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
Feb 5, 2025 • 40min
Katy Rezvani: Allogeneic NK Cells Are Coming to Beat Cancer at a Clinic Near You
Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD, turned her fascination with immunology into a career engineering allogeneic immune cell therapies. On Behind the Breakthroughs, Rezvani explains why NK cells—unlike T cells—hold promise for safer, more accessible cancer treatments, and how her work at MD Anderson is shaping the future of cell therapy.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. Grinstein, PhDMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 22, 2025 • 29min
Toby Ferguson: From Bloodstream to Brain: Accessing the Neurogenetic Medicine Revolution
"Are we close to curing diseases like ALS and Alzheimer's?" In recent years, several academic and industry endeavors have given reason to be hopeful. Toby Ferguson, MD, PhD, is the Chief Medical Officer at Voyager Therapeutics, which develops genetic medicines and delivery tools to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In this episode, Ferguson explains the current state of therapeutics for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, challenges in delivering genetic medicines and other therapeutics to the nervous system, and Voyager's approach to overcoming the BBB. 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. GrinsteinMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 8, 2025 • 30min
Tomi Pastinen: Treating All the Not-So-Rare “Rare Disease” Patients at Major Care Centers
Tomi Pastinen, MD, PhD, is transforming pediatric medicine through genomics. As Director at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, he’s pioneered pharmacogenetic testing and 5-nucleotide genomic sequencing, bringing precision medicine to children. On Behind the Breakthroughs, Pastinen discusses the promise—and challenges—of turning genetic diagnoses into real treatments, from rare inherited diseases to complex conditions like autism.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. GrinsteinMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 18, 2024 • 31min
Tom Whitehead: Not All Precision Medicine Heroes Wear Lab Coats
Tom Whitehead, father of Emily Whitehead—the first pediatric CAR T patient—turned a harrowing journey into a mission to help families navigating life-threatening illness. On Behind the Breakthroughs, he shares the emotional story of Emily’s treatment and the challenges patients face when cutting-edge research intersects with real-world care.This is the 2024 finale for Behind the Breakthroughs, and we will release our next episode on January 8, 2025.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. GrinsteinMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 4, 2024 • 27min
Harry Clifford: Carrying Medicine Into the Post-Moore’s Law Era
Harry Clifford, PhD, Digital Biology Lead at NVIDIA, discusses how the computer manufacturing and AI computing leader is building a technology platform to address data bottlenecks in drug development and healthcare to advance 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. GrinsteinMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 21, 2024 • 34min
Michael Severino: Towards In Vivo Genome Editing of Humans
Michael Severino, MD, discusses the approaches for developing "genome writers" at Tessera Therapeutics, where he joined as CEO in 2022, and the advantages of performing in vivo genome editing over ex vivo approaches. Severino explains where the company is in utilizing its genome writing platform to perform edits in vivo on its journey toward the clinic.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. Grinstein, PhDMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 13, 2024 • 27min
Jane Gibson: AMP and Molecular Diagnostics’ Existential Crisis
This special edition episode for the upcoming Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) annual meeting in Vancouver, Jane Gibson, PhD, opens up the dialogue about how the evolving field of molecular pathology is taking on major challenges, including how the FDA’s ruling on laboratory developed tests (LDTs) is affecting clinical labs. Dr. Gibson is a Professor of Pathology at the University of Central Florida, Editor-in-chief of Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers, and President Elect of AMP.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. Grinstein, PhDMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 30, 2024 • 30min
Helen Sabzevari: How to Turn $1,000,000 CAR Ts into “Real” Precision Medicines
Helen Sabzevari, PhD, President and CEO of Precigen, discusses the barriers to implementing cell and gene therapies that impede the accessibility and implementation of these precision medicines. Dr. Sabzevari also explains how key cell and gene therapy platforms and tools can provide safety measures, such as guardrails to cellular toxicity, and address cost by offering “off-the-shelf” efficient gene delivery vectors that can be used on-site, cutting out centralized manufacturing.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. Grinstein, PhDMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 25, 2024 • 17min
Luca Quagliata: Weaving Genomic Profiling into Personalized Cancer Care
Luca Quagliata, PhD, global head of medical affairs for clinical NGS and oncology at Thermo Fisher Scientific, shares how his career has been intertwined with precision medicine, beginning with his time as a student in Italy during the early 2000s. Quagliata examines the significance of genomic profiling within the cancer care continuum, outlining the essential steps and touchpoints necessary to ensure the accessibility of personalized oncology treatment for all individuals. Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.7Q4XKpRvPIvPZPkK6RbZProduced by Bill LevineHosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhDMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 17, 2024 • 35min
Geoff Oxnard: The Tipping Point for Adopting Precision Medicine
In the premiere episode of Behind the Breakthroughs, Geoff Oxnard, MD, VP of Clinical Development at Lilly and a Thoracic Oncologist at Boston Medical Center, shares his journey in precision medicine, beginning with his introduction to genetic testing as a Medical Oncology Fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and as an academic researcher. Oxnard discusses how differences in impact and reach influenced his decision to move from academia to industry. He also explains how the adoption of precision testing in the United States is influenced by perspective rather than accessibility. This episode also covers flexible enrollment in clinical trials, adapting to patient perspectives on clinical research as care, the current state of precision medicine, particularly precision oncology, in the United States and elsewhere, and more. 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. Grinstein, PhDMusic provided by Artem HramushkinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason Mack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
