INTERVIEWS

Dr. Joslyn Kirby, Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Pennsylvania State University discusses an often misdiagnosed skin condition of hidradentitis suppurativa (HS) and how it is more than just an inflammatory skin disease. She encourages patients and caregivers to advocate for their care and seek out a dermatologist with experience treating HS who can provide an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment options.

Dr. Adam Bingaman, Director of Abdominal Organ Transplantation at Methodist Hospital/Specialty and Transplant in San Antonio, TX discusses tips for transplant patients and their caregivers as they navigate the “new normal” environment.  He is joined by Dr. Peter Maag, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for CareDx, the company behind RemoTraC, a remote home-based monitoring system for transplant patients.

Returning guest, Dr. Len Friedland, VP and Director, Scientific Affairs and Public Health Vaccines at GSK discusses the increase in vaccine preventable hepatitis A cases in the US.  He explains why it is so important to stay up to date on immunizations, especially during the pandemic.

Dr. Shmuel Shoham, Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine discusses the multi-center, double-blind randomized controlled convalescent blood plasma trials that are currently testing to determine whether giving people antibodies is effective attreating early-stage coronavirus and in preventing those exposed to it from catching the disease.  He explains how this research differs from other therapeutics and vaccines under development and why researchers believe it may be promising for COVID-19.  He talks about which patients are good candidates for these trials, and what patients can expect if they choose to participate.

Dr. Steve Kanes, CMO and Dr. Jim Doherty, CRO at Sage Therapeutics discuss the three clinical trials, one major depressive disorder (MDD), one postpartum depression (PPD) and one Essential Tremor (ET) that the company was able to advance in spite of the pandemic.  They talk about the learnings Sage is leveraging to overcome challenges that span all of brain health from MDD to emerging treatments that tackle executive function and development.

Dr. Tom Sugarman, ED physician at Sutter Delta Medical Center in California and Senior Director of Government Affairs at Vituity discusses insights on the COVID-19 landscape, considerations for flu season preparation and how critical it is for hospitals and health systems to start preparing now prior to the onset of a potential COVID-19 surge.  This includes accounting for the need to call in support from outside their health system, aligning on communications approach to and from the front lines, focusing on resiliency, and providing resources to support provider and staff wellness during these stressful times.

Returning guest, Dr. Maria Milla, MD, Section Chief, Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Care Centers discusses the importance of flu vaccinations for children and their parents especially now in the COVID-19 environment.

The Incyte Ingenuity Award is an annual program that was created to support people living with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).  GVHD is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when donor immune cells attack the recipient’s organs and tissues after an allogeneic stem cell transplant.  Dr. Areej El-Jawahri, MD, Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Survivorship Program, Massachusetts General Cancer Center (MGCC) discusses the winning project from MGCC titled “Horizon Mobile App for Patients with Chronic GVHD”. 

Aidan Foley, CEO at True Digital Surgery discusses the partnership with Aesculap, Inc., and the Aesculap Aeos® Robotic Digital Surgical Microscope that is now available in the U.S.  The platform enables surgeons to execute precision movements in procedures including neurosurgery, spine, ear, nose, and throat operations, through a multi-axis robotic arm.  This product is particularly beneficial for healthcare workers in the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Aeos’ immersive 3D heads-up display can be viewed simultaneously by the full surgical team in an operating room while safely wearing protective face shields. Further, the display helps to minimize the physical strain and pain reported by four out of five surgeons after a day of surgery by allowing them to stand upright, rather than hunched over traditional microscopes. 

Lead developer, Yasmeen Almog, a data scientist on Amgen’s Digital Health and Innovation Team discusses Crystal Bone, a new digital health algorithm under development that may help doctors predict fracture risk in osteoporosis patients within a one to two-year time frame.