In this episode, we speak with Mathai Mammen, the CEO of Parabilis Medicines, and a former R&D leader at J&J and Merck, about drugging the previously undruggable 80% of disease-causing proteins inside cells. He explains how their Helicon platform uses AI and unnatural amino acids to create peptides that access intracellular targets unreachable by other drugs. We discuss their lead program’s remarkable clinical results in desmoid tumors, their pipeline in prostate cancer, and why now is the perfect time for innovators to aim high and do something revolutionary in healthcare.

We recently got back from HLTH 2025 in Las Vegas, and it was an incredible experience. The event truly felt like Coachella for medicine. We had the chance to connect with innovators building at the intersection of healthcare and technology, strengthen relationships with physicians driving health tech forward, record content with more than a dozen companies, and even meet Mark Cuban.

We also took some time to reflect on how far the podcast has come over the past year and what we’re most excited about as the platform continues to grow.

Links:

https://medicalinnovationpod.com/

https://www.instagram.com/medicalinnovationpod/

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Justin Chen, a clinical specialist at Google, about how the company is advancing healthcare through AI. Justin shares insights into projects like Med-Gemini and Med-Gemma, and why AI in medicine is in a critical “prove it” phase where models must deliver measurable clinical value. We discuss how Google bridges technical and clinical expertise to bring these tools into practice, and what it will take for AI to truly transform patient care.

In this episode, we speak with Daniel Hawkins, CEO of Vista AI and veteran medical device innovator behind the Da Vinci robot and Shockwave Medical, about using AI to transform MRI imaging across all anatomies. Daniel explains how Vista AI's technology directly controls MRI machines to reduce scan times and skill requirements, acting as a "co-pilot" for technologists while addressing critical staffing shortages. We discuss his journey from discovering that 70% of severe mitral regurgitation diagnoses via echo aren't confirmed by MRI, leading to unnecessary surgeries, and how Vista AI's vision extends far beyond cardiac to automate every type of MRI scan, democratizing advanced imaging with minimal wait times.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Bill Weeks, Director of AI for Health at Microsoft and Medical Director of Bing, about how one of the world’s largest tech companies is supporting global health through AI. Bill shares how Microsoft partners with nonprofits and researchers to tackle challenges like health equity and medical access, and offers insight into the role of search and large language models in clinical contexts. We also discuss how Big Tech can engage responsibly in healthcare by focusing on partnerships, impact, and trust.

We speak with Nick Damiano, Co-Founder and CEO of Andromeda Surgical, about creating autonomous surgical robots driven by AI. He explains that Andromeda is primarily a software company using a “human-in-the-loop” approach to give surgeons “superpowers” rather than replace them. The team’s mission is to “democratize the procedure,” beginning with HOLEP, and they aim to bring the fastest surgical robot to market by minimizing hardware complexity and working closely with regulators.

In this special collaboration episode with MD+, we chat with Vikram Bhaskaran, founder and CEO of Roon, about building a patient-first health platform to replace “Dr. Google” with clear, compassionate medical guidance. Vikram shares how his caregiving experience shaped Roon’s mission, and how short-form video paired with trusted physician voices can scale knowledge while preserving empathy. We also discuss Roon’s AI approach, which draws only from expert-reviewed content, and why involving clinicians in digital health innovation is more important than ever.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Erin Palm, a trauma surgeon and Head of Product at Suki AI, about building AI tools that reduce documentation burden and enhance clinical workflows. Erin shares how her experience in the operating room informs product development, and how Suki is leveraging voice AI to support, not interrupt, the doctor-patient relationship. We also dive into the future of ambient documentation and what it takes to design technology that clinicians actually want to use.

We chat with Maxime and Taieb, co-founders of Vera Health, who are building an AI-driven clinical decision support tool designed to deliver high-quality medical evidence directly at the point of care. They share how their personal experiences, technical backgrounds, and time at MIT and Y Combinator shaped the development of Vera. The conversation explores the challenges of integrating into clinical workflows and how Vera differentiates itself in a rapidly evolving healthcare AI landscape.

In this episode, we chat with Zachary Ziegler, the CTO and co-founder of OpenEvidence, who discusses the challenges of accessing the vast amount of medical literature and how their platform aims to solve this problem for clinicians. Zachary also shares insights into the development and impact of OpenEvidence, its user base, and his perspective on the future of AI in healthcare.