Cogensus is a healthcare startup using AI to extend social connectedness in the elderly. Social connectedness is an important social determinant of health that when tackled could improve the mental and physical health of patients. Cogensus brings a product that serves the patient, the provider, and the patient’s family - helping in all fronts.

Matthew Edgerton is the Founder and CEO of Cogensus. As a serial entrepreneur with a formal education in human and interpersonal communications, Matthew has created Cogensus to combat loneliness and social isolation in the elderly. He has also worked for Accenture as a global industry lead and is a published United Nations author. 

Timestamps:

(00:00) Cogensus

(01:20) Loneliness in the elderly and cognitive decline

(07:45) Patient, Provider, and Family - what Cogensus brings to each 

(22:44) Using Cogensus for patients already with Dementia

(25:12) Why the name ‘Cogensus’ and the company story

(33:16) Company timeline, fundraising, business model, and team

(49:08) Data storage and AI development

(52:42) ‘Competitors’

(53:35) Closing

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Dr. Sarah Palmer is a virologist specializing in HIV research and pathogenesis. As Co-Director of the Centre for Virus Research at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research and Professor at The University of Sydney School of Medicine, Sarah leads innovative studies on HIV reservoirs and eradication strategies.

In this episode, I learn about the intricacies of HIV. We dive deeper into topics that Sharon and Tony discussed in our previous episodes and break down Sarah’s research in HIV sequencing and protein modeling. Sarah is not only a marvelous scientist but also masterful with words, breaking down complex ideas into easy to understand ones.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Episode Introduction

(00:01:36) Why cure and why it hasn’t yet been cured

(00:13:09) Sarah’s research (DNA sequencing and protein modeling)

(00:22:42) How the immune system learns and different types of vaccines

(00:26:32) Current latency reversal agents and vaccine development

(00:31:56) Patients completely cured of HIV

(00:34:15) Global responses and status of HIV (China, South Africa, Botswana, South Korea)

(00:41:20) Preventative measures and screening

(00:46:42) HIV, Covid, and Hepatitis B

(00:49:30) HIV research funding (governments and pharmaceutical companies)

(00:54:13) AI in HIV research

(00:58:17) Priority in the next 5 years

(01:01:30) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Dr. Tony Cunningham is an infectious diseases physician, clinical virologist, and scientist renowned for his groundbreaking research on HIV and herpesviruses (HSV). He is also the Director of the Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research (ACH2). Tony has a special interest in vaccines and his work spans vaccine and microbicide development, with a focus on preventing HIV transmission and advancing treatments for herpesviruses. 

In this episode, I learn about the herpesvirus and its interaction with HIV. We have an amazing conversation on COVID and vaccination given Tony’s interest in vaccines and his role in combating COVID in Australia. He tells me all about reasons for vaccine hesitancy, and we even talk about long covid and the role of AI in future vaccine development. It's hard to pick a favorite section, but I loved our discussion on different reasons for vaccine hesitancy.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Episode Introduction

(00:01:35) Herpes simplex virus (type 1 and type 2)

(00:11:51) HIV and HSV

(00:14:54) Shingles and the SHINGRIX vaccine

(00:20:58) Covid Vaccine: roll-out, Johnson&Johnson and AstraZeneca

(00:26:27) Hesitancy: m-RNA vaccines

(00:29:01) Hesitancy: developed too quickly?

(00:33:52) Hesitancy: side effects

(00:38:30) Hesitancy: lack of trust in the government

(00:41:56) Covid booster

(00:44:03) Combating misinformation

(00:48:26) Long covid

(00:53:53) Vaccine price in the USA

(00:58:42) Melanoma (skin cancer) vaccine

(01:03:45) AI in vaccine development

(01:08:04) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Stay informed with the latest in Healthcare News. In this episode, we explore the key developments of June 2024, touching on a range of topics but focusing on the healthcare claims made during the presidential debate, a new HIV drug, a case of telehealth fraud, and pharmacy benefit managers. To enhance your listening experience, we've added chapter markers and timestamps in the description below, making it easy for you to jump to the segments that catch your eye. Let us know your thoughts!

Timestamps:

(00:00) Episode Introduction

(01:22) Presidential Debate

(07:23) New HIV Drug

(10:17) Adderall Healthcare Fraud

(12:06) Pharmacy Benefit Managers

(14:30) IVF, Abortion, and Maternal/Child Health

(16:08) Surgery and Medical Procedures

(17:21) Mental Health

(18:07) Viruses and Bacteria

(18:45) New Research, Studies, and Milestones

(21:01) Well-Being

(22:35) Drugs and Alcohol 

(24:47) Climate and Environment

(26:16) Global Health

(27:32) Pharmaceuticals

(29:20) GLP-1 Drugs

(32:19) Medicare/Medicaid and Health Insurance 

(34:16) Politics

(35:45) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Dr. Maria Fiatarone Singh is a geriatrician specializing in exercise science to treat her patients. As a physician, researcher, and professor, Maria has led clinical trials in the US, Australia, Norway, and France. She has her own private practice clinic where she prescribes exercise to patients and is the chair of exercise and sports science at the University of Sydney. 

In this episode, I learn about the science of exercise and its effect on the body throughout the lifespan. Maria talks about the role of exercise on key conditions such as frailty and high blood pressure, and she breaks down the importance of exercise for the heart, bone, brain, metabolism, and skeletal muscle. She even emphasizes that exercise can have a bigger impact than antidepressants in metal health treatment. Maria also explains to me why doctors don’t prescribe exercise and why our medical education system fails us. 

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Episode Introduction

(00:01:26) Importance of Strength Training Across the Lifespan

(00:04:11) Frailty

(00:08:32) Genetics Related to Exercising

(00:12:22) Blue Zones

(00:15:21) Strength vs. Muscle size

(00:18:31) Effects of Exercise on the Brain

(00:20:06) Goals of Exercise by Age Group

(00:26:01) Bone Health

(00:30:08) Skeletal Muscle Health

(00:34:27) Cardiovascular Health

(00:39:47) Blood pressure and Isometric Exercise

(00:45:11) 21 Year Old Optimal Training Routine

(00:52:09) Balance Training and Stretching

(00:59:38) Racket Sports

(01:01:33) Prescribing Exercise in Medicine

(01:06:10) Why Doctors Don’t Prescribe Exercise

(01:09:35) Big Pharma Influence on Medical Education

(01:15:05) Mental Health and Big Pharma

(01:21:50) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Check out this month’s newsletter for the show notes of this episode!

Stay informed with the latest in Healthcare News. In this episode, we explore the key developments of May 2024, touching on a range of topics but focusing on the Baltimore overdose crisis, prison healthcare, bird flu, and the UHG cybersecurity attack. To enhance your listening experience, we've added chapter markers and timestamps in the description below, making it easy for you to jump to the segments that catch your eye. Let us know your thoughts!

Timestamps:

(00:00) Episode Introduction

(01:17) Baltimore Overdose Crisis

(04:18) Prison Healthcare

(07:38) Bird Flu

(10:02) UnitedHealth Cybersecurity Attack

(13:20) IVF, Abortion, and Maternal/Child Health

(15:19) Surgery and Medical Procedures

(16:57) Mental Health

(18:22) Viruses and Bacteria

(20:13) New Research, Studies, and Milestones

(22:39) Drugs and Alcohol 

(23:17) Climate and Environment

(24:01) Global Health

(25:00) Pharmaceuticals

(25:40) GLP-1 Drugs

(28:14) Medical Devices, Biotech, and AI

(29:29) Medicare/Medicaid and Health Insurance 

(30:54) Politics

(33:01) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Dr. Sharon Lewin is the President of the International AIDS Society and the Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia. As a physician and researcher, Sharon has studied HIV for over 25 years.

In this episode, I learn about the science, history, and treatment of HIV. Sharon provides insights into the future of HIV treatment and what finding a cure might look like. We also discuss innovation, the role of AI and bioengineering, and their potential impact on a global scale.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Episode Introduction

(01:19) What is HIV/AIDS? 

(03:55) Progression of HIV

(06:22) Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)

(08:10) Medical Response in the 80s/90s

(11:38) Conspiracies

(12:28) Cont. Medical Response

(13:22) Stigma and Societal Responses

(17:56) Curing/Treating HIV

(25:09) New and Exciting Research

(29:49) HIV Treatment in 10 Years

(32:13) Public Health Initiatives for HIV

(34:29) Bioengineering, Computer Science, and AI

(38:49) Global Impact and Response

(41:25) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Stay informed with the latest in Healthcare News! In this episode, we explore the key developments of April 2024, touching on a range of topics but focusing on a new vaccine for skin cancer, the bird flu, MultiPlan (a secret health insurance middle man), and the Arizona abortion ban. To enhance your listening experience, we've added chapter markers and timestamps in the description below, making it easy for you to jump to the segments that catch your eye. Visit the show notes here. Let us know your thoughts!

Timestamps:

(00:00) Episode Introduction

(01:25) Vaccine for Skin Cancer

(03:48) Bird Flu

(07:07) MultiPlan

(09:38) Arizona Abortion Ban

(12:45) IVF, Abortion, and Maternal Health

(14:48) Surgery and Medical Procedures

(18:06) Mental Health

(19:48) Viruses and Bacteria

(22:20) Medicare/Medicaid

(23:23) Well-Being

(27:36) Drugs and Alcohol 

(29:22) Climate and Environment

(31:08) Global Health

(34:04) Business

(34:24) Pharmaceuticals and Drug Stores

(35:58) Weight Loss Drugs

(37:42) Medical Devices, Biotech, and AI

(40:38) Health Insurance

(41:53) Politics

(43:30) Conclusion

(44:06) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Explore the mental health crisis in America. Understand the impact of social determinants like income, race, career, and gender on mental health, and learn how different communities are affected. We delve into treatment accessibility, costs, and evolving public perceptions. Discover commonly prescribed medications and address the ongoing drug overdose crisis. Additionally, we discuss the future of mental health care, the role of AI, and how the US compares to other countries.

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) The Mental Health Crisis

(00:03:52) Youth Mental Health

(00:08:28) Older Adults Mental Health

(00:15:13) Drug Abuse

(00:19:36) Why the Crisis?

(00:25:19) Outpatient Care and Therapy

(00:28:57) Inpatient Care

(00:31:30) Medications and Polypharmacy

(00:40:39) Public Perceptions of Mental Health

(00:42:49) Natural Treatments and Holistic Care

(00:48:28) Access and Cost Roadblocks

(00:55:25) Income vs. Mental Health

(00:57:01) Career vs. Mental Health

(00:59:40) Race vs. Mental Health

(01:05:11) Women vs. Mental Health

(01:07:42) Men vs. Mental Health

(01:12:03) LGBTQ+ vs. Mental Health

(01:14:08) Positive Changes so Far

(01:18:12) AI in Mental Health Care

(01:20:53) US vs. Other Countries

(01:23:54) Future of Mental Health Care

(01:26:39) Conclusion

(01:27:52) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod

Stay informed with the latest in Healthcare News! In this episode, we explore the key developments of March 2024, touching on a range of topics but focusing on the Pig Kidney Transplant, World Happiness Report, Abortion Pill Case, and a Flawed Intermittent Fasting Study. To enhance your listening experience, we've added chapter markers and timestamps in the description below, making it easy for you to jump to the segments that catch your eye. Let us know your thoughts!

Timestamps:

(00:00) Episode Introduction

(01:20) Pig Kidney Transplant

(04:07) World Happiness Report

(06:41) Intermittent Fasting Study

(09:32) Abortion Pill Case

(13:18) IVF, Abortion, and Maternal Health

(15:10) Flawed Research

(15:28) Weight Loss Drugs

(16:35) Pharmaceuticals and Drug Stores

(17:08) Mental Health

(18:17) Viruses and Bacteria

(19:20) Medicare/Medicaid

(20:10) Well-Being

(23:27) Health Insurance (Cyberattacks)

(24:14) Global Healthcare

(25:13) Medical Devices, Biotech, and AI

(27:13) Drugs and Alcohol

(30:16) Politics

(31:32) Conclusion

(32:16) Outro

Contact us here.

Linktree: linktr.ee/gustavofrancopod