The Other 80

Newly-minted Nobel laureate Fred Ramsdell joins Claudia to discuss his groundbreaking work on regulatory T cells, which act as the immune system's natural "brakes." His research aims to "reset" the immune system to cure autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis and MS) moving beyond mere symptom management. Fred reflects on his new role as a science advocate, addressing the crisis of public trust in science and the need for greater diversity in biomedical research.

During this conversation, recorded at the UC Berkeley/JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in Taipei, Claudia and Fred discuss:

When Mayor Lurie took office, San Francisco was spending nearly $1 Billion a year responding to homelessness, yet the number of people living unsheltered had not budged in years. In this episode, Kunal Modi, the city’s Chief of Health and Human Services, shares how the Lurie administration is tackling the intersecting homelessness, mental health and addiction crises. Rather than layering on new programs, the city is attempting something harder: redesigning how fragmented systems work together.

Kunal and Claudia discuss:

Not many digital health companies go public. And even fewer do so with a model designed to fix what’s truly broken in U.S. healthcare: episodic, fragmented care that fails to support the behavior change required to manage chronic disease. Omada Health CEO Sean Duffy joins Claudia to discuss the company’s journey from scrappy startup to public company—and his biggest ambition for the future: bending the nation’s chronic disease curve, both in cost and in human suffering.

Claudia and Sean talk about:

In 2025, New Mexico made history as the first state in the nation to commit to free childcare for all families. Elizabeth Groginsky, who leads this effort, joins Claudia to discuss what Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has described as a “cradle-to-career education system”—and why investing early pays dividends from school readiness to family economic stability.

Claudia and Elizabeth dive into:

This week, we close out our three-part series on rethinking drug access and costs with a must-listen encore episode. After detailing the scope of the drug price crisis with Mark Cuban and how we can re-purpose drugs to treat rare illnesses with David Fajgenbaum, we turn to a leader who is actively changing the dynamic: Paul Markovich. Now the CEO of Ascendiun (the parent company of Blue Shield of California), Paul argues that healthcare affordability isn't just a patient pocketbook issue - it’s a massive economic crisis for the nation.

In this episode, Paul and Claudia di...

Investor and healthcare disruptor Mark Cuban joins The Other 80 to talk about his online pharmacy, Cost Plus Drugs, that is bringing affordable drugs with transparent markups to American households. Mark lays out his basic formula for taking overhead and complexity out of the US healthcare system by disaggregating huge vertical businesses and disintermediating middlemen.

In this episode, Mark Cuban pitches:

Mark thinks the...

When David Fajgenbaum nearly died of Castleman disease for the fifth time, he decided to take fate into his own hands. Using his medical training, he searched for an existing drug that might save his life—and found one. Now his organization, Every Cure, is scaling the same approach to uncover hidden treatments for other diseases with no known cure.

David and Claudia discussed: 

Richmond, California used to be called America’s “Murder Capital”. But when city leaders chose a different path the city’s gun violence problem dramatically declined.  DeVone Boggan and UC Berkeley’s Jason Corburn join Claudia to discuss their new book “Advancing Peace”, which chronicles their efforts to reduce gun violence in Richmond and other cities by focusing on those most likely to pull the trigger. Boggan and Corburn make a case for an approach to gun violence interruption grounded in deep mentorship, community investment and healing and accountability.  

We discuss:

Investor Nancy Brown joins us at Aspen Ideas Health to share her blueprint for impactful investments. Identify public health breakthroughs that deliver measurable cost and quality improvements — then show how they can thrive in the marketplace. You don’t have to look far to see this playbook in action. One of the year’s biggest health exits, Omada Health, is a digital version of the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program. At Oak HC/FT, Nancy has partnered with entrepreneurs who are redefining how America stays healthy — and she’s eager to see more people with public health roots take the leap int...

Grey’s Anatomy Executive Producer and physician Dr. Zoanne Clack joins The Other 80 at Aspen Ideas: Health to talk about what public health leaders can learn from Hollywood storytelling. After training as a doctor and working for the CDC, Zoanne followed her childhood dreams and moved to Hollywood. With no job or warm leads, Zoanne set out to use the power of storytelling to drive health change. 

We discuss:

Zoanne reminds us that st...

AI is going to transform healthcare - but how do we ensure it does so responsibly, equitably and ethically? Google’s former Chief Health Officer, Dr. Karen DeSalvo, says that AI could be public health’s new best friend - if we use it in the right ways. Karen  sits down with Claudia at Aspen Ideas Health to talk about her longtime career as a public health leader and where she sees a role for AI in helping to take some heat off public health communicators. She’s interested in how AI can support - not replace - our human v...

In a time where we need hope and innovation more than ever, we asked 13 health leaders—all guests on this podcast—what they would do to reimagine health. Tune into the episode to hear what they shared (in order of appearance):

When we think about digital tools and technology, we think of them as moving fast. Katie Drasser, CEO of Rock Health, joins me to discuss what a “slow tech” approach to health innovation could look like. It would ground innovation in participatory design, build community trust and aim for long term impact, not just rapid scaling.

We discuss:

Katie remin...

On the surface, what the wellness industry is offering feels like an antidote to our fragmented and fast-paced lives. Influencers and companies use words like "mindfulness" or “whole foods” or “self care” to get our stressed out, burnt out buy in. But, somewhere along the line those promises start to morph into luxury services, expensive memberships and supplements you never knew you needed. In her book “How to Be Well” former fashion journalist Amy Larocca explores the blurred line between healing and branding in a $6 trillion dollar industry.

We discuss:

Loneliness isn’t just a feeling - it’s a public health crisis. The number of hours we spend with friends is rapidly decreasing, more and more Americans report feeling lonely, and loneliness is linked to bad health outcomes like risk of premature death, heart disease, stroke, depression and anxiety. Kasley Killam, author of  “The Art and Science and Connection”, joins us to talk about why social health should be the third pillar of wellness alongside physical and mental health.

We discuss:

What if instead of treating illness we also confronted the reasons Americans get sick in the first place? That’s the origin of this podcast and also the four billion dollar question Dr. Bechara Choucair is tackling at Kaiser Permanente as Chief Community Health Officer. He joins Claudia to talk about the organization’s focus on climate change and health, workforce pipelines and addressing unmet social needs.

We discuss:

The US leads the world in biomedical innovation, with about 40% of patents being filed by US scientists and companies. The FDA plays a critical role in supporting and enabling this innovation pipeline and our guest Dr. Robert Califf was commissioner of the agency not once, but twice under Presidents Obama and Biden. He joins us to talk about what Americans should know about FDA’s critical role and the threats to its functioning from the dramatic cuts the Trump administration has made over the last three months.

We discuss:

Could primary care at home unlock better health and lower costs for American families? Rebekah Gee, a physician and policymaker turned entrepreneur, joins us to talk about the big bet her company Nest Health is making on home-based primary care. It’s a model that makes sense for families and delivers results. In the first year of operations Nest doubled primary care visits, reduced ER visits, and increased childhood immunizations.

We discuss:

Whether it's the civil rights movement, marriage equality or even seatbelt laws, community organizing is how change happens in America. In this encore episode, Dr. Tony Iton shares a masterclass in how social, political and economic power shape health outcomes and how to meaningfully shift those dynamics when it matters most. Tony argues that reinvigorating democracy at the community and local level is where we should be doubling down. This episode was impactful when it was first released but is even more relevant and timely now.

We discuss:

California is full of hardworking people—nurses, teachers, delivery drivers, baristas—who keep our communities running. Many of them live paycheck-to-paycheck, making too much to qualify for most government benefits, but not enough to afford the basics. For nearly 2 million Californians, Covered California provides a critical lifeline, offering access to affordable health insurance and now basic needs support. Dr. Monica Soni, Chief Medical Officer of Covered California, joins Claudia to talk about the program’s important and expanding role in the California landscape. 

We discuss:

In the wake of massive layoffs at HHS - and so many other federal agencies and programs - we are sharing the powerful stories of federal workers who had no choice but to leave their important work when they were fired post-election. You’ll hear from a former marine who was improving primary care for fellow veterans, a child of farmworkers who was expanding economic opportunities for rural communities and a technologist who was improving the organ transplant distribution system. They used their exquisite talents to help communities thrive and connect people with care they desperately needed. And now th...

With the House approving a plan to slash $880 billion from the federal budget, all eyes are turning to Medicaid as the most likely source of cuts. I asked former North Carolina Health Secretary Kody Kinsley, KFF’s Larry Levitt and California Health Care Foundation’s Katie Heidorn to join me to discuss the likely shape and impact of proposed cuts, and take questions from UC Berkeley students. 

Kody called it a “self-licking ice cream cone”—cuts that destabilize the government, leading to further cuts. Larry warned of formula battles that will soon erupt. Katie laid out the devastating...

New York Medicaid has made some big bets on social care recently, and Amir Bassiri is here to answer all our questions. The bold new program centers on nine new regional networks that will be hubs for community organizations offering housing, food and other services. Will this program survive the new administration? Only time will tell. 

We discuss:

Driving fast on the open road is almost as American as apple pie. We all remember the thrill of our first car - a symbol of American freedom and independence. But is our love affair with cars killing us? David Zipper joins us to talk about the wide ranging health impacts of our car obsession, and how policy innovations like congestion pricing and weight-based taxes could offer a way out. 

We dive into:

An incredible 43% of Americans are unpaid caregivers, who are often alone with the burden and blessing of caring for their loved ones as life begins and in the complex and heartbreaking final days. Studies show their mental health is suffering – 52% of “sandwich generation” caregivers report that they have actively thought about suicide in the last 30 days. Alexandra Drane, CEO of ARCHANGELS, joins us to talk about the urgent need for culture and policy change to see, honor and support unpaid caregivers. 

We discuss:

If AI is going to rapidly improve healthcare, shouldn’t we start at the ground floor - with primary care? Cityblock’s Chief Health Officer Dr. Kameron Matthews joins us to talk about how AI can reduce complexity and burnout, improve patient outcomes and free care teams to focus on human connections.

We discuss:

For the past 20 years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, the ONC has played a pivotal role shaping and regulating the health tech market. On the eve of the election, Micky Tripathi joined me to discuss the agency’s recently expanded role. Now, two months later—though it feels like a decade—the future is uncertain. Will the ONC and ASTP continue as market regulators and opportunity catalysts, or is a new direction on the horizon?

Here’s what we covered:

There’s a lot of concern right now about healthcare affordability, but not enough action. Paul Markovich, the CEO of Blue Shield of California, is on a mission to bring down health costs by reducing administrative overhead and negotiating lower drug prices. In this episode we dive deep into Paul’s call to action for healthcare leaders to tackle the affordability crisis head-on. 

Paul and I discuss:

On so many issues, Congress has not been willing or able to act. But when faced with horrifying stories of death and mismanagement, Congress finally passed legislation to reform the US organ transplant system. They did so because people like Donna Cryer, a transplant recipient and patient advocate, demanded a better system for Americans who need lifesaving organ transplants. Now, as the new law moves into implementation, the work continues.

In this episode, Donna and I discuss:

Dr. Theresa “Terry” Cullen is on a mission to make Pima County, Arizona one of the healthiest counties in the nation. It’s a challenging goal, and one that will take dedication and a willingness to fight for what’s right. But, Terry is a self-described, life-long pugilist – with an approach to healthcare that goes beyond policies and programs. Everything she does is rooted in her deep belief in accompaniment; that her role is to walk alongside her patients and community offering empathy, dignity and respect. 

We discuss:

With the election just days away, Larry Levitt joins me to discuss where Harris and Trump stand on key health issues: reproductive health, affordability and Medicaid. While health has not taken center stage (as it has in the past), the outcome of this election will have profound impacts on every aspect of health in the years ahead. 

We discuss:

How do you create a healthier city? As the climate shifts, screens dominate our lives and cities continue to grow - urban areas are grappling with how to put themselves on a better track to health. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan joins The Other 80 to talk about his ambitious plan to increase health in the Big Apple, with the goal of increasing life expectancy from 78 to 83 years. 

We discuss:

In July, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a landmark advisory declaring firearm violence a national public health crisis. The advisory builds on decades of work from Dr. Megan Ranney and other researchers who advocate taking a public health approach to reducing firearm violence. She joined us at Aspen Ideas: Health to discuss what this means: namely moving from a focus on law and order to centering harm reduction and prevention. Now, as the Dean of the Yale School of Public Health, Megan is applying the same systems thinking approach to focus on the big changes we need...

Deena Shakir is an investor who is obsessed with expanding access to the basic health services people need and often can’t access: pediatric care, community health and women’s services. Her journey to investing passed through policymaking, journalism and big tech and her early techno optimism has given way to a much more nuanced and pragmatic view. She is able to see the big opportunities for impact hiding in plain sight.

We discuss:

Government systems often take a lot of flack for their (sometimes) built-in inability to take risks and make big bets. So, what would it take to encourage the government to take those big, risky moonshots? For Health, that’s the role of ARPA-H – to fund new ways of improving health by investing in people with big ideas. We sat down with ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn at Aspen Ideas Health to talk about how it’s going and what comes next. 

We discuss:

The US is living through an affordable housing crisis - in fact, we are short millions and millions of affordable housing units. During the pandemic, homelessness flattened with an influx of resources to help keep people housed. But, those resources have long expired and now we are seeing an uptick in homelessness across the country. Jeff Olivet, the director of USICH (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness), says the problem is complex – but the math isn’t. We need more affordable housing. 

We discuss:

California is the latest state to address healthcare affordability through cost growth targets. Elizabeth Mitchell – President and CEO of Purchaser Business Group on Health  – Joins us to discuss the nuts and bolts of the 3% cost growth target recently adopted by the state. Healthcare affordability is a big issue across the country. More than half of us skip or postpone care due to cost and medical bills are a leading cause of bankruptcy. Reining in medical costs is also how we’ll  free up resources for what we know works to build health in America: prevention, addressing the social drivers and fost...

The scope, scale and timeline of what California is trying to do with CalAIM is truly breathtaking. Two years after the launch of the ambitious program, which offers integrated medical and social care for California's 15 million Medicaid members, Dr. Palav Babaria joins us to discuss how it’s going and what comes next. Dr. Babaria is a primary care physician who leads quality and population health management for California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. 

We discuss:

To achieve whole person care, we can try layering new social services on top of medical care. But Dr. Rishi Manchanda believes we should move further upstream and ask, what will it take to actually improve health in communities? From founding Rx the Vote to HealthBegins, Rishi is committed to building community social capital in America. 

We discuss:

June 18th is “Maya Petersen” day in San Francisco, in honor of her work building disease models that guided the region through the early days of COVID and saved countless lives. 

With projects spanning from developing HIV prevention strategies in East Africa to shaping new Medicaid models in California, the UC Berkeley epidemiologist is building a future where local public health leaders have the tools and data to ask and answer complex policy decisions in real time. Now that’s a world I want to live in.

We discuss: