The Future of Medicine

Samuel Klein on GLP-1 Revolution, Metabolism, and the Future of Obesity Medicine

Dr. Samuel Klein, Division Chief and William H. Danforth Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Science at Washington University Medicine, joins The Future of Medicine for a conversation about obesity, metabolism, insulin resistance, and the revolution sparked by GLP-1 medications like Ozempic. In this episode, Dr. Klein explains why obesity is far more biologically complex than many people realize — and why some individuals with obesity remain metabolically healthy while others develop diabetes, heart disease, and fatty liver disease. The conversation explores how fat functions not only as stored energy, but also as an active endocrine organ that communicates with the rest of the body through hormones and inflammatory signaling molecules. Dr. Klein discusses visceral fat, insulin resistance, inflammation, and why procedures like liposuction do not produce the same metabolic benefits as weight loss through diet, surgery, or GLP-1 medications. Dr. Klein also reflects on the unexpected rise of GLP-1 therapies, including how medications originally developed for diabetes transformed obesity treatment and may hold broader implications for cardiovascular disease, addiction, and other chronic conditions. Together, Dr. Klein and Euan Ashley discuss the future of metabolic medicine, precision approaches to obesity care, and why understanding metabolism may reshape the future of healthcare itself. Thank you for listening! Call to action: If you enjoy The Future of Medicine, subscribe for more conversations with leading scientists shaping the next era of healthcare. Please rate and review the podcast to help others discover these important discussions. Share with friends and colleagues who are curious about how science becomes medicine.

Robert Wachter on the Digital Doctor, the Trust Gap, and Medicine's Next Giant Leap

In this episode of the Future of Medicine, we welcome Dr. Robert Wachter, physician, author, and chair of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, for a conversation about artificial intelligence, healthcare, and the future of medicine. Dr. Wachter reflects on how the digitization of healthcare reshaped modern medicine — and why many of the frustrations clinicians experience today, from burnout to endless documentation, emerged during the first wave of the electronic health record revolution. The conversation explores why large language models like ChatGPT feel fundamentally different from earlier healthcare technologies, and how AI may finally help medicine move beyond the limitations of current electronic health records. Dr. Wachter discusses the promise of AI scribes, clinical copilots, patient-facing tools, and digital assistants that can help clinicians synthesize information, reduce administrative burden, and improve access to expertise. At the same time, he examines the risks of overtrusting AI systems, including hallucinations, deskilling, automation bias, and the challenge of keeping humans engaged when machines are right most (but not all) of the time. Together, Dr. Wachter and Euan Ashley discuss empathy, medical education, patient trust, and what happens when technology begins to act increasingly human. Looking ahead, Dr. Wachter shares why he remains optimistic about AI in medicine — and why the next few years could fundamentally reshape how healthcare is delivered around the world. Thank you for listening! Call to action: If you enjoy The Future of Medicine, subscribe for more conversations with leading scientists shaping the next era of healthcare. Please rate and review the podcast to help others discover these important discussions. Share with friends and colleagues who are curious about how science becomes medicine.

Crystal Mackall on CAR-T Breakthroughs, Beating Childhood Cancer, and the Future of Cell Therapy

In this episode of the Future of Medicine, we welcome Crystal Mackall, the Ernest and Amelia Gallo Family Professor and founding director of the Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy at Stanford, for a conversation on CAR T-cell therapy, pediatric cancer, and the future of biologic medicine. Dr. Mackall reflects on her path from a working-class town in Ohio to becoming one of the world’s leading pioneers in cancer immunotherapy. She shares how early experiences with cancer shaped her interest in medicine, and how decades of research eventually helped lay the groundwork for today’s advances in engineered cell therapies. The conversation explores the evolution of CAR T-cell therapy, including the challenges of treating solid tumors and why many promising therapies can take decades to become reality.  Looking ahead, Dr. Mackall shares her perspective on the future of medicine, including the growing role of RNA therapeutics, gene delivery, and in vivo cell engineering. She explains why the next generation of therapies may involve programming the body directly, rather than manufacturing treatments outside of it. Thank you for listening! Call to action: If you enjoy The Future of Medicine, subscribe for more conversations with leading scientists shaping the next era of healthcare. Please rate and review the podcast to help others discover these important discussions. Share with friends and colleagues who are curious about how science becomes medicine.

Stephen Quake on Safer Prenatal Genetic Testing, and Detecting Disease Earlier

In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Stephen Quake, a bioengineer, physicist, and serial entrepreneur whose innovations have transformed how we measure biology and deliver care. Dr. Quake shares how his early fascination with building and experimentation led him from physics into biology, where he helped pioneer microfluidics, enabling the automation of complex biological experiments. He reflects on founding multiple companies to bring these technologies into real-world use, reshaping research and diagnostics. The conversation explores the development of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), a breakthrough that allows doctors to detect chromosomal conditions using a simple blood draw instead of invasive procedures. Dr. Quake explains the key insight behind this advance: counting DNA molecules, and how it has since impacted millions of pregnancies worldwide. They also discuss the early days of genome sequencing, including Dr. Quake’s decision to sequence his own genome and what it revealed about the future of personalized medicine. From there, the conversation expands into liquid biopsies, transplant monitoring, and early cancer detection, highlighting how blood-based diagnostics are transforming how we detect and manage disease. Looking ahead, Dr. Quake shares his perspective on the next frontier: using advanced molecular tools and AI to detect disease earlier, understand human biology more deeply, and ultimately reshape the practice of medicine. Thank you for listening! Call to action: If you enjoy The Future of Medicine, subscribe for more conversations with leading scientists shaping the next era of healthcare. Please rate and review the podcast to help others discover these important discussions. Share with friends and colleagues who are curious about how science becomes medicine.

Bonnie Maldonado on Smallpox Eradication, Vaccine Hesitancy, and the Return of Measles

In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Yvonne "Bonnie" Maldonado, pediatrician and infectious disease expert at Stanford, for a powerful conversation on vaccines, public health, and the fragile progress of modern medicine. Dr. Maldonado reflects on the lessons behind her Grand Rounds talk, “Lessons from a House on Fire,” drawing from the global eradication of smallpox, one of humanity’s greatest public health achievements. She explains how targeted vaccination strategies helped stop a disease that once killed millions, and why that history still matters today. The conversation explores the growing resurgence of measles in the United States, driven in part by declining vaccination rates. Dr. Maldonado breaks down how measles spreads, why it remains one of the most infectious diseases known, and what current trends could mean for the future of public health. She also examines the roots of vaccine hesitancy, highlighting how risk perception, misinformation, and trust in institutions shape individual decision-making. From social media echo chambers to shifting federal policies, Dr. Maldonado discusses the complex forces influencing how people engage with science today. Looking ahead, she shares her perspective on rebuilding trust in medicine, the role of communication in public health, and why even small changes in vaccination rates can have large-scale consequences. Thank you for listening! Call to action: If you enjoy The Future of Medicine, subscribe for more conversations with leading scientists shaping the next era of healthcare. Please rate and review the podcast to help others discover these important discussions. Share with friends and colleagues who are curious about how science becomes medicine.