Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare

When every minute counts, inefficiencies in communication and data flow can cost lives. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, trauma surgeon Dr. Jamie Wisser and entrepreneur Robert Holton share how they’re using AI and interoperability to accelerate time to critical care.Dr. Wisser, founder of Actual Healthcare Solutions, describes how his experience performing 26-hour reconstructive surgeries exposed the limits of today’s electronic medical records. Together with Holton, he’s building a platform that connects hospital systems, specialists, and radiologists in real time—using AI to automate referrals, interpret imaging in seconds, and bridge the silos that slow patient care.💡 What you’ll learn: ✅ Why healthcare still runs on disconnected “data islands” ✅ How AI-driven radiology can deliver results in under 30 seconds ✅ How interoperability can improve patient outcomes and physician efficiency ✅ Lessons from a trauma surgeon turned health tech founder📚 Resources:Actual HealthCare Solutions: https://www.actualhealthcaresolutions.comHIT Lab: https://www.hitlab.orgNew York Innovation Week: https://www.nyinnovationweek.comFollow Biomedical Frontiers for more: 📸 Instagram: @biomedicalfrontiers 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uvacoulter 📧 Reach us: biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu Love this podcast? Write to us with feedback or guest recommendations!Production Team: Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of: Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia

Dr. Stanley Crooke pioneered a new class of medicine—antisense oligonucleotides—and built a $5B biotech company, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, to prove it could work. Then he walked away to found a nonprofit, n-Lorem, to treat patients with one-in-a-billion genetic mutations—people no one else would help. In this episode, we explore:What nano-rare diseases are, and why they represent medicine’s next great frontier.The promise of antisense therapy for individualized, mutation-specific treatment.The 30-year scientific journey behind genetic medicine—and what it takes to lead through failure.Why n-Lorem offers a new nonprofit model for treating diseases too rare to commercialize.The privilege, heartbreak, and hope of doing science not just for success, but for purpose.Mentioned Resources:Antisense Technology: A Review (PubMed)n-Lorem FoundationHope Lies in Dreams – Nature’s 10-part series on Dr. CrookeThe National Economic Burden of Rare Disease Study (EveryLife Foundation)Follow Biomedical Frontiers for more: 📸 Instagram: @biomedicalfrontiers 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uvacoulter 📧 Reach us: biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu Love this podcast? Write to us with feedback or guest recommendations!Production Team: Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com Produced on behalf of: Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia

What is it like to live with a rare genetic eye disorder? Join Dr. Abigail Fahim and Dr. Chris Moen as they discuss choroideremia—a progressive retinal disease—and how research, advocacy, and patient experience intersect to push for treatments and improve quality of life.Dr. Fahim shares her cutting-edge research into the cellular mechanisms driving this progressive condition, while Dr. Moen—a physician, patient, and advocate—shares his personal experience with vision loss and the systemic gaps that impact those with rare diseases.Together, they explore:What choroideremia is and how it affects visionHow inherited retinal diseases are diagnosed and why genetic testing mattersThe challenges of developing gene therapies for rare conditionsWhy clinical trials often fail despite promising scienceHow patient advocacy groups like the Choroideremia Research Foundation are driving progressAssistive technology, mobility, mental health, and accessibility for the blind and visually impaired🔬 Dr. Fahim is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Michigan 🩺 Dr. Moen is formerly the Chief Medical Officer of the Choroideremia Research Foundation and a retired emergency physicianLove this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu.Follow Dr. Abigail Fahim on Social MediaBio & Research Page: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/ophthalmology/abigail-t-fahim-md-phdFahim Lab: https://medresearch.umich.edu/labs-departments/labs/fahim-lab Follow Dr. Chris Moen on Social MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-moen-2aabb1/Choroideremia Foundation: https://www.curechm.org/Mentioned on the Podcast - HYBRD: Website Link : https://www.hybrd.app/ iOS App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hybrd-hybrid-athlete-tracker/id6670271875 Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.comExecutive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVASenior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA CoulterDesign Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Can medical devices improve patient care in rural healthcare systems? In this episode, Dr. Aileen Helsel, Director of Innovation at Carilion Clinic, shares how her team of engineers works with Carilion’s clinical teams to develop new medical devices that solve unique challenges in rural settings.Rural patients often travel long distances for care - making management of time sensitive emergencies and recurring visits for chronic conditions particularly challenging. Dr. Helsel highlights three projects: a wearable lymphedema therapy device, an early detection system for ventriculoperitoneal shunt failures, and a cardiac surgery arm positioning device. Each of these devices was conceptualized at the bedside (or in the operating room) and brought to life with the expertise and passion of a physician.Dr. Helsel began her career as a research scientist at Washington State University before transitioning to technology transfer in the licensing and ventures team at WSU. She was always looking for a greater impact. Now, as Director of Innovation at Carilion Clinic, she partners with physicians, nurses, and therapists on the front lines to help solve their most pressing challenges. Aileen shares how her team collaborates with a human factors group and a simulation center to test prototypes in realistic settings. Dr. Helsel believes that solving targeted problems in rural healthcare can yield scalable solutions that benefit the broader medical community.Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu.Follow Dr. Aileen Helsel on Social MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileenhelsel/Carilion Clinic: https://www.carilionclinic.org/Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance: https://rbia.tech/Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.comExecutive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVASenior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA CoulterDesign Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Cartilage doesn’t heal easily—but what if it could? In this episode, we sit down with Ben Holmes Ph.D, CEO of Nanochon, to explore how his team is revolutionizing cartilage repair with 3D printing technology. Learn how Nanochon’s innovative material mimics natural cartilage and stimulates proper healing and repair. It may one day make knee replacements obsolete. Ben also shares his leadership journey, how he conducted over 100 physician interviews to help him understand the pain points in orthopedics, and insights on leading technological disruption in medical practices and procedures.Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.eduBen Holmes is the CEO driving force behind Nanochon, a company innovating cartilage repair and regeneration. Holmes's expertise in biomedical engineering has positioned Nanochon as a frontrunner in developing next-generation orthopedic medical devices. Nanochon is creating durable, effective treatments for orthopedic patients, promising a future where advanced, reliable solutions are readily available to improve the quality of life for individuals with joint issues.Before founding Nanochon, Dr. Holmes was the CTO at SonoStik, another George Washington University medical device startup.He has a Bachelors of Science degree in mechanical engineering from UVA, and a PhD in Biomaterials and Nanomedicine from The George Washington University.Follow Dr. Ben Holmes on Social MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbhceo/Check out Nanochon: https://www.nanochon.com/Read about CVille Biohub's Annual BioSpark Competition: https://cvillebiohub.org/bio-spark/Learn about NSF's iCorp Program: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corpsMedTech Innovator is recruiting their next class - apply here: https://medtechinnovator.org/---------------------------------------------Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.comExecutive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVASenior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA CoulterDesign Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

What is innovation and why is it important to teach in an engineering program? Innovation has been defined as increasing value, which is increasing the benefits to cost ratio. Because innovation can be an ambiguous concept, it is important to develop a framework to guide the process. Since 2006, Dr. DiMeo has been coaching, consulting, and training processes of innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurship for medical device innovation and healthcare impact.Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.eduDr. Andrew DiMeo is a health innovator, biomedical engineer, design philosopher, and social entrepreneur. He began his career in New York, working on movies and TV shows, most notably The Sopranos. He has a BS in Physics and PhD in Biomedical Engineering and has spent most of his career teaching and practicing health innovation. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we dive into Dr. DiMeo’s time teaching biomedical entrepreneurship at UNC and NC State, the teaching methodology and the philosophy for creating successful translational research classes, a new framework to help organizations innovate, and the future of STEM careers and education.Dr. DiMeo has served as a Team Lead in NIH Programs, including RADx, ITAP, Blueprint MedTech, HIV Point of Care Testing, and C3i. He was previously a Professor of the Practice at UNC & NC State for 12 years where his students started multiple startups including 410 Medical, Contour Surgical, Augment Medical, Novocor Medical Systems, and MEDIC. He was co-founder of Gilero, founder of the NC Medical Device Trade Organization, and founder of CanvasGT, a SaaS startup acquired by Greenlight Guru. Today, you can find him mentoring the next generation of social entrepreneurs, working on his new venture, Hangar Dreys - a co-working concept in Raleigh, NC focused on addressing the loneliness epidemic. Follow Dr. Andrew DiMeo on Social MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajdimeo/IDEAL Biomedical Publication: https://medium.com/ideal-biomedicalLinktree: https://linktr.ee/andrewdimeoPress Release about Springbok Analytics FDA approval:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/springbok-analytics-receives-fda-510k-clearance-for-muscleview-its-ai-muscle-health-analysis-from-a-rapid-mri-scan-302270603.htmlDirector & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.comExecutive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVASenior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA CoulterDesign Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Investment is critical for advancing promising biomedical research out of the lab and into the hospital. Dr. Tom Skalak has worked widely on innovation ecosystems with the White House, U.S. Congress, and Fortune 500 CEOs and C-suites seeking cultures to advance creative ideation and implementation of innovations. He urges VCs to invest locally with research universities and shares his perspective of some of the most exciting, emerging fields of research.Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.eduTom Skalak joined the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation in 2018 as Senior Advisor to Clara Wu Tsai and was previously the founding Executive Director of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group in Seattle, and Vice President for Research Emeritus at the University of Virginia. In these roles, Tom led creative synthesis of research and innovation programs spanning biosciences, environmental sustainability, physical sciences, engineering and technology, arts, design, entrepreneurship, and humanities. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we dive into how small start-ups can grow and thrive in the competitive biomedical technology industry, innovative research in the discipline of protein design and the future applications, and the challenges in studying the emerging fields, human cognition and performance.As Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering at UVAs, Tom’s original research included:cardiovascular biomechanics, computational modeling, wound repair, and regenerative medicine, conducted with continuous NIH funding over 28 years. He is a past president of both the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). He was the founder of the UVA-Coulter Foundation Translational Research Partnership and early-stage investment funds with corporate partners such as Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.Follow Dr. Tom Skalak on Social MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-skalak-81000611b/Learn more about the Human Performance Alliance: https://humanperformancealliance.org/Faculty profile: https://engineering.virginia.edu/faculty/thomas-c-skalakThe Wu Tsai Institute at Yale: https://wti.yale.edu/Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.comExecutive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVASenior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA CoulterDesign Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Tissue engineering is an exciting field that promises to solve many health conditions, but there are several fundamental challenges that remain unsolved. Dr. Jennifer West is leading the field with research on novel techniques that promote vascularization (tissue blood supply) and mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue engineering applications. Dr. West’s lab focuses on biomaterials, nanotechnology, and tissue engineering, applying engineering approaches to study biological problems and address unmet medical needs. Most recently, she is also a co-founder of Nanospectra Biosciences, a company commercializing a cancer therapy using gold nanoparticles for photothermal therapy. This unique, non-invasive technique is currently in human clinical trials. She is a uniquely prolific inventor, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and has over 19 patents that have been licensed to eight different companies and across multiple engineering disciplines. As the Dean of the Engineering School at University of Virginia Dr. West is guiding the trajectory of instruction, research and entrepreneurship at the University. She has promoted collaboration between engineering and medicine, expanded the biomedical engineering faculty and fostered numerous cross-school research collaborations with over $23 million in external funding. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare, she shares her vision for engineering at UVA.Follow Dr. West on Social MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-west-a6107532/Twitter: https://x.com/UVADeanJWestLearn about Nanospectra Biosciences: https://nanospectra.com/Learn about University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science: https://engineering.virginia.edu/Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.comExecutive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVASenior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA CoulterDesign Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter

Muscles play a pivotal role throughout our bodies, not just in our day-to-day functions but also as foundational elements in our journey towards healthy aging. At the forefront of exploring this intricate system is Dr. Silvia Blemker and her dedicated team at the M3 Lab at the University of Virginia. Their innovative approach weaves together advanced imaging, hands-on experimentation, and sophisticated computational methods to delve deep into the anatomy and mechanics of muscles, shedding light on various muscle-related diseases.Through her venture, Springbok Analytics, Dr. Blemker is revolutionizing the way we understand muscle health. By harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and merging it with the precision of MRI technology, her team is crafting real-time, detailed models of muscles. This breakthrough initiative is not just about enhancing athletic performance or speeding up recovery but is also a key player in the prevention of muscle diseases.In the latest installment of Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare, Dr. Blemker takes us on a journey through the evolution of Biomedical Engineering as a discipline. She shares her approach to leveraging AI to accelerate the pace of developing Springboks Analytics technologies for more applications. Dr. Blemker also introduces us to one of her groundbreaking projects, funded by the NIH, aimed at developing precise, sex-specific musculature models.This project promises to equip future researchers with robust tools for studying women's muscle systems with unparalleled accuracy, ensuring that gender disparities in medical research are addressed head-on.Follow Dr. Blemker on Social MediaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvia-blemker/Twitter: https://twitter.com/UvaM3LabM3 Lab: http://www.uvam3lab.com/Learn about Springbok Analytics: https://www.springbokanalytics.com/To enroll in the study for developing a computational method that will be able to accurately examine how sex differences in muscles and bones influence the lower limbs during movement reach out to Dr. Silvia Blemker at ssblemker@virginia.edu or fill out this form: https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEFhlTljsxcAEUmDirector & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.comExecutive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVASenior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA CoulterDesign Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter

In this episode we delve into the future of medicine with Dr. Nathan Price, Chief Science Officer at Thorne HealthTech and co-author of "The Age of Scientific Wellness." Dr. Price shares his visionary insights on the transformation of medicine through systems biology approaches, modeling and analytics, and practices centered in prevention. He shares how his research uses digital twins in predicting and preventing the progression of Alzheimer’s diseases and how other AI developments are impacting access to diagnosis and treatments.Dr. Nathan Price highlights the transformative power of combining phenotyping and genotyping in research, allowing for a deeper understanding of disease progression and potential interventions long before symptoms appear. “You can look for what's different in individuals 20 years before the disease would be expected to emerge. What you find is that there are differences that are manifested in the blood in these dense data clouds. This longitudinal data is different as a function of differential risk for that disease.”At University of Virginia Dr. Price evaluates and guides promising translational research projects through his role on the board of the Coulter Translational Research Center.Follow Dr. Price on Social Media:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathandprice/Twitter: https://x.com/ISBNathanPrice?s=20Read his new book “The Age of Scientific Wellness: Why the Future of Medicine is Personalized, Predictive, Data Rich and In Your Handshttps://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674245945Learn more about Thorne HealthTech: https://www.thorne.com/Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.comExecutive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVASenior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA CoulterDesign Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.comProduced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter