Claim OwnershipThe Medical Innovation Podcast
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© Pranav and Arvind
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Welcome to The Medical Innovation Podcast, where visionary hosts Pranav and Arvind explore the cutting-edge intersection of AI and medicine. Join us as we dive into fascinating discussions with founders and innovators about how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing healthcare and spotlight other groundbreaking initiatives that are shaping the future of medical practice.
25 Episodes
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In this episode, we speak with Alex Frenkel, clinical psychologist and founder of Kai.ai, about building an AI companion named Kai that delivers mental health support at scale. Alex explains Kai.ai's innovative "two-contact" architecture pairing always-available AI with human clinical oversight, and how the platform avoids the "sycophantic" tendencies of general chatbots by encouraging real-world engagement over digital dependency. We discuss their deployment supporting Ukrainian refugees within days of the war, efficacy data showing 30% improvement in emotional well-being, and the path toward insurance reimbursement and APA certification.
In this episode, we speak with Jim Foote, CEO of First Ascent Biomedical, about functional precision medicine and why testing drugs on a patient’s own tumor cells could transform cancer treatment. Jim explains how their CLIA-certified lab cultures live cancer cells and uses robotics and AI to test hundreds of drug combinations in just 10 days, achieving an 83% correlation with patient outcomes in a Nature Medicine study. We discuss why this approach differs fundamentally from genomic sequencing, hear powerful patient stories, and explore how converging technologies in robotics, AI, and cloud computing have finally made individualized cancer treatment possible at scale.
In this episode, we speak with Henry O'Connell, co-founder and CEO of Canary Speech, about using voice as a biomarker to detect conditions ranging from anxiety and depression to cognitive impairment and autism. He explains how their technology analyzes 12.5 million data elements in 40 seconds of speech, working ambiently during natural conversation to provide clinicians with objective diagnostic insights in real time. We discuss their partnerships with leading medical institutions, integration with Microsoft Dragon Copilot, and their vision for early detection of conditions like ADHD while the brain is still developing.
In this episode, we speak with Pete Durlach, Chief Strategy Officer for Microsoft Healthcare and Life Sciences, about transforming the Nuance acquisition into Dragon Copilot, an AI clinical assistant that combines dictation, ambient intelligence, and generative AI into an extensible platform. Pete explains how Microsoft is creating an "app store" model for healthcare, enabling partners to build plugins for everything from vocal biomarker analysis to clinical decision support. We discuss the expansion into nursing workflows, where 65% report burnout, and why deep EHR integration is essential for AI tools to survive beyond pilot programs.
In this episode, we speak with Susan Tousi, CEO of DELFI Diagnostics and former Chief Commercial Officer at Illumina, about using fragmentomics and AI to detect cancer through a simple blood draw. Susan explains how Delfi's whole-genome approach analyzes the structural chaos of tumor-derived DNA rather than hunting for specific mutations, dramatically reducing cost while maintaining sensitivity. We discuss their first product, First Look Lung, which achieves 75% sensitivity for stage one lung cancer, and how the platform can expand to detect the seven deadliest cancers using the same laboratory workflow with different AI algorithms.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Thomas Kelly, founder and CEO of Heidi, about building an AI care partner that eliminates administrative burden and restores the physician-patient relationship. Thomas explains how Heidi evolved from an ambient scribe into a comprehensive platform handling documentation, patient communication, and clinical support with a critical focus on personalization that ensures notes match each physician's unique style. We discuss their product-led growth strategy, the ethical boundaries that keep Heidi "clinician allied," and how the company is expanding globally following a $65 million Series B raise.
In this episode, we speak with Anand Iyer, Chief AI Officer at Welldoc and former wireless technology strategist, about using AI to transform chronic disease management between doctor visits. Anand explains how BlueStar, Welldoc's FDA-regulated cardio-metabolic platform, provides precision coaching to patients while delivering clinical decision support that helps physicians overcome clinical inertia, achieving A1C reductions four times greater than some medications. We discuss the platform's evolution from rules-based AI to Generative AI, the "learned intermediary" philosophy that keeps humans in control, and how Welldoc shifted from prescription-only to an over the counter SaaS model serving millions across health plans and hospital systems.
In this episode, we speak with Demetri Giannikopoulos, ChiefInnovation Officer at Rad AI, about transforming radiology workflows with AI-powered documentation. He explains who Rad AI’s cloud-native platform automates impression generation in each radiologist’s unique voice while saving an hour per shift and reducing addendums by 10-15%. With 30% of US radiologists already using their platform and partnerships with leading academic centers, Rad AI is deploying their Series C funding to build AI agents for longitudinal patient management and integrate vision-based foundation models that deliver actionable insights directly into workflows.
In this episode, we speak with Mathai Mammen, the CEO of Parabilis Medicines, and a former R&D leader at J&J and Merck, about drugging the previously undruggable 80% of disease-causing proteins inside cells. He explains how their Helicon platform uses AI and unnatural amino acids to create peptides that access intracellular targets unreachable by other drugs. We discuss their lead program’s remarkable clinical results in desmoid tumors, their pipeline in prostate cancer, and why now is the perfect time for innovators to aim high and do something revolutionary in healthcare.
We recently got back from HLTH 2025 in Las Vegas, and it was an incredible experience. The event truly felt like Coachella for medicine. We had the chance to connect with innovators building at the intersection of healthcare and technology, strengthen relationships with physicians driving health tech forward, record content with more than a dozen companies, and even meet Mark Cuban. We also took some time to reflect on how far the podcast has come over the past year and what we’re most excited about as the platform continues to grow.Links:https://medicalinnovationpod.com/https://www.instagram.com/medicalinnovationpod/
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Justin Chen, a clinical specialist at Google, about how the company is advancing healthcare through AI. Justin shares insights into projects like Med-Gemini and Med-Gemma, and why AI in medicine is in a critical “prove it” phase where models must deliver measurable clinical value. We discuss how Google bridges technical and clinical expertise to bring these tools into practice, and what it will take for AI to truly transform patient care.
In this episode, we speak with Daniel Hawkins, CEO of Vista AI and veteran medical device innovator behind the Da Vinci robot and Shockwave Medical, about using AI to transform MRI imaging across all anatomies. Daniel explains how Vista AI's technology directly controls MRI machines to reduce scan times and skill requirements, acting as a "co-pilot" for technologists while addressing critical staffing shortages. We discuss his journey from discovering that 70% of severe mitral regurgitation diagnoses via echo aren't confirmed by MRI, leading to unnecessary surgeries, and how Vista AI's vision extends far beyond cardiac to automate every type of MRI scan, democratizing advanced imaging with minimal wait times.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Bill Weeks, Director of AI for Health at Microsoft and Medical Director of Bing, about how one of the world’s largest tech companies is supporting global health through AI. Bill shares how Microsoft partners with nonprofits and researchers to tackle challenges like health equity and medical access, and offers insight into the role of search and large language models in clinical contexts. We also discuss how Big Tech can engage responsibly in healthcare by focusing on partnerships, impact, and trust.
We speak with Nick Damiano, Co-Founder and CEO of Andromeda Surgical, about creating autonomous surgical robots driven by AI. He explains that Andromeda is primarily a software company using a “human-in-the-loop” approach to give surgeons “superpowers” rather than replace them. The team’s mission is to “democratize the procedure,” beginning with HOLEP, and they aim to bring the fastest surgical robot to market by minimizing hardware complexity and working closely with regulators.
In this special collaboration episode with MD+, we chat with Vikram Bhaskaran, founder and CEO of Roon, about building a patient-first health platform to replace “Dr. Google” with clear, compassionate medical guidance. Vikram shares how his caregiving experience shaped Roon’s mission, and how short-form video paired with trusted physician voices can scale knowledge while preserving empathy. We also discuss Roon’s AI approach, which draws only from expert-reviewed content, and why involving clinicians in digital health innovation is more important than ever.
In this episode, we chat with Dr. Erin Palm, a trauma surgeon and Head of Product at Suki AI, about building AI tools that reduce documentation burden and enhance clinical workflows. Erin shares how her experience in the operating room informs product development, and how Suki is leveraging voice AI to support, not interrupt, the doctor-patient relationship. We also dive into the future of ambient documentation and what it takes to design technology that clinicians actually want to use.
We chat with Maxime and Taieb, co-founders of Vera Health, who are building an AI-driven clinical decision support tool designed to deliver high-quality medical evidence directly at the point of care. They share how their personal experiences, technical backgrounds, and time at MIT and Y Combinator shaped the development of Vera. The conversation explores the challenges of integrating into clinical workflows and how Vera differentiates itself in a rapidly evolving healthcare AI landscape.
In this episode, we chat with Zachary Ziegler, the CTO and co-founder of OpenEvidence, who discusses the challenges of accessing the vast amount of medical literature and how their platform aims to solve this problem for clinicians. Zachary also shares insights into the development and impact of OpenEvidence, its user base, and his perspective on the future of AI in healthcare.
This episode features one of the foremost innovators in healthcare, Dr. Graham Walker, the Founder of MDCalc and Offcall. Graham shares his inspiration for starting both companies and his journey juggling them with his career as an Emergency Medicine physician. He also discusses the future of healthcare and how technology like artificial intelligence may play a role in clinical care.
We sit down with Dr. Dereck Paul, CEO of Glass Health, who discusses his journey creating an AI-powered clinical decision support tool for clinicians. The episode highlights Glass Health's innovative approach to addressing the limitations of the human brain in medical practice. Dereck also shares his insights on building a successful healthcare AI company, including the importance of direct clinician engagement and the evolving landscape of clinical decision support.
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