment of the healthcare sector in France from pharmacy to hospital, and also in big pharma and startups. His last role before joining Pepkon was within Truffle Capital a French VC; where he participated in several investments in biotech and also company creations, M&A and licensing deals. Two years ago Jonathan joined PepKon, a startup developing first-in-class therapeutic peptides in oncology, first as a COO, and now leading the company as its CEO.

In this episode, Naji hosts Anthony Yanni, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Patient Centricity at Astellas Pharma. Anthony, a pioneer in the field, has long advocated for patient centricity in healthcare, even before it became a recognized term. Anthony shares his belief that patient centricity requires both operational and cultural commitment. Operationally, this involves actively using patient feedback to guide drug development and healthcare solutions. Culturally, it means fostering an organizational mindset where every employee, regardless of role, prioritizes patient well-being. He emphasizes that this approach not only improves healthcare outcomes but also enhances employee satisfaction and retention. Reflecting on his personal and professional philosophy, Anthony underscores the importance of purpose and love in healthcare. He believes that these values drive efficiency, satisfaction, and positive outcomes. As he prepares to release his book, "A Bandana and a Bluebird," Anthony calls on healthcare leaders to seize this moment to revolutionize patient care, urging a collective effort to create a more patient-centric system. "Now is the time to develop medicines with patients, for patients." MEET OUR GUEST Anthony Yanni Senior Vice President and Global Head of Patient Centricity at Astellas Pharma. Anthony Yanni is Senior Vice President and Global Head of Patient Centricity at Astellas Pharma. Anthony practiced Patient Centricity as a doctor and drug developer before the term even existed – by listening to patients and applying what he learned to offer better care. Now a veteran of senior leadership roles in hospitals and industry, Anthony is among the world’s leading advocates of Patient Centricity as a proven model for healthcare delivery and medicines development. In articles, interviews, talks, and now a book, he reveals Patient Centricity as an overdue disruption that will improve and speed up the treatments many people are waiting for.

This episode is in collaboration with MIT Sloan Healthcare and BioInnovations Conference, an event that brings the healthcare ecosystem together. On today’s episode, Naji hosted Dr. Collin Stultz, a distinguished professor at MIT and Harvard, and a practicing cardiologist. Collin shared his inspiring journey from his roots in Jamaica to his groundbreaking work in AI for healthcare. Collin emphasizes the potential of AI to enhance patient care by analyzing vast amounts of data, which can uncover crucial insights that healthcare providers might miss. He also highlights the development of digital twins for personalized medicine, allowing simulations of drug effects on patients. Additionally, they delve into the importance of addressing biases in medical data to ensure equitable healthcare for all. Collin's insights offer a glimpse into the future of medicine, where technology and data play pivotal roles in improving patient outcomes. "Failure Makes You Better" MEET OUR GUEST Collin Stultz Professor in Medical Engineering and Science, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Co-Director of the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics, and associate member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Collin Stultz is Professor in Medical Engineering and Science, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Co-Director of the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics, and associate member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Collin is also a practicing cardiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Collin’s scientific contributions have spanned multiple fields including computational chemistry, biophysics, and machine learning for cardiovascular risk stratification. He is a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology and he is a past recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences. Currently, research in his group is focused on the development of machine learning tools that can guide clinical decision making.

Samy Sidhom shared his journey from being a patient in Egypt to fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a physician. His personal experience with a medical condition inspired him to pursue medicine and cultivate empathy for others. Throughout his career, he has focused on leadership and adapting to challenges, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting on his leadership journey, Samy emphasized the importance of finding balance, not only in professional roles but also in personal life. He believes that being a leader means being someone others can depend on, both at work and at home. Samy's leadership philosophy revolves around servant leadership, where service comes before authority. He encourages aspiring healthcare professionals to identify their core values and develop leadership skills in various aspects of their lives. "Lead with your heart, transparently and honestly" MEET OUR GUEST Samy Sidhom Associate Chair of Specialties and Chief of Pulmonary Medicine at Atrius Health. Samy is a physician leader and innovator, currently serving as the Associate Chair of Specialties and Chief of Pulmonary Medicine at Atrius Health, part of Optum, which is one of the largest primary care and specialty practices in Massachusetts. Samy also holds academic appointments as a Lecturer in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. With a deep focus on innovative management of chronic conditions, population health, value-based care, telehealth, and healthcare ventures, Samy has been at the forefront of advancing medical practice and healthcare delivery.  He mentors aspiring entrepreneurs through participation in the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund and has mentored at the MIT Hacking Medicine events. Prior to his tenure at Atrius, he played a pivotal role in developing pulmonary outpatient practices and services, and served as Chief of Pulmonary Medicine at Holy Family Hospitals in Massachusetts where he also cofounded the Center for Advanced Thoracic and Pulmonary Care. He has also contributed to public health policy and is a former member of the Board of Respiratory Care for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

This episode is in partnership with Boston Biotechnology Summit, a bridge to collaboration and innovative synergies between healthcare stakeholders. In this episode, Mark Namchuk, a seasoned drug discovery expert, shares his journey in the pharmaceutical industry and discusses his thoughts on leadership, innovation, health equity, and the future of medicine. Mark emphasizes the importance of servant leadership in fostering creativity within drug discovery teams. He highlights the need for collaboration between academia and industry to streamline the drug discovery process, with a focus on early translational work. Mark also discusses the role of AI in drug discovery and the challenges and opportunities it presents. Finally, he stresses the importance of spreading love within organizations and the need for healthcare leaders to focus on their mission and principles to attract and retain talented individuals. "Biology will teach you great humility" MEET OUR GUEST Mark Namchuk Executive Director Therapeutics Translation at Harvard Medical School. Mark Namchuk is the Puja and Samir Kaul Professor of the Practice of Biomedical Innovation and Translation at Harvard Medical School.  He Joined HMS is 2020 as the inaugural Executive Director of the school’s Therapeutics initiative and was appointed as the first Professor of the Practice at HMS in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology in 2021.  The therapeutics initiative was established to accelerate the progression of discoveries at HMS from breakthrough biological insight towards a medicine and includes a scientific core to support drug discovery efforts and an on-campus biotech incubator (the Blavatnik Harvard LifeLab Longwood).  The initiative also aims to train the inventors of tomorrow’s medicines and includes the therapeutics graduate program for PhD students and a masters in therapeutic sciences that will be launched in 2025.  He is also currently the lead academic PI for a $30 M collaboration between HMS and Abbvie focused on disease understanding and new therapies for COVID-19.  Namchuk joined HMS after a 24-year research and development career in biotech.  In 2015, he joined Alkermes as senior vice president of research and nonclinical and pharmaceutical development. Previously, he held a number of research positions over a 17 year career at Vertex including senior vice president of Research.  Namchuk has directed drug discovery efforts in numerous therapeutic areas, including infectious disease, oncology, neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, inflammatory and autoimmune disease and orphan diseases, including cystic fibrosis. To date these programs have led to six approved drugs and an additional molecule in active Phase 3 clinical development.  Namchuk serves on the scientific advisory board of several biotechs and as well as academic drug discovery programs at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Davis.  Namchuk obtained a B.Sc. with honors in chemistry from the University of Alberta, a PhD in bio-organic chemistry the University of British Columbia and was an HFSP post-doctoral fellow at UCSF. 

This episode is in partnership with Boston Biotechnology Summit, a bridge to collaboration and innovative synergies between healthcare stakeholders. In this conversation, we speak with Matthias Lambert, a scientist and patient advocate, who shares his remarkable journey from being a patient to becoming a scientist. Matthias was born with a rare neuromuscular disease. Despite being the only one in his family with this condition, he didn't know the genetic cause for 25 years. However, during his PhD, he discovered the gene responsible for his disease, TPM3. Matthias now works at a lab in Boston, focusing on neuromuscular diseases. He emphasizes the importance of patient scientists in drug discovery, highlighting that their work directly impacts their lives and the lives of others with similar conditions. Matthias discusses the challenges of working on rare diseases, including funding and the scarcity of research talent in the field. He explains the significance of innovation in gene therapy, particularly in finding effective delivery methods to target specific tissues. Matthias stresses the need for a more inclusive approach to research, with patients playing a crucial role in decision-making processes. Lastly, Matthias urges healthcare leaders to listen to patients, emphasizing that patients often know more about their own diseases than anyone else. He encourages patients to speak up and pursue their ideas, serving as an inspiration and beacon of hope for others facing similar challenges. "Our metric is to save lives" MEET OUR GUEST Matthias Lambert Senior Scientist in the division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children's Hospital. Matthias Lambert is a Senior Scientist in the division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children's Hospital, and Instructor in the department of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Matthias identifies as a patient-scientist, navigating life with a rare congenital myopathy. His research focuses on studying the mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of rare muscle diseases including his own genetic condition. He is actively engaged in pioneering efforts to advance cutting-edge therapies for these conditions. His work is supported by prestigious grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), and the AFM-Telethon. In 2024, Matthias plans to establish his own independent research group.