The "Elevate" by MAPS Podcast

Building and demonstrating medical impact is becoming a central priority for organizations seeking to deliver meaningful outcomes for patients, healthcare systems, and society. But what does it take to design, implement, and sustain an effective impact framework within a medical affairs setting? In this podcast, we bring together medical leaders who have successfully navigated this journey in their own organizations.Through an engaging discussion, they share the motivations that drove their initiatives - whether responding to unmet needs, seizing strategic opportunities, or adapting to evolving organizational contexts. Listeners will hear practical insights into how frameworks were designed, the principles that guided them, and how approaches were tailored to align with specific structures, cultures, and therapeutic areas.The conversation also explores real-world outcomes: how impact is measured and recognized, what changes have emerged since implementation, and the role of data and technology in accelerating progress. Leaders candidly reflect on unexpected challenges and benefits, while offering practical advice for peers who are starting or refining their own frameworks.Looking ahead, our speakers share their perspectives on the future evolution of impact capabilities-and the enablers that will drive success in the years to come.

As Medical Affairs teams face rising content volumes, tighter timelines, and increasing complexity, many leaders are asking the same question: Can AI meaningfully improve the MLR review process—and if so, where do we start? In this practical, scenario-based session, members of the MAPS Medical Governance and Compliance Domain will explore high value GenAI use cases and where it can supplement human judgment. We’ll also discuss governance essentials, and a logical roadmap for responsible adoption, giving attendees the clarity and confidence needed to begin their own AI-enabled transformation. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Understand the current situation and pain points with MLRUnderstand how GenAI tools can be responsibly introduced into the MLR workflow, highlighting high-value use cases and realistic implementation stepsUnderstand key governance and implementation considerationsSPEAKERSModeratorJaymesh Patel, Director & Strategic Partner - Global Medical Ethics, AstrazenecaSpeaker 1Anneka Kapur, Senior Final Medical Signatory and Compliance Lead, LundbeckSpeaker 2Dr William Mwiti, Biopharma Medical Head: Sub Saharan & French Speaking Africa, Astrazeneca

Health misinformation is a critical threat to global public health. It erodes confidence in vaccines and medicines, fuels pandemic denialism, promotes unproven treatments, and undermines public health efforts. Medical Affairs sits at the centre of this challenge. We have a clear ethical responsibility to ensure patients make informed, evidence-based decisions about their care, and to equip healthcare professionals with the information and tools needed to address misinformation in the clinical setting. However, this approach carries inherent time and resource limitations.In this episode, we explore the role of Digital Opinion Leaders (DOLs) as a core pillar of modern healthcare communications. DOLs have the power to shape conversations, steer search behaviours, and can either amplify misinformation or help correct it. We examine the different DOL profiles and personas, discuss best practices for building effective long-term partnerships that leverage their individuality, preferences, and regional specificities, and consider how DOL engagement should be embedded into medical and cross-functional planning.We will draw on early insights from an ongoing pilot in Sub-Saharan Africa, analysing how patients and healthcare workers use social platforms and messaging apps – enabling us to identify trusted DOLs we can partner with to design effective health education and advocacy programmes.  

On today's MAPS "Elevate" episode, we'll deep dive into how Medical Affairs professionals can strengthen their business knowledge, expand their influence across organizations, and position themselves for executive leadership. Through personal stories and practical advice, our speakers reveal how. through working with and absorbing business acumen, they are helping people become more effective and more strategic leaders, and rising within their organizations.Learning Objectives:By the end of this podcast, listeners will learn:Why business acumen is importantWhat the balance is between business and medical needsWhat motivates companies to develop and commercialize a new medicineHow Medical Affairs adds valueWhat qualities make a great partnerSpeakers:Moderator: Michael Kahn, Executive Director, Medical Excellence, Amicus TherapeuticsLINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kahnmichael/Speaker 1: René Russo, PharmD, President & CEO, Xilio TherapeuticsLINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rene-russo-7488966/Speaker 2: Ruth du Moulin, PhD, SVP Medical Affairs, Xilio TherapeuticsLINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-du-moulin-phd-472b843/

Learning Objectives:After listening to this episode, the audience will be able to:  Describe how a Medical Affairs organization prioritized and implemented AI use cases to address HCP needs through faster, more intuitive, conversational engagement with medical content.Identify key considerations for scaling external-facing AI solutions in Medical Affairs, including compliance, governance, and long-term sustainability.

How can Medical Affairs Professionals connect teams, harmonize processes, and enable consistent, high-quality scientific communications?In today's podcast episode, experts from our Medical Information FAWG explore what it really means to build a truly global medical information function to reach customers across the regions.

For years, patient involvement in drug development was limited to trial participation and post-approval education. But things are evolving. Patients today aren’t just participants—they actively co-build the healthcare ecosystem.In today's podcast episode, experts from the MAPS Scientific & Technical Knowledge Domain dive into a topic that’s transforming clinical development: Patient engagement.

In the first episode of our series on innovation in Medical Affairs, we focused on the mindset that allows ideas to flourish and on why innovation matters at all. So where do we go from here...How do we move from ideas to implementation? How do we build systems that make innovation repeatable, measurable, and scalable?In today's podcast episode, experts from the MAPS Leadership and Management Domain dive deep into the topic of how to convert great ideas into real world value for patients, physicians, and in general, the health care ecosystem.

Medical Affairs is evolving faster than ever. It demands not only execution, but imagination. In fact, innovation in Medical Affairs isn't just needed. It's already happening, and we have the responsibility to guide it with intention.In today's podcast episode, our speakers explore the foundations of innovation and how having an innovative mindset can help fuel a curious and collaborative Medical Affairs organization to reach new goals.

Join us for a fun look back at the top publications of 2025 — and info your publications team can use to find success beyond only impact factor and citations in 2026.