#430 How NICE finds startups, with Tharni, Horizon Scanning Lead

In this episode, we're joined by Tharni Vasavan, Horizon Scanning Senior Health Technology Lead at NICE, about how emerging health technologies are identified, evaluated, and prepared for the NHS. From her journey through women’s health research and startup life at Hertility to shaping national foresight on healthtech disruption, Tharni offers an inside glimpse of how innovation meets evidence.If you're working with AI that you think will be applicable in healthcare within the next 10 years, you can partake in NICE's horizon scanning with this form: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=FNtA1T7OGE2t-3WmXoj3178lLN5iep1Aj4hJbvJXiDRUREs0Q1dVRFJTTTZHSU1HUllSSjYwVllRQS4uConnect with Tharni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tharnithavasavan/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.comThis podcast was brought to you by SomX.

This week James is joined by Jacob West, Managing Director for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Microsoft UK, who shares insights on how Microsoft is leveraging AI to enhance healthcare in the UK.Connect with Jacob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-west-a519404/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.comThis podcast was brought to you by SomX.

This week, James is joined on the podcast by Dr Madeleine Ballard, CEO of the Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC). CHIC is a global movement making professional community health workers the norm worldwide by changing guidelines, funding, and policy.Connect with Madeleine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleineballard/Learn more about CHIC: https://joinchic.org/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.comThis podcast was brought to you by SomX.

James is joined by Rafaël Michali, co-founder and co-CEO of SAVA. SAVA is redefining the way people interact with their health by developing the most advanced biosensing technology science has to offer, capable of accessing bodily information in a painless, real-time and affordable way.Connect with Rafaël: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafa%C3%ABl-michali-656136101/Learn more: https://www.sava.health/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

This week, James is joined on the podcast by Sam Winward, co-founder and CEO of Pastel Health. Pastel Health is an end-to-end outpatient clinic that supports Chronic pain sufferers referred from the NHS. The service aims to transform the experience for both patients and clinicians.Connect with Sam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelwinward/Learn more about Pastel: https://pastel-health.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.comThis podcast was brought to you by SomX.

In the second episode of this two-part series, James is joined by Dr. Ross Harper, CEO and co-founder of Limbic. Limbic is developing clinical-grade AI tools for mental health care, designed to be deployed in clinical settings. Their goal is to enhance the capacity of trained professionals and help meet the overwhelming demand for mental health services.Listen to Part 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7wTwZ1SjfFsjy4IKkcOIzEConnect with Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/refharper/Learn more: https://www.limbic.ai/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.comChapters00:00 Introduction to Limbic and AI in Healthcare04:01 The Role of AI in Treatment09:28 ChatGPT vs. Clinical AI: The Debate16:49 Human + AI: A Better Care Model19:43 Scaling Mental Health Services with AI26:09 Adapting Healthcare Models for AI36:57 Ensuring Clinical Rigor in AI Solutions

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Oscar Ferguson, co-founder of Deaku. Oscar is a doctor-turned-founder and award-winning creator and content strategist on a mission to make every creator’s life better. Deaku are building a connected workspace where creators, marketers, and production teams plan, collaborate, and grow - all in one place.Connect with Oscar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-oscar-ferguson/Learn more: https://www.deaku.app/homeApply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.comChapters00:00 Introduction to Health Tech and Creator Economy05:59 The Value of Long-Form vs Short-Form Content11:53 The Emotional Toll of Medical Practice18:03 The Decision to Leave Medicine21:12 Building a New Career in Health Tech32:55 The Importance of Networking and Mentorship35:12 Learning from Failure in the Real World36:02 Creating Impactful Health Content41:12 Building a Community for Content Creators48:05 Innovating in the Creator Economy56:26 The Future of AI in Content Creation59:17 The Value of Human-Made Content01:00:03 AI in Video Generation: Gimmick or Utility?01:04:51 Misinformation and Responsibility in Health Content01:06:40 The Purpose of Content Creation01:17:11 The Dream of Content Creation01:19:08 Creative Fulfillment in Content Creation01:20:26 Building Community with Deaku01:27:36 Connecting with the Creator Community

Hannah Madan joins us to share a rollercoaster journey of co-founding Prima Mente— an AI-driven neuroscience company building foundations models for the brain. This episode is packed with thought-provoking insights, including:— The biological hypothesis behind Prima Mente that "No one believed was true"— How Hannah made it by doing "just enough", not by being a top student— A baptism by fire— landing her first role as Chief of Staff and flying out for a YC launch party on her 25th birthday— Prima Mente's "Ecosystem plays" and atypical competitive strategies— Hannah's unique focus on the people she works with— deep personal understanding and fostering reflective behaviour — A decentralised vision for the future of healthcareConnect with Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahmadan/Learn more: https://www.primamente.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.comChapters:00:00:00 Welcome to the Health Tech Podcast00:01:23 Uncovering Novel Biology in the Neurodegenerative Space00:02:03 Primemente's Integrated Approach: Clinical Studies, Wet Lab, and Machine Learning00:03:22 Early Life 00:04:38 Undergraduate Studies00:08:58 PhD Research: The Link Between Diet, Diabetes, and Bowel Cancer00:12:23 Chief of Staff at Cambridge Cancer Genomics (CCG) and YC00:15:10 CCG's Mission: Liquid Biopsies for Cancer Treatment Monitoring00:19:05 The Road to Prima Mente00:22:19 Establishing Team Culture: Communication, Self-Reflection, and Growth00:27:13 Scientific Hypothesis: Cell-Free DNA and Epigenetics in Neurodegenerative Conditions00:30:03 Technical Approach: Using Transformer Architecture and Foundation Models00:33:47 The Pleiades Model and Diagnostic Accuracy00:34:56 The Sandbox Study: Pushing for Earlier Diagnosis00:37:47 Future Strategy: Focusing on Novel Clinically Actionable Targets

This week, James is joined by Dr. Declan Kelly, founder of Eolas Medical, a platform tackling one of healthcare’s most overlooked problems: knowledge management.Eolas Medical helps clinicians access the right information instantly at the point of care. Used by NHS Trusts, clinical teams, and individual practitioners, the platform consolidates essential medical knowledge from trusted sources—guidelines, protocols, and internal documents—into one simple, intuitive system.Connect with Declan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/declan-kelly-484bb7187/Learn more: https://www.eolasmedical.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Daniel Mansson, Chief Clinical Officer and founder of Flow Neuroscience. Flow Neuroscience is Europe and UK's only medically approved brain stimulation headset and therapy app home treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).Connect with Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmanss/Learn more: https://www.flowneuroscience.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com