Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare

How do we tackle the rising epidemic of anxiety with tools that actually scale? Why aren’t traditional therapy models enough? And how can digital technologies like mobile sensing and cognitive bias modification help close the treatment gap in mental health?

In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, host Dasha Tyshlek sits down with Dr. Bethany Teachman, Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training at the University of Virginia, to explore how digital mental health tools are being designed and tested to meet people where they are.

Dr. Teachman is the founder of MindTrails, a su...

Can medical devices improve patient care in rural healthcare systems? In this episode, Dr. Aileen Helsel, Director of Innovation at Carilion Clinic, shares how her team of engineers works with Carilion’s clinical teams to develop new medical devices that solve unique challenges in rural settings.

Rural patients often travel long distances for care - making management of time sensitive emergencies and recurring visits for chronic conditions particularly challenging. Dr. Helsel highlights three projects: a wearable lymphedema therapy device, an early detection system for ventriculoperitoneal shunt failures, and a cardiac surgery arm positioning device. Each of these de...

How do groundbreaking biomedical innovations move from research labs to real-world applications? What challenges make healthcare such a complex industry for startups? What risks are worth taking when translating science into impactful solutions?

In this episode host Dasha Tyshlek sits down with David Chen, Assistant Dean of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships, and Lisa Bowers, Director of UVA’s Enterprise Studio and former biotech executive, to explore tech transfer in healthcare. We discuss:

Lisa an...

Cartilage doesn’t heal easily—but what if it could? In this episode, we sit down with Ben Holmes Ph.D, CEO of Nanochon, to explore how his team is revolutionizing cartilage repair with 3D printing technology. Learn how Nanochon’s innovative material mimics natural cartilage and stimulates proper healing and repair. It may one day make knee replacements obsolete. Ben also shares his leadership journey, how he conducted over 100 physician interviews to help him understand the pain points in orthopedics, and insights on leading technological disruption in medical practices and procedures.

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Genetic sequencing is the process of determining the exact order of the nucleotides in a DNA or RNA molecule. Sequencing provides the complete "blueprint" of an organism's genetic code, and it's a critical tool in genetics, molecular biology, and medical research. Dr. Jonathon Hill develops innovative genomic and bioinformatic methods for gene expression analysis which has tremendous applications in cancer, early detection of chronic diseases, and personalized medicine

Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu

Dr. Jonathon Hill is an Associate Professor of Cell Biology and...

What is innovation and why is it important to teach in an engineering program? Innovation has been defined as increasing value, which is increasing the benefits to cost ratio. Because innovation can be an ambiguous concept, it is important to develop a framework to guide the process. Since 2006, Dr. DiMeo has been coaching, consulting, and training processes of innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurship for medical device innovation and healthcare impact.

Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu

Dr. Andrew DiMeo is a health innovator, biomedical engineer...

Microvessels are a crucial part of our body’s circulatory system. They're responsible for delivering the oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body and are often devastated by diseases like Diabetes and Alzheimer's. Dr. Peirce-Cottler develops computational models and combines them with wet lab experiments to study how tissues heal after injury and to develop therapies for inducing tissue regeneration.

Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu

Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler the is Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering, with secondary appointments in...

Investment is critical for advancing promising biomedical research out of the lab and into the hospital. Dr. Tom Skalak has worked widely on innovation ecosystems with the White House, U.S. Congress, and Fortune 500 CEOs and C-suites seeking cultures to advance creative ideation and implementation of innovations. He urges VCs to invest locally with research universities and shares his perspective of some of the most exciting, emerging fields of research.

Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu

Tom Skalak joined the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation...

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Mark Hanson co-founded Heartbeat Health to make heart care more consistent and to ensure the patient gets the care when they need it, wherever they are. By transforming how heart care is delivered through technology, the Heartbeat Health team is accelerating access to quality cardiovascular care and improving patient outcomes. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we explore how telemedicine can be a solution to improving quality of care while also reducing cost and dive into how the healthcare industry is changing as...

Tissue engineering is an exciting field that promises to solve many health conditions, but there are several fundamental challenges that remain unsolved. Dr. Jennifer West is leading the field with research on novel techniques that promote vascularization (tissue blood supply) and mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue engineering applications. Dr. West’s lab focuses on biomaterials, nanotechnology, and tissue engineering, applying engineering approaches to study biological problems and address unmet medical needs.

Most recently, she is also a co-founder of Nanospectra Biosciences, a company commercializing a cancer therapy using gold nanoparticles for photothermal therapy. This unique, no...

The human voice box is a delicate, complex and highly specialized structure that enables the fine control and wondrous beauty of speech and song. When vocal cords are damaged, recovery and healing are difficult and lengthy. At UVA, Dr. James Daniero established the Interdisciplinary Voice and Swallowing Clinic, specializing in surgeries of the airways and the vocal cords. He met Dr. Donald Griffin, professor of Biomedical Engineering, and together they developed a plan to design new materials to rebuild tissue and accelerate wound healing in the airway and vocal cords. Together, they are laying down the groundwork for a...

Muscles play a pivotal role throughout our bodies, not just in our day-to-day functions but also as foundational elements in our journey towards healthy aging. At the forefront of exploring this intricate system is Dr. Silvia Blemker and her dedicated team at the M3 Lab at the University of Virginia. Their innovative approach weaves together advanced imaging, hands-on experimentation, and sophisticated computational methods to delve deep into the anatomy and mechanics of muscles, shedding light on various muscle-related diseases.

Through her venture, Springbok Analytics, Dr. Blemker is revolutionizing the way we understand muscle health. By harnessing the...

An in-depth discussion with Dr. Natasha Sheybani, who is pioneering the use of Focused Ultrasound (FUS) in precision cancer treatment at the University of Virginia. Dr. Sheybani's research focuses on enhancing immunotherapy for brain and breast cancers through innovative, non-invasive techniques. Her efforts to improve glioblastoma patient outcomes by overcoming major treatment barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, have earned her recognition by the Forbes 30 under 30 in Science Award and many others. This episode delves into the promising future of cancer care, highlighting the collaborative efforts and clinical trials underway at UVA that are bringing us closer to more...

In this episode we delve into the future of medicine with Dr. Nathan Price, Chief Science Officer at Thorne HealthTech and co-author of "The Age of Scientific Wellness." Dr. Price shares his visionary insights on the transformation of medicine through systems biology approaches, modeling and analytics, and practices centered in prevention. He shares how his research uses digital twins in predicting and preventing the progression of Alzheimer’s diseases and how other AI developments are impacting access to diagnosis and treatments.

Dr. Nathan Price highlights the transformative power of combining phenotyping and genotyping in research, allowing for a...