The Commons

Scientific breakthroughs get the attention. But between a promising discovery and a product that reaches patients lies another challenge entirely: can you actually make it - reliably, affordably, and at scale? In this episode of The Commons , host Thomas Osha sits down with Behrad Vahidi of SCHOTT MINIFAB to explore the often-overlooked world of microfluidics, diagnostic consumables, and design fo...

For decades, economic development followed a familiar playbook: recruit a company, offer incentives, count the jobs, and move on to the next deal. That model is changing. In this episode of The Commons , recorded live at BIO 2026, host Thomas Osha sits down with Chris Mackay, President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council , to explore a different model, one built around ecosystems rathe...

What happens when hospitals stop being simply consumers of medical technology and increasingly become creators of it? In this episode of The Commons , host Thomas Osha sits down with Dr. Frank Rybicki, Professor and Chair of Radiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix , for a fascinating look at how artificial intelligence, advanced imaging, and medical 3D printing are movin...

At conferences like BIO, breakthrough science commands the spotlight. But behind every successful healthcare company is another story; one of founders, investors, mentors, and the difficult journey from promising research to investable business. In this episode of The Commons , host Thomas Osha welcomes Anne Mazet , Chief-of-Staff at Xcellerant Ventures, for a candid conversation about what separa...

The promise of cell and gene therapy is extraordinary. But between a scientific breakthrough and a patient receiving a potentially life-changing treatment lies one of the most complex, precise, and largely invisible networks in healthcare. Recorded live from the BIO International Convention, host Tom Osha sits down with Melissa Marlow, Vice President of Clinical Services and Biotherapies Lab at Vi...

Scientific discovery is only the beginning. The real challenge is transforming breakthrough research into products and companies that improve lives. Recorded live at BIO, this episode of The Commons features Leith Martin, Executive Director of the Pacific Desert Innovation Hub for NSF I-Corps, a program that is reshaping how researchers approach innovation and entrepreneurship across the Southwest...

Phoenix is one of the most closely watched innovation markets in the country, but growth at this scale does not happen by accident. In this episode of The Commons , recorded live as part of our special series spotlighting Arizona’s bioscience and innovation economy, Tom Osha sits down with Ryan Touhill, Director of Economic Development for the City of Phoenix. Together, they explore how Phoenix is...

Our special BIO series begins with a conversation that challenges how we think about health, disease, and discovery. In this episode of The Commons , we sit down with Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and director of the Translational Women’s Health Research Program, whose work is helping uncover the complex relationship between the micr...

This special series of The Commons comes to you live from BIO, where the world’s leading biotechnology companies, researchers, investors, and ecosystem builders gather to shape what’s next in health and life sciences. Across a series of conversations, we explore a bigger question: What does it take to build a world-class bioscience ecosystem? From breakthrough therapeutics and emerging startups to...

What does it take to build a world-class bioscience ecosystem? While many regions aspire to become centers of innovation, few have sustained a coordinated strategy long enough to produce transformative results. Arizona is one of the exceptions. In this episode of The Commons , host Thomas Osha is joined by Matt Ellsworth, Chief Operating Officer of the Flinn Foundation, for a conversation about th...

When people talk about Arizona's emergence as a bioscience leader, the conversation often focuses on Phoenix. But the state's success story is much larger than any single city. In this episode of The Commons , host Thomas Osha welcomes Mary O'Reilly of the Flinn Foundation for a discussion about the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap and the unique role it has played in advancing innovation...

In this episode of The Commons , host Thomas Osha sits down with Steve Potts, CEO of Breakthru Medicine, to explore what it actually takes to turn scientific insight into life-changing therapies. With multiple FDA-approved drugs in his track record and a newly closed $60 million Series A, one of the largest early-stage financings in Phoenix’s bioscience ecosystem, Potts brings a rare perspective o...

What does it take to move ideas out of the laboratory and into the world, at meaningful scale, with purpose, and without losing the soul of academic discovery? In this episode of The Commons , host Thomas Osha sits down with John Swarthy, Chief Innovation Officer of the University of Pennsylvania, to explore how Penn has spent the last two decades intentionally reshaping its approach to innovation...

In this episode, University City Science Center CEO, Tiffany Wilson joins host Thomas Osha, to explore the changing role of intermediary organizations; the importance of translational science in a moment of accelerating discovery; the challenges of building a truly inclusive innovation ecosystem; and what the next decade holds for regions trying to compete on a global stage. It’s a discussion abou...

In this episode of The Commons , host Thomas Osha talks with Nate Hommel , Director of Planning and Design at University City District (UCD) in Philadelphia — a place where experimentation, partnership, and humility redefine what public space can do. Unlike most business improvement districts, UCD operates as a voluntary collaboration among universities, hospitals, developers, and neighbors within...

In this episode of The Commons , host Tom Osha sits down with Dr. Charles Cairns , the Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean of the Drexel University College of Medicine , to explore how medicine is being reimagined — from how students are trained to how discoveries move from the lab to the bedside. Dr. Cairns, a national leader in emergency medicine and medical research, shares how Drexel is pione...

Season 5 kicks off as host Tom Osha sits down with Matt Homann, President and CEO of Filament, to explore what really brings people back to the workplace—and how to make those interactions matter. Together they unpack the elements that drive meaningful collaboration, why most meetings fail, and how Filament’s “Dream, Debate, Decide, Do” framework helps teams turn conversation into action. https://...

We are midway through 2025, and today’s innovation landscape can be called anything but stable. Universities are grappling with a combination of macro challenges— slashed research budgets, shrinking state support, punitive immigration policies and the arrival of the long-anticipated demographic cliff that’s forcing campuses across the country to rethink who they serve… and how. Meanwhile, venture...

Host, Thomas Osha, visits The Penn Institute for RNA Innovation and sits down with directors Dr. Drew Weissman and Dr. Jim Hoxie. Dr. Weissman's was recently awarded the Nobel Prize for  groundbreaking work that has fundamentally transformed our understanding of genetic science and has played a pivotal role in the development of mRNA vaccines, which have been instrumental in combating the glo...

Host, Thomas Osha speaks with, Julie Bauke, one of the foremost authorities on the business imperatives and the psychological factors that play into shifts in the talent and career landscape.  Julie  has worked with corporate executives, professional athletes, and everyone in between during her more than 30 years as a career coach and talent expert. She is the author of Stop Peeing on Your Shoes:...

Host, Thomas Osha sits down with Mara Aspinall, partner with Illumina Ventures to discuss the current state of venture capital in life sciences, Genomics 3.0, and other innovation topics. This is the final "live" interview from the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego June 4-6, 2024. https://www.illuminaventures.com/ https://chs.asu.edu/degree-programs/biomedical-diagnostics

Commons host, Thomas Osha, catches up with serial entrepreneur, Steve Potts, to discuss his latest venture, SLAM BioTherapeutics.  Slam Bio is developing a platform of first-in-class monoclonal antibody therapies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting cancer, beginning with blood cancers.  The conversation took place at the BIO International Conference 2024 in San Diego June 4-6, 2024. http...

Mayo Clinic’s mission is guided by an expression of the vision and intent of its founders,  to ensure that the values of respect, compassion, integrity, healing, teamwork, excellence, innovation and stewardship are reflected in its attitude and behavior toward all patients, visitors and colleagues. The Commons host, Thomas Osha, sits down with Dr. Rahul Pannala and Dr Steven Lester of Mayo Clinic...

Host, Thomas Osha, catches up with Scarlett Spring, Executive Director of the Phoenix Bioscience Core for a discussion of its history, current exciting developments and impactful future. The Phoenix Bioscience Core is a 30-acre life sciences innovation district in the heart of Downtown Phoenix. Home to the highest concentration of research scientists in the state, the PBC’s anchor institutions inc...

Host, Thomas Osha, chats with Stacey Metzler, from the Phoenix Children's Genomics Lab about the critical work they do to bring state-of-the art genomic testing to patients and their families. Genomic testing can be used across many specialties to diagnose and help guide treatment and management for patients affected with a variety of medical conditions. The conversation took place at the BIO...