Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare

by Dasha Tyshlek

Welcome to 'Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare,' a podcast produced by the University of Virginia's Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research.

Biomedical Frontiers is a forum for in-depth discussions at the intersection of healthcare technology and translational research. We feature leading voices from the University of Virginia community and the broader biomedical industry. Each epi ... 

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Podcast episodes

  • Season 3

  • Improving Rural Health: Medical Devices That Increase Health Access With Dr. Aileen Helsel

    Improving Rural Health: Medical Devices That Increase Health Access With Dr. Aileen Helsel

    Can medical devices improve patient care in rural healthcare systems? In this episode, Dr. Aileen Helsel, Director of Innovation at Carilion Clinic, shares how her team of engineers works with Carilion’s clinical teams to develop new medical devices that solve unique challenges in rural settings. Rural patients often travel long distances for care - making management of time sensitive emergencies and recurring visits for chronic conditions particularly challenging. Dr. Helsel highlights three projects: a wearable lymphedema therapy device, an early detection system for ventriculoperitoneal shunt failures, and a cardiac surgery arm positioning device. Each of these devices was conceptualized at the bedside (or in the operating room) and brought to life with the expertise and passion of a physician. Dr. Helsel began her career as a research scientist at Washington State University before transitioning to technology transfer in the licensing and ventures team at WSU. She was always looking for a greater impact. Now, as Director of Innovation at Carilion Clinic, she partners with physicians, nurses, and therapists on the front lines to help solve their most pressing challenges. Aileen shares how her team collaborates with a human factors group and a simulation center to test prototypes in realistic settings. Dr. Helsel believes that solving targeted problems in rural healthcare can yield scalable solutions that benefit the broader medical community. Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu. Follow Dr. Aileen Helsel on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileenhelsel/ Carilion Clinic: https://www.carilionclinic.org/ Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance: https://rbia.tech/ Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

  • Season 2

  • Tech Transfer, navigating the healthcare system and taking risks, from academia to industry with David Chen and Lisa Bowers

    Tech Transfer, navigating the healthcare system and taking risks, from academia to industry with David Chen and Lisa Bowers

    How do groundbreaking biomedical innovations move from research labs to real-world applications? What challenges make healthcare such a complex industry for startups? What risks are worth taking when translating science into impactful solutions? In this episode host Dasha Tyshlek sits down with David Chen, Assistant Dean of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships, and Lisa Bowers, Director of UVA’s Enterprise Studio and former biotech executive, to explore tech transfer in healthcare. We discuss: Layers of complexity in solving healthcare challenges Economic realities that make healthcare innovation difficult How early-stage biotech companies navigate funding, regulations, and clinical trials Lisa and David share insights from their experiences in academia and industry, discussing how researchers can effectively bridge the gap between discovery and commercialization. Resources Mentioned CVille BioHub: https://cvillebiohub.org/ Manning Institute: https://manninginstitute.virginia.edu Building Better Medicine: https://buildingbettermedicine.com Follow David Chen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-c-3889753/ UVA’s Wallace H. Coulter Center: https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science: https://engineering.virginia.edu/ Follow Lisa Bowers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisavbowers/ Medium: https://medium.com/@lisavbowers UVA’s Enterprise Studio: https://lvg.virginia.edu/enterprise-studio-1 UVA’s Licensing and Ventures Group: https://lvg.virginia.edu/ Follow us Instagram: @biomedicalfrontiers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uvacoulter Production Team: Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia

  • Dr. Ben Holmes on Regenerating Cartilage: A 3D Printed Future for Joint Health

    Dr. Ben Holmes on Regenerating Cartilage: A 3D Printed Future for Joint Health

    Cartilage doesn’t heal easily—but what if it could? In this episode, we sit down with Ben Holmes Ph.D, CEO of Nanochon, to explore how his team is revolutionizing cartilage repair with 3D printing technology. Learn how Nanochon’s innovative material mimics natural cartilage and stimulates proper healing and repair. It may one day make knee replacements obsolete. Ben also shares his leadership journey, how he conducted over 100 physician interviews to help him understand the pain points in orthopedics, and insights on leading technological disruption in medical practices and procedures. Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu Ben Holmes is the CEO driving force behind Nanochon, a company innovating cartilage repair and regeneration. Holmes's expertise in biomedical engineering has positioned Nanochon as a frontrunner in developing next-generation orthopedic medical devices. Nanochon is creating durable, effective treatments for orthopedic patients, promising a future where advanced, reliable solutions are readily available to improve the quality of life for individuals with joint issues. Before founding Nanochon, Dr. Holmes was the CTO at SonoStik, another George Washington University medical device startup.He has a Bachelors of Science degree in mechanical engineering from UVA, and a PhD in Biomaterials and Nanomedicine from The George Washington University. Follow Dr. Ben Holmes on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbhceo/ Check out Nanochon: https://www.nanochon.com/ Read about CVille Biohub's Annual BioSpark Competition: https://cvillebiohub.org/bio-spark/ Learn about NSF's iCorp Program: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corps MedTech Innovator is recruiting their next class - apply here: https://medtechinnovator.org/ --------------------------------------------- Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

  • Dr. Jonathon Hill on Gene Sequencing: How Epigenetics is Driving New Diagnostics and Disease Prevention

    Dr. Jonathon Hill on Gene Sequencing: How Epigenetics is Driving New Diagnostics and Disease Prevention

    Genetic sequencing is the process of determining the exact order of the nucleotides in a DNA or RNA molecule. Sequencing provides the complete "blueprint" of an organism's genetic code, and it's a critical tool in genetics, molecular biology, and medical research. Dr. Jonathon Hill develops innovative genomic and bioinformatic methods for gene expression analysis which has tremendous applications in cancer, early detection of chronic diseases, and personalized medicine Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu Dr. Jonathon Hill is an Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at Brigham Young University and the Vice President of Science & Technology at Wasatch Biolabs. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we dive into the field of genetic sequencing and genomics, how Jonathon built a company from the foundation of a novel gene sequencing technique, his research into congenital heart defects, and the future of the epigenetics field. He is a Fulbright Scholar and a BYU Early-Career Teaching Award recipient, having received his MS in Molecular Biology from the University of Colorado Health Science Center and a PhD in Genetics and Developmental Biology from Columbia University. His company Wasatch Biolabs is working to move epigenetics from the lab to the clinic and his lab at BYU researches the molecular genetics of congenital heart defects by studying development of hearts in embryos. Follow Dr. Jonathon Hill on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathon-t-hill/ Check out Dr. Jonathon Hill’s work at Wasatch Biolabs: https://www.wasatchbiolabs.com/ Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

  • Dr. Andrew DiMeo on Repeatable Innovation: Frameworks and Philosophy for Medical Device Design

    Dr. Andrew DiMeo on Repeatable Innovation: Frameworks and Philosophy for Medical Device Design

    What is innovation and why is it important to teach in an engineering program? Innovation has been defined as increasing value, which is increasing the benefits to cost ratio. Because innovation can be an ambiguous concept, it is important to develop a framework to guide the process. Since 2006, Dr. DiMeo has been coaching, consulting, and training processes of innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurship for medical device innovation and healthcare impact. Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu Dr. Andrew DiMeo is a health innovator, biomedical engineer, design philosopher, and social entrepreneur. He began his career in New York, working on movies and TV shows, most notably The Sopranos. He has a BS in Physics and PhD in Biomedical Engineering and has spent most of his career teaching and practicing health innovation. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we dive into Dr. DiMeo’s time teaching biomedical entrepreneurship at UNC and NC State, the teaching methodology and the philosophy for creating successful translational research classes, a new framework to help organizations innovate, and the future of STEM careers and education. Dr. DiMeo has served as a Team Lead in NIH Programs, including RADx, ITAP, Blueprint MedTech, HIV Point of Care Testing, and C3i. He was previously a Professor of the Practice at UNC & NC State for 12 years where his students started multiple startups including 410 Medical, Contour Surgical, Augment Medical, Novocor Medical Systems, and MEDIC. He was co-founder of Gilero, founder of the NC Medical Device Trade Organization, and founder of CanvasGT, a SaaS startup acquired by Greenlight Guru. Today, you can find him mentoring the next generation of social entrepreneurs, working on his new venture, Hangar Dreys - a co-working concept in Raleigh, NC focused on addressing the loneliness epidemic. Follow Dr. Andrew DiMeo on Social Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajdimeo/ IDEAL Biomedical Publication: https://medium.com/ideal-biomedical Linktree: https://linktr.ee/andrewdimeo Press Release about Springbok Analytics FDA approval: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/springbok-analytics-receives-fda-510k-clearance-for-muscleview-its-ai-muscle-health-analysis-from-a-rapid-mri-scan-302270603.html Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research