AI in Healthcare and Life Sciences Podcast

Clinician burnout takes hold long before most healthcare leaders see it, and the signals that could forecast it are often already being collected, but locked inside systems and teams that don't communicate. In this episode, Tony Pastorino, Director of Healthcare Strategy at Resultant, examines how a shift from data governance to what he calls "data enablement", paired with predictive analytics and direct conversations with frontline staff, allows leaders to address workforce strain before it reaches clinicians. The conversation covers the operational blind spots that obscure early workload signals, the KPIs that distinguish genuine strain reduction from metric redistribution, the structural decisions that must precede any AI tooling, and the collaborative governance model that enables responsible AI in healthcare. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at http://go.emerj.com/partner2

Persistent friction between experimental, computational, chemistry, and biology teams continues to slow discovery work, largely due to siloed data and tools that are too difficult for scientists to adopt. In this episode, Barry Bunin, CEO & President at Collaborative Drug Discovery, examines how simplifying data capture and creating a shared source of truth enables faster iteration, clearer model‑experiment alignment, and more effective collaboration across disciplines. The discussion highlights how accessible systems, real‑time visibility, and cross‑functional coordination allow organizations to move programs forward with greater speed and precision. This episode is sponsored by CDD. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at go.emerj.com/partner

Clinicians face a significant trust gap and administrative burden that hinders the effective deployment of AI at the point of care. In this episode, Rhett Alden, CTO at Elsevier, outlines how integrating transparent, peer-reviewed AI assistants directly into clinical workflows can mitigate physician burnout and reduce medical errors. The discussion examines the governance frameworks, data transparency requirements, and specialized training necessary to shift from skeptical experimentation to scalable, high-impact clinical adoption. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at  go.emerj.com/partner

Clinical trials often slow down at the exact points where precision is most critical — manual coding steps, fragmented workflows, and regulatory processes that introduce avoidable risk. In this episode, Elan Josielewski, Senior Director of Patient Centered Solutions at IQVIA, and Tony Mikulaschek, Vice President of eCOA at IQVIA, discuss how connected automation removes these failure points across the ECOA lifecycle. They outline how pre‑validated digital instrument libraries replace months of manual coding with audit‑ready configurations, how automated documentation now covers more than 70% of study requirements, and how automated screenshot generation can produce tens of thousands of localized IRB‑ready pages in under an hour. The conversation focuses on how these capabilities strengthen measurement integrity across global sites while reducing operational risk throughout long, complex trials. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/ex2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship 'AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Alister Campbell, Vice President, Global Head of Science and Technology at Dotmatics. Campbell works at the intersection of scientific R&D, data strategy, and applied AI across the drug discovery lifecycle. Alister joins Emerj Client Narrative & Content Strategy Lead Nick Gertsch to discuss how data and AI are shifting pharma R&D from linear, empirical workflows toward tighter, more predictive discovery loops where experiments, simulation, and modeling inform decisions earlier and faster. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Dr. Imamu Tomlinson, CEO of Vituity and President of the Vituity Cares Foundation. Vituity is a physician-owned multispecialty partnership with 6,000+ clinicians across 690 locations. Dr. Tomlinson joins Emerj Editorial Director Marilie Fouché to unpack leadership for driving AI-enabled innovation in healthcare's slow ecosystem. Dr. Tomlinson also shares practical takeaways like channeling "disagreeableness" into questions, celebrating early data wins for buy-in, and using AI to offload transactional tasks — freeing time for empathy and human-centered decisions across 13 million annual encounters. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/ex2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship 'AI in Business' podcast! Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Yasemin Agatan, Senior Vice President of Internal Audit at AdaptHealth, a provider of home medical equipment, supplies, and related services supporting patients living at home. Yasemin brings extensive experience in audit, compliance, and operational risk management within the healthcare sector. She joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to discuss how enterprise leaders can leverage data and AI to improve audit workflows, enhance transparency, and manage risk more effectively. Yasemin also highlights practical approaches for organizations, including improving data visibility, implementing structured, explainable processes, and using AI to identify exceptions and inefficiencies, driving measurable gains in speed, accountability, and operational performance. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/ex2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship 'AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Alyssa Fenoglio, VP, Global Head of Digital Commercial at Teva Pharmaceuticals. Teva is a global pharmaceutical company delivering both generic and specialty medicines across more than 60 countries. Alyssa joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella to discuss the unique challenges of digital transformation in life sciences and how organizations can leverage data and AI to create real business impact. She also shares practical strategies for securing leadership support, linking AI pilots to measurable business outcomes, and building cross-functional teams to drive innovation responsibly and at scale. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/e2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship 'AI in Business' podcast! Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Internal audit sits at the crossroads of regulation, data, and business outcomes—nowhere more than in healthcare and medical devices. Yasemin Agatan, Sr. Vice President of Internal Audit at AdaptHealth, joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello to unpack what an "AI-ready" audit looks like in one of the most complex and regulated environments. Yasemin lays out today's top pressures: rapidly shifting FDA and HIPAA requirements, thorny revenue recognition and reimbursement models, multi-party contracts, and a deluge of device and platform data. She then maps where AI is already moving the needle—NLP for coding accuracy, automated claims checks, anomaly detection that shortens audit cycles—and how internal audit can lead with governance: creating an AI inventory, partnering with InfoSec, compliance, legal, and data teams, and putting privacy and data minimization at the core. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

In this episode of the AI in Healthcare and Life Sciences podcast, host Matthew DeMello speaks with John-Clark Levin, Fellow at the Yorktown Institute and researcher at Kurzweil Research, about the intersection of U.S. politics, AI development, and biosecurity. Levin outlines why the coming years may prove decisive for artificial general intelligence (AGI) and how political volatility under the current administration could directly impact AI safety and regulation. He explains the unique risks of authoritarian tendencies in shaping AI policy, particularly when it comes to epistemics—how governments decide what's true and which advisors they trust. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/ex2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is John-Clark Levin, Research Lead at Kurzweil Technologies. Kurzweil Technologies, Inc. (KTI) is a research and development company developing and marketing technologies in pattern recognition and artificial intelligence. In this episode, John-Clark unpacks the challenges of deploying AI in healthcare, focusing on reliability, risk tolerance, and the gap between model performance and real-world trust. He explores why even small error rates can derail adoption in high-stakes settings and how legal, institutional, and educational barriers often slow progress more than the technology itself. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/ex2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Francesco Tisiot, Field CTO at Aiven. Aiven provides fully managed, open-source data infrastructure on all major clouds. Their platform enables organizations to scale quickly, securely, and cost-effectively — freeing teams to focus on delivering AI applications and business outcomes. Francesco returns to the program to share a pragmatic perspective on AI adoption in highly regulated industries. He outlines how generative AI can eliminate repetitive tasks, accelerate decision-making, and improve employee engagement — without compromising trust or compliance. From co-pilot interfaces to human-in-the-loop models, Francesco emphasizes where AI can provide value while keeping clinicians and analysts at the center of critical decisions. The conversation also covers the pitfalls of scaling AI too quickly. Francesco breaks down the technical and economic challenges that arise when moving from small pilots to enterprise-wide deployment. He explains why foundational data architecture, clearly defined KPIs, and regulatory foresight are essential for sustainable adoption. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/ex2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Francesco Tisiot, Field CTO at Aiven. Aiven provides fully managed, open-source data infrastructure on all major clouds. Their platform enables organizations to scale quickly, securely, and cost-effectively—freeing teams to focus on delivering AI applications and business outcomes. Francesco joins Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello on today's show to discuss what it takes to responsibly adopt AI in highly regulated sectors like life sciences. Francesco shares insights from working across verticals and explains why starting with a clear understanding of data boundaries is more critical than ever. Throughout the conversation, he outlines the three most important data infrastructure steps companies must take before deploying AI solutions at scale and how organizations can avoid the costly mistake of treating AI as a plug-and-play solution. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Rhett Alden, Chief Technology Officer at Elsevier. Elsevier is a global leader in information analytics and academic publishing, providing trusted scientific, technical, and medical content for researchers, clinicians, and professionals. Rhett returns to the podcast to explore how AI is reshaping healthcare education by bridging the gap between emerging technologies and traditional training methods. In this episode, Rhett shares how Elsevier is applying generative AI to enhance procedural training for healthcare students and professionals while emphasizing the continued importance of human-led instruction for conceptual understanding, ethical decision-making, and patient empathy. He also discusses the increasing adoption of AI across healthcare education institutions and the need for thoughtful implementation models that preserve quality and support human connection in learning environments. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/ex2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on Emerj's flagship' AI in Business' podcast!

Today's guest is Rhett Alden, Chief Technology Officer at Elsevier. Elsevier is a global leader in information analytics and academic publishing, providing trusted scientific, technical, and medical content for researchers, clinicians, and professionals. Rhett joins us on today's show to discuss how Elsevier is tackling hallucinations in AI frameworks to deliver reliable, peer-reviewed medical and scientific information. Alden explains how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) models differ from large language models (LLMs), ensuring that AI-generated responses are grounded in verifiable, high-quality sources. He shares how Elsevier integrates precision, completeness, bias mitigation, and harm reduction into its evaluation framework, providing transparency for clinicians who depend on AI-assisted insights. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Fred Manby, CTO and Co-founder of Iambic Therapeutics. Iambic uses algorithms to drive a high-throughput experimental platform that specializes in developing new drug discovery techniques. Fred returns to the program to explore the next frontier of AI-driven drug discovery. Building on the previous discussion, this episode delves into the transformative role of automation, data generation, and predictive modeling in pharmaceutical development. This episode is sponsored by Iambic Therapeutics. Learn how brands work with Emerj and other Emerj Media options at emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Fred Manby, CTO and Co-founder of Iambic Therapeutics. Iambic uses algorithms to drive a high-throughput experimental platform that specializes in developing new drug discovery techniques. Fred joins us on today's program to discuss the evolving landscape of drug discovery in life sciences. With AI playing an increasingly critical role, the conversation explores the biggest challenges facing drug discovery workflows and how life sciences leaders can better leverage data-driven tools to address them. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Ben Coverdale, Global Account Director of Life Sciences at Patsnap. Patsnap is a healthcare technology company that provides IP and R&D teams with enhanced insights to make informed and timely decisions. Using a specialized AI model and the Hiro assistant, the platform boosts productivity and reduces inefficiencies across the innovation lifecycle. Ben returns to the show to dive deeper into the real-world applications of generative AI and large language models (LLMs) that are reshaping the drug discovery landscape. He provides a closer look at use cases where AI is not just enhancing traditional processes but enabling entirely new possibilities in drug targeting and sequencing that were previously unimaginable. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Ben Coverdale, Global Account Director of Life Sciences at Patsnap. Patsnap is a healthcare technology company that provides IP and R&D teams with enhanced insights to make informed and timely decisions. Using a specialized AI model and the Hiro assistant, the platform boosts productivity and reduces inefficiencies across the innovation lifecycle. Ben joins us on today's program to explore the transformative role of generative AI and large language models (LLMs) in life sciences. His discussion with Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello covers how data silos are dissolving as companies adopt integrated LLM strategies, offering new possibilities for collaboration and efficiency. Ben provides insight into the practical applications of LLMs, the promise they hold for optimizing R&D, and the potential impact on the regulatory landscape. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Rajvir Madan, Chief Digital and Information Technology Officer at Arcutis Biotherapeutics. Arcutis Biotherapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company that develops therapies for skin-related conditions. Rajvir joins us on today's show to explore the pressing challenges and exciting opportunities within the life sciences industry. From long development timelines to the complexities of regulatory submissions, Rajvir highlights why the traditional approach to bringing new treatments to market—often spanning over a decade—needs urgent rethinking. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is RJ Kedziora, Co-founder, Partner, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Technology Officer at Estenda Solutions. Estenda is a healthcare and medical custom software development, data analytics, and consulting company with 20 years of experience in digital health. RJ joins us on today's episode to explore where the industry is seeing use cases for leveraging new AI capabilities to help drive data efficiencies. Once these technologies are commonplace, RJ shares what he thinks the future of data in healthcare spaces is going to look like. To discover more AI use cases, best practice guides, white papers, frameworks, and more, join Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1.

Today's guest is RJ Kedziora, Co-founder, Partner, and Chief Operating and Technology Officer at Estenda Solutions. Estenda is a healthcare and medical custom software development, data analytics, and consulting company with 20 years of experience in digital health. RJ joins us on today's program to talk about challenges for healthcare leaders in driving the data necessary to take advantage of these new use cases in generative AI and beyond. Throughout the episode, RJ provides measured and tested frameworks for tackling new opportunities in the standardization and interoperability of healthcare systems, especially where they intersect with the need for data sharing across the sector and what that means for HIPAA protections. To access Emerj's frameworks for AI readiness, ROI, and strategy, visit Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1.

Today's guest is Xiong Liu, Director of Data Science and AI at Novartis. Xiong joins us on the program today to offer life sciences leaders a framework for driving meaningful data infrastructure advancements at their organizations. Xiong emphasizes the need for robust data quality, ethics considerations, and scalability to ensure practical applications in real-life use cases. Later, he highlights the importance of understanding customer perspectives, aligning business goals with AI efforts, and leveraging graph databases to manage large-scale healthcare data. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Shreyas Becker, Head of AI & Data Products, Manufacturing & Supply at Sanofi. Shreyas returns to the Emerj podcast platform to talk about best strategies for driving digital transformation in life sciences organizations. Throughout the episode, he offers cogent and tested advice through the lens of manufacturing workflows for the ends of managing up and winning executive buy-in for systems and initiatives where the road to ROI can be opaque. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guests are Tom Hayes and Gareth Dabbs, Senior Director of Product Strategy & Commercialization and Global Technology Product Strategy Lead at IQVIA, respectively. They return to the p to share two use cases helping to drive quality patient experiences between healthcare and insurance workflows. The first focuses on optimizing omnichannel marketing for compliance. The second use case centers on building trust and value in caretaker support systems through personalized insights. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Anne Phelan, Chief Scientific Officer at BenevolentAI. Benevolent is a global leader in applying advanced AI to accelerate pharmaceutical drug discovery, leveraging the latest technologies to uncover new biology, predict novel targets, and develop treatments for some of the world's most complex diseases. Anne joins the program today to give us an insider's view into how her team uses a suite of cutting-edge tools to predict the properties of a drug, as well as its pharmacology and suitability for dosing in humans. This episode is sponsored by BenevolentAI. To learn more about Emerj Media and how to reach the Emerj audience, visit emerj.com/ad1.

Today's guest is Dr. Dan Elton, a Data Scientist at the Mass General Brigham Data Science Office. He's also a fellow at the Foresight Institute and previously served as a staff scientist at the National Institutes of Health. Dan returns to the Emerj podcast platform following his appearance on the 'AI in Business' podcast to clarify his vision for what he sees as the future of 'preventative care' as healthcare workflows fuse with advanced technologies. Throughout the episode, Dr. Elton clarifies the industry trends and market forces keeping the sector locked in a 'reactive' status quo and specifically how healthcare leaders can leverage new AI capabilities to build proactive approaches to patient care through new systems. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Today's guest is Prashant Natajaran, Vice President of Strategy and Products at H2O.ai. H2O.ai is a tech company whose platform, the H2O AI Cloud, enables businesses, government entities, nonprofits, and academic institutions to make, operate, and innovate with different AI capabilities like machine learning and AI-enhanced middleware. Prashant joins Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella on today's episode to discuss the impact generative AI is having on the healthcare industry and what leaders can do to drive adoption safely across the enterprise. To discover more AI use cases, best practice guides, white papers, frameworks, and more, join Emerj Plus at emerj.com/p1.

Today's guest is Asif Hasan, Co-founder of Quantiphi. Quantiphi is an AI-first digital engineering company that designs AI-driven services and platforms for broad applications across industries. In conversation with Emerj CEO and Head of Research Daniel Faggella, Asif discusses reducing hallucinations in healthcare language models and the latest developments in AI's impact on drug discovery for rare disorders. If you've enjoyed or benefited from the insights in this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and let us know what you learned or liked most about this show or what you'd like to see in the future. 

Today, we are proud to introduce the latest addition to our burgeoning podcast platform: The 'AI in Healthcare and Life Sciences' podcast! Join the Emerj staff as we converse with Fortune 500 leaders and those at the cutting edge of technological transformations to look at high-level industry trends. Together, we try to anticipate how AI capabilities may be able to solve ensuing business challenges while improving experiences for patients and caretakers alike. Check out our pilot episode, featuring a profile of prevalent AI-related healthcare and life sciences trends, as well as previous episodes of our flagship 'AI in Business' podcast featuring prominent leaders across both sectors.