Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us Fan MailMr. Lameen Abdul-Malik is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Coffeepreneur, Intellectual Philanthropist, and Executive Director of Honest Management LLC, UAE. (https://www.honestmanagement.org/) Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2005, for which he worked for over 14 years, Mr. Abdul-Malik has over twenty years’ experience in international development, primarily in Africa, where he was responsible for developing the IAEA regional strategy to help over 41 African countries use nuclear science and technology to address their primary development challenges in health, agriculture and radiation safety. Mr. Abdul-Malik started his career, working at the UK Department for International Development, where he worked on the international trade, debt relief and economic and social research. Mr. Abdul-Malik is also very passionate about coffee and has been writing about coffee for over 13 years on his blog (https://fromcoffeewithlove.com/), for which he was featured on CNN, and recently launched his own espresso brand coffee in collaboration with Sippy Beans of Dubai, UAE. In June 2019, Mr. Abdul-Malik was invited to participate at the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) and European Union (EU) Coffee Symposium on the UN Sustainable development goals (SDGS), where he interacted with global players such as Starbucks, Nestle, and Illy, as they discussed ways in which to improve the coffee value chain. Following his departure from the IAEA, Mr. Abdul-Malik worked as a director for The Future Investment Initiative Institute (FII Institute), a Riyadh, KSA based global foundation focusing on the world's brightest ideas in sustainability, healthcare, education, AI, and robotics, and helping them find their way to materialize, scale and create a positive sustainable impact on humanity. Now as Executive Director of Honest Management LLC, UAE, Mr. Abdul-Malik has set himself a goal of having a positive impact on at least one million people lives within the next 5 years, using his various skill sets in development, education and of course, in coffee. Mr. Abdul-Malik has a Master of Business Administration in International Management from University of Exeter Business School.Support the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Antonio Giordano, MD, Ph.D., (https://www.drantoniogiordano.com/) is President and Founder of the Sbarro Health Research Organization (https://www.shro.org/), which conducts research to diagnose, treat and cure cancer, but also has diversified into research beyond oncology, into the areas of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Dr. Giordano is also a Professor of Molecular Biology at Temple University in Philadelphia, a 'Chiara fama' Professor in the Department of Pathology & Oncology at the University of Siena, Italy, and Director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, and the Center for Biotechnology, at Temple's College of Science & Technology. In his research throughout the years, Dr. Giordano has identified numerous tumor suppressor genes, including Rb2/p130, which has been found to be active in lung, endometrial, brain, breast, liver and ovarian cancers, as well as interesting synergistic effects of gamma radiation in combination with this gene, accelerating the death of tumor cells. Dr. Giordano went on to discover Cyclin A, Cdk9 (which is known to play critical roles in HIV transcriptions, inception of tumors, and cell differentiation), and Cdk10. Dr. Giordano also developed patented technologies for diagnosing cancer. Dr. Giordano has published over 400 papers on gene therapy, cell cycle, genetics of cancer, and epidemiology. In 2011, Dr. Giordano and his team uncovered anti-tumor agents that might be effective in the treatment of mesothelioma, a cancer caused by prolonged asbestos exposure, by inducing cell death without harming healthy cells. Dr. Giordano has been involved with many other fascinating programs, including digital health work to see if watching a computer animated avatar could assist women to lose weight, as well as analyzing the environmental relationship among toxic dumping and cancer growth, birth defects, and CNS disorders, due to the Camorra (the Neapolitan Mafia) illegally disposing of toxic waste.Support the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Sonia Grego, Ph.D. is Associate Research Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, at Duke University (https://ece.duke.edu/faculty/sonia-grego). Dr. Grego is also the Founding Director of the Duke Smart Toilet Lab (https://smarttoilet.pratt.duke.edu/), dedicated to the opportunities that data-rich human excreta offer to improve individual and public health. The objective of the organization is to empower individuals and groups in communal living with health information for early warning of disease, health and wellness, and management of chronic diseases through wastewater analysis, without any changes of daily habits. Dr. Grego is passionate about the opportunities that advanced sanitation technologies offer to improve global health and to provide a paradigm shift in health screening both for individuals and for communities. A major project of Dr. Grego’s research portfolio over the past 5 years, she has led the field testing of 10+ onsite sanitation technology prototypes from multiple organizations in international settings. She has managed year long deployments of sophisticated chemo-mechanical systems with electronic monitoring connected to wastewater pipes of buildings, ensuring no disruption of service to users while evaluating the treatment process performance. Dr. Grego has an M.S. from Università di Pisa (Italy) and a Ph.D. from University of Copenhagen (Denmark). Dr. Grego has also founded Coprata Inc. (https://coprata.com/) to commercialize technologies developed at Duke University, to detect or manage acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases, provide early warning of infectious disease and monitor personalized wellness.Support the show

Send us Fan MailNTT (http://www.global.ntt/) is a Japanese telecommunications company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. NTT DATA Services (https://www.nttdata.com/global/en), is a global digital business and IT services leader focused on a range of business services, including cloud, data and applications, and which has recently embarked on an ambitious new initiative, as part of their goal "To Change The Future For Good", towards Re-Imagining Health and Well-Being, towards what NTT defines as a more human-empowered, knowledge-driven and technology-enabled approach. Lisa Esch is Senior Vice President-Healthcare Provider, Digital Health, Innovation, & Industry Offerings, at NTT DATA Services, where she oversees solutions and offering development, as well as their Go-To-Market strategy within the vertical and serves as the subject matter expert in the client engagements. Lisa has an extensive background in disruptive technologies, healthcare innovation, strategic planning, and business process improvement. Before joining NTT Data Services, Lisa was a Senior Healthcare Executive with DXC Technology, and Computer Science Corporation, where she served as the Chief Innovation Officer- Providr Healthcare. Along with her executive career, Lisa has served on the boards for Empower Education International, Children's Heart Alliance, Head Start Health, and Student for Student. She began her healthcare career as a Registered Dietitian. Lisa graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and completed Graduate Studies in Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Lisa is Yellow Belt Certified in Spartans Sales Training and holds a Certificate in Medical Nutrition & Dietetic Internship from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Michael Petersen, M.D., is Chief Clinical Innovation Officer at NTT DATA Services. Dr. Petersen is dedicated to helping clients solve complex challenges around health equity and social care, in which data, analytics and technology can be applied to make a meaningful shift towards positive human-centric healthcare experiences. Michael joins NTT DATA from Accenture, where he helped shape the firm’s health equity point of view, capabilities and ecosystem. Before working in healthcare IT, he was an emergency medicine pediatrician at several large health systems, including five years as Chief of Pediatrics at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital. Prior to that, Michael served several years in the United States Army developing his leadership skills. Michael earned his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and did his Pediatric / Emergency Pediatric residency / fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis.Support the show

Send us Fan MailKhaliya (https://www.khaliya.net/) is a Columbia University-trained public health specialist and Harvard University-trained specialist in Global Mental Health and Refugee Trauma. She is also a Venture Partner for Gender Equity Diversity Investments (www.gedi.vc), a new female-led VC firm targeting high growth investments that deliver top-quartile returns and measurable impact towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals with a preliminary focus on health. Formerly an aid worker in over 32 countries and a former Peace Corps Volunteer for the US State Department, she has won numerous awards for her international service. Khaliya was the youngest member of the WEF's Futures Council on the Future of Health and Healthcare and her opinion pieces have run in the New York Times (International and Domestic Editions) as well as WiredUK. Currently at work on a book on the future of mental health, Khaliya continues to be a sought after public speaker, having spoken at the Obama White House organized United States of Women Summit, the World Economic Forum's Family Business Summit, the Vatican, Clinton Global Initiative, WiredHealth, WebSummit and at the United Nations General Assembly, among others. Khaliya is next scheduled to speak at the G20 Women’s Summit in Milan, Italy, and the Ethical Assembly Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, both taking place in October, 2021.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Mr. Craig Fugate is the former Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA - an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, whose primary purpose is to coordinate the response to disasters that have occurred in the United States and that overwhelm the resources of local and state authorities.) Mr. Fugate is currently the Chief Emergency Management Officer of One Concern, (a Resilience-as-a-Service solutions company that brings disaster science together with machine learning for better decision making). Mr. Fugate is also senior advisor at BlueDot Strategies, where he assists a range of clients with emergency management implementation strategies and crisis communications. Mr. Fugate serves on the Board of Directors of PG&E Corp., one of the largest electric and natural gas utilities in the U.S., and on the staff at Indian River State College, serving as a strategic consultant in emergency management. Mr. Fugate has decades of experience at the local, state, and federal levels in disaster preparedness and management. He has also overseen preparation and response efforts for disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes, health crises, and national security threats. As Florida Director for the Emergency Management Division, Mr. Fugate oversaw the "Big 4 of '2004" (Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) and as the Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he organized recovery efforts for a record of eighty-seven disasters in 2011. Support the show

Send us Fan MailProfessor Johnjoe McFadden (https://johnjoemcfadden.co.uk/) is Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. With a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Professor McFadden has spent many years doing in-depth research in the area of microbial genetics, including the study of the agents tuberculosis and meningitis and invented important diagnostic tests for such agents. Professor McFadden has published more than 100 scientific articles on a wide range of subjects including bacterial genetics, tuberculosis, idiopathic diseases and computer modelling of evolution, while along the way editing a book on the genetics of mycobacteria, "Systems Biology of Tuberculosis". Professor McFadden has been instrumental in creating new models of human consciousness, such as his Conscious Electromagnetic Information Field (or CEMI Theory), as well as pioneering in such cutting edge fields as Quantum Biology. Professor McFadden has lectured extensively in the UK, Europe, the USA and Japan and his work has been featured in numerous radio, television and national newspaper articles. Professor McFadden has also become a prolific author of books, including "Quantum Evolution, Life in the Multiverse" and "Life on the Edge: The Coming Age of Quantum Biology". Hi new book in entitled "Life Is Simple: How Occam's Razor Set Science Free and Shapes the Universe".Support the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Maria Elena Bottazzi  is Distinguished Professor of Biology, Associate Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, and Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, and Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Bottazzi is also Co-Director, Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Adjunct Professor, Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, and Editor-in-Chief, Current Tropical Medicine Reports. Dr. Botazzi has a degree in microbiology from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, a PhD from University Of Florida, did a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at University Of Pennsylvania and at University Of Miami Hospital And Clinics, and a Fellowship at American Association for the Advancement of Science Leshner Leadership Institute. Dr. Botazzi is involved in a range of activities related to the development of novel vaccines and adjuvants for neglected tropical diseases (Chagas Disease, Leishmaniasis, Human Hookworm Vaccine, Schistosomiasis Vaccine), as well as extensive work on Covid vaccines.Support the show

Send us Fan MailKimberly A. Reed just finished up a 2-year term as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Export- Import Bank of the United States (EXIM - https://www.exim.gov). She was the first woman to lead EXIM in the agency’s 87-year history, was the first recipient of EXIM’s highest honor, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Award, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2019 on a strong bi-partisan basis. EXIM provides loans, guarantees, and export credit insurance for the export of U.S. goods and services from enterprises ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small businesses in a multitude of sectors including infrastructure, power, agriculture, transportation/aviation, health care, commodities, industrial, and technology. Ms. Reed was recognized for successfully navigating Congress to re-open EXIM after four years of dormancy and transforming the mission and impact of the 515-person independent federal agency. Ms. Reed also spearheaded EXIM’s historic, longest-ever Congressional re-authorization of seven years and a significant new mandate, the Program on China and Transformational Exports, which focuses on industries including biomedical sciences, biotechnology, wireless communication (5G), renewable energy, financial technologies, artificial intelligence, and the space industry. Prior to EXIM, Ms. Reed spent her career working at senior levels in both the public and private sectors. Ms. Reed served as President of the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation where she worked with multi-national food, agriculture, and nutrition companies to understand consumer insights, communicate the science, and increase U.S. sales and exports. At the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Ms. Reed headed the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, where she oversaw the award of $4 billion in tax credits, loans, and grants to financial institutions and economic development groups investing in distressed communities across the nation. Ms. Reed also served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Treasury Secretaries John Snow and Henry Paulson, as well as counsel to three committees in the U.S. House of Representatives—Ways and Means, Government Reform and Oversight, and Education and the Workforce Committees, where she focused on Congressional investigations, oversight, and reform of federal agencies. She was also Vice President for Financial Markets Policy at Lehman Brothers in New York. Recognized as one of the “100 Women Leaders in STEM,” Washingtonian’s “Most Powerful Women in Washington,” and West Virginia Executive’s “Lawyers and Leaders,“ Ms. Reed previously served on the Boards of the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, American Swiss Foundation, National Coalition for Food and Agriculture Research, Tax Coalition, and West Virginia Wesleyan College. She was the first woman elected as Chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Ms. Reed earned her J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law and B.S. in biology from West Virginia Wesleyan College. She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), earned a Professional Certificate in Finance from the New York Institute of Finance, and, with a passion for travel, she has visited more than one hundred countries.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Arathi Sethumadhavan, Ph.D. is Head of User Research for AI, Ethics & Society, at Microsoft's Cloud+AI organization, where she works at the intersection of user research, ethics, and product experience. In her current role, Dr. Sethumadhavan is focused on the Microsoft AI ethical principles (privacy and consent, fairness, inclusion, accountability, and transparency) as it relates to various Microsoft AI experiences. Dr. Sethumadhavan is a seasoned research leader, with two decades of experience studying human-technology interaction, and during the course of her career, she has led user research for several novel and complex applications (e.g., Microsoft's custom neural voice, facial recognition), as well as at Medtronic, where she provided human factors leadership to multiple products in the Cardiac Rhythm and Heart Failure portfolio, including the world’s smallest pacemaker. She has also spent several years investigating the implications of automation on air traffic controller performance and situation awareness. Dr. Sethumadhavan is also a Fellow at the World Economic Forum, where she is working on unlocking opportunities for positive impact with AI to address the needs of the aging population. Dr. Sethumadhavan has published ~60 articles on a range of topics from patient safety, affective computing, and human-robot interaction, has delivered ~80 lectures, has been cited by the American Psychological Association and the Economist, and has worn many hats along the way, including research leader, strategist, author, mentor, editor, keynote speaker, and sometimes adjunct professor. Dr. Sethumadhavan's book, "Design for Health: Applications of Human Factors", was published in 2020. Dr. Sethumadhavan has a PhD in Experimental Psychology (specialization in human factors and ergonomics) from Texas Tech University and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science University of Calicut. Support the show