Neural Compass

Why Healthcare, Ever the Tech Laggard, Finally Got the AI Memo, with Jacob Effron

What if healthcare’s biggest AI breakthroughs aren’t about new science—but about finally fixing systems that were never built to scale? In this episode of Neural Compass, Jacob Effron, Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures, joins Jimini’s Mark Jacobstein to explore where AI is already delivering real value in healthcare—and where hype still outpaces reality. Drawing on his experience at Flatiron Health and as an investor across AI, enterprise software, and healthcare, Jacob discusses why healthcare has become one of the fastest-adopting AI verticals, how real-world data actually creates value, and why tools that reduce clinician burden can unlock entirely new patient experiences. They cover: * Why healthcare has emerged as a leading AI adoption vertical * Lessons from Flatiron Health on real-world data and evidence * What makes ambient clinical documentation a true “wedge” product * How AI can empower patients—not just clinicians * What separates generational health tech companies from short-lived hype Learn more: jiminihealth.com [http://jiminihealth.com]

Talking “Conversational Doorknobs” & Broken Science with the Funniest Man in Psychology, Adam Mastroianni

What if the hardest problems in psychology aren’t about data or statistics—but about how we talk, think, and decide what counts as truth? In this episode of Neural Compass, psychologist, writer, and internet favorite Adam Mastroianni joins Jimini’s Mark Jacobstein for a wide-ranging conversation about conversation itself. Drawing from experimental psychology, improv, and lived experience with anxiety and depression, Adam explores why good conversations feel rare, why science struggles to study the most important questions, and why mental health progress may require ideas that don’t fit into academic boxes. Along the way, he reflects on leaving academia, rethinking peer review, and what happens when you try to tell the truth instead of writing for journals. They cover: * Why great conversations rely on “doorknobs,” not just questions * How anxiety, status, and speed shape the way we talk to each other * What’s broken in modern science—and why legibility can be the enemy of discovery * Why therapy works even when we don’t fully understand how * How imagining that “things could be better” fuels both progress and dissatisfaction Learn more: jiminihealth.com [http://jiminihealth.com]

Tech, AI, and the Future of Therapy, with Dr. Harry Ritter, Alma's CEO

What if fixing mental healthcare isn’t about replacing clinicians—but finally giving them the systems they’ve always lacked? In this episode of Neural Compass, Dr. Harry Ritter, founder and CEO of Alma, joins Jimini’s Mark Jacobstein to explore how technology, insurance alignment, and new business models can unlock better mental health care at scale. Drawing on his experience as a physician, lawyer, and former Oscar Health executive, Harry explains why behavioral health has lagged in tech adoption, how the pandemic permanently reshaped care delivery, and why empowering independent clinicians may be the fastest path to access, quality, and sustainability. They cover: - Why behavioral health remained tech-averse for so long—and what changed - How Alma helps thousands of independent therapists accept insurance and scale - The hidden systems failures between payers, providers, and patients - Where AI can remove administrative burden without replacing clinicians - Why mental health may be the most powerful lever for preventive care Learn more: jiminihealth.com [http://jiminihealth.com]

Can Stress Rewire the Brain—Across a Lifetime? with Dr. Nikolaos Daskalakis

Why do some people emerge from trauma resilient, while others carry its effects for decades—or even generations? In this episode of Neural Compass, Harvard neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Nikos Daskalakis joins Jimini’s Mark Jacobstein to unpack the biology of stress and PTSD. Drawing on decades of research spanning animal models, post-mortem human brain studies, and cutting-edge multi-omics, Dr. Daskalakis explains how genetics, early life stress, and later trauma interact to shape vulnerability, resilience, and mental health outcomes. The conversation explores how glucocorticoid signaling, immune–brain communication, and cell-type-specific transcriptional changes complicate our understanding of PTSD—and why simple, one-size-fits-all treatments continue to fall short. They cover: * The “three-hit” model of stress: genetics, early life experience, and adult trauma * Why cortisol and glucocorticoid signaling matter—but aren’t the whole story * What single-cell and multi-omic brain studies reveal about PTSD versus depression * The unresolved question of whether trauma can be biologically transmitted across generations Learn more: jiminihealth.com [http://jiminihealth.com]

Can DNA Data Unlock the Next Era of Medicine? with Dr. Yaniv Erlich

What if the answers to mental health, aging, and disease have been encoded inside us all along? In this episode of Neural Compass, geneticist and entrepreneur Dr. Yaniv Erlich joins Jimini’s Mark Jacobstein to explore how data science and molecular biology are converging to reshape precision medicine. Dr. Erlich discusses everything from decoding the human genome to stabilizing RNA for next-generation therapeutics. Along the way, he reflects on why psychiatric traits are highly heritable, what twin studies really reveal, and why biotech innovation moves at a very different pace than tech. They discuss: - How next-generation sequencing revolutionized the study of information in DNA - The unexpected link between genealogy databases and personalized medicine - Why stabilizing RNA could make genetic therapies last longer and work better - The genetics behind mental health—and what we still don’t understand about it Learn more: jiminihealth.com [http://jiminihealth.com]