Healthcare Unfiltered

Dr. Pallawi Torka of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center joins to share highlights from ASCO and EHA 2025 on the evolving landscape of B-cell lymphomas, including Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and follicular lymphoma. She offers in-depth insights on the STARGLO study and its recent ODAC review, the POLARGO trial, a rare T-cell leukemia (T-LGL) study, and new data supp...

Dr. Ben Derman of the University of Chicago Medicine joins the show to unpack major updates in multiple myeloma presented at ASCO and EHA 2025. He discusses the growing role of quadruple therapy across all patient populations and its implications for the future of autologous stem cell transplant, including insights from the MIDAS trial on MRD-guided transplant decisions. Additional highlights incl...

Joe DePinto, MBA, Head of Cell, Gene & Advanced Therapies at McKesson, joins the show to discuss InspiroGene, McKesson’s end-to-end platform built to address the complex delivery, coordination, and commercialization needs of cell and gene therapies. He breaks down how InspiroGene integrates logistics, specialty pharmacy, patient support services, and real-time data tracking to close critical g...

Chadi sits down with Lou Weisbach, entrepreneur and founder of the American Center for Cures, who shares his ambitious mission to raise $750 billion through an innovative public-private bond model to accelerate the prevention and cure of chronic diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and Parkinson’s. Weisbach discusses how his model is designed to align incentives across government, ind...

Dr. Vivek Subbiah returns for another edition of Vivek’s Takes, offering his expert insights on the standout science from the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting. He breaks down key developments including trispecific antibodies, the growing role of radioligand therapies, a new standard of care in small cell lung cancer, and paradigm-shifting data in adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer. The discussion also...

Dena Marrinucci, PhD, co-founder and COO of Truvian Health, joins the show to discuss her mission to transform blood diagnostics through a point-of-care device that delivers rapid, actionable results. She shares the origin story of founding Truvian in 2015—coincidentally just weeks before the Theranos exposé—and reflects on navigating industry skepticism in the post-Theranos landscape. Marrinucci...

Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf returns to the show for an in-depth discussion on the integration of artificial intelligence into regulatory processes, including how AI is currently being used—and should be used—in drug and medical device approvals, the detection and review of fraudulent data, and clinical decision support systems. He also explores the boundaries between algorithmic automati...

Last week, Chadi and researchers explored the KETO-CTA study, which investigated the effects of the ketogenic diet on coronary plaque formation in Lean Mass Hyper-Responders (LMHR), or individuals who experience significant LDL cholesterol elevations on low-carb diets. This week, the other side of the conversation is presented. A leading cardiologist joins the show to critically examine the KETO-C...

The ketogenic (keto) diet has surged in popularity, with many touting its weight loss and metabolic benefits. However, some individuals—particularly those following a low-carb, high-fat regimen—experience a significant rise in LDL cholesterol, a phenomenon now known as the Lean Mass Hyper-Responder (LMHR) phenotype. What does this mean for cardiovascular risk? In this episode, Chadi is joined by t...

Cardiologists Andrew Foy and Anish Koka return to the show for a deep and often contentious debate on one of the most pressing healthcare policy issues of our time: should the government negotiate drug prices? Using the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as a springboard, the conversation explores the underlying causes of inflated drug prices in the US, including the role of third-party payers, lack of...

With over 513,000 licensed advanced practice providers (APPs) in the U.S.—including 355,000 nurse practitioners and 158,470 physician assistants—and a projected 31% growth in the next five years, APPs are playing an increasingly vital role in oncology care. In this episode, Chadi is joined by Mary DiLorenzo and Clare Stone, two seasoned APPs practicing in North Carolina, for an in-depth conversati...

Drs. Emil Lou and Shruti Patel join Chadi on the podcast to unpack the alarming rise of gastrointestinal cancers in younger patients. They explore a range of possible environmental contributors—from plastic exposure and processed meats to alcohol and tobacco use—and discuss how these factors might be investigated through laboratory science. The conversation also highlights the promise of genomic p...

Drs. Sanam Loghavi and Amer Zeidan delve into the history behind the recent classification split between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Consensus Classification (ICC) for myeloid and lymphoid malignancies, and how a few years of minor disagreement have culminated in a unified system. They explore the critical differences in how myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms are now cate...

Where does AI truly fit into the future of biomedicine and healthcare, beyond the usual headlines in radiology and pathology? Jonathan Carlson, Managing Director of Research Health Futures at Microsoft, joins the show to explore the evolution of AI in medicine, from the early days to cutting-edge innovations like ambient clinical intelligence. Together, he and Chadi unpack how pretrained models an...

A Georgia court recently awarded over $2 billion to a plaintiff who developed lymphoma due to Monsanto’s Roundup exposure, but a new bill could prevent future victims from suing the company. Patient advocate Kelly Ryerson unpacks the legal maneuvering behind this legislation, its potential impact on consumer rights, and what it means for the future of environmental and food safety. Don’t miss this...

Dr. Mohammad Jahanzeb, a renowned oncologist specializing in lung and breast cancer who opened his own virtual second opinion clinic, joins the podcast to explore the growing need for second opinion clinics and the challenges patients face in accessing them, from financial barriers to lingering stigmas. He delves into how often second opinions lead to changes in patient management, which disease s...

Dr. Simrit Parmar, founder of Cellenkos, joins the show to discuss her journey from the lab to the biotech startup world, detailing the inspiration behind launching her company, the challenges of securing funding, and the resilience required to overcome rejections. She shares insights into Cellenkos’ lead product, its progress toward market approval, and the rigorous process of demonstrating safet...

Carol Rausch—a healthcare professional, cancer researcher, and former patient with lymphoma—shares how her journey from researcher to patient transformed her understanding of medical language. She discusses the impact of word choice on patients, why certain battle and war metaphors can be harmful, and how language used in clinical settings differs from what resonates with those facing a diagnosis....

Drs. David Braun and Toni Choueiri join to discuss a groundbreaking Nature study on a personalized neoantigen vaccine for adjuvant renal cell carcinoma. They explore the inspiration behind the trial, how the vaccine was developed and administered, and its safety profile. The conversation also covers patient outcomes after 3-4 years, including immune responses and disease recurrence, as well as the...

Dr. Jay Giri, Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, joins the show to break down the recent NIH funding cuts and their impact on the medical research ecosystem. Together, he and Chadi explore the distinction between direct and indirect funding, the federal government's decision to reduce direct research funding to 15%, and how this s...

Returning to the show, Drs. Vincent Rajkumar and Aaron Goodman engage in a dynamic debate over the evolving landscape of smoldering multiple myeloma, focusing on the highly anticipated study recently co-authored by Dr. Rajkumar and published in The New England Journal of Medicine after being presented at ASH 2024. They dissect the study’s findings, which highlight the impact of early intervention...

Dr. Sakhr (Sam) Youness, a Syrian entrepreneur and engineer, provides a comprehensive primer on artificial intelligence (AI), tracing its origins from WWII-era innovations to the breakthroughs of the 1990s that shaped modern AI capabilities. He demystifies key concepts like machine learning, large language models, and the role of labeled data in training AI systems, offering insights into how AI i...

Amy Abernethy and Brad Hirsch, co-founders of Highlander Health, delve into their mission to transform healthcare through innovative, data-driven strategies. They discuss their firm's unique approach to investing in companies and technologies that advance personalized care, the creation of the Evidence Accelerator to streamline high-quality real-world data, and their efforts to solve critical...

Chadi sits down with Creed McKinnon, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of VersaWare, to explore how this cutting-edge startup is redefining the intersection of technology and nutrition. VersaWare’s AI-powered platform integrates voice assistants and real-time chatbot support from expert nutritionists to simplify meal building, enhance recipe discovery, and streamline pantry management. Creed sha...

Dr. Andrew Foy, a cardiologist at Penn State Health, returns to the show to unpack the findings of his JAMA publication exploring industry payments in medicine and their influence on clinical practice. He examines how financial relationships with the industry may shape guideline recommendations, alter quality-of-care metrics, and contribute to potentially inappropriate prescribing practices, parti...