Health TechTalks

Episode 12: Baltimore's Rising Tide in Biotech. A Discussion with Matt Tremblay, CEO of Blackbird Labs

Matt Tremblay is the Chief Executive Officer of Blackbird Laboratories, a nonprofit technology development platform, and Managing Director of Wolf Point, an early stage biotech investment fund. Blackbird and Wolf Point aim to catalyze the creation of new medicines and enabling healthcare technologies in Baltimore. Blackbird laboratories is a $100 Million dollar fund started with the support of Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti that seeks to address the funding gap that many early stage research firms face. With research collaborations with Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland Baltimore, and the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Blackbird seeks to utilize the depth of Baltimore’s specialized researchers in this field.  Prior to leading Blackbird, Matt was the chief operating officer of the drug discovery organization Calibr, where he led a team of biologists in the discovery of new therapeutic agents for metabolic, cardiovascular, and autoimmune diseases. In addition to Matt’s role with Blackbird, he serves as an executive advisor of Scripps Research, a San Diego based facility focused on cutting edge biomedical research. *This episode was recorded in January 2024 Learn more about Matt and the excellent work at Blackbird (plus his favorite monolithic structure- Göbekli Tepe!) in the links below: Blackbird Website [https://blackbirdlab.org/] Biotech accelerator Blackbird Laboratories launches in Baltimore with Ravens owner’s support [https://technical.ly/startups/blackbird-laboratories-ravens-matt-tremblay/]Ravens’ owner puts up $100 million to turn science into cures — and Baltimore jobs [https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/economy/science-medicine/bisciotti-foundation-blackbird-VUE4ZRPGMNGPRDXWSOEOGGGX3Q/] Göbekli Tepe - Megalithic structure [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1572/]

Episode 11: Johns Hopkins’ Bet on Healthcare Innovation in Baltimore - A Conversation with Christy Wyskiel

Christy Wyskiel is an entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder in the life sciences and healthcare industries. She is currently the Senior Advisor to the President of Johns Hopkins University for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In this role, she also serves as the Executive Director of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, a division of the university responsible for technology transfer, corporate research partnerships, and company incubation. During her tenure, Johns Hopkins University startups have raised over $4 billion in venture capital, and she has fostered the creation of over 150 companies, which have contributed to the $500 million the university generated from both licensing and industry collaborations. Christy was also one of the founders of UpSurge, an initiative to create equity among startup founders by providing them with access to resources in the Baltimore ecosystem. Christy is a proud resident of Baltimore and a key advocate to help Charm City reach its potential as a center for innovation. *This episode was recorded in January 2024 Learn more about Christy and some of the initiatives mentioned in this episode in the links below: About Christy Wyskiel [https://president.jhu.edu/profiles/christy-wyskiel/] Johns Hopkins Tech Ventures [https://ventures.jhu.edu/bios/christy-wyskiel/] UpSurge Baltimore [https://upsurgebaltimore.com/]

Episode 10: Tying Together Venture Capital, Medicine, and Public Health with Dr. Luciana Borio

Dr. Borio is a physician, public health expert and investor at ARCH Venture Partners. An infectious disease doctor by training, dr. Borio has been actively involved in strengthening the public health infrastructure within the department of Health and Human Services and at the FDA where she was acting chief scientist. She was also a member of President Biden’s transition COVID-19 advisory board. More recently, Dr. Borio is focusing her work on addressing the pandemic of unmet need through investments in biologics manufacturing, clinical trials, and  novel therapies at Arch. She is also a senior fellow for global health at the council on Foreign relations. Learn more about Dr. Borio in the links below: Council on Foreign Relations [https://www.cfr.org/expert/luciana-l-borio] Arch Venture Partners [https://www.archventure.com/team/luciana-borio-m-d/] New York Times  [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/opinion/covid-pandemic-lessons.html]

Episode 9: Understanding the Past, Present, and Future of Healthcare Innovation with Dr. Bob Wachter

Dr. Bob Wachter is a physician, professor, and healthcare leader. He is currently the chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  A prolific writer, Dr. Wachter has authored more than 250 articles and six books including "The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age." Dr. Wachter is a leading expert in the field of healthcare quality and patient safety, and he has been a strong advocate for the use of technology to improve healthcare outcomes. He was listed as one of the 50 most influential physician-executives in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare. He has also served on numerous national and international healthcare committees and has received many awards and recognitions for his contributions to the field. Learn more about Dr. Wachter and his work in the news:  The New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/opinion/coronavirus-vaccine-distribution.html] Washington Post [https://www.washingtonpost.com/search/?query=robert+wachter&time=all&sort=relevancy] JAMA [https://jamanetwork.com/searchresults?author=Robert+M.+Wachter&q=Robert+M.+Wachter] NEJM [https://www.nejm.org/search?q=robert+m+wachter] The Digital Doctor [https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Doctor-Hope-Medicines-Computer/dp/1260019608]

Episode 8: Bringing Trusted Health Literacy to Communities: CEO and Founder of Grapevine Health Dr. Fitzpatrick

You may know Dr. Fitzpatrick from her articles in Forbes, the Atlantic, or her recent appearances on NPR. She and her company, Grapevine Health, are seeking to bridge the gap in health literacy so that people can understand the complexities of health and the healthcare system, and we are thrilled to have her on Health TechTalks! In this episode, Dr. Fitzpatrick shares her vision for bringing health literacy to the communities that need it most and how she plans to leverage her experience as a physician, a previous CMO of DC Medicaid, and as an Epidemic Intelligence officer at the CDC to resolve this pertinent healthcare issue. Learn more about Dr. Fitzpatrick and her work in the news:  Grapevine Health [https://grapevinehealth.com/] NPR [https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/02/13/1155671455/dr-lisa-on-the-street-busts-health-myths-and-empowers-patients] Forbes [https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisafitzpatrick/?sh=18dec53738df] The Atlantic [https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/public-health-value-speaking-plainly/617352/] *This Episode was recorded in January of 2023