HealthTech2Care (HT2C) Podcast featuring Amir M. Rahmani, Professor at UC Irvine and Co-Founder of Integrated AI Systems, which includes Centralive (Closed-Loop Platform for Clinical Research) and openCHA (Conversational Health Agents).

In this episode, Amir M. Rahmani shares how his background in computer science, IoT, and digital health research led to building platforms designed for real-world clinical research and patient engagement. He explains why so many research teams end up reinventing the wheel with every new grant, and why platforms often disappear once funding runs out.

We also cover how Centralive and openCHA address this problem by providing reusable, modular infrastructure for data capture, real-time sensing, analytics, and intervention. Amir breaks down the idea of "closed-loop" systems using simple analogies, like cruise control and navigation, to explain why continuous sensing, sense-making, and action are critical for personalization in healthcare.

This conversation explores how conversational health agents fit into closed-loop workflows, why large language models alone are often overkill for healthcare problems, and how agents can orchestrate evidence-based knowledge, validated models, and real patient data. Amir also shares how these platforms are being used across academia, RPM programs, decentralized trials, and digital therapeutics, along with what kinds of partners and pilots he's looking for next.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:05 What pulled Amir into healthcare tech, and how it led to Centralive and openCHA

04:51 What problems in academic research led to productizing Centralive

09:48 What makes Centralive different and how it simplifies sensing, EMAs, analytics, and interventions

16:02 How study teams adopt Centralive and what the grant-driven adoption path looks like

20:28 What inspired openCHA and how it supports workflows like RPM, research, and decentralized trials

30:34 What partners and opportunities Amir is looking for across Centralive and openCHA

34:12 Best way to get in touch or try Centralive and openCHA

Highlights:

- Why do most research platforms disappear when a grant ends

- How closed-loop systems enable real-time personalization

- The difference between static workflows and adaptive interventions

- Why conversational agents need evidence, not just LLMs

- Where closed-loop platforms and agents fit in clinical research, RPM, and DTx

Learn more about Centralive (https://centralive.health) and openCHA (https://www.opencha.com)

Amir M. Rahmani (Guest):

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-m-rahmani-26555b44

🌐 Website: https://centralive.health

📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@CentraliveTeam

Bert Fernandez (Host):

🌐 Website: https://www.healthtech2care.com

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bert-fernandez

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HealthTech2Care

Subscribe to the HealthTech2Care YouTube channel for more in‐depth conversations with healthcare innovators

#DigitalHealth #ClinicalResearch #ClosedLoop #HealthcareAI #ConversationalAI #RemotePatientMonitoring #HealthTech