The Pediatric Moonshot

Dr. Charles Roberts, director of the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center, joins Timothy Chou to discuss how pediatric cancer research is moving beyond nonspecific toxic therapies toward targeted treatments, AI-driven discovery, immunotherapy, RNA therapeutics, and gene editing. He also explains why childhood cancer is biologically distinct from adult cancer, how St. Jude is working to improve sur...

Kristin Conor, CEO of Cure Childhood Cancer, joins Timothy Chou to share the personal story of her son Brandon’s neuroblastoma diagnosis and how it led her from law into pediatric cancer advocacy. She discusses Cure’s dual mission of funding better treatments while supporting families in crisis, the challenges of underfunded childhood cancer research, and why advances in precision medicine, AI, an...

John Guastaferro, executive director of Hyundai Hope On Wheels and the Genesis Inspiration Foundation, joins Timothy Chou to share how Hyundai’s dealer network helped build one of the nation’s leading funders of childhood cancer research. He discusses the foundation’s origin story, the impact of its handprint ceremonies, its growing focus on survivorship, and why advancing pediatric cancer care re...

Dr. Ross Sommers, neonatologist and founder of First Day Health, joins Timothy Chou to discuss the challenges premature infants and their families face when transitioning from the NICU to home. He explains how remote monitoring, neonatal clinical oversight, AI-driven prediction, and in-home support could reduce readmissions, shorten hospital stays, and create a safer bridge between intensive care...

Dean Crowe, CEO and founder of the Rally Foundation, joins Timothy Chou to share the story of how one family’s childhood cancer journey inspired a national organization funding pediatric cancer research around the world. She discusses Rally’s focus on early-stage, peer-reviewed research, the importance of diverse fundraising and advocacy, and why AI, precision medicine, and faster risk stratificat...

Liz Scott, co-executive director of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, joins Timothy Chou to share the story of her daughter Alex, whose front yard lemonade stand became one of the largest childhood cancer charities in the U.S. She discusses how the foundation funds innovative pediatric cancer research, the promise of AI to accelerate discovery, and the ongoing need to make better, less toxic treat...

In this episode, Dr. Alberto Tozzi shares his vision for how data, AI, and innovation can transform pediatric healthcare across Europe—from improving diagnosis to enabling large-scale clinical research. He discusses the challenges of regulation, data sharing, and cultural adoption, emphasizing that the real barrier isn’t technology, but people, collaboration, and ambition. The conversation highlig...

In this episode, Dr. Kirstie Keller, CEO of Additional Ventures, shares how a bold, mission-driven approach is transforming research and innovation in single ventricle heart disease. She discusses the shift from fragmented efforts to a coordinated ecosystem—leveraging AI, data integration, and targeted investment to accelerate progress toward a cure. The conversation highlights the need for collec...

In this episode, Kathleen Ruddy of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation shares how a grassroots movement—shaving heads in solidarity—has grown into one of the largest funders of pediatric cancer research. She discusses the complexity of childhood cancers, the urgent need for better treatments with fewer lifelong side effects, and how AI could accelerate diagnosis, personalization, and drug development. T...

In this episode, Dr. Timothy Chou speaks with Jamie Wiggins, COO of Arkansas Children’s, about his unconventional journey from nursing to executive leadership—and why clinical perspectives are critical in shaping healthcare systems. They explore the challenges of rural pediatric care, workforce shortages, and the growing role of AI in improving access, efficiency, and outcomes. Wiggins also shares...

In this deeply moving episode, James G. Robinson shares the story of his son Nadav’s battle with complex congenital heart disease—and the profound lessons learned along the way about medicine, humanity, and decision-making under uncertainty. Drawing on his background in data and analytics, Robinson explores the role of AI in healthcare, emphasizing that while technology can inform better decisions...

In this episode, Dr. Timothy Chou speaks with Dr. Susanna Greer of the V Foundation about the unique biology and challenges of pediatric cancer—and why children require fundamentally different approaches than adults. They explore how philanthropy, early-stage research funding, and AI-driven insights are accelerating breakthroughs, from precision treatments to faster clinical trials. Greer shares a...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot Podcast, Timothy Chou speaks with Dr Jeff Sperring, CEO of Seattle Children’s, about the promise and challenges of using technology to improve pediatric care. The conversation explores why health care has lagged in tech adoption, the unique funding barriers in children’s medicine, the role of AI in clinical care and research, and why investing in children’...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot Podcast , Timothy Chou speaks with Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and CEO of SickKids, about redefining pediatric care through precision child health. Dr. Cohn shares how leadership, culture change, and technology—especially AI—are reshaping medicine beyond genetics to include social determinants of health. The conversation explores the evolution from textbook...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot Podcast, Timothy Chou speaks with Francesca Wuttke, founder and CEO of Nando, about using evidence-based digital therapeutics to help children manage pain. Francesca shares why she shifted from biopharma to digital health, how gamified cognitive behavioral therapy can reach kids facing long waitlists for care, and how Nando empowers children and parents wo...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot podcast, Dr. Alejandro “Ali” Quiroga shares his unexpected path from aspiring ER physician to pediatric nephrologist, and ultimately to President and CEO of Children’s Mercy in Kansas City. Ali reflects on the turning points that shaped his career, from patient care to leadership, and offers candid insights into the challenges facing children’s hospitals t...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot podcast, Dr. Timothy Coetzee, CEO of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, shares insights from more than three decades of work in the field of MS research and advocacy. He explains the science behind MS, how treatments have evolved from none in 1993 to dozens today, and why the disease is increasingly seen as a medically managed chronic condition. Tim...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot podcast, Dr. Joshua Mayourian—engineer, physician-scientist, and founder of the Congenital Heart AI Lab at Boston Children’s—shares how his journey from chemical engineering to pediatric cardiology is shaping the future of heart care for kids. He explains how AI-enabled EKGs can detect arrhythmias, measure heart function, and even predict mortality risk wi...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot podcast, Dr. Michael Anderson—pediatric critical care physician, health policy advisor, and longtime child health advocate—reflects on three decades of leadership in medicine. He shares lessons on what it takes to be an effective physician leader today, including the importance of mentors, sponsors, and allies, as well as the need for emotional intelligenc...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot podcast, Dr. Seda Tierney—professor of pediatrics at Stanford, director of the Echo Lab at Lucile Packard Children’s, and leader of the Kawasaki Disease outpatient program—shares her pioneering work in pediatric cardiology. She discusses training parents to use handheld ultrasound devices at home, the role of AI in improving imaging precision and expanding...

In this inspiring episode, host Timothy sits down with Dr. Vittorio Gallo, Chief Scientific Officer at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Together, they explore the past, present, and future of biomedical research in pediatrics—from the genomic revolution and AI-powered diagnostics to Seattle Children’s groundbreaking work in cystic fibrosis and CAR T-cell therapy. Dr. Gallo shares how biomedi...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot Podcast, host Tim speaks with Dr. Rahul Rathod, pediatric cardiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rathod explains the challenges of single ventricle heart disease—a rare and life-threatening condition requiring multiple surgeries early in life—and shares how his team is advancing care through the FO...

In this mind-expanding episode, host Tim interviews Dr. Manoj Gopalkrishnan, founder and CEO of Algorithmic Biologics, to explore the frontier of molecular computing. Manoj recounts his journey from AI and DNA computing research to developing scalable solutions for diagnostics—using chemistry as computation. From innovating COVID testing during the pandemic to designing assays for cancer and tuber...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot podcast, host Timothy Chou speaks with Dr. Benjamin Glicksberg, co-founder of the Center for AI and Children's Health at Mount Sinai. Dr. Glicksberg shares the origin story of the center, its mission to accelerate safe and effective AI integration into pediatric care, and the importance of designing systems from the ground up with regulatory and clini...

In this episode of the Pediatric Moonshot podcast, Timothy Chou speaks with Dr. Tiina Ojala, Finland’s first professor of pediatric cardiology and head of the department at Helsinki University Hospital. Dr. Ojala shares her remarkable journey from neonatology to becoming a pioneer in AI-driven cardiac imaging and transplant care. She discusses how AI is making pediatric cardiac diagnostics faster,...