Data Analytics and AI are Accelerating Medical Research - Dr. Julie Panepinto, Director of the Di...

Summary

In this insightful podcast episode, Dr. Julie Panepinto, Director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources at the National Institutes of Health, shares her inspiring journey and the remarkable advancements in medical research. She delves into the pivotal role of data, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics in revolutionizing healthcare, enabling early intervention and personalized treatment. Emphasizing the importance of qualitative patient experiences, Dr. Panepinto highlights how integrating objective data with individual goals can optimize outcomes. The conversation also explores the exciting future of healthcare, where technology empowers compassionate care, lifelong learning, and boundless scientific curiosity to improve lives.

Takeaways

• 😷 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) oversees and funds biomedical research in various disease areas, including blood disorders, through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
• 🧬 Recent advancements in blood disorder research include understanding stem cells, their environment, aging's impact on blood cells, inflammation's role, and the explosion of patient data from imaging, genomics, and electronic health records.
• 🤖 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning can help predict disease risk, identify ideal treatment candidates, and guide personalized care based on patient data and preferences.
• 📈 Incorporating patient-reported outcomes and qualitative measures of well-being alongside quantitative data can lead to better shared decision-making and tailored treatments.
• 🔍 Scientific curiosity, quantitative thinking, and actively listening to patients are essential traits for researchers advancing discoveries in blood disorders and other medical fields.
• 🌍 Interdisciplinary collaboration, data sharing, and partnerships between academia, industry, and government agencies can accelerate scientific progress and translation to clinical care.
• 🔬 Medical research offers opportunities for young people to make a lasting impact on human health by exploring unanswered questions and driving new discoveries.
• 🏫 Passionate educators who can ignite enthusiasm for science and encourage students to think bigger can inspire the next generation of medical researchers.
• 🚀 Advancements in precision medicine, data synthesis, and AI-driven decision support at the point of care are expected to transform healthcare delivery in the coming years.
• 👩‍⚕️ While technology will play a growing role, maintaining the human connection, empathy, and personalized care during in-person patient visits will remain crucial in healthcare.

Q & A

What is the role of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)?

The National Institutes of Health is responsible for leading biomedical research in the United States and globally. Within the NIH, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute focuses on advancing scientific discoveries related to heart, lung, and blood diseases.

What does Dr. Julie Panepinto oversee as the director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources at the NHLBI?

As the director, Dr. Panepinto oversees a staff of about 30 people who help the external community in the field of blood disorder research to submit grant proposals, obtain funding, and advance scientific discoveries.

What types of data are researchers gathering in the field of blood disorders?

Researchers are gathering various types of data, including imaging data (e.g., blood cell imaging), patient data (e.g., electronic health records), and genomic or "omics" data related to cells and biological processes.

How can artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning be applied in the field of blood disorders?

AI and machine learning can be used for predictive risk modeling, helping to identify individuals at high risk for complications or adverse events, and informing decisions about preventive or curative therapies. Additionally, these technologies can assist in analyzing large datasets and identifying patterns that may lead to new insights.

What is the importance of patient-reported outcomes in blood disorder research?

Patient-reported outcomes, such as surveys measuring pain, physical functioning, and well-being, provide valuable qualitative data that can complement objective clinical data. This information helps researchers and clinicians understand the patient's experience and make more informed treatment decisions aligned with the patient's goals and preferences.

How does Dr. Panepinto envision the future of healthcare with the integration of data and AI?

Dr. Panepinto envisions a future where healthcare providers have access to synthesized and actionable information at the bedside, integrating data from various sources and leveraging AI to provide personalized, precision medicine tailored to each patient's profile and preferences, while still maintaining the importance of face-to-face interactions and compassionate care.

What character traits does Dr. Panepinto recommend for aspiring researchers in the field of healthcare?

According to Dr. Panepinto, some essential traits for aspiring researchers include scientific curiosity, a quantitative mindset with a fondness for data and evidence, and the ability to actively listen to patients and learn from their experiences.

What advice does Dr. Panepinto have for educators in inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals?

Dr. Panepinto advises educators to share their excitement and enthusiasm for science, as a single teacher can spark a lifelong passion in a student. Maintaining that energy and making the subject fascinating can draw students in and inspire them to pursue careers in healthcare.

If Dr. Panepinto could go back in time and give advice to her younger self, what would it be?

If she could go back in time, Dr. Panepinto would advise her younger self to "think bigger" and not be afraid to push herself out of her comfort zone, as she came to realize the incredible opportunities and potential for accomplishment later in her career.

What are some of the benefits and challenges of incorporating patient data and AI in healthcare?

The benefits include the ability to personalize treatment plans, predict potential complications, and make more informed decisions based on vast amounts of data. However, challenges include ensuring data quality, addressing potential biases in data or algorithms, and maintaining the human element of compassionate care alongside technological advancements.

Outlines

00:00

👨‍🔬 Introduction and Background

Matt Kirner introduces the guest, Dr. Julie Panipinto, the director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. They discuss Dr. Panipinto's career journey and the influences that led her to pursue medicine, including her family background and early experiences in science.

05:02

🔍 Research Funding and Extramural Focus

Dr. Panipinto explains her role in overseeing the funding of external research in the field of blood disorders. She discusses the process of grant funding, collaborations with other agencies, and the responsibility to educate the public. She highlights the Institute's focus on supporting research in classical hematology, excluding blood cancers.

10:03

🧬 Current State of Blood Disease Research

Dr. Panipinto discusses the current advancements in blood disease research, including the study of stem cells, their environment, and the impact of aging on blood disorders and cardiovascular risk. She also mentions the explosion of data, including genomic and patient health record data, and the potential for utilizing this information to improve health outcomes.

15:04

📊 Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data

The conversation explores the importance of incorporating both objective, quantitative data and subjective, qualitative data, such as patient-reported outcomes, in medical research and clinical practice. Dr. Panipinto highlights the value of understanding patients' experiences and preferences in shared decision-making and personalized treatment approaches.

20:05

🤖 Role of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Research

Dr. Panipinto discusses the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical research, including predictive risk modeling, identifying ideal candidates for curative therapies, and incorporating various data sources to optimize patient care. She emphasizes the need for more data to develop robust AI algorithms and the importance of addressing potential biases.

25:08

📈 Future of Healthcare and Precision Medicine

Looking towards the future of healthcare, Dr. Panipinto envisions a more personalized and synthesized approach to patient care, enabled by advances in technology and data integration. She highlights the potential for care providers to have access to comprehensive patient information at the bedside, facilitating more tailored and efficient treatment plans.

30:08

👩‍🔬 Advice for Young Researchers and Medical Professionals

Dr. Panipinto reflects on the qualities and character traits that are essential for aspiring medical researchers, such as scientific curiosity, quantitative thinking, and the ability to listen to patients. She emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind, thinking bigger, and being driven by the desire to improve people's health through scientific discovery.

35:08

👩‍🏫 Advice for STEM Educators

Dr. Panipinto offers advice to STEM educators, highlighting the impact they can have in inspiring and fostering enthusiasm for science among students. She encourages educators to share their excitement and passion for the subject matter, as a single educator can spark a lifelong interest and pursuit in a field like medical research.

40:09

🔮 Advice to Her Younger Self

When asked what advice she would give her younger self as a high school student, Dr. Panipinto suggests thinking bigger and pushing beyond comfort zones. She emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort and expanding one's horizons to achieve greater accomplishments and impact in life.

Keywords

💡STEM

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In the context of the video, the focus is on promoting and securing the American dream for the next generation of workforce talent in these fields. The script emphasizes the importance of STEM education as a foundation for innovation and development, particularly in technology and engineering, which are crucial for future advancements and job creation.

💡Teched Podcast

The Teched Podcast, as mentioned in the script, is a platform that discusses topics related to securing the American dream for the next generation of STEM and workforce talent. It serves as a medium to share knowledge, insights, and developments in the field of technical education, emphasizing the importance of STEM education and its impact on career opportunities and technological advancements.

💡National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is referenced in the script as an important institution where Dr. Julie Panipinto serves. The NIH is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the nation's leading medical research agency. It plays a crucial role in discovering new treatments, medications, and technologies to improve health and save lives, highlighting the importance of research in advancing medical science.

💡Blood Disorders

Blood disorders are mentioned in the script as the focus of Dr. Julie Panipinto's work at the NIH. These conditions affect the body's ability to perform essential functions such as oxygen transport, clotting, and fighting infections. The script highlights the significance of research and funding in understanding, treating, and managing blood disorders, showcasing the critical role of medical science in enhancing patient care and outcomes.

💡Research Funding

Research funding, as discussed in the video script, is crucial for supporting scientific investigations, particularly in the field of medical research on blood disorders. The script explains how the NIH allocates budget and grants to support external community research, emphasizing the importance of financial resources in advancing scientific discoveries, developing new treatments, and improving healthcare outcomes.

💡Predictive Modeling

Predictive modeling is a key concept in the script, particularly in the context of medical research and patient care. It involves using statistical techniques and data analysis to make predictions about future outcomes. The script highlights its application in identifying patients at risk of developing certain conditions, allowing for early intervention and personalized treatment plans, illustrating the integration of data science and technology in modern healthcare.

💡Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is mentioned in the script as a significant advancement in the treatment of blood disorders like sickle cell disease. It involves modifying or replacing defective genes to cure or alleviate diseases. The script reflects on the transformative potential of gene therapy in offering curative options for previously untreatable conditions, underscoring the impact of cutting-edge research and technology in medicine.

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is highlighted in the script as playing a pivotal role in advancing medical research and healthcare. AI technologies are used for data analysis, predictive modeling, and even diagnosis and treatment planning. The script underscores the potential of AI to revolutionize healthcare by making it more personalized, efficient, and effective, showcasing the intersection of technology and medicine.

💡Precision Medicine

Precision medicine is a concept discussed in the script, referring to the customization of healthcare, with medical decisions and treatments tailored to individual patients. This approach often involves considering genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The script points out how advancements in research, such as AI and predictive modeling, are paving the way for precision medicine, enhancing the effectiveness of treatments and improving patient outcomes.

💡Career in Medical Research

The script encourages considering a career in medical research, highlighting its importance in advancing healthcare, discovering new treatments, and improving patient outcomes. It emphasizes the role of curiosity, scientific inquiry, and the desire to make a difference as key traits for success in this field. Through the example of Dr. Julie Panipinto's career journey, the script illustrates the impact individuals can have in medical science and the fulfillment derived from contributing to meaningful advancements.

Highlights

Dr. Julie Panepinto discusses her background and inspiration for a career in medicine, including the influence of her grandfather, a general practitioner, and her father, a cardiologist.

Dr. Panepinto emphasizes the importance of mentors and support systems, such as her spouse, in advancing her career.

She describes her role overseeing the external community's research on blood disorders at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, including funding, education, and public outreach.

Dr. Panepinto discusses the advancements in understanding stem cells, their environment, and the impact of aging on blood disorders and cardiovascular risk.

She highlights the explosion of data in the medical field, including genomic data, electronic health records, and the potential for artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze this data.

Dr. Panepinto explains the value of patient-reported outcome measures in capturing the patient experience and well-being, which can be incorporated into electronic health records.

She discusses the role of imaging and predictive modeling in diagnosis and risk assessment, and the potential for artificial intelligence to aid in these areas.

Dr. Panepinto envisions a future where healthcare providers have access to synthesized information at the bedside, enabling personalized and precision medicine.

She emphasizes the importance of maintaining a human connection and listening to patients, even as technology advances.

Dr. Panepinto advises young people interested in medical research to be curious, quantitative thinkers, and good listeners, as these traits are essential for advancing scientific discovery.

She encourages educators to share their excitement and enthusiasm for science, as this can inspire students to pursue careers in the field.

Dr. Panepinto reflects on the advice she would give her younger self, which is to think bigger and push beyond her comfort zone.

She discusses the role of artificial intelligence in predictive modeling for chronic diseases like sickle cell disease, which could help identify ideal candidates for curative therapies before end-organ damage occurs.

Dr. Panepinto emphasizes the importance of incorporating patient preferences and goals into treatment decisions, as these can influence the optimal course of action.

She highlights the potential for artificial intelligence to synthesize and present information in an actionable way, enabling healthcare providers to spend more time interacting with patients.

Transcripts

securing the American dream for the next

generation of stem and Workforce Talent

my name is Matt kirner I am your host

for the teched podcast you know we talk

about that every week in our intro we

talk about securing the American dream

for the next generation of stem and

Workforce Talent of course here at the

tech IDE podcast we love stem we love

stem education that of course standing

for science technology engineering and

math but if we're being honest we

probably spend a little more time on the

two middle letters that being the T and

the E the technology and the engineering

then perhaps we do on the science topic

that all changes on this week's episode

of the teched podcast we're really

really honored and happy to welcome in

to the studio of the teched podcast Dr

Julie panipinto and Julie is the

director of the division of blood

diseases and resources at the national

heart lung and Blood Institute of the

National Institutes of Health yes I had

to read that entire title that is an

incredibly awesome title Dr panipinto

we've been friends a long time I'm

comfortable calling you Julie and it's

my pleasure to welcome you to the teched

podcast thank you Matt it's wonderful to

be here glad to be able to share so what

an incredible career you've had and and

continue to have and and just want to as

we familiarize our audience with the

amazing work that you're doing want to

give them a little bit of a sense for

how you got into the world of medicine

in the first place tell us what inspired

you toward your current career sure I

love that so I grew up in a family of

Physicians my dad's dad so my

grandfather was a general practitioner

so did everything from delivering babies

to taking out appendix to just taking

care of a common cold so I can remember

distinctly you know spending time with

him and learning about medicine and then

my father who was a cardiologist and

getting to Shadow him in medical school

so I really I had the influence in my

family so that's probably first and

foremost but I loved the science and I

can remember

kind of in a weird way dissecting a frog

in biology and that's where I was like

oh this is kind of not my thing to look

at frogs but I love the concept of

what's involved with um you know how the

body works and so really that science is

what continued to lead me down the path

knowing what the profession looked like

as a whole from the family

influence know you're taking me back in

time to my time in high school

dissecting a fetal pig actually that was

an experience that I will never forget

wasn't inspired quite on the same career

pathway that that you were certainly

having that medical background in your

family your grandfather and your father

I won't make the obvious ton that

medicine was in your blood because we'll

be talking about blood a lot in this in

this particular episode such an

incredible influence that our mentors

can have on us whether that's parents

whether it's teachers whether it's some

other individual in our life in your

case your father and your grandfather

I've got a believe there were other

major influences as well any that come

to mind absolutely so you know as other

professional women um have really

written a lot about you really are about

your plus one and so for me that's been

my spouse David brusso who also happens

to be in medicine as a leader in

medicine but clearly you know um without

his support not only professionally but

personally for our family I wouldn't

have been able to make the big move

geographically and um really just at

that point in my career and

so and my decisions in my career clearly

influences his career development too so

this was really an incredible incredible

display of support that um allowed me to

Advance my career in leadership at that

point in time what a what a great

opportunity what a what a great marriage

and for sure I mean having the support

of your spouse is absolutely unequivocal

in terms of where your career goes and

making sure that goals remain aligned

and that families remain productive and

and that that part of our life is so

very important I agree 100% I'll also

Echo your sentiment so full disclosure

uh your husb husband Dr David brusso is

one of my best friends and somebody I've

known a long long time and there's no

better person or character on the planet

you're fortunate to have him as a

husband I'm fortunate to have him as a

friend and I I really appreciate you

taking a moment to highlight David as

well tell us a little bit about why you

took that step from you know kind of

more of the patient care side to the to

the research side at the national level

yes so I think that was it's probably

multifactorial one was first and

foremost personally my children were

more or less grown and they were on

their well on their way to Independence

um having left high school so where I

was grounded as far as geographic

location um didn't matter as much from

my professional standpoint and then

professionally I you know I loved my job

of taking care of patients loved being

able to do research but uh as I

continued on my career I was looking for

more leadership looking for something to

continue to challenge me and this

position here included not only the

ability to stay involved in science it

brought a whole new challenge of being

involved in a in a very different way um

and broaden my connection to science to

not only um pediatric blood disorders

but to really all of blood science so

it's been a wonderful pivot and I

learned something new at least a few

times a day and I love that um and it

you know really has worked out well so

really speaks to the advantage of being

in a in a career where you you are

learning new things every day and I

think that's as we kind spend time in

this era of lifelong learning and more

and more individuals are realizing that

you know what we might have learned 10

or 20 or 30 years ago isn't going to

carious necessarily through an entire

career and really having that that

Curiosity and that excitement and energy

around learning really really important

as especially as you're entering or have

entered into this this role that you're

in now Julie we talked about dissecting

frogs we talked about dissecting fetal

Pigs we're going to dissect your title a

little bit because as I as I introduced

you to our audience early on it was

there's a lot of things going on there

and so let's talk a little bit about

everything you're doing just started by

the National Institutes of Health what

should our audience know about the work

at that level and then we'll dive down a

little bit deeper into some of the work

that you're doing surely so the National

Institutes of Health is really charged

with really leading biomedic research

for the country and even globally So

within that there are multiple

institutions largely div divided by

maybe the diseases that they Encompass

so for our Institute the heart lung and

Blood Institute we um think about

research and want to advaned scientific

discovery in those areas and then if we

think about it what I oversee which is

the blood division of the heart lung and

Blood Institute we oversee um what we

call extramural and extramural means our

external community so the external

community's uh focus in blood disorder

research that's based in classical

hematology so doesn't involve blood

cancer which would go to our National

Cancer Institute so that encompasses a

lot because blood sort of is everywhere

we like to say and very important part

of our um existence and so my job is to

oversee about 30 staff who help our

external Community um think about

advancing science and blood disorders

submitting their ideas to us for funding

and then getting them to funding and

getting them through the success of that

of that Grant to Advanced scientific uh

discoveries so if we walk our audience

through that a little bit we've got the

National Institutes of Health and then

and then underneath that if you will the

National heart lung and Blood Institute

and then as a part of that the division

of blood diseases and resources of which

you are the director you you mentioned

funding you mentioned you know this

extra mural just give us a little bit

more of a sense for you're overseeing

the funding with these Partners is that

a big part of what you do so we have a

budget every year that is and it's

really appropriated by Congress and with

that budget we then utilize that money

to

Grant fund grants in the blood disorder

space um so that's really sort of how it

works we do have some partnership with

um other federal agencies where we

collaboratively work side by side so CDC

for instance where we're working in

complimentary spaces and we're trying to

further Discovery Science um with CDC

who's doing surveillance work or

populationbased work so that's just one

example of partnering we also are

charged with educating so educating

others in Scientific careers in blood

disorders and trying to keep that um

kind of career pathway going in addition

we also have a responsibility to the

public so making sure we're educating

the public not only about the research

discoveries in the blood disorder space

but also on the diseases that we serve

plenty of things to keep you busy

without question and when we think about

funding and we talk a lot um more on the

education side probably in the case of

the teched podcast with R1 research

institutions and so on um that are

performing research in a wide wide

variety of different Endeavors is the

research both private and public you're

partnering with with both types of

entities or tell us about that a little

bit so we largely Grant I would say the

large majority of our grants go to uh

institutions that are public not for

profit right so academic institutions

that's where most of our scientists

reside we do have a very strong

portfolio and what's called the small

business grant so there is um

specific grant opportunities for small

businesses to submit their work often

partnering with these same academic

institutions or investigators from those

places to fund Grant and scientific

ideas that we hope we supporting kind of

the next step to make those what we say

commercialize those discoveries so

that's a really nice um also sort of

partnering with small businesses

absolutely so a little bit of both more

so on the public side more so on the

nonprofit side and on the academic side

but but certainly opportunities for for

both public and private let's dive in a

little bit deeper into some of the work

you're doing with regard to let's just

say the current state of research so

when you think Julie about you know

advancements in the field of blood

diseases what are some insights that

would be interesting to our audience

yeah so we largely deal with blood

diseases that are are rare but through a

lot of the bench research we we call

that our basic science research we've

learned a lot about the stem cell so the

stem cell is what's made in your bone

marrow that goes on to make all of your

other blood cells and we're learning a

lot about the environment that that stem

cell has to live in over time we're

learning the impact of aging and we're

learning how that can influence not only

the development sometimes of blood

disorders that are malignant cancers but

also how that might impact um what we

call cardiovascular risk so risk to your

heart so we're learning a ton about the

blood cell I think we also are learning

a lot about inflammation so we know that

inflammation in the body can also um

lead to Chronic chronic disease we think

to to have constant inflammation in the

body right so that's also largely driven

by many of the things we study in the

blood space right so the blood

biomarkers can sometimes um suggest a

state of inflammation or even some of

the diseases that we take care of can be

pro-inflammatory diseases just by the

nature of how they involve the immune

system so those are just a flavor of

some of the things from the basic

science aspect but we've also um as you

might imagine are in an an explosion of

data so data not only from what we call

the cell so sort of genomic or omix data

which is very much at the bench but all

the way to a patient who when they enter

a healthcare system with electronic

health record data every data point

there is information that potentially

could be utilized to help improve their

health outcomes we love data we talk all

the time about it in God we trust all

others bring data we talk about data

analytics artificial intelligence

machine learning just the the vast

amounts of data now that we have have

available to us and it really doesn't

matter what part of the economy we're in

we talk about data in the energy space

in the agriculture space National

Defense certainly in manufacturing I

mean just Gathering tons and tons of

data some cases just for the sake of

gathering the data and hoping we can do

something with it later but obviously

the goal is for us to use that data to

analyze it and then to to move forward

toward a goal so I want to get into that

just a little bit Julie and talk about

um you know the incredible amounts of

patient data that I know you have to be

gather in and that the world of medicine

has to be gathering in general so what

are the kinds of data that researchers

are gathering in their work on blood

disorders and then how is all of this

data managed and and analyzed great

question so I think one of the areas

probably common to most of medicine and

that's really probably been at the

Forefront is Imaging so in the blood

disorder space Imaging uh that can help

us detect blood cells that typically you

know a human is looking under the

microscope there are some automated ways

that um came much before which probably

is a form of sort of artificial

intelligence but now I think we have the

ability to also I don't want to say come

to a diagnosis but more description uh

for the clinicians to better understand

what the blood smear might be suggesting

so are those cancer cells that we see

there so the type of cell in our world

we think about things like the cell

suggest an underlying genetic anemia

based on what they look like

and then it it's also good at

quantifying so the amount of the cells

so does it suggest you have too low of a

white count or too low of a a platelet

count or a a red cell count which can

lead to blood disorders so that's a

pretty cool thing that I think is true

and almost any uh field is the Imaging

there's lots of Imaging already

available that um can be put through

algorithms to help with diagnosis and I

think the other piece is the patient

which I touched on that a little bit is

so the patient Rec Rec in and of itself

and so I think the way that's probably

already in play is in a predictive

modeling standpoint so we can we take

information on the hundreds or thousands

of patients that have come before the

individual at hand in front of the

physician and help that physician

understand um risk for certain things

and and we can talk about the

cardiovascular risk profile it might

include lab values like your cholesterol

it might include your age your family

history and to kind of put together a

profile that suggests you may or may not

be at higher risk for certain diseases

and then even better suggests potential

preventive measures that could pre lower

that risk right so if we talk again

about cardiovascular because it's an

easier space than blood disorder uh for

this it may be exercise it may be diet

it may be those easy things or it could

even be a preventive

medication so I think it's really pretty

neat it's more um as you might imagine

it's the computer's acting a bit as a

brain but it doesn't have the ability to

have that cognitive

um it it it's as good as what is fed to

it and so some of the worry is always

that we have to make sure it gets all of

the information it might need for the

patient at hand without question you

know and I just can't help but draw

parallels again into my world of

advanced manufacturing and we talk all

the time about uh you know putting

sensors on a piece of manufacturing

equipment a robot for example so we can

measure things like force and

disturbances and temperature and

moisture all kinds of you know torque

things like things like that so we

censor up a robot and it's not just that

one robot that we're censoring it's it's

you know thousands if not tens or

hundreds of thousands of robots um and

Gathering all that data it's really the

same way my wife Renee who you know well

and I had the opportunity back in um in

the month of November of last year to

ride in a wh car in Phoenix so we

literally we called an Uber and uh right

on the Uber app it said are you okay

riding in an autonomous vehicle and we

kind of looked at each other we're like

well we're in a hurry we have to get

where we're going fine we'll say yes and

literally this this autonomous vehicle

drives up picks us up at the meeting we

were at to take us over to a Convention

Center there's lit there's no driver in

the car we're in the backseat of this

car and it's driving itself it was it

was somewhat unnerving but the reason

that works is because you know that car

is driving around looking at what's a

stop sign what is traffic what's weather

you know all of this data sending it up

to the cloud and then all that data is

going to every other wayo car and then

every wayo car is sending the same data

up to the cloud and back down to our car

and in real time our car gets as smart

as all the cars put together in the same

way that a robot using sensor data and

artificial intelligence can predict its

own future failure and Order its own

replacement parts before the failure

ever happens and what I'm hearing is

we're really doing the same thing in

medicine where if we can take data from

thousands if not hundreds of thousands

of patients and gather all that data and

analyze it using artificial icial

intelligence using machine learning find

patterns in the data that's going to

give us a much better opportunity to

predict a you know potential potential

future issue or maybe to diagnose a

current issue than we would have

otherwise been able to do provided as

you point out I think rightly so that

the quality of the data and the way

we're using it is is being approached in

the right way as well and that we're

driving out things like bias that can

result if we use the wrong wrong data or

if that if we improperly train a machine

learning algorithm we can we can have

all kind of bad outcomes so making sure

we've got Integrity in that process as

well I know that was kind of a long

explanation in in my world of how all

this is working but am I getting it

about right absolutely it's pretty

exciting yeah it's really really

exciting so let's keep going now we've

got the the data right so we can look at

Digital Data ones and zeros picking up

you know numerical data Trend data all

these other things really that's only

half the equation right we have this

other qualitative side of things so what

are the what is the patient experience

what are the reported outcomes talk a

little a little bit about that

qualitative side in terms of the

research that that you and others are

doing sure I love that because my

background was in really trying to

research that partly because the disease

I studied which was Clea disease uh most

common manifestation of that is pain and

so how does one measure pain there

aren't uh true biomarkers really that

that help support that so you really

need to and really should be asking the

patient right to rate that for you or to

uh share with you what that look like

and so there's what I would say

objective measures to measure what's

really sort of someone's um own

experience with pain and you do that

with these patient reported outcome

measures and so they're validated

surveys that get at what I would say is

the well-being which can include

physical functioning might include

social functioning and really just

straight out measurement of how they

experience pain how the individual

experiences pain and then those are

scored and those scores have meaning

like any survey right that puts a score

out and then the nice thing about that

and this is happening already in

electronic health records across many in

healthcare institutions is that score is

included in your medical record it can

be graphed over time so you can see

changes the physician can see that at

the point of care that functioning maybe

has dipped because the patient filled

out that survey before the visit you can

address that within the visit you know

what's going on I see that you know

you're not functioning as well let's

share that so I think that's a really

neat piece it's been a hard piece

because not everyone has

adopted uh collection of those tools but

it definitely can be done and it's being

done I would say probably in the cancer

world and in the orthopedic World um

much more than in other areas and in

fact in the orthopedic world it's been a

really neat tool to better predict um

who might benefit from things like hip

or knee replacement right given

someone's current functioning what does

that look like and will surgery versus

just physical therapy help you perform

better what and what will that requ

recovery time look like so again more

data I like to think of it as object of

data but really representing the patient

which is often missing from the story

absolutely objective data and really

when you know as I was listening to that

that answer you know that qualitative

side you know you know trying to you

know quantify pain for example and

certainly pain to one individual I'm

guessing might not manifest itself or or

be communicated in the same way that the

pain for another human being might be

and so you're really kind of comparing

not just a you know an objective measure

but really trying to understand to to

your point um you know how that changes

over time and maybe how an individual's

responses relate to Prior responses that

they that they might have offered and

really making sure that we're not just

turning this into let's gather all the

data and have a really kind of uh you

know basic uh and and heartless forgive

the term approach to to how we're caring

for a patient but but also making sure

we're listening and paying attention to

that qualitative data and then we have

the question of okay now we have both

right we've got the quantitative data

sets and we can compare those to you

know hundreds of thousands of patients

we have the qualitative data how does

somebody whether they're doing research

or treating a patient bring the two of

those together in a way that maximizes

the benefits of both great question so I

think maybe you're getting at in some

ways this pre-existing data but it's

data that can be collected over time and

how do we incorporate both of them to

better serve the individual to Advance

Health outcomes I think one way and I

mentioned this a little bit is um given

an individual's preferences and this is

really coming into shared

decision-making there's often more than

one way to treat a disorder or deal with

a problem and so ideally the patient is

weighing in on sort of what their

preference might be and that preference

can often get at what the most important

goal is for them which might be returned

to work for someone else it might be I

want to run a marathon for an athlete it

might be I want to be able to play right

right so so the treatment Choice um what

you're trying to maximize their care

towards very much can be influenced by

that that personal or qualitative piece

um balanced with what you know in the

long run might be I guess what I would

say the more medical side of it is sort

of

optimizing their organ function at times

or their ability to perform can be

physiologic right so you'll know the

physiologic piece that you need to

optimize that you hope lines up with the

same preferences for the patient right

so that's maybe one way to think about

it which I think is why you considering

both pieces of that as you're examining

scientific questions because I think the

researcher can be blinded by what they

think is the right way to do things the

or the right way to fix something or

cure something but without listening to

what the patient might want from that

can be quite mismatched it's interesting

and quite quite honestly something I

hadn't spent a lot of time thinking

about myself which is yeah that plan

could be different depending upon the

ultimate goal of the patient and

certainly every individual you know may

want something different out of their

care have a different goal be working on

a different personal goal looking at a

different outcome and making sure that

we're we're listening to the the patient

not just along the way but also in terms

of hey what is the end game what is the

goal here and and where do we want to go

so really really important as we get

more and more of this data um you know

both qualitative and quantitative I want

dive in a little bit deeper into the

artificial intelligence side of things

and this is something we we've talked

about quite a bit here on the on the

teched podcast we've had people using Ai

and Sports Medicine we had a guest that

talked about that pretty extensively we

had a guest that was on talking about

using artificial intelligence to teach

young people uh how to optimally throw a

baseball believe it or not and and we've

had that all the way to people that have

uh you know automated robotic systems

with a backend AI platform to literally

where you don't need an individual or a

person programming the robot that's all

done by artificial intelligence we know

that that's happening in the world of

medicine too so so talk a little bit

more about the role that AI is playing

in the work that you're doing and if

there's specific breakthroughs or or

applications that that you're really

excited about Julie yeah I think I

touched on predictive um risk modeling I

think I'll use an example of Clea

disease now that we have gene therapy

that was approved last month by the FDA

to different gene therapy approaches

we've had bone marot transplantation

which has also been a Curative option

for individuals with Clea disease but

limited by not having necessarily a

donor for every individual but if we

think about being able to

predict who might experience these

devastating complications and let's say

stroke might be one of them you don't

want to wait until the stroke happens

because stroke already uh if a stroke

has occurred it's already caused some

degree of damage to the brain and some

cognitive you know problems will arise

from that so if we had a way to predict

when an individual was I guess their end

organs their brain their heart their

lung their kidneys were you know not yet

affected by the end organ disease could

we offer these Curative therapies at

that time period before right but the

Curative Therapies in of themselves come

with risk and so that's also some of

what needs to go into what you'd call

the predictive model of can we identify

the ideal candidate can we identify the

age before they develop end organ damage

that we're trying to prevent and then

present to the patient you know we think

you're at the highest risk for a stroke

we think you should consider these

Curative therapies because we think that

this will prevent that from happening if

you have these Curative approaches now

as a child as opposed to an adult that

may be just one example even those that

may experience uh pain for example we

know once that happens that continues to

happen

so you know I think a risk model that

incorporates all these risk factors

could be extremely helpful um for

individuals with something like cyle

cell disease but applies to any chronic

disease that wors over time when you

think about um Ju Just the value of

those Predictive Analytics is the term

that we use here quite frequently on the

Tech podcast and and and to your point

really being able to sit down with a

patient and saying here you know here's

what we're dealing with here are the

odds of this and here's a potential

Curative therapy that could be helpful

but there's risks associated with that

and here are the odds of that here's

what the data tells us and really um you

know with a I would believe a pretty

high degree of confidence be able to sit

down and say here are the options and

and let's pick the best one for you is

that am I I know I'm simplifying it but

is that is that what you're saying am I

understanding that right correct and I

think what we need is just a lot more

data so we need a lot more data points

over time right so we need to learn more

about the secur therapies and how they

impact a person's life and their end

organs right and we need to learn much

more about what data we have already to

create the algorithms we're not there

yet but we're getting there absolutely

getting there and in really in every

space throughout the economy I just

think it's so exciting and we talk about

some of the scary things related to Ai

and you can't of course you know go

online or or or read just about any new

source which without hearing some of the

you know scary horror stories and then

you you have a conversation like this

and you think about how how incredibly

beneficial this can be to people's

quality of life if we use it the right

way we use it ethically we use it

morally we we're thoughtful and

intentional about how we use artificial

intelligence and machine learning I

think the future is really really bright

and really really exciting speaking of

that bright and exciting future I know

you spend really a lot of time thinking

about where is all this going so if we

if we think for a minute about the

future of healthcare and you've touched

on this a little bit already but you

know how would you let's say we turn the

clock forward 10 15 20 years how is it

going to feel different at that period

of time than it does today well that's a

great question because as you know our

health care and our Health Care system

is very complex right and so and there's

this explosion of information so even

when I trained I we probably had a

little bit of genetics in my training

but imagine how much since I trained

that we've discovered and I've had to

learn and keep up with so I think if we

think about maybe some of as what I hope

will happen is that there will be the

ability really at the bedside with the

patient for for the care provider to

have all of the information they need at

hand which they often have all the

information but it's not synthesized

it's not cated it's not put together in

a way that then is actionable for them

to you know provide the best care they

can for that individual in front of them

so that's a bit of like maybe Precision

medicine right and we see this a little

bit already with some of the care that's

tailored based on you know let's say

your your risk factors for cancer right

we can detect some of that by doing some

testing right but I think this is is

even going further than that which is

taking all of the information at hand

based on every patient that came before

you and based on your own profile and

then right there in in real time being

able to to serve that patient best so

that's probably coming five years is

probably very very optimistic but we're

seeing it in

pieces I I think that hopefully will

help allow care providers to have more

time to to Really interact with patients

and to provide what I would say is more

that the care I can remember my my

grandfather providing which is you know

he was able to do everything we can't do

that anymore but I think there's that

piece missing where having a care

provider be able to sort of manage all

of your care in a model that

incorporates all of those Specialists

could be really really helpful because I

think as a patient your care can be

pretty fragmented the way things are set

up now I love the word that you used

which is actionable which is all right

data is fine AI is fine but unless we

can have some kind of an outcome that

says all right here's what we're going

to do with that data it really isn't

worth very much and so I like that word

actionable and I and I like the whole

idea that uh you know as we March toward

the future that that the you know not

just the quality of healthcare but also

that interpersonal side of it um you see

continuing to improve which I know is

music to the years of our of our

listeners and to many you know in as

much as artificial intelligence machine

learning all these different

technologies that we're talking about

today Julie are going to impact every

every space in the economy of course

including healthare you know what are

the things that are going to stay the

same what doesn't change as we head into

this future face to face in-person

visit I think is really key I I think

there's a lot of advantages to tella

Health interspersed with that but I

think that really bedside connection

is it's always going to have to be there

that would be my answer to that

absolutely well you know it's

interesting as we again kind of turning

back into the world that I spend a

little bit more time in and talking

about growing companies and growing

businesses and and so on and we get the

question a lot about well you know what

roles are going to be really important

in the future you know as as business in

general adopts artificial intelligence

machine learning chat Bots you know all

these automated systems for interacting

with clients and so on what is the

future for some of the careers and in in

particularly maybe Business Development

people or sales people and in my opinion

is those jobs become even more important

and that we're never going to lose that

need for interpersonal con action for

compassion for empathy for you know

people really taking an interest and

caring about uh you know whether that's

a customer or a patient in a way that

technology is never going to be able to

do on its own I think it's a really

really interesting observation that you

make thinking about all the the Myriad

opportunities that young people have now

as they think about their careers uh in

specific even in healthcare I mean so

many different avenues that they can

travel down as they consider a career in

healthc care with all of those out there

Julie if you're counseling a young you

know let's call it a high school student

a junior senior maybe even somebody a

little bit younger uh that's thinking

about a career in healthcare why should

they think about medical research why

should that be part of at least one of

the choices that they're considering

yeah I love that so I think if you want

an opportunity to really help people

right so you see people who are ill and

you may have even experienced it

yourself or with a family member and you

have that desire to be involved in that

from the standpoint of you know what can

I do to

improve someone's health and so not only

does that happen at the bedside with the

tools that you have but it's very very

important

to to do research to improve what we

know right so we've come look how far

we've come right who would have thought

that we could actually have Precision

medicine where you might be able to

better understand my own risk by doing a

blood test right and then intervene

before I develop that problem so it'll

always be at the Cornerstone right and I

remember telling my my boss at my former

job my first boss there because he would

always ask me about gene therapy you

know I'd want to go in and talk about

something else be like what about gene

therapy and CLE cell Julie and this was

25 years ago I'm like ah if I'm still

alive and that happens you know then

great and here we are today it happened

in December so you know ever being The

Optimist uh gene therapy is here right

and I think it's going to it's it's life

transformative and I was maybe not such

a Bel

way back then but look at how the field

exploded so the possibilities are

endless if you if you're a quantitative

thinker and you like Discovery um and

you connect with humans and disease and

I think that's it's a path for you

absolutely you know I mean as as you're

chatting about that and I'm just

thinking about number one the importance

of keeping an open mind and and

certainly I can think of things that

we're doing today now in some of our

businesses where if you had told me that

was possible 25 years ago I would have

told you that that you were crazy and

the examples are almost endless I won't

even try and fathom or bring them all up

but but such a different world that

we're living in today so part of what

I'm hearing in that last response is hey

keep an open mind and make sure that

that we're thinking about the fact that

things can change and even though we

think something isn't likely today 10 20

25 years from now God only knows what

could be possible so that part of it is

is really really important and certainly

for our young people considering careers

and just think about the incredible

benefit that medical research has across

so many lives and so many individuals

and if you really are in the the mode of

wanting to make the world a better place

and wanting to you know go home from

work every day feeling like you made a

difference in knowing that the work that

you're doing is having tremendous value

for other people this is a great career

path for people to think about you know

as you were answering that last question

Julie it it brought to mind a a couple

thoughts number one is years ago uh in

one of our manufacturing companies we

wanted to expand uh the number of

quality instructors that we had and we

wanted to find the best quality

instructors we could and somebody came

up with the bright idea of doing

personality profiles on our best quality

instructors and saying what personality

traits were most important in somebody

that could do that job really really

well and then when we when we went to

recruit train and promote individuals

for that job we actually did personality

profiles on candidates as well and

matched those personality profiles with

the ones that we knew were the most

effective in terms of executing the

responsibilities in that particular role

within our company I'm kind of wondering

and is the same thing true of of

research I mean is is you're looking at

people not just in terms of what their

education background is or what their uh

academic qualifications are but but also

in terms of the types of people that

excel in that space are there and you

mentioned a couple already but Are there

specific character traits that that you

feel are really really important if a

student is going to consider this career

Endeavor you know I think being

inquisitive or curious we call it

scientific curiosity right because

that's really what you're doing as your

advancing Sciences you're constantly

asking a question right and you're

trying to understand and when there

isn't an answer to that question then

that's perhaps the are research that

you're going to go because you're driven

to try to find answers to those

unanswered questions and so always being

curious about the world around you is

probably a big component um and I you

know I talked a lot about being a

quantitative thinker right you like to

measure things you like evidence right

that drives science is the data and the

evidence behind you know decisions or

reasons for uh recommendations I think

if we think about it from a physician

scientist standpoint and a phys where

those worlds really Collide a lot you

know it's really listening and I

remember my dad saying this listening to

the patient right because they're always

right and they always know and I even

learned this in Pediatrics listen to the

parents and I think we forget that piece

but that's another piece that will help

you solve the puzzle right is if they're

telling you something their disease is

telling you something you need to listen

you know closely and pick out um what

can I do with that information where

will that lead me and how can that lead

me to advancing scientific discovery

based on on what individuals are showing

and CO's a great example of that we we

just we really had to look and listen

you know we very quickly learned

patients were having lots of difficulty

with clotting in an unbelievable ways

and in unusual places and so that was

that was to me

fascinating a world of unknown and so

you know get into the lab get down to

the bench listen to the patients what

are they showing you and take that back

to the lab so that's I think a really

fun piece so you're probably hearing the

excitement um from that and that's how

you get to advances in science it's

often the opposite of what you think

right it's the patient at the bedside

that takes you to the bench and you then

bring that Discovery back to them I know

our educators are fascinated as they're

listening to this conversation and of

course we've got stem Educators all over

the United States and around the globe

that tune into the podcast every week to

listen to the advice that comes from the

wide range of guests that we that we are

fortunate enough to have join us here on

the teched podcast Julie and I want to

turn as we kind of move toward the end

of our conversation today a couple more

questions left but but one that I think

many of our Educators may have on their

minds you know their job I'm a stem

educator science technology engineering

and math of course whether I'm at the

the K12 level I'm in a community college

I'm in an undergrad program a graduate

program doctorate program what have you

you know as our St educators are

starting to think about what they're

hearing today and also thinking about

how they Inspire the next generation of

Professionals in the world of healthcare

what advice would you have for those

yeah I think there's it's so important

your Educators right and those that you

encounter because it can be just one

educator one teacher that can just spark

that sort of energy in in a student to

then go on and you know be a Nobel Prize

winner right who knows but so I think

that's what I remember and it was that

biology class I think it was Sister

Bernard

right it was just like she had a way of

really making it fascinating right and I

think sharing your excitement and

enthusiasm which I I'm guessing is

really hard as an educator to do that

year after year with maybe most of the

students not really caring right they

just have to get through it but for

those you know that that are interested

trying to keep that excitement

enthusiasm for the science alive right I

think you'll draw people in just

naturally right so it really is their

ability to to do that um at least it it

was for me right so I I give a lot of

credit to those Educators that I had

early in my career for you and for many

and we talk a lot quite a bit on this

podcast about um I always ask people to

think back to their education pathway

whatever that was and everybody had

their own version of it you know and

pick your two or three favorite whether

it was a teacher an instructor or

Professor or whatever title that person

had and upon reflection almost everybody

will tell you that it wasn't the one

that had the perfect lesson plan it

wasn't the one that spent all the time

over the summer coming up with the exact

perfect way to teach Fillin the blank it

was always somebody that said you know

that showed that individual it was

always an educator that showed that

individual you know look you have a

skill that you never knew that you had

or an aptitude that you never knew that

you had that you could uncover there

here's an interest that you never

explored before now you have this brand

new interest or here's something that

you never believe that you could do on

your own never even thought about and

then you had this this teacher this

professor this instructor that showed

you you were capable of being something

that you didn't even know you could be

and that really to me is the magic of

Education to to spark that enthusiasm

you know that that you point to in terms

of showing a student that they could be

something that maybe they weren't even

thinking about and getting him excited

you know in this case about the world of

medicine but whatever that career path

is so really really sound advice I think

for our Educators that you offer here on

the teched podcast we have time for one

last question we always love this

question we're gonna go back in time you

already talked about a grandfather uh

who was a medical professional your

father of course and now here you are

following in those amazing footsteps and

and blazing a trail that I'm sure

neither one of them years ago might have

dreamed that that you would be on or

that medicine in general would be on but

I want to turn the clock back to when

you're growing up in that environment

and let's say you're a sophomore in high

school and you could go back in time and

and give that um young lady at least one

piece of advice is you're thinking about

that what would that piece of advice be

yeah I love this question I think it

would be think

bigger if you're comfortable you're not

thinking big enough right you need to

feel some of that discomfort and push

yourself that's what I would share and

you don't really realize that I think do

you get a bit older right absolutely and

the world opens up a little bit more to

you and all of a sudden you you know you

realize that that there is this

incredible planet Earth and these

incredible opportunities and all these

things that we can accomplish if we

think big enough I would certainly

suggest today Julie that that you're

thinking big uh obviously the the career

transition you've made in the last

several years the the willingness to

think even bigger than maybe some of the

things that you've done in the past and

and just the incredible impact that

you're having on so many lives it's been

a wonderful time for for you to join us

here in the teched podcast I've really

enjoyed our conversation Our Guest has

been Dr Julie panap Pinto the director

of the division of blood diseases and

resources at the national heart lung and

Blood Institute of the National

Institutes of Health Julie wonderful

conversation thank you so much for being

here thank you

Matt fascinating episode of the teched

podcast with Dr Julie panipinto I

learned so much and I feel so much

smarter for having had that opportunity

to have a conversation with an

incredibly well recognized leader in the

medical community so thanks so much much

for joining us for this episode of the

tech ad podcast as you know all of the

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going to be linked up in the show notes

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