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.

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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.

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In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Priscilla Chan, MD, pediatrician and co-founder of Biohub, a first-of-its-kind research initiative combining frontier AI with frontier biology to accelerate progress toward curing or preventing all disease.

Dr. Chan shares how her experience caring for children with rare and undiagnosed conditions shaped her commitment to transforming how science is done. She discusses how patient-led research communities are driving breakthroughs, and how new approaches to data sharing and collaboration are reshaping the pace of discovery.

The conversation explores Biohub’s work to build a “virtual cell”—a computational model designed to simulate human biology—and how advances in artificial intelligence, large-scale datasets, and imaging technologies could allow scientists to better understand disease at its most fundamental level. These tools may one day make it possible to predict disease risk earlier, test interventions virtually, and personalize treatment based on an individual’s biology.

Dr. Chan also reflects on the future of medicine, where the boundaries between research and clinical care continue to blur, and where physicians increasingly engage with data, biology, and technology to guide patient care in real time.

Looking ahead, she shares her vision for a more proactive and precise healthcare system—one that moves beyond treating illness to anticipating and preventing it.

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In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Jonathan Chen, MD, PhD, clinician, AI researcher, and Associate Professor at Stanford, whose work focuses on combining human and artificial intelligence to improve clinical decision-making.

Dr. Chen reflects on the rapid rise of AI in medicine, and the moment he realized everything had changed. He also walks through surprising findings from his research, including studies showing that AI alone can sometimes outperform doctors using AI tools. He explains why this happens, from human bias and “automation errors” to the ways AI systems are designed to agree with users, even when they’re wrong.

Looking ahead, Dr. Chen shares his perspective on the future of AI in medicine, including the risks of overreliance, the importance of clinical judgment, and how these tools could transform everything from medical education to patient care. He also explores the concept of “do no harm” in AI systems—and why safety and accuracy are not the same thing.

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In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Eric Topol, MD, cardiologist, scientist, bestselling author of Super Agers, and founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, whose work has helped shape the field of digital medicine and the use of data, genomics, and artificial intelligence to personalize care.

Dr. Topol reflects on how medicine is shifting from treating disease to preventing it, and why extending health span—the years we live in good health—may be one of the most important goals in modern science. He explains how advances in biomarkers, wearable technology, and AI are making it possible to predict disease risk earlier and intervene before conditions like heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s develop.

Dr. Topol also discusses the science behind “super agers,” people who remain physically and cognitively healthy well into older age, and what research is revealing about the roles of the immune system, inflammation, lifestyle, and emerging therapies in determining how we age.

Looking ahead, Dr. Topol shares his perspective on the future of preventive medicine, including how AI-driven prediction, organ-specific aging clocks, and new biological insights could transform healthcare from a reactive system into one focused on keeping people healthy for as long as possible.

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In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Alexis Thompson, MD, MPH, pediatric hematologist and internationally recognized expert on sickle cell disease whose work helped lead to the first approved gene therapies for this serious condition.

Dr. Thompson reflects on the extraordinary transformation of sickle cell care over the course of her career. From the early days of newborn screening and simple interventions like penicillin to today’s breakthrough gene therapies, the field has experienced what she calls “an amazing arc” of progress.

Dr. Thompson also walks through the remarkable science behind gene therapy for sickle cell disease, and how CRISPR gene editing and lentiviral vectors (modified viruses such as HIV that are engineered to safely deliver genes) are being used to modify patients’ own stem cells, allowing them to produce healthy red blood cells and dramatically reduce the complications of the disease.

Looking ahead, Dr. Thompson shares her perspective on the next frontier of genetic medicine: including efforts to make gene therapies safer, more scalable, and accessible to patients around the world.

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In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS, physician, epidemiologist, and Editor-in-Chief of JAMA, whose work sits at the center of how today’s most influential medical research is evaluated, communicated, and translated into practice.

Dr. Bibbins-Domingo takes us inside the high-stakes world of scientific publishing, exploring how editors weigh evidence, interpret peer review, and decide when research is strong enough to move the field forward. She explains why “no scientific study is perfect,” and what that reality means for clinicians, researchers, and the public.

In this conversation, Dr. Bibbins-Domingo reflects on her journey from basic science to population health and editorial leadership. She discusses how journals are adapting in an era of information overload and AI, why context and communication matter more than ever, and how scientific editors think about balancing rigor, risk, and real-world impact.

Looking ahead, Dr. Bibbins-Domingo shares her perspective on the future of medical publishing, and why reaching people where they are will be essential to maintaining trust in science and advancing patient care.

As part of our ongoing series from Stanford’s Department of Medicine, bringing together leaders shaping the future of healthcare, this episode offers a thoughtful, behind-the-scenes look at how medical evidence moves from manuscript to medicine.

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In this episode of The Future of Medicine, we welcome Mark Skylar-Scott, PhD, bioengineer and researcher at Stanford University, whose work sits at the forefront of 3D bioprinting, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.

Dr. Skylar-Scott explores the bold challenge of organ manufacturing — why it’s one of the hardest problems in medicine, and why there is good reason for optimism. He explains how advances in bioprinting, vascular engineering, and scalable cell production are opening new possibilities for creating functional human tissues and, one day, whole organs.

In this conversation, Dr. Skylar-Scott shares his journey from engineering and early 3D printing to pioneering work in bioprinting. He discusses why blood vessels are the central bottleneck in building living tissue, how biology and engineering must work together, and what it takes to scale from millions of cells in a dish to the hundreds of billions required to build an organ like the human heart.

Looking ahead, Dr. Skylar-Scott discusses progress toward large-animal models and what it will take to move organ manufacturing closer to clinical reality.

As part of our ongoing series from Stanford’s Department of Medicine — bringing together scientists and clinicians shaping the future of healthcare — this episode offers a thoughtful, grounded look at the forward momentum in organ printing and regenerative medicine.

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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.