Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us Fan MailDr. James Mackay, Ph.D. is President, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Crystalys Therapeutics Inc. ( https://crystalystx.com/ ), a development stage pharmaceutical company addressing the significant unmet medical needs of people living with gout and dedicated to developing new therapeutics and helping improve the lives of patients.Dr. Mackay has over 40 years of development and commercialization expertise in the pharmaceutical industry, including 6 drug product approvals across multiple therapeutic areas. Prior to founding Crystalys Therapeutics, he was CEO and co-founder of Aristea Therapeutics and President and CEO of Ardea Biosciences.  Prior to Ardea, Dr. Mackay held senior executive positions over a 30 year period at AstraZeneca where he led the development and commercialization of drugs across a range of therapy areas and managed significant global functional departments.Dr. Mackay plays a pivotal role in the San Diego innovation ecosystem and currently sits on the Board and Executive Committee of CONNECT and sits on the Board of Advisors of BIOCOM. He is a former Board member of the San Diego Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Dr. Mackay holds a BS in Genetics and Ph.D. in Medical Genetics from Aberdeen University, Scotland.Important Episode Link - JEWEL Program - https://jewelprogram.com/#JamesMackay #CrystalysTherapeutics #Gout #CrystalInducedArthritis #UricAcid #Hyperuricemia #GoutyArthritis #Allopurinol #UrateLoweringTherapy #XanthineOxidaseInhibitors #UricosuricAgents #Dotinurad #TophaceousGout #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailJoel Latham is the Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director of Incannex Healthcare Inc. ( https://incannex.com/ ) a science-led combination medicines company leading the way in developing cannabinoid-based medicines and psychedelic-based regimens for people living with challenging chronic conditions.Incannex Healthcare’s science-driven programs are exploring the therapeutic potential of oral synthetic cannabinoid and psilocybin drug candidates in sleep apnea, anxiety, and inflammatory diseases. Joel brings more than 20 years of senior management and operations experience in both public and private sectors, and under Joel’s leadership, Incannex has advanced, and prioritized multiple therapeutic candidates into clinical-stage development. Previously, Joel was the CEO and Managing Director of Incannex Australia, where he played a key role in the company’s growth and its successful transition to Nasdaq. Joel has also held senior leadership roles in corporate strategy and global market development at Mars Foods, Tabcorp, and Philip Morris International.#JoelLatham #IncannexHealthcare #CombinationMedicines #CannabinoidBasedMedicines #PsychedelicBasedRegimens #ObstructiveSleepApnea #RheumatoidArthritis #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #Acetazolamide #Dronabinol #Cannabidiol #Hydroxychloroquine #Psilocybin #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailPeter Basica ( https://peterbasica.com/ ) is the Founder and Chairman of 360 Smarter Care ( https://360smartercare.com/ ), an independent, AI-driven healthcare company redefining how self-funded employers manage healthcare costs and population health. Under his leadership, 360 Smarter Care applies advanced behavioral science, proprietary artificial intelligence, and deep human empathy to deliver personalized, one-to-one engagement at scale — improving health outcomes while significantly reducing costs. Free from venture capital pressure and legacy healthcare conflicts, Peter built 360 to challenge a system he believes too often prioritizes profit over people.Before launching 360, Peter spent nearly three decades building and leading high-performance organizations across industries including insurance, automotive, marine, manufacturing, and financial services. He is the founder of Silver Bullet Partners, where for 18 years he served as President and Senior Educator, working directly with C-suite executives on sales performance, leadership development, executive coaching, and culture change. His proprietary methodologies helped clients dramatically increase revenue, reverse sales declines, and build durable performance cultures — including doubling sales at Fountain Powerboats, adding tens of millions in revenue at Monterey Boats, and restoring growth at ISG.Earlier in his career, Peter held senior leadership roles in sales, marketing, and operations, including transforming Pier 33 Marina from an underperforming two-location business into a five-location, multi-state powerhouse growing revenues from $8 million to $50 million. As Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Arrington Performance Industries, he led market expansion initiatives, operational turnarounds, and high-profile brand placements — blending strategic vision with hands-on execution.In parallel with his business ventures, Peter is also the Founder of Digital Consumerism ( https://digitalconsumerism.com/ ), a platform designed to help individuals maximize financial wellness, protect digital assets, and make smarter everyday decisions across banking, healthcare, travel, and cybersecurity.Deeply committed to service, Peter founded Remember Our Military ( https://www.rememberourmilitary.com/ ), a volunteer-driven nonprofit ensuring that no active-duty service member or veteran spends a holiday meal alone. He also serves on advisory boards including the Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s Global Consortium for Innovation and Engineering in Medicine and Newark Youth Career Pathways, reflecting his dedication to education, innovation, and community impact.#PeterBasica #360SmarterCare #RuralHealthTransformationFund #OneBigBeautifulBillAct #ExpandingAccess #ImprovingHealthOutcomes #WorkforceDevelopment #InnovativeCareModels #Telehealth #RemoteCare #PrimaryCare #PrenatalCare #MaternalServices #ChronicDiseaseManagement #BehavioralHealthServices #CommunityHealthWorkers #DataSharing #Interoperability #ValueBasedCare #AlternativePaymentModels #AdvancedAI #RuralPatients #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Steven Quay, MD, Ph.D. ( https://drquay.com/ ) is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Atossa Therapeutics ( https://atossatherapeutics.com/ ), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.Dr. Quay is certified in Anatomic Pathology with the American Board of Pathology, completed both an internship and residency in anatomic pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, and is a former faculty member of the Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine.Dr. Quay is a named inventor on 87 U.S. patents, 130 pending U.S. patent applications, and is named inventor on patents covering five pharmaceutical products that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Quay received an MD and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He received his B.A. degree in biology, chemistry and mathematics from Western Michigan University. #StevenQuay #AtossaTherapeutics #BreastCancer #SelectiveEstrogenReceptorModulators #AromataseInhibitors #SelectiveEstrogenReceptorDegraders #Tamoxifen #Zendoxifen #MetastaticDisease #MammographicBreastDensity #GlioblastomaMultiforme #DuchenneMuscularDystrophy #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLewis Bender is CEO and Founder of Intensity Therapeutics ( https://intensitytherapeutics.com/ ), a clinical-stage biotechnology company whose mission is to help patients live longer, higher quality lives by discovering, developing, and commercializing first-in-class cancer drugs that attenuate tumors with minimal side effects, while training the patient’s own immune system to fight the cancer. Intensity’s novel engineered chemistry (lead candidate INT230-6) enables aqueous cytotoxic-containing drug formulations to mix and saturate a tumor's dense, high-fat, pressurized environment following direct intra-tumoral injection. As a result of the saturation, Intensity's clinical trials have demonstrated the ability of INT230-6 to kill tumors and elicit an adaptive immune response within days of injection, representing a new approach to cancer cell death that holds the potential to shift the treatment paradigm and turn many deadly cancers into chronic diseases, even for malignancies that do not respond to conventional immunotherapy.Prior to founding Intensity Therapeutics, Mr. Bender was the CEO of Interleukin Genetics, a personalized medicine company. At Interleukin Mr. Bender successfully restructured the Company, increased sales eight-fold, developed a new genetic-based testing platform and partnered with a large insurance provider to initiate studies leading to reimbursement of the Company’s lead product.Prior to joining Interleukin Genetics, Mr. Bender held numerous positions at Emisphere Technologies, Inc., a drug delivery company specializing in the oral delivery of poorly absorbed molecules. While at Emisphere Mr. Bender held positions as; Interim President & CEO, Chief Technology Officer, Senior Vice President of Business Development, and Vice President of Manufacturing and Process Development. During his career Mr. Bender has partnered with several major pharmaceutical and biotech companies using structures such as joint ventures, licensing and research collaboration agreements.Mr. Bender has over 25 years of biotech and pharmaceutical experience having led teams taking products from discovery to Phase III for compounds using novel drug delivery techniques. In addition, Mr. Bender has been successful in raising (or helping to raise) capital with institutional investors using several vehicles such as registered direct placements, PIPES, S-3 & S-1 filings, and convertible debt. For Intensity Therapeutics he has raised approximately $13,000,000 in capital with multiple types of investors.Mr. Bender has both a B.S and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from MIT, an MBA from UPenn’s Wharton School, and an MA in International studies also from UPenn. He spent several years living in Switzerland and speaks French, German and Swiss-German dialect.#LewisBender #IntensityTherapeutics #Intratumoral #Immunotherapy #CellPenetrationAndDispersionEnhancer #AmphiphilicMolecule #CytotoxicChemotherapy #Cisplatin #Vinblastine #DfuseRx #DirectCytotoxicity #NeoantigenRelease #AdaptiveImmuneResponse #SoftTissueSarcoma #TripleNegativeBreastCancer #LocallyAdvancedBreastCancer #Metastatic #RefractorySolidTumors #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Jonathan Jenkins, Psy.D., CMPC, is a clinical psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant known for his work with elite athletes, including members of the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox. Dr. Jenkins also serves as Assistant Director of Psychology Training at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts General Hospital ( https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/22465/jonathan-jenkins ) as well as in private practice, Mental Fitness and Psychotherapy ( https://www.mentalfitnesspsych.com/ ), where he integrates performance psychology into clinical care for youth and adults.With his Psy.D in Clinical Psychology from University of Denver, Dr. Jenkins multidisciplinary expertise in mental health, sport psychology, and resilience positions him as a leading voice on the intersection of mental health and elite performance. Dr. Kimberly O’Brien, Ph.D. is the founder and director of Unlimited Resilience, LLC ( https://unlimitedresiliencellc.com/ ), a group mental health practice designed for athletes by athletes, and co-founder and director of Athletes Better Together ( https://www.athletesbettertogether.com/ ), an athlete peer mentoring program. She is also a research and training consultant at the Behavioral Research & Training Institute at Rutgers University ( https://ubhc.rutgers.edu/education/brti-overview.xml ). Dr. O’Brien received her BA from Harvard University, where she was a four-year member and co-captain of the hockey team which won a National Championship in 1999. She obtained her MSW and PhD from Boston College and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University. Dr. O’Brien's research is focused on intervention development for suicidal adolescents and their families, with additional specializations in substance use, interventions which utilize technology, and athlete mental health and suicide prevention. Dr. O’Brien has co-authored over 75 articles and book chapters related to adolescent suicide, substance use, and mental health, and was awarded the Young Investigator Research Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in 2019. Together, Dr. Jenkins and Dr. O’Brien are co-authors of the upcoming book Mentality Wins: The Athlete’s Playbook for Thriving in Sport and Life ( https://www.mentalitywins.com/ ), exploring the fascinating connections between athletic performance and mental health.Important Episode Links Mentality Wins Instagram Page -https://www.instagram.com/mentalitywinsbook/Dr. Jonathan Jenkins Instagram Page -https://www.instagram.com/dr.jonathanjenkins/?hl=enDr. Kimberly O’Brien Instagram Page -https://www.instagram.com/unlimited_resilience/Webinar: Thriving Under Pressure- Mental Fitness for Athletes - Feb 26, 2026 -https://mentalhealthawarenesseducation.com/events/webinar-thriving-under-pressure-a-mental-fitness-guide-for-athletes/2nd Annual Coalition of Athletic Communities for Mental Health (COACMH) Conference - Tuesday, February 17, 2026 - https://calendar.cuanschutz.edu/event/2nd-annual-coalition-of-athletic-communities-for-mental-health-coacmh-conference#JonathanJenkins #KimberlyOBrien #NewEnglandPatriots #BostonRedSox #MassachusettsGeneralHospital #MentalFitnessAndPsychotherapy #ClinicalPsychology #UnlimitedResilience #AthletesBetterTogether #BehavioralResearchAndTrainingInstitute #RutgersUniversity #MentalityWins #Resilience #Flow #Play #EliteAthletes #SportPsychology #MentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #SubstanceUse #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailMarcel Ishimwe is a pharmacist and public health advocate based in Kigali, Rwanda who is also the Founder and CEO of AMR Initiative Rwanda ( https://amrinitiativerwanda.org/ ), an organization dedicated to tackling antimicrobial resistance through awareness, stewardship, and community-driven solutions.With a BS in Pharmacy from Unversity of Rwanda, certificates in organizational leadership from Harvard and in Advanced TB Research Training and Epidemiology from University of Washington, and a strong commitment to public health, Marcel works at the intersection of medicine, education, and policy to promote responsible antimicrobial use and strengthen health systems in Rwanda and beyond. Through AMR Initiative Rwanda, he has helped elevate the conversation around antimicrobial resistance—one of the most pressing and often overlooked global health threats of our time—by engaging healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public.On this episode, we discuss Marcel’s journey into pharmacy, the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries, and how locally led initiatives like his are shaping the future of global health.Important Episode Link  - Medikal - Revolutionizing African Healthcare with AI - https://www.medikalafrica.com/#MarcelIshimwe #AMRInitiativeRwanda #AntimicrobialResistance #SilentPandemic #EColi #KlebsiellaPneumoniae #ThirdGenerationCephalosporins #Resistance #AntibioticStewardship #CommunityOutreach #DigitalCampaigns #ProfessionalTraining #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #ScientificIntegrity #SocialStability#STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Casey Perley, Ph.D. is Executive Director of the Army Applications Laboratory ( https://aal.mil/ ) where she leads the mission to reshape how the U.S. Army works with industry to provide the best tech in the world to the best Army in the world. Her vision is for AAL to work from problem inception to sustainment hand in glove with stakeholders across the Army and the Department of War to accelerate and assess the Army's ability to ingest innovation.Dr. Perley previously served most recently as the deputy director of AAL and before that as the first director of Insights and Analysis, where their scientists and entrepreneurs collaborate to bring the best companies and technologies into solving Army problems. Prior to AAL, Dr. Perley was a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), where she managed research projects across a range of topics and stakeholders. She designed DNA vaccines and worked in the lab with bio threats including Ebola. Dr. Perley holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology from Duke University and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale.Dr. Perley's is also an accomplished harpist, and her orchestral harp work can be heard on more than 120 recordings, one of which was nominated for two Grammy awards.#CaseyPerley #ArmyApplicationsLaboratory #USArmyTransformationAndTrainingCommand #ArmyFuturesCommand #UnitedStatesArmyTrainingAndDoctrineCommand #DepartmentOfTheArmy #AutonomousBridgingKit #CasualtyCareTraining #QuantumHardening #ModularElectromagneticWarfarePayload #BroadAgencyAnnouncement #DisruptiveApplications #USAMRIID #USArmyMedicalResearchInstituteOfInfectiousDiseases #Hanta #Ebola #Tuberculosis #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Tara Williams, Ph.D. is the owner and founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants, Inc. ( https://innovativecollegiateconsultants.com/ ), a consultancy that provides educational assistance and guides neurodivergent students to build academic confidence and independence through advocacy and personalized executive functioning support in their coursework and daily lives.Dr. Williams earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Sussex in Falmer, United Kingdom. Dr. Williams is currently a tenured professor at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, and has been teaching for the last twenty years. She has been working with neurodivergent students across the U.S. since 2010, after noticing that these students were struggling with the transition from K-12 support in their Individualized Education Program to college, where self-advocacy and identification were required by a system built for the neurotypical. Dr. Williams and her team specialize in executive functioning coaching, with an emphasis on academics. Work with students includes accommodation management, email and Learning Management System support, course planning and registration, summer school transfer courses, housing, internship and job searching, and much more. This work also includes concepts of Universal Design which helps both neurodiverse and neurotypical students build confidence, advocate for themselves and thrive in school and college. Dr. Williams is currently writing a book about her own experiences and struggles in K-12 and higher education, and documenting several case studies working with neurodivergent college students. This book will be released early next year and is entitled "The Neurodivergent Student Journey: A Story of Hope and Breaking Out of the Box".#TaraWilliams #InnovativeCollegiateConsultants #Neurodivergent #ADHD #Dyslexia #Dyscalculia #Autism #ExecutiveFunctioning #Education #AcademicConsultancy #AccommodationManagement #Advocacy#STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Marie-Angélique Sene, Ph.D. is Head of Advanced Vaccine Bioprocessing at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar ( https://institutpasteurdakar.sn/ ), one of the most strategically important vaccine manufacturing and research centers in the world—particularly as Africa works to build long-term, sovereign capacity to develop and produce its own vaccines, and she leads their laboratory responsible for the acquisition and transfer of novel technology. Dr. Sene began her studies in engineering school studying Material Science, Mechanical Engineering, Quantum Physics, and Relativity while conducting research at one of the French Atomic Energy Commission laboratories. Afterwards, Dr. Sene joined the graduate program in Seoul National University to do her Master’s work, specializing in Micro/Nano engineering, while overseeing the Inter-University Semiconductor Research Center’s photolithography equipment quality control and offering consulting services for local Korean companies wishing to integrate micro/nanotechnology to their Point-of-Care devices. Dr. Sene worked on projects from various fields such as Agriculture, Green Energies, Semiconductors, Optics, and Health among others. Dr. Sene now specializes in Vaccines manufacturing and applies her previously acquired knowledge to this field to contribute in the effort to advance equitable access to vaccines. During her Ph.D. at McGill University in the Kamen Lab, with a focus on Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Dr. Sene obtained a patent as main inventor, in collaboration with Sanofi-Pasteur, focusing on the genetic engineering of the Vero cell vaccine production platform, providing new possibilities to quickly generate high throughput, globally accessible, and pandemic ready cell-based vaccine platforms to efficiently protect global populations from current and emerging diseases. #MarieAngéliqueSene #VaccineBioprocessing #InstitutPasteurDeDakar #VeroCells #PandemicPreparedness #AdvancedBiomanufacturing #GlobalHealthSecurity #Senegal #MRNAVaccineDevelopment #RiftValleyFever #MADIBA #ManufacturingInAfricaForDiseaseImmunizationandBuildingAutonomy #RheumaticHeartDisease#STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show