Behind the Breakthroughs
Inside Precision Medicine
Join host Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD, North American Editor for Inside Precision Medicine, as he uncovers the stories behind the pioneers driving the precision medicine revolution. Behind the Breakthroughs features candid interviews with seasoned veterans and rising stars, exploring their origin stories and groundbreaking contributions advancing the frontiers of patient diagnosis, treatment, and care.In every episode, Jonathan goes beyond the science, diving deep into the personal and professional journeys of those striving to make these incredible new therapies more equitable and accessible globally. You'll discover how emerging technologies in molecular diagnostics, next-generation sequencing, genetic medicines (e.g., cell and gene therapies), and AI/ML are transforming treatment and bringing precision medicine closer to the forefront of healthcare. Whether you’re a researcher at a large pharma company or small biotech startup, a clinician at a major health system or community setting, a laboratory technician in the clinic or academia, an investor at a premier or venture capital firm, or just interested in the latest in medicine and healthcare, these interviews will inspire and inform you about personalized medicine's future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 20, 2025 • 56min
David Liu: Performing Chemistry on DNA to Unlock Personalized Gene Editing
David R. Liu, PhD, Harvard and Broad Institute professor, invented base and prime editing—gene editing tools now in 20+ clinical trials with early wins against sickle cell, leukemia, and more. Founder of Editas, Beam, and Prime Medicine, and winner of the 2025 Breakthrough Prize, Liu joins Behind The Breakthroughs to share how chemistry and evolution are driving the next wave of medicine.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Hosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by David MoselyProduced by Bill Levine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 6, 2025 • 41min
Janice Chen: Unleashing CRISPR’s Clinical and Diagnostic Potential
Janice Chen, PhD, helped transform CRISPR from a lab discovery into a life-saving tool. As co-founder of Mammoth Biosciences with Jennifer Doudna, Trevor Martin, and Lucas Harrington, she’s driven efforts to harness CRISPR for human health and diagnostics. On Behind the Breakthroughs, Chen shares how she’s turning a once-theoretical gene editor into a medical revolution.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Hosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by David MoselyProduced by Bill Levine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 23, 2025 • 41min
Amber Salzman: Epigenetic Editing Aims to Refine Personalized Genetic Medicine
With recent safety setbacks in gene therapy underscoring the risks of genetic medicine, Amber Salzman, PhD, is charting a different course. After 25 years in big pharma, she now leads Epicrispr, where their Gene Expression Modulation System (GEMS) fine-tunes gene activity to tackle diseases too complex for traditional gene replacement, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy. On Behind the Breakthroughs, Salzman shares how epigenomic modulation could open new frontiers in treatment.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Hosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinProduced by Bill LevineAudio mixed and mastered by David MoselyMusic provided by penguinmusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 9, 2025 • 40min
Mike Previte: Predicting Biology with Spatiotemporal Multiomics
In this enlightening conversation, Mike Previte, CTO and co-founder of Element Biosciences, sheds light on his journey from Boston to groundbreaking advancements in biomedical technology. He discusses the limitations of current sequencing tools in capturing the dynamics of living cells and advocates for a 5D multiomics approach. Previte emphasizes the importance of integrating spatial and temporal dimensions in precision medicine. He also critiques traditional drug testing methods and highlights the potential of human-based models like organoids for safer and more effective therapies.
Jun 25, 2025 • 35min
Hervé Affagard: Creating Microbiomes to Fight Cancer, ALS, and More
Hervé Affagard, CEO and co-founder of MaaT Pharma, traded industrial engineering for medicine after cancer struck his family. Now, he’s pioneering microbiome-based therapies to restore balance in the gut, boost immunity, and tackle diseases from graft-versus-host to cancer itself. On Behind the Breakthroughs, Hervé shares how reimagining our inner ecosystem could transform treatment.Want me to make this one lean even harder into the industrial-to-biotech transformation angle for extra contrast?Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Hosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinProduced by Bill LevineAudio mixed and mastered by David MoselyMusic provided by penguinmusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 11, 2025 • 38min
Michelle Werner: Engineered tRNAs Offer Universal Solutions to Stop Codon Diseases
When Michelle Werner, PhD, learned her son Caffrey had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, she left big pharma to lead Alltrna—a Flagship Pioneering company engineering tRNAs to tackle rare diseases with no treatments. On Behind the Breakthroughs, Werner shares her journey as both mother and CEO, and how Alltrna’s approach could unlock therapies for thousands of conditions caused by nonsense mutations.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Produced by Bill LevineHosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason MackMusic provided by Artem Hramushkin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 28, 2025 • 38min
Cassie Hajek: Population Genomic Screens Need More Than Pathogenic Variants
Public health is greatly benefiting from population genomics screening, as it provides patients with risk education and treatment for symptoms of life-threatening diseases that they would not have been aware of through routine checkups. So, why hasn't population genomic screening realized its full potential? As an internist geneticist and Medical Affairs Director at Helix, this issue became all the more real for Cassie Hajek, MD, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer that evaded existing genetic testing procedures. In this earnest episode, Hajek shares how her experiences as both a cancer patient and a practitioner have helped her identify and build towards overcoming some of the barriers to maximizing population genomic screening for preventive medicine.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Produced by Bill LevineHosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason MackMusic provided by Artem Hramushkin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 14, 2025 • 30min
Patrick Hsu, Serge Saxonov, and Gilad Almogy: Creating the Virtual Cell
Three biotech trailblazers—Patrick Hsu (co-founder of the Arc Institute), Serge Saxonov (co-founder and CEO of 10x Genomics), and Gilad Almogy (co-founder and CEO of Ultima Genomics)—join forces to discuss their groundbreaking collaboration on the virtual cell. This ambitious project leverages advanced AI and cutting-edge genomic technologies to model and predict cellular behavior, a leap forward in understanding complex biological systems. The trio dives deep into their shared vision, explaining how their partnership is redefining scientific research and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in drug discovery and precision medicine.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Produced by Bill LevineHosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason MackMusic provided by Artem Hramushkin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 30, 2025 • 36min
Kate Sasser: How Lab-in-the-loop Turns Patient Data Into Patient Care
For years, Tempus operated in mystery—its website sparse on details while headlines announced massive funding and high-profile partnerships. The claim? AI-enabled solutions for personalized healthcare. Intrigued, I sought answers. In this episode, Kate Sasser, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Tempus, shared insights into how the company uses AI to analyze unstructured clinical data to develop patient-derived organoid models for therapeutic refinement. Most exciting is their vision of an interconnected “lab-in-a-loop” system—a cycle of real-world data, biological modeling, and AI analysis.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Produced by Bill LevineHosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason MackMusic provided by Artem Hramushkin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 16, 2025 • 45min
Kian Sadeghi: Is Personalized Genomics Undergoing a Direct-to-Consumer Renaissance?
Kian Sadeghi, the visionary founder of Nucleus Genomics, is shaking up personalized genomics with his direct-to-consumer whole genome sequencing service. He discusses the importance of patient agency and critiques traditional insurance biases against genetic testing. The conversation dives into the ambitious future of accessible genetic testing, inspired by personal tragedy. Sadeghi also reflects on the downfall of 23andMe and shares insights on how to avoid similar pitfalls while democratizing genomics for everyone.
