The Healthtech Podcast

Hannah Madan joins us to share a rollercoaster journey of co-founding Prima Mente— an AI-driven neuroscience company building foundations models for the brain. This episode is packed with thought-provoking insights, including:

— The biological hypothesis behind Prima Mente that "No one believed was true"
— How Hannah made it by doing "just enough", not by being a top student
— A baptism by fire— landing her first role as Chief of Staff and flying out for a YC launch party on her 25th birthday
— Prima Mente's "Ecosystem plays" and atypical competitive strategies
— Hannah's unique focus on the people she works with— deep personal understanding and fostering reflective behaviour 
— A decentralised vision for the future of healthcare

Connect with Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahmadan/

Learn more: https://www.primamente.com/

Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.com

Subscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.com

Get in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com


Chapters:
00:00:00 Welcome to the Health Tech Podcast
00:01:23 Uncovering Novel Biology in the Neurodegenerative Space
00:02:03 Primemente's Integrated Approach: Clinical Studies, Wet Lab, and Machine Learning
00:03:22 Early Life 
00:04:38 Undergraduate Studies
00:08:58 PhD Research: The Link Between Diet, Diabetes, and Bowel Cancer
00:12:23 Chief of Staff at Cambridge Cancer Genomics (CCG) and YC
00:15:10 CCG's Mission: Liquid Biopsies for Cancer Treatment Monitoring
00:19:05 The Road to Prima Mente
00:22:19 Establishing Team Culture: Communication, Self-Reflection, and Growth
00:27:13 Scientific Hypothesis: Cell-Free DNA and Epigenetics in Neurodegenerative Conditions
00:30:03 Technical Approach: Using Transformer Architecture and Foundation Models
00:33:47 The Pleiades Model and Diagnostic Accuracy
00:34:56 The Sandbox Study: Pushing for Earlier Diagnosis
00:37:47 Future Strategy: Focusing on Novel Clinically Actionable Targets

Creators and Guests

Host
Dr James Somauroo
Cofounder of SomX

What is The Healthtech Podcast?

The Healthtech Podcast covers the latest in health and technology through interviews with disruptive healthtech startups and leaders. Whether you’re a patient, founder, investor or simply interested in healthtech, The Healthtech Podcast has it covered.

🌍 Listeners in over 150 countries.
🎙 New episode every week.
🗣 Hosted by Dr James Somauroo.

www.thehealthtechpodcast.com | www.somx.health | www.jamessomauroo.com