INTERVIEWS

Dr. Lisa Meltzer, a sleep psychologist at National Jewish Health discusses the issue of sleep debt. After a local school district moved high school and middle school start times later, experts were able to evaluate the impacts this had on parents’ and kids’ sleep-wake patterns over a three-year period. They found that this policy change had a positive impact on parent sleep and had far-reaching benefits on the wellbeing of families as a whole. 

Dr. Amy Krambeck, MD, a urologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and professor of urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine discusses benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and the latest advancement in treatment options such as the new way to perform the HoLEP (Holmium Laser Enucleation of Prostate) procedure that is narcotics-free and allows 85% of patients to go home the same day.

Stacey Crew, certified health coach and organizing expert discusses her new book, “Mind, Body, Kitchen: Transform You and Your Kitchen For A Healthier Lifestyle“. 

Bill Hinshaw, President and CEO of Axcella Therapeutics, discusses the initiation of a pioneering Phase 2a clinical trial in long COVID, investigating AXA1125 as a potential treatment for the debilitating symptoms of this disease, in particular, chronic fatigue and muscle weakness. Hinshaw talks about the current lack of therapeutics for long COVID patients, the growing evidence about COVID-19’s impact on mitochondrial function, details of the Phase 2b trial of AXA1125 in long COVID, and Axcella’s scientific approach to treating complex diseases using Endogenous Metabolic Modulator (EMM) compositions. 

Ezra is a New York-based healthcare technology company utilizing artificial intelligence in medical imaging to provide individuals with a next-generation, full-body cancer screening service. By advocating for early cancer detection as part of annual health screenings, Ezra is on a mission to create a new standard of preventative care.

Returning guest, Dr. George Koob, Ph.D., Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at the National Institute of Health (NIH) discusses Dry January and how to recognize signs of an alcohol problem and ways to get help. He talks about the newest treatment options now available, including medications and behavioral treatments by health providers, as well as the role of mutual support groups. 

Dr. ​Sandy Macrae, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., ​President and ​CEO of Sangamo Therapeutics, a long-standing pioneer in genomic medicine, discusses the structural barriers that are keeping genomic medicine from reaching its full potential, and the challenges to be overcome in manufacturing for scale; new modalities of genomic medicines that show promise spanning from cell therapies to gene regulation.​ 

Dr. Norman Lepor, cardiologist and a clinical investigator in the Phase III clinical program for Leqvio ®  (inclisiran), discusses the recent FDA approval of Leqvio,  a first-in-class siRNA to lower bad cholesterol  and keep it low with  two doses a year, after an initial dose and one at three months. Leqvio is indicated as an adjunct to diet and maximally tolerated statin therapy for the treatment of adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) who require additional lowering of LDL-C. 

In this segment, Neal speaks with healthcare veteran Nancy Lurker, President and CEO of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, who discussed how Lurker transformed EyePoint in five years with a robust pipeline of developing and commercializing innovative therapies to help improve the lives of patients with serious eye disorders and plans to double its staff again in 2022. 

Kyle Detwiler, CEO of multinational medical cannabis operator Clever Leaves Holdings, discusses how Clever Leaves is supporting the Colombian community from which they hail, what they’re doing to help guarantee patient access amid a global supply chain crisis, and how they’re becoming a global presence in the medical cannabis space. He also explains Project Change Lives, an initiative through which Clever Leaves has committed to donating $25 million USD worth of cannabis to research institutions, in an effort to account for decades of missed opportunities into researching the medical benefits of the plant.