Offering a front row seat to the Century of Biology, veteran podcast host Theral Timpson interviews the who's who in genomics and genomic medicine. www.mendelsp...
AI & the Future of Genetic Testing: Ezra Cohen, CMO of Tempus
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.mendelspod.comAs 2025 begins, we are launching a new series The New Genetic Testing. To do that we’re welcoming today Dr. Ezra Cohen, Chief Medical Officer at Tempus to offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the company is transforming healthcare through cutting-edge AI. With its recent successful IPO, Tempus has firmly established itself as a leader in genomic testing and multimodal data integration and empowering providers and life sciences companies to make better decisions for patients."Tempus is really a tech company applying sophisticated AI to the healthcare space," explains Dr. Cohen. With tools like TempusOne, an AI-powered assistant, oncologists and other clinicians can access real-time insights, from interpreting genetic tests to exploring treatment options and clinical trials.”Dr. Cohen highlights Tempus’ unique approach to data collection, amassing 300 petabytes of multimodal data—50 times larger than the largest public oncology database. This vast resource, paired with advanced AI, allows Tempus to provide unparalleled context for each patient."We’re not just saying this cancer has this gene mutated. We’re layering genetic mutations, co-mutations, expression levels, radiographs, digital pathology, and treatment outcomes to give providers a comprehensive picture," he says.As Tempus continues to expand its offerings and impact, Dr. Cohen envisions a future where AI reshapes every aspect of healthcare, from patient interactions to drug development."The future is disruptive, and it's going to change incredibly fast. Fasten your seatbelts—we’re in an amazing time."
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PredxBio and the Promise of Spatially Intelligent Biology
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.mendelspod.comThis week we welcome the innovative minds behind PredixBio, a new and groundbreaking company at the forefront of spatial biology. CEO Dusty Majumdar and co-founder Chakra Chennubhotla join us to discuss their mission to revolutionize cancer therapeutics through spatially intelligent biology. Founded in 2018 and supported by NIH grants, PredixBio focuses on unraveling the tumor microenvironment's heterogeneity using cutting-edge analytics and explainable AI. Their SpaceIQ platform integrates images and transcriptomics to predict patient responses to immunotherapy with an accuracy of over 90%.Chakra studied under AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the "godfather" of AI. He explains the transformative potential of spatial analytics."Heterogeneity is not random; there is an order to it. Understanding this order allows us to uncover mechanisms hidden in the data."Dusty highlights the company's mission, emphasizing the importance of explainability in AI for clinical trials and drug discovery."We don’t just provide predictions; we explain why patients respond—or don’t—to therapies. This helps redefine new targets and improves outcomes."Join in to find out how PredxBio's new approach is setting new standards and shaping the future of spatial biology and precision medicine.
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Surprise: Our Most Popular Show of 2024 Was on Genomic AI
This year in a series co-produced with GenomeWeb we had an exclusive look into Illumina’s work in genomic AI with Kyle Farh, the VP and Distinguished Scientist leading the Illumina Artificial Intelligence Lab. "We lack a way of training genomic AI as readily as you would for natural language processing,” says Farh. "There are vast amounts of data, but there are no labels, no supervision. One of the most powerful tools that we’ve found is using clues from natural selection.”Farh says the company began the AI lab seven years ago when deep learning took off. Two of the team’s AI algorithms, PrimateAI-3D and SpliceAI, published in Cell and Nature Genetics, were among the first examples of deep learning algorithms in genomics to become widely used by clinical labs and researchers in interpreting variants of unknown significance.What will be the long-term impact of AI on genomics?Chapters:0:00 First-of-kind studies to utilize AI to decode variation in humans3:00 Training genomic AI on natural selection9:10 What sets Illumina’s algorithms apart?11:40 Insights of PrimateAI-3D and SpliceAI21:40 How will AI impact genomics long term? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe
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New Startup Launches Epigenetic Screening: Mohamad Takwa, CEO, Epigenica
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.mendelspod.comIn this episode of Mendelspod, Theral sits down with Dr. Mohamad Takwa, co-founder and CEO of Epigenica, a Swedish startup revolutionizing epigenetic research. Epigenica is positioning itself at the forefront of this new and rapidly growing field with a mission to empower researchers through large-scale epigenetic profiling.
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AI Powered Multiomics: Joachim Schmid on Data Analysis at Illumina
Coming from the field of digital pathology, Joachim Schmid has a unique perspective on the evolution of multi-omics. Schmid was recently appointed as Vice President of Multiomics Data Solutions at Illumina.In this episode, Theral dives into the burgeoning field of multi-omics—integrating data from various omic layers such as genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics—and the massive data challenges that come with it. Schmid discusses how sequencing costs are plummeting, leading to an explosion in multi-omics applications. Yet, with all the data being generated, biologists often lack the computational background to make sense of it. Schmid highlights Illumina's acquisition of Partek, a company that has been developing multi-omics data analysis tools for over 30 years, and he emphasizes that empowering researchers with accessible analysis tools is crucial to advancing the field.AI is poised to play a key role in moving multi-omics forward. Schmid discusses both the opportunities and limitations of AI, noting that while AI can streamline data processing, there are still areas for improvement, particularly in developing more intuitive and user-friendly tools for biologists. He shares some exciting applications of multi-omics in personalized medicine and cancer research. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe
Offering a front row seat to the Century of Biology, veteran podcast host Theral Timpson interviews the who's who in genomics and genomic medicine. www.mendelspod.com
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