Holy Shift! Biomedical Breakthroughs Shaping Tomorrow

How do you fix the most complex machine in the known universe?Before scientists can treat the brain, they first have to understand how it works. In this episode of Holy Shift! Biomedical Breakthroughs Shaping Tomorrow, host Angela Gill Nelms talks with Dr. Garrett Stanley, a professor of biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, about the search to decode the electrical signals that drive movement, memory, perception, and decision-making, and how that knowledge could transform the future of medicine. One of the most striking ideas is that future treatments for neurological disorders may combine medicine, brain implants, and intelligent software that can adapt as a person's brain changes over time. Garrett Stanley explains how technologies like deep brain stimulation are already changing lives and why understanding the brain's signals is the key to making these treatments even more effective. You'll also hear why many of science's biggest breakthroughs begin with unexpected results, and how recognizing the significance of a surprising finding can change the course of research. Although Garrett Stanley fainted the first time seeing a real human brain, the experience left him fascinated by the complexity of the organ that stores our memories, dreams, and sense of self, inspiring a career devoted to understanding how it works.Learn More About Garrett Stanley:Garrett Stanley's WebsiteGarrett Stanley's LinkedinMentioned in Today’s Episode:https://parkinsons.gatech.edu/Support Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs – Donate Today: If you want to support the research you heard about on today’s episode, consider a donation to the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. Every contribution—big or small— supports ongoing work and fuels future innovations.https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/46972/donations/newSelect "Designation"Choose "Make a Special Gift to Georgia Tech (write in your preference)"In the open field, write: "BME Fund for Excellence (555788) Connect!Learn More: https://bme.gatech.edu/bme/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BMEGeorgiaTechEmory/podcastsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-wallace-h-coulter-department-of-biomedical-engineering-at-georgia-tech-and-emory-universityFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoulterBMETwitter/X: https://x.com/CoulterBMEBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/holyshiftresearch.bsky.socialAbout The Host: Angela Gill Nelms is a trailblazer in transforming bold ideas into impactful healthcare solutions. She serves as the Director of Biolocity, accelerating the commercialization of early-stage medical technologies developed at Emory University and Georgia Tech. She is also the Founder and CEO of The AGN Group, and the host of the Badass Leaders Podcast, where she champions courageous, compassionate leadership. Learn more at www.AngelaGillNelms.com.Meet The HolyShift! Team:Produced by: Erin Buckley and Zachary DanzigerFilming & Editing: Vani Sridar, Katie HartLogistics & Marketing Support: Rajashree Ramamoorthy

Can we train the immune system to fight cancer and stay stronger as we age? In this episode of Holy Shift! Biomedical Breakthroughs Shaping Tomorrow, Angela Gill Nelms talks with Dr. Ankur Singh about cancer, immunotherapy, healthy aging, and the future of personalized medicine. Learn how scientists are building miniature human immune systems in the lab to better understand disease, predict treatment responses, and accelerate the development of new therapies. Dr. Singh also shares two remarkable breakthroughs from his lab, including a new way to predict how cancer survivors may respond to future infections and a discovery that could help restore youthful function to aging immune cells. Along the way, you'll hear how an aspiring liquor baron became a biomedical engineer, why he runs five miles in every new city he visits, and how science may help us live longer, healthier lives. Topics: Cancer • Immunotherapy • Immune System • Healthy Aging • Longevity • Personalized Medicine • Biotechnology • Biomedical Engineering • Healthcare Innovation Learn More About Ankur Singh:Ankur Singh's LinkedinAnkur Singh’s Lab websiteAnkur Singh’s InstagramMentioned in This Episode:Dr. Jean Koff, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory UniversityAnkur Singh talks about President Biden’s cancer diagnosisGeorgia Tech Paradigm Shifters featuring Ankur SinghSupport Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs – Donate Today: If you want to support the research you heard about on today’s episode, consider a donation to the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. Every contribution—big or small— supports ongoing work and fuels future innovations.https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/46972/donations/newSelect "Designation"Choose "Make a Special Gift to Georgia Tech (write in your preference)"In the open field, write: "BME Fund for Excellence (555788)Connect!Learn More: https://bme.gatech.edu/bme/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BMEGeorgiaTechEmory/podcastsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-wallace-h-coulter-department-of-biomedical-engineering-at-georgia-tech-and-emory-universityFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoulterBMETwitter/X: https://x.com/CoulterBMEAbout The Host: Angela Gill Nelms is a trailblazer in transforming bold ideas into impactful healthcare solutions. She serves as the Director of Biolocity, accelerating the commercialization of early-stage medical technologies developed at Emory University and Georgia Tech. She is also the Founder and CEO of The AGN Group, and the host of the Badass Leaders Podcast, where she champions courageous, compassionate leadership. Learn more at www.AngelaGillNelms.com.Meet The HolyShift! Team:Produced by: Erin Buckley and Zachary DanzigerFilming & Editing: Vani Sridar, Katie HartLogistics & Marketing Support: Rajashree Ramamoorthy

What if the next breakthrough medicine wasn't made in a factory, but inside your own body?In the Season 2 premiere of Holy Shift! Biomedical Breakthroughs Shaping Tomorrow, host Angela Gill Nelms sits down with Dr. Tara Deans, a leading stem cell engineer who is reprogramming the body's own cells to fight disease. From cancer and immune disorders to future cell-based therapies, Dr. Deans explains how scientists are turning living cells into powerful new medicines.You'll discover how platelets can help cancer hide in plain sight, why stem cells may transform the future of healthcare, and the surprising moment that sparked an entirely new direction in Dr. Deans' research. Along the way, she shares the role of curiosity, collaboration, and hope in tackling some of medicine's toughest challenges.You'll also get a glimpse of the person behind the science, from childhood dreams of becoming a veterinarian to a love of wildlife photography and rescuing orphaned possums. As a happy postscript to our conversation, the young possums Dr. Deans helped care for have now been successfully released back into the wild.If you're fascinated by cancer research, stem cells, biotechnology, personalized medicine, biomedical engineering, and the future of healthcare, this episode is for you.

In this special Season 1 roundup of Holy Shift!, host Angela Gill Nelms revisits standout moments from this season's conversations with researchers at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Guests share their engineering solutions, the personal stories and unexpected paths that brought them to the lab, and why public funding for basic science and biomedical innovation is more critical than ever. This episode features clips from conversations with Melissa Kemp, Lena Ting, David Myers, Mike Davis, Scott Hollister, Zachary Danziger, Annabelle Singer, Shella Keilholz, Machelle Pardue, Anant Madhabushi, Chethan Pandarinath, Felipe Quiroz, and Ming Fong.As we look ahead to Season 2, we want to hear from you! Take a few minutes to fill out our listener survey and let us know what you loved, what you want more of, and what we can do better. One lucky respondent will receive a Holy Shift! listener swag package.Survey Link: https://form.asana.com/?k=l3jHstQYV7xoQNuKvGNSEA&d=952454681443992Support Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs – Donate Today: If you want to support the research you heard about on today’s episode, consider a donation to the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. Every contribution—big or small— supports ongoing work and fuels future innovations.https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/46972/donations/newSelect "Designation"Choose "Make a Special Gift to Georgia Tech (write in your preference)"In the open field, write: "BME Fund for Excellence (555788)Connect!Learn More: https://bme.gatech.edu/bme/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BMEGeorgiaTechEmory/podcastsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-wallace-h-coulter-department-of-biomedical-engineering-at-georgia-tech-and-emory-universityFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoulterBMETwitter/X: https://x.com/CoulterBMEBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/holyshiftresearch.bsky.socialAbout The Host: Angela Gill Nelms is a trailblazer in transforming bold ideas into impactful healthcare solutions. She serves as the Director of Biolocity, accelerating the commercialization of early-stage medical technologies developed at Emory University and Georgia Tech. She is also the Founder and CEO of The AGN Group, and the host of the Badass Leaders Podcast, where she champions courageous, compassionate leadership. Learn more at www.AngelaGillNelms.com.Meet The HolyShift! Team:Produced by: Erin Buckley and Zachary DanzigerFilming & Editing: Jackie Hampton & Zachary WinieckiLogistics & Marketing Support: Rajashree Ramamoorthy, Katie Hart, The AGN Group

What if we could simulate your cancer on a computer and predict which treatment will work before you ever receive it?In this episode of Holy Shift!, host Angela Gill Nelms speaks with Dr. Melissa Kemp, a biomedical engineer and systems biologist using computational modeling to understand how cells behave and how diseases develop. By combining biology, engineering, and computer science, Dr. Kemp builds simulations that help researchers predict how cells respond to drugs, radiation, and other therapies. Dr. Kemp explains how computer models can reveal patterns that are nearly impossible to see in traditional experiments. Her work is helping move medicine toward a future where treatments can be tailored to each individual patient.Dr. Kemp also shares how unexpected research challenges led to new scientific insights, why intellectual curiosity is essential in science, and how interdisciplinary collaboration is shaping the next generation of biomedical breakthroughs. If you have ever wondered how computers can help scientists understand disease or how personalized medicine may change the way we treat patients, this episode offers an accessible look at how computational biology is helping push healthcare beyond one size fits all.Learn More About Dr. Melissa Kemp:Redox Systems Biology Lab: https://kemp.gatech.edu/pi-bio/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-kemp-8156774/ Support Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs – Donate Today: If you want to support the research you heard about on today’s episode, consider a donation to the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. Every contribution—big or small— supports ongoing work and fuels future innovations.https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/46972/donations/newSelect "Designation"Choose "Make a Special Gift to Georgia Tech (write in your preference)"In the open field, write: "BME Fund for Excellence (555788) Connect!Learn More: https://bme.gatech.edu/bme/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BMEGeorgiaTechEmory/podcastsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-wallace-h-coulter-department-of-biomedical-engineering-at-georgia-tech-and-emory-universityFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoulterBMETwitter/X: https://x.com/CoulterBMEBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/holyshiftresearch.bsky.socialAbout The Host: Angela Gill Nelms is a trailblazer in transforming bold ideas into impactful healthcare solutions. She serves as the Director of Biolocity, accelerating the commercialization of early-stage medical technologies developed at Emory University and Georgia Tech. She is also the Founder and CEO of The AGN Group, and the host of the Badass Leaders Podcast, where she champions courageous, compassionate leadership. Learn more at www.AngelaGillNelms.com.Meet the HolyShift! Team:Produced by: Erin Buckley and Zachary DanzigerFilming & Editing: Jackie Hampton & Zachary WinieckiLogistics & Marketing Support: Rajashree Ramamoorthy, Katie Hart, The AGN Group