Detecting cognitive decline early with AI and digital biomarkers

Up to 200 million people worldwide may be living with undiagnosed mild cognitive impairment – many unaware that early intervention could change their trajectory. In this episode, host Alex Maiersperger is joined by Marc Jones, CEO of Altoida, and Dr. Mona Flores of Altoida's Clinical Advisory Board to explore how AI and digital biomarkers are reshaping early detection of cognitive decline. Digital biomarkers register how the brain processes information, translating how brain networks function through the way we move, speak and remember. Altoida's platform tracks motor skills, speech complexity and memory recall, mapping them to data points to identify where brain function diverges from that of a healthy population. They also discuss how AI acts as a force multiplier, giving clinicians tools to spot trends, make informed decisions and spend more time with patients.

On this episode, Alex explores the role of synthetic data in health care and life sciences with Harry Keen, Co-Founder of Hazy, and Dr. Mark Lambrecht, Global Head of Health and Life Sciences Advisory at SAS. The conversation explores practical use cases for synthetic data in the health ecosystem as well as important limitations and considerations for ensuring security and governance.A core challenge for all health and life sciences organizations is the fragmented and decentralized nature of their data. Keen and Dr. Lambrecht agree that synthetic data can be used to remove barriers, improve efficiency and test approaches to extract more value from existing data, thereby driving innovation and enhancing patient outcomes. Tune in to hear their advice for all leaders interested in building or growing the utility of synthetic data for their organizations.

Is 2025 a pivotal inflection point for AI in health care? Dr. Connie Lehman, Co-Founder of Clairity, thinks so, and she has strong cause for optimism. Her organization’s software-as-a-medical-device product, Clairity Breast, recently received authorization from the Food and Drug Administration as the first AI platform that predicts a woman’s five-year risk of developing breast cancer.On this episode, Dr. Lehman shares her journey with Clairity, from the paper she read as a medical student that sparked the idea, to her experience navigating the new domain of image-based risk assessment with the FDA. Her current focus is on implementing the technology through education and advocacy.Dr. Lehman is passionate about advancing medicine toward risk assessment and disease prevention. Understanding risk empowers patients and their health care providers to choose the best path. Dr. Lehman envisions a future where image-based risk information is accessible and available to improve health outcomes for all.

Can AI empower the doctor-patient bond? Dr. Michael Suk, orthopedic surgeon, visionary leader and innovator, believes it can. In this discussion, he explores how AI can help to free up time for patients and speaks about the current AI adoption, highlighting its use in documentation and clinical decision support. He stresses the need for ethical AI solutions and for clinicians to be involved in the design of technological solutions. The conversation touches on the pioneering lifetime joint replacement warranty, illustrating how forging lasting partnerships can lead to improved outcomes, fewer complications and lower costs. Dr. Suk explains that the next evolution of health care demands a purpose-driven, holistic approach and explores how trust, connection and technology will intersect in the future. Tune in for this thought-provoking discussion that challenges the status quo and focuses on the doctor-patient bond.

What if aging meant maintaining independence and dignity at home and in the community? In this episode, Dr. Sarita Mohanty, President and CEO of The SCAN Foundation, speaks about the foundation’s innovative community-based, person-centered approach to elder care for marginalized adults. The conversation touches on common challenges like fragmented care, affordability, cultural barriers and loneliness – a major public health issue. Did you know that loneliness can harm your health as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? Mohanty discusses the importance of designing systems with the input of older adults in mind for policy and system reforms. She explains that technology offers significant potential for prediction, prevention and intervention, and stresses the importance of adaptable, unbiased AI algorithms. Tune in for the foundation’s formula for purposeful and dignified aging and Mohanty’s insights into the role of technology.

Get ready for a behind-the-scenes journey into Nashville’s booming health care sector with Apryl Childs-Potter, President of the Nashville Health Care Council. In this episode, Childs-Potter speaks about the council’s unique ecosystem, where leaders from payer, provider, tech and educational organizations come together to create a space for dialogue to enhance collaboration across common goals and challenges. The city’s collaboration culture fosters innovation, economic growth and improved outcomes. Childs-Potter reveals how the council’s programs and events connect everyone from emerging leaders to executives, accelerating careers, forging vital networks and improving the health care industry overall. The conversation highlights the power of AI to reduce administrative burden for health organizations, improve clinical decision support and enhance member experience. Tune in for Childs-Potter’s formula for efficient and booming health care systems and her insights on the role of AI.

Jens Dommel, Head of Healthcare EMEA at AWS, explores the transformative power of AI in health care for decision support and shares what his experience tells him successful implementations look like. Common global health care challenges – such as an aging population, burnout, preventable adverse events and costs – are on the rise. Dommel emphasizes the potential of AI in enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving outcomes and access. Dommel discusses the importance of accessible and integrated data, governance, trust and scalability for AI models. Dommel explains that successful digital transformations happen with the right skills, clearly defined goals by the leadership team, and a strategy of starting small and scaling up. He emphasizes the importance of strong regulations such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and EU Artificial Intelligence Act in fostering international cooperation, innovation and trust. Tune in for insights on building scalable solutions and unlocking the true value of data and AI.

As an attending physician, principal investigator and academic publisher, Dr. Ashita Batavia has a deep appreciation for the importance of data in clinical development. In her role as Head of Hematology and Oncology Data Sciences, R&D, at Johnson & Johnson, she’s helping shape the future of clinical trials.In this podcast episode, Dr. Batavia shares her ideas for improving clinical trials and delivering better therapies to patients. She is particularly interested in pragmatic trial designs where data and AI help reduce the burden of trial participation for patients and providers without compromising the collection of safety and efficacy data.Dr. Batavia leaves us with her belief that bringing together multimodal health data is key to fully unlocking advanced analytics capabilities in clinical research and explains why achieving a first win is the springboard to building a culture of data-driven innovation.

Stacy Hurt has found her dream job as Chief Patient Officer at Parexel. On this episode of The Health Pulse, Hurt shares how her 25-year career in health care, along with personal experiences as a caregiver and Stage 4 cancer survivor, fuel her passion for patient advocacy. From AI’s clinical applications to patient data ownership, Hurt sees all innovations through the lens of patient empowerment – offering time, information, resources and hope. Tune in for her insights and inspirations for organizations and patients alike.

The work of delivering innovative therapies to patients must be done well and quickly. This became the leadership mantra for Nevine Zariffa, former Head of Biometrics and Information Sciences at AstraZeneca, following her personal battle with cancer. Diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at 33, Zariffa's cancer has been in remission for 25 years thanks to an investigational drug she received through a compassionate use clinical trial.In this episode, Zariffa joins Alex to discuss the evolution of AI in the pharmaceutical industry. She emphasizes the importance of a strong connection between business leaders and data scientists in scaling AI projects. Tune in to discover Zariffa’s formula for effective change management and her insights on the future of AI in pharma and health tech.