Behind the Breakthroughs

AI is transforming biomedical research, but meaningful advances in drug discovery require more than just increasingly powerful algorithms—they depend on combining machine learning with physics-based simulations, mechanistic models, and rigorous experimental validation. In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs, Michael Antonov, co-founder of Oculus and computational drug discovery company Deep Origin, shares a pragmatic perspective on AI's opportunities and limitations in medicine, explaining where it is accelerating innovation and why human expertise and experimental science remain indispensable.Produced and hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhDAudio mixed and mastered by Erick ZieglerBrought to you by Inside Precision Medicine (SAGE Publishing)

Philippe Pouletty, MD, is one of Europe’s most successful life sciences entrepreneurs, having spent more than 30 years building category-leading biotechnology and medical technology companies from breakthrough scientific innovations. His most notable achievement is Abivax, which he founded and chaired for a decade, transforming it into a global biotechnology leader that reached an approximately $10 billion market capitalization following positive Phase 3 results in 2025. Today, he is applying the same proven strategy to Carvolix, combining breakthrough implants, AI-powered software, and autonomous mini-robotics to create a next-generation cardiovascular MedTech company focused on improving outcomes for patients with heart valve disease and stroke.Produced and hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhDAudio mixed and mastered by Erick ZieglerBrought to you by Inside Precision Medicine (SAGE Publishing)

While growing up during the polio era, Arthur Caplan, PhD, saw doctors hide painful truths from families and children, which sparked his lifelong questions about power, protection, and inequality in medicine. In this episode, Caplan claims that bioethics has changed from marginalizing or abandoning disabled people to genetic testing, parental perfectionism, and personal autonomy over collective responsibility. Caplan predicts that extreme individualism will endanger public health and that the next ethical frontier will be the brain and how far humans should alter identity.Produced and hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhDAudio mixed and mastered by Erick ZieglerBrought to you by Inside Precision Medicine (SAGE Publishing)

Brain-computer interfaces have gained widespread attention largely for assistive applications, but Carolina Aguilar sees their greatest potential in directly treating neurological disease. Through INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, she is developing graphene-based implants designed to read and stimulate neural activity with far greater precision than conventional devices, building on insights from her 13 years at Medtronic and earlier neuroscience research. In this conversation, Aguilar explains why INBRAIN prioritizes therapeutic BCIs, how graphene could advance personalized neurotechnology and AI-driven therapies, and why conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and cardiometabolic disorders are central to the company’s long-term vision.Produced and hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhDAudio mixed and mastered by Erick ZieglerBrought to you by Inside Precision Medicine (SAGE Publishing)

Matthew Rabinowitz, PhD, moved from engineering to medicine after his Human Genome Project work, motivated by both scientific insight and personal loss that exposed the limits of existing genetic diagnostics. He founded Natera and later Myome, building genomic and AI-driven tools to improve disease detection, risk assessment, and prevention. In the episode, he highlights challenges. such as regulatory barriers, fragmented data, and translating genetics into clinical decisions, while aiming to develop predictive blood tests that enable proactive care.Produced and hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhDAudio mixed and mastered by Erick ZieglerBrought to you by Inside Precision Medicine (SAGE Publishing)

Precision medicine promises individualized care through data, but progress remains fragmented. Clinical, genomic, and imaging data are siloed, limiting real-world use. Jurgi Camblong, PhD, founded SOPHiA Genetics to integrate multimodal data into actionable insights, yet variability in technologies and evolving biology complicate standardization. In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs, Camblong discusses how effective solutions require combining diverse AI methods grounded in context and longitudinal feedback loops. To Camblong, the challenge is not data quantity but making existing information usable in patient care.Produced and hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhDAudio mixed and mastered by Erick ZieglerBrought to you by Inside Precision Medicine (SAGE Publishing)