The Long Game | Voices from the health front

When Soccer Meets Healthcare

In this episode of The Long Game: Voices from the Health Front, host Shlomi Madar interviews Robbie Evans, managing director of Leeds United, about his diverse career spanning biotech, sports, and leadership. Discover how principles like teamwork, calmness, and strategic focus transcend industries and how Robbie applies these insights to both healthcare innovations and football management. KEY TOPICS * The common thread of mission-driven work in biotech and sports * Lessons from biotech applied to running a Premier League club * The importance of teamwork, culture, and clear objectives in high-performance organizations * Data-driven decision making in football: building collaborative leadership teams * Parallels between managing a healthcare company and a football club * Reflections on the 2026 World Cup; predictions and observations * The mantra: "Calm is contagious" amidst chaos TIMESTAMPS 00:06 - Welcome to the show and introduction of Robbie Evans 0:30 - Robbie’s unique career arc across industries 1:24 - Connecting mission-driven work in biotech and sports 2:16 - Building Invitae into a leading genetic testing company 4:07 - Major milestones at Invitae: first sales, payers, IPO, impacting guidelines 6:43 - Overcoming challenges at Invitae: culture integration and growth hurdles 9:22 - The influence of recent multicancer screening studies and industry implications 10:19 - Transition to Leeds United: leveraging sports management strategies 11:06 - How data, scouting, coaching intersect in football decision-making 12:26 - Building effective leadership teams in sports and biotech 13:11 - Parallels between managing a football club and a biotech company 16:33 - Analysis of international teams’ performances and favorites 17:35 - Lightning Round: Best summer signing in the Premier League 18:20 - Lessons from Invitae applied at Leeds: "Calm is contagious" 19:06 - Final thoughts: Penalty shootout decision — Mbappé, Kane, or Haaland? RESOURCES & LINKS * Robbie Evans on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evansrobbie/] * Leeds United Official Website [https://leedsunited.com/] * SpotitEarly - Early Cancer Detection Platform [https://spotitearly.com/] * Invitae - The future of genetic testing [https://www.invitae.com/] * Patrick Lencioni’s Leadership Books [https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Facilitators/dp/0787976377/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?channelId=500&clpRedir=Y&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EtIopFmpZUW8w0ksBezfp7WPA52e-Bjp8nye4HEQCVQCE5FAxyTwzMimsde2vrzpDMJI6XVoaCDVqkHMzZjM-Toer5tjMuYGxdRJfHd_DQmWt52D3pTbcWM_6r07yKEuBrryxcBu6_4dY2zjWuOH1Vno14614JIc8bbgPR5HGbJSMlDe2pZYfd38QGfy6f4feleBbA3z2U6oTJODnCRI7npGLDR-4ZhbxoGcqKO6_SH5UO5kYPT7CSjRgSLHI4E90GbM5PeEUVjtSRpgM9wloORpyrToD71kjwjH8DFdaxU.VK3E9LLG6jYMxmp-EbFaHRiWZWXfC8WzYfqkuyxR_PI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Patrick+Lencioni&plpRedirect=mhFallback&qid=1784104730&s=books&sr=1-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1] FOLLOW US ON: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotitearly] * Instagrm [https://www.instagram.com/spotitearly/]

How Food Shapes Your Health

Discover how molecular nutrition and personalized approaches to women's health are transforming disease prevention, menopause management, and overall wellness. Join us as Dr. Karin Hermoni shares her journey from scientific research to real-world applications in functional food and nutraceuticals. MAIN TOPICS: * The molecular impact of phytonutrients like lycopene on cancer and bone health * The importance of sex- and cycle-aware clinical research * Food as medicine: prevention, treatment, and lifestyle integration * Addressing gender gaps in health research and clinical trials * The role of mindset, placebo, and lifestyle in health outcomes * Future prospects with AI and big data in women’s health TIMESTAMPS: 00:30 - Dr. Karin Hermoni’s background and focus on food as medicine 01:55 - How dietary choices impact molecular health 04:36 - The cellular effects of phytonutrients in cancer prevention 06:19 - Tomatoes, lycopene, and estrogen signaling in breast and prostate cancer 08:12 - The importance of tissue-specific effects and holistic views 09:29 - Sex- and cycle-aware clinical research and gender gaps 10:44 - The challenges of research on women and hormonal variation 13:36 - Incorporating women’s hormonal cycles into study design 14:37 - Re-evaluating historical studies and their impact on women’s health 15:40 - The evolving science on hormone replacement therapy and menopause 17:02 - big data, AI, and the future of women’s health research 18:16 - Bridging the gap between rigorous science and practical health benefits 19:16 - Introducing Imagine Health’s approach to personalized wellness rituals 21:53 - The power of mindfulness, placebo, and lifestyle in health optimization 25:43 - Hope for the future fueled by AI, data, and empowered consumers 27:17 - Influential ideas: Bruce Lipton’s The Biology of Belief 29:30 - Connecting with Dr. Hermoni and closing remarks RESOURCES & LINKS: * The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton [https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Belief-Unleashing-Consciousness-Miracles/dp/0975991477/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jLKIEENOEZuYrjBS0TTaPHAXKDz3lYx8kl_WcJlB0x3_gITQ_IaTgFcIy85uZgcDqkAKkxcdeITjqJp38XTg7Q3q71QFZCOySYb_l44i1hE31k045yLE7Opbjqp3Zh40KOf5COD0u_hEBKYW66c39JbG9UQa7mWfKPHI_vnlWseiRZPd4a7XqkVzvTL1bk6w_XhrwQeRKHAb4CfNlCaoSE_NdWo1IYytOEnmQ_wRJcA.0CNRxnbuQXR4USCQLUvjNNm0G0U7234-2hsyfQKD0cQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+biology+of+belief&qid=1779650814&sr=8-3] * SpotitEarly [https://spotitearly.com/] * Invest in SpotitEarly [https://invest.spotitearly.com/] CONNECT WITH DR. KARIN HERMONI: * LinkedIn - Dr. Karin Hermoni [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-linnewiel-hermoni/]

The Hidden Tech of the Wild

In this episode, Shlomi Madar of SpotitEarly talks with Professor Yossi Yovel, head of the neuroecology lab at Tel Aviv University, about bat echolocation and what decades of research reveal about animal communication, memory, and cognition. They also explore how AI is helping scientists decode non-human behavior, and why evolution favors trade-offs rather than optimal design. Resources & Links: SpotitEarly [https://spotitearly.com/] SpotitEarly investment opportunity [https://invest.spotitearly.com/] The Genius Bat by Yossi Yovel [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR5ZN34K] Yossi Yovel’s Bat Lab [https://yovelab.tau.ac.il/] Color Doolittle Prize [https://color.doolittleprize.org/] Book: The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC1IWP] Animal Cognition and Memory Research [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/] Contact Prof. Yossi Yovel Twitter [https://twitter.com/yossiyovel] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/yossi-yovel] Timestamp 00:00 - Introduction to the episode and guest, Professor Yossi Yovel 00:31 - Yossi’s interdisciplinary background and how he started studying bats 01:17 - The significance of echolocation and animal sensing abilities 01:41 - Insights from the database of 300,000 bat vocalizations 02:36 - Current capabilities and challenges in understanding animal communication with AI 03:58 - Differences between human language and animal signals 05:23 - The potential and limits of AI in interpreting animal emotions and moods 05:54 - The “Color Doolittle” prize for decoding animal communication 06:47 - Advances in animal sound databases and AI’s role 07:08 - The feasibility of conversing with animals in the near future 08:29 - Rethinking animal cognition based on recent findings about memory and planning 08:59 - The continuum of consciousness and cognition in animals 09:52 - Challenges in testing cognitive abilities in natural habitats 10:21 - Episodic memory and planning in bats, analogue to human cognition 11:45 - Tracking bats’ foraging behavior with GPS and their memory of fruit trees 12:42 - The diversity of bat species, their global distribution, and conservation status 16:24 - Building autonomous robots that navigate via echolocation 19:42 - Current state and future potential of sonar-based autonomous robots 21:20 - Comparing sonar with other sensors like vision and LiDAR 22:18 - What gives Yossi hope: passing science to the public and future innovations 22:58 - Common misconceptions about evolution and trade-offs in biology 24:41 - Influential books and ideas, including Richard Dawkins and animal behavior 26:09 - The future of biology and AI: bioengineering and models that mimic animal navigation 27:49 - How to follow Yossi’s work and resources, including “The Genius Bat”

Cancer, Nature, and the Future of Diagnostics

Regulatory and IP Challenges of Animal-Based Diagnostics with Matthew Avery Discover insights from Matthew Avery, a legal scholar and patent attorney, on the regulatory landscape and intellectual property considerations surrounding animal-based diagnostics, especially dogs used for disease detection. This episode explores the current challenges, innovative solutions, and future prospects in this emerging space. Main topics: The FDA's readiness and regulatory approach to animal-based diagnostics The potential of AI and sensor technology to standardize dog-based disease detection Patent strategies and intellectual property protections for trained animals and related technologies Regulatory analogies to AI tools and ongoing challenges in the approval process The impact of patent examination thoroughness on patent strength and valuation Future outlook for health innovations and regulatory support Timestamps: (00:00) - Introduction to Matthew Avery and his expertise in biotech, FDA regulation, and IP (02:05) - Avery's prediction about FDA's unpreparedness for disease-sniffing dogs (06:30) - The 2020 research predicting regulatory gaps in animal diagnostics (09:30) - COVID detection dogs and FDA’s cautious encouragement in 2020 (13:00) - Challenges of regulating animal-based versus platform diagnostics (16:30) - Advances in AI and sensor technology to control variability in dog-based detection (19:00) - Patentability of trained animals and related innovations (22:54) - Insights from the Harvard study on patent quality and common misconceptions (23:40) - Advice for biotech founders on patent strategy in the animal diagnostics space (28:23) - How patent rejections relate to prior art and innovation environment (30:30) - The surprising finding that more patent rejections may weaken patent strength (31:05) - Optimism about human innovation and future health breakthroughs (32:08) - Misconceptions about healthcare costs in the US (34:12) - Recommended reading and influential books (35:09) - Future of health technology and regulatory evolution Resources & Links: SpotitEarly [https://spotitearly.com/] SpotitEarly investment opportunity [https://invest.spotitearly.com/] Matthew Avery - Baker Bots [https://www.bakerbotts.com/lawyers/avery-matthew] Harvard Law School - The Myth of Bad Patents [https://hls.harvard.edu/] Patent Strategies for Animal-Based Diagnostics [https://patents.google.com/] Connect with Matthew Avery [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewavery] Stay tuned for more expert insights into health innovation on The Long Game.