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In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, Dominic James is joined by Hakim Yadi PhD OBE, a biotech entrepreneur and industry leader, to explore one of the biggest shifts in modern healthcare: precision medicine. They look at how data, genomics, AI and smarter drug development are helping us move beyond standardised treatment.

Precision medicine has the potential to change how we treat people, not just conditions. By combining real-world data with pharmacology, it helps move care away from generic averages and towards what actually works for each individual. That means fewer side effects, better results, and a stronger chance patients stay on treatment. It is not just good medicine, it is smarter, fairer, and more sustainable for health systems like the NHS. In fact, adverse drug reactions cost the NHS an estimated £2 billion a year, and precision approaches could help bring that number down significantly.

Together, Dominic and Hakim explore how this approach can improve outcomes, reduce health inequalities, and make treatment more tolerable. They also dive into GLP-1 therapies, the push for better women’s health, and the business model challenges that still slow innovation. Along the way, they ask what it would take to make personalised care the standard, not the exception.

Key Topics Covered

• Why most drug dosages are still based on outdated trial data
• The rise of GLP-1 therapies and what they mean for patient experience
• The dangers of self-dosing advice on Reddit, TikTok and Instagram
• The business model challenge behind scaling innovation
• Why personalised care benefits patients and health systems
• What it means to “nibble” a medicine in 2025
• How health data saves lives and why we should all donate data
• The North–South health divide in England and its link to 1 million premature deaths
• In 2035, our Children today will view medicine today as draconian

About Hakim

Hakim Yadi PhD OBE is a biotech entrepreneur and Partner at Baringa, focused on global health innovation.

He co-founded Closed Loop Medicine, delivering personalised care through drug and digital integration.

With a PhD in immunology and an OBE awarded for services to healthcare technology and the economy, Hakim bridges clinical innovation with system transformation.

Links

• Hakim’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hakimyadi/
• Baringa website - https://www.baringa.com/en/people/experts/hakim-yadi/
• Closed Loop Medicine website - https://closedloopmedicine.com/
• Data saves lives website - https://datasaveslives.eu/
• Dominic’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicjames
• Health in Hyperdrive website - https://www.healthinhyperdrive.com
• Socials TikTok / X / Insta / YouTube - @DomJamesHiH
• Produced by Explosive Brands - https://www.explosivebrands.com/

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In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, Dominic James is joined by Lauren Redfern, medical anthropologist and founder of Hormonally, for a candid conversation about the taboos that still shape our health. From periods and menopause to mental health and obesity, Lauren explains how silence and stigma can stop people getting the care they deserve. Together, they explore how better language, education and technology can help dismantle taboos and give people the confidence to take charge of their wellbeing.

For decades, women’s hormonal health has been overlooked and underfunded. From menstruation to menopause, millions have faced misdiagnosis and silence. In the UK, one in ten women live with conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can cause irregular periods, fertility challenges and symptoms like acne or excess hair. Lauren’s PhD research into perimenopause and menopause shows how misdiagnosis often happens when people lack the language to explain their experiences, and when the textbooks used to train clinicians contain errors. She also shares the story behind Hormonally, a nonprofit platform offering evidence based resources, and explains how tools like the Vulva Map are helping to normalise conversations about anatomy and care.

It is a timely and engaging look at how anthropology, technology and community can come together to challenge stigma, improve communication and make a real difference to health outcomes.

Key Topics Covered

• Health in Hyperdrive on tour in Barcelona: bringing taboo‑breaking conversations to a global stage
• What anthropology, technology and community can achieve when they converge to challenge stigma
• How medical textbooks are wrong, and the impact of outdated or inaccurate anatomy teaching
• Testosterone treatment for both men and women, and why it remains misunderstood
• The Vulva Map: the most “vulvas and vaginas in any podcast” and why bold tools spark real change
• Why women’s hormonal health has been overlooked, stigmatised and underfunded for decades
• Envisioning a future where talking openly about health is the norm, not the taboo

About Lauren

Executive Director, Hormonally

Lauren Redfern is a medical anthropologist and the founder of Hormonally.org, a platform dedicated to transforming how we understand and support hormonal health.

She earned her PhD in Medical Anthropology from the University of Exeter and combines academic insight with digital innovation to challenge stigma, improve education, and build inclusive systems of care. Through storytelling, research, and advocacy, Lauren’s work bridges culture, technology, and public health.

Links

• Lauren’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-redfern-04052213b
• Hormonally website - https://hormonally.org/
• UK parliament report on medical misogyny -https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/news/204316/medical-misogyny-is-leaving-women-in-unnecessary-pain-and-undiagnosed-for-years/
• Dominic’s LinkedIn
• @DomJamesHiH socials - TikTok / X / Insta / YouTube
• Produced by Explosive Brands

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In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, host Dominic James is joined by Dr Lennard Lee to explore one of the most exciting shifts in modern medicine: how data, genomics, artificial intelligence and vaccines are coming together to transform the way we understand and treat cancer. With half the global population expected to face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, the need for bold, innovative solutions has never been more urgent. Dr Lee explains why cancer is still one of the most difficult diseases to treat, and how research, technology and smart policy are starting to make a real difference.

Over the past decade, cancer care has made remarkable progress. In the UK, five-year survival rates have risen to 56 percent, thanks to advances in immunotherapy, earlier detection through blood-based screening and AI-powered diagnostics. National programmes like the NHS Galleri trial and the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad are helping to bring these breakthroughs into everyday clinical care, offering patients more personalised and effective treatment options.

Dr Lee explains how four powerful forces of data, genomics, artificial intelligence and vaccines are converging to create a new era of cancer medicine. Together, he and Dominic look ahead to a future where cancer care is more proactive, precise and accessible, and where a diagnosis no longer carries the fear it once did.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lives

• Why cancer remains one of the hardest diseases to treat

• The importance of research and policy in driving progress

• The Galleri trial: a single blood test for 50 types of cancer

• The rise of personalised cancer vaccines and how they work

• What it takes for national leadership in new treatment paradigms

• How AI supercomputing is accelerating cancer vaccine discovery

• The convergence of data, genomics, AI and vaccines

• Envisioning 2035: a future where the fear of cancer is gone

About Lennard

Dr. Lennard Lee, Associate Professor, University of Oxford; Chief Medical Officer, Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford, UK and a national leader in cancer innovation.

He co-founded the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad and led the record-breaking Galleri trial. With over 50 peer-reviewed publications and multiple national awards, Lennard’s work bridges research, policy, and patient care.

Links

Lennard’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennardlee

Ellison Institute of Technology - https://www.eit.org/

AI Supercomputer for cancer vaccines - https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/news/researchers-granted-ai-supercomputing-award-to-accelerate-cancer-vaccine-work

WHO Cancer facts - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer

BBC report on the Galleri test for 50 types of cancer - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c205g21n1zzo.amp

Health in Hyperdrive website - https://www.future-centric.com/health-in-hyperdrive

@DomJamesHiH socials - TikTok / X / Insta / YouTube

Produced by Explosive Brands - https://www.e

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In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, host Dominic James is joined by Hannes Klöpper to explore the urgent need for scalable, accessible mental health solutions. With over one billion people worldwide affected by mental health disorders and a critical shortage of trained professionals, the demand for innovation has never been more pressing.

Digital and AI-powered mental health tools are stepping in to fill the gap, offering personalized support and expanding care beyond traditional clinical settings. Hannes shares how HelloBetter is pioneering digital therapeutics (DTx) for a broad range of conditions, backed by rigorous clinical evidence and available by prescription in Germany.

Together, they unpack the promise and complexity of digital mental health, from AI-driven communication tools to blended care models and the evolving regulatory landscape. This episode offers a timely look at how technology is transforming mental health care and empowering individuals to take control of their well-being.

Key Topics Covered

• A billion people seeking help for mental health and the decline of therapists
• Effective, scalable and affordable digital mental health solutions
• Demystifying digital therapeutics for mental health
• Therapists vs digital tools: complementary or competitive?
• The German DIGA model for digital health reimbursement
• Why care follows reimbursement: unlocking access through policy
• AI support for relationship building and communication
• Blended care: the future of digital and AI-enabled therapy
• The European AI Act and its implications for mental health innovation

About Hannes

Chief Executive Officer. HelloBetter

Hannes Klöpper is the CEO and Co-founder of HelloBetter, a company transforming mental health care through clinically validated digital therapeutics. With over 30 randomized controlled trials published in peer-reviewed journals, HelloBetter’s programs are available by prescription in Germany and are setting a new standard for accessible, evidence-based mental health support. Hannes is a leading voice in the digital health space, advocating for innovation that is both scalable and deeply human.

About Dom

Dominic brings two decades of experience as a former Global Health Innovation Leader. He is on the Advisory Board of Health Start-ups, a stealth co-founder, start-up mentor, and speaker. He holds a BSc in Mathematics & Computing and an MSc In Management Science. Dominic has lived and worked globally and is now based in London, UK.

Links

• Hannes’ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanneskloepper/
• HelloBetter website - https://hellobetter.de/
• WHO article - 1 Billion - https://www.who.int/news/item/02-09-2025-over-a-billion-people-living-with-mental-health-conditions-services-require-urgent-scale-up
• Harvard Business Review use of AI report - http://hbr.org/2025/04/how-people-are-really-using-gen-ai-in-2025
• New England Journal of Medicine AI chatbot for therapy - https://ai.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/AIoa2400802
• Health in Hyperdrive website - https://www.future-centric.com/health-in-hyperdrive
• @DomJamesHiH - TikTok / X / Insta / YouTube
• Produced

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In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, host Dominic James is joined by Alex Sheppard to explore how academic research evolves from campus curiosity into commercial impact, ultimately helping us live longer, healthier lives.

Healthcare has always been grounded in science, and its deep ties to academia are more relevant than ever. From the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines, accelerated by breakthroughs at MIT and the University of Mainz, to the rise of billion-dollar AI health companies born from university labs, the journey from research to reality is accelerating.

Alex brings a rare insider’s perspective, having led an Oxford University HealthTech spinout and now working across startups, investment, and industry. Together, they unpack the mechanics of academic spinouts, the role of multidisciplinary expertise, and how AI is reshaping empathy, equity, and access in healthcare. From digital scribing to orbital health stations, this episode charts a bold vision for health in 2050 and beyond.

Key Topics Covered

• UK vs US university commercialisation: comparing academic impact
• Leading an academic spinout: lessons from the CEO seat
• Collaboration and concentration: the dual engines of innovation
• Medical imaging, computer vision and digital scribing: AI’s diagnostic frontier
• DeepMind and London’s ecosystem: a pseudo-university for health AI
• Multidisciplinary mastery: why cross-domain expertise is the gamechanger of the century
• AI and empathy: enhancing human connection through intelligent systems
• The data imperative: building comprehensive health datasets
• Health equity through innovation: making advanced care accessible
• Health in 2050 and beyond!

About Alex

Start-up co-founder and Investor

Alex Sheppard is a start-up co-founder, investor and industry expert with deep ties to Oxford University’s innovation teams. Formerly the CEO of an Oxford HealthTech spinout, he brings first hand experience in translating academic research into commercial success. Today, Alex works across the health tech landscape to bridge academia, entrepreneurship and industry, driving innovation that is both scientifically rigorous and socially impactful.

About Dom

Dominic brings two decades of experience as a former Global Health Innovation Leader for Merck (top 5 pharma), successful Innovation Consultancy Co-Founder, Management Consulting Partner (Deloitte, Ogilvy, SBC) and Data Scientist. With an extensive network in the US, Europe & Asia, he brings together experts and organizations to work tirelessly deliver our mission of improving health by ten times through new technology.

Links

• Alex’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-sheppard-a0320aaa
• Microsoft ASCO paper on pancreatic cancer prediction using search logs - https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JOP.2015.010504
• Health in Hyperdrive website - https://www.future-centric.com/health-in-hyperdrive
• Dominic’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicjames/
• @DomJamesHiH socials - TikTok / X / Insta / YouTube / BlueSky
• Produced by Explosive Brands - https://www.explosivebrands.com/

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In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, host Dominic James is joined by Saghar Missaghian-Cully, Managing Director of North West London Pathology, to explore the evolving role of pathology in modern healthcare. From routine blood tests to advanced genetic screening, pathology underpins nearly every clinical decision—yet its impact is often overlooked.

Together, Dominic and Saghar unpack how innovations in automation, AI, and digital integration are transforming diagnostics. They also explore the rise of at-home testing, the push for community-based care, and the growing emphasis on disease prevention and health equity. Saghar shares her journey from scientist to strategic leader, offering insights into how data-driven diagnostics are shaping a more predictive, personalized, and accessible future for patients and clinicians alike.

Key Topics Covered

• Demystifying pathology and its central role in clinical decision-making
• Career progression from biomedical science to executive leadership
• Transforming human biology into actionable data
• Diagnostics as a tool for disease prevention and early intervention
• Automation and technology improving scaled lab diagnostics
• AI as an assistive tool saving time for scientists
• At-home testing and decentralized care models
• Community empowerment through accessible diagnostics

About Saghar

Managing Director of North West London Pathology

Saghar Missaghian-Cully is Managing Director of North West London Pathology, one of the UK’s largest NHS diagnostic networks. With a background in biomedical science, she now leads large-scale lab operations and drives innovation in diagnostics through automation, AI, and digital tools. Her work focuses on improving clinical efficiency and making healthcare more precise and accessible

About Dom

Dominic brings two decades of experience as a former Global Health Innovation Leader for Merck (top 5 pharma), successful Innovation Consultancy Co-Founder, Management Consulting Partner (Deloitte, Ogilvy, SBC) and Data Scientist. With an extensive network in the US, Europe & Asia, he brings together experts and organizations to work tirelessly deliver our mission of improving health by ten times through new technology.

Dominic is on the Advisory Board of Health Start-ups, a stealth co-founder, start-up mentor, and speaker. He holds a BSc in Mathematics & Computing and an MSc In Management Science. Dominic has lived and worked globally, including extended periods in the US, Asia (Singapore, Japan, China), and Europe, and is now based in London, UK.

Links

• Saghar’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/saghar-missaghian-cully-99807710
• North West London Pathology website - https://www.nwlpathology.nhs.uk/
• Health in Hyperdrive website - https://www.future-centric.com/health-in-hyperdrive
• Dominic’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicjames/
• @DomJamesHiH socials - TikTok / X / Insta / YouTube / BlueSky
• Produced by Explosive Brands - https://www.explosivebrands.com/

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In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, host Dominic James is joined by Dr. Aqeel Shamsul, CEO of Frontier Space, to explore the radical transformation underway in space-based biotechnology. From orbital labs to biological re-entry, we dive into the science, strategy, and vision behind turning microgravity into medicine.

Over the past two decades, drug development in space has moved from speculative to strategic, with breakthroughs in crystallization, tissue engineering, and precision therapies. Now, Europe’s first SpaceTech company delivering biological re-entry is pushing the frontier even further, enabling the growth of bio-foods, bio-fuels, bio-materials, vitamins, and even organs in orbit.

Dr. Shamsul shares how his team built a lab for launch, what it takes to grow hearts and retinal implants in microgravity, and why the next generation of space stations could redefine healthcare by 2050. Whether it’s space for space or space for Earth, this episode unpacks the commercial, clinical, and cosmic implications of biotech beyond borders.

Key Topics Covered

• R&D and biomanufacturing in microgravity: why space changes the rules
• 20 years of drug development in orbit: lessons and leaps
• How to build and launch a bio lab on a rocket
• Europe’s first biological re-entry mission: what it means for biotech
• Growing bio-food, bio-fuel, vitamins, and drugs in space
• Making space commercially viable for both Astronauts and Earth-based applications
• Engineering hearts and retinal implants in zero gravity
• What space health could look like by 2050: next-gen stations and therapies

About Aqeel

CEO Frontier Space

Dr. Aqeel Shamsul is the CEO and co-founder of Frontier Space, a UK-based biotech startup pioneering space-based drug development and biomanufacturing. With a PhD from Cranfield University and accolades from UKSA, ESA, and Seraphim Space Accelerator, he’s led Frontier Space to its first orbital launch and continues to shape the future of healthcare—one payload at a time.

Links

• Aqeel’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aqeelshamsul/
• Frontier Space Website - https://www.frontier-space.co.uk/
• Nature article on Protein Crystallization on the ISS - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-019-0090-3
• BBC article - 9 future space stations that will replace the ISS - https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-missions/future-space-stations-replace-iss
• Health in Hyperdrive website - https://www.future-centric.com/health-in-hyperdrive
• Dominic’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicjames/
• @DomJamesHiH socials - TikTok / X / Insta / YouTube / BlueSky
• Produced by Explosive Brands - https://www.explosivebrands.com/