Finding Genius Podcast

Irina Higgins works to develop effective artificial intelligence models for Google's DeepMind project. She explains some essential tenants and goals, including Why accruing single task artificial intelligence components still presents a weakness, What unsupervised learning is and why that's the next leap for artificial intelligence, What roadblocks still stand in front of this and how researchers in Google artificial intelligence might bypass them. After finishing her PhD in neuroscience, Irian Higgins went into the tech world instead of academia and is part of Google's team that works at DeepMind, their artificial intelligence arm. She describes their work as a mix between academia and industry. Their mission is to build something that can solve any task at least as good as any human can. However, she explains that while there's a large group of researchers who think that we just need to put together single AIs who can perform one task and see what they can do in combination, she comments that such systems are still brittle—a little bit of noise can throw the whole algorithm off. She adds that given how the complicated the natural world is, she doesn't think we can come up with enough narrow AIs to handle problems. At this point she brings in her neuroscience, trying to create a model able to make unsupervised transfers of learning as the brain does. For example, we as humans understand the abstract notion of a paddle and a ball and keeping the ball in the air and can transfer those ideas to another game. She adds that if we can get a computer to do that same transfer, that's a huge leap forward. She further describes some of the ways she's trying to get to that point. To keep up to date in this field of research, she recommends following blogs in the discipline, such as Google's DeepMind blog: https://deepmind.com/blog, and finding AI research scientists on twitter.

Professor Paul Turner specializes in the evolution of viruses. He shares how researchers conceive of and approach viruses today, including Understanding viruses as possible "took kits" for other organisms alongside their own evolution toward opportunity; The goals of his own lab, such as studying viruses as ideal forms in understanding evolutionary processes; and Phages (viruses that target bacteria) and their potential to replace antibiotics to treat bacterial infection. Paul Turner is the Rachel Carson Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University. In this conversation, he covers many key topics about viruses and virus RNA and how bacteria and viruses may coevolve. He explains that there are numerous ways bacteria have taken genes and functions from viruses and incorporated them into the bacteria to enable a new opportunity for bacterial life to continue. Further, our human genomes are full of what are recognizably virus genes, or "ghosts of infections past," and we're still not clear how these genes may function. He also covers the tremendous potential for phages to fight infection as antibiotics lose their effectiveness. He talks about some of the roadblocks to this forward movement and how his lab is approaching this research as well as using viruses to better understand evolution as a process and examine pathogenic virus ecology. Along the way he explains multiple current theories on viruses, virus RNA, and even touches on the exciting work in ocean genomics, a field that is able to look even closer at metagenomics. He also talks about the technology available, how now that scientists have more single-cell tools to study and examine viruses, he's more optimistic that we can access the individual cell level to see variation in how certain cells interact with "free riders" like viruses. For more, see his page at Yale University, https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/paul_turner/, and the Turner Lab page, https://turnerlab.yale.edu/.

Clinician and researcher Lahari Rampur became interested in allergy studies when confronted with underserved populations in India followed by the amazing possibilities for treatments she found in her graduate work in New York. She's since spent her professional career pursing allergy and autoimmune disorder treatments. Dr. Rampur explains to listeners Why it's important to identity true allergic reactions to antibiotics versus tolerable side effects, Which theories may explain the rise of allergies, and How breakthrough treatments work, including allergy shots and biologic medications for asthma. Dr. Lahari Rampur is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, at the University of Washington. The majority of her time is spent in clinical work involving allergy and autoimmune disorders. However, she also researches antibiotic allergies. She explains that while many people have a history of allergic reactions to penicillin and various antibiotics, alternatives can be more expensive and have bad side effects. Her research involves developing important protocols and guidelines therefore to identify who is truly allergic versus those patients who will be able to tolerate those antibiotics. In fact, she's found that 90% of those who've had reactions are able to tolerate the antibiotics at a later time. She shares some general information about allergies with listeners, including genetics versus environmental factors and offers solutions to allergies, from dust mite control measures to allergy shots. She describes how allergy shots work to gradually teach the immune system not to over react to the introduced substance, affecting the behavior of cytokine cells. She also describes some exciting breakthroughs, including biologic medications that work well with certain types of asthma by blocking IgE antibodies. For more, google her name and see her website at the University of Washington: https://aid.uw.edu/faculty/lahari-rampur-md

Dr. Reid is Chief Scientific Officer and President of EpicentRx and discusses their groundbreaking work. He explains How viruses typically seek out specific cell types, How researchers at EpicentRx were able to engineer a virus to seek out cancer cells for infection, and When the public will be able to utilize this antitumor activity to fight cancer. Dr. Tony Reid obtained his PhD in biochemistry and his MD at Stanford and actually built the foundation of his present work during his graduate efforts there. He begins by explaining how viruses work. For example, adenoviruses have various manifestations that target certain cell types such as lung or gut cells. EpicentRx has taken that characteristic and engineered a virus to attack and kill cancer cells without harming other bodily cells. In addition, the virus alters the immune system so other cancer cells can be seen and treated effectively. Rather than using virus research to create antiviral medication, they've used it to create anticancer medication. Dr. Reid explains the process more closely, how after detecting molecular switches that told a virus to infect lung tissue, they knocked that signal out so it wouldn't be able to infect lung tissue, and ended up with a weakened virus. They went in and sequenced the virus and made very small, deliberate changes so it would infect cancer cells. He discusses the intricacies in more detail, the studies they've done, and says they've already gotten FDA approval and hope to release the medication and engage in antitumor activity this year. He finishes by addressing the coronavirus and says his company is actually working on an antiviral medication, more specifically a vaccine that will be successful for the general public but also for immune-suppressed and compromised individuals such as cancer patients. For more, see the company's website at http://www.epicentrx.com/.

Rudi Appels has worked with genome sequencing in agriculture for forty years and specializes in the genomics of wheat. He shares his knowledge with listeners, explaining The makeup of the wheat genome and why its complexity allows for its flexibility, Some of the history of wheat's progression, including the strong tie between human and wheat existence, and The biggest challenges for wheat today such as gluten sensitivity and disease resistance and how researchers are addressing these challenges. Rudi Appels is an honorary professor at the University of Melbourne and a Research Fellow at AgriBio out of La Trobe University. He begins by explaining how his interest developed, namely after an opportunity to work on tracking the rye chromosomes in wheat while working on genome sequencing in agriculture. He was entranced by the ability to look at something as specific as chromosomes. He tells listeners about the variety of wheat across the globe—how some varieties can be planted in the fall in snowbound regions and are able to go dormant only to begin growing again in the warmth of spring. Meanwhile other varieties are used in warmer climates like Australia, and are planted in spring and harvested in the fall. He describes the chromosome structure of wheat, how it has three times the number of bases of the human genome and its three sets of pairs compared to our two. This allows for this diversity that's made the human and wheat evolution go hand in hand. He finishes by disucssing Genomics, CropGenomics, cropscience, WheatGenomics. Some of today's biggest problems to address through the genomics of wheat, namely gluten sensitivities people are exhibiting, adapting to global warming, and disease resistance. He adds that disease resistance is and has been a constant issue because the pathogens, fungi, and nematodes will always work to find a way to succeed in their battle for life. He then describes some methods for the genomics of wheat to work toward an adaptability to climate change. To learn more: google his name for a list of his publications and see the work of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium .

Wolfgang Fengler has spent over 18 years at the World Bank. In this podcast, he explains What the World Bank mission to end poverty looks like in day-to-day processes, How their system for offering loans and grants to countries works, and What are some of the greatest successes he's seen in his time there. Wolfgang Fengler is the Lead Economist in Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation at the World Bank. He's lived on 4 continents (North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe) over the course of his work there and is now headquartered in Vienna at the World Bank hub. He talks about the main functions of the World Bank, namely to follow the mission of making the world free of poverty with the goal of longevity always at the forefront of projects. Fengler explains what this looks like on a smaller scale to enhance development and further knowledge transfer. He explains how a loan may develop in a small to medium-sized country, from initiation to weekly meetings to a results-based approach. He also discusses some individual projects, such as a current project in Kazakhstan he's overseeing that involves a large digital operation and research on the world data economy. He emphasizes the importance of longevity in all that they initiate, from education to infrastructure to health systems. As an example of on the World Bank's successes, he describes the results of their involvement with Indonesia and surrounding areas after the Tsunami. Finally, he addresses their current actions to mitigate the coronavirus, including mobilizing resources to countries in for health systems and efforts to address the economic effects. They've also accelerated projects that would normally take a year and now needs to take a month because the need is so urgent. There are also a number of projects already in some countries that they were able to piggyback on. For more, see https://www.worldbank.org/. If you have a business you'd like them to connect with, see their private sector arm, https://www.ifc.org/, and find an IFC office in your country.

John Hagel is the co-chairman for Deloitte's Center for the Edge, an organization researching the future of work in a changing world. Tune in to learn the following: Why—contrary to what many people assume—the replacement of jobs by machines will be beneficial to humans and enrich our lives How the distinction between skill and capability is crucial to the philosophy behind the work being done at Center for the Edge How the current coronavirus pandemic will spur discussions about the future of work Hagel brings to the table over 40 years' worth of experience as a management consultant, author, speaker, and entrepreneur. In this episode, he discusses ways to address the work-related roles of human beings in a rapidly changing world where technology is replacing highly standardized and routine tasks that were once carried out only by human beings. Rather than a dystopian future where human-to-human connections are replaced by machines and human value or potential is diminished, Hagel sees quite the opposite; he sees a future in which technology allows humans to shape the future, redefine what it means to work, and focus on addressing unseen problems and opportunities to create more value and engage in more fulfilling work. The philosophy at Center for the Edge relies in large part upon a distinction between skills and capabilities. Hagel explains that skills have value only in very specific contexts, for example being able to operate a specific machine under certain conditions. In contrast, capabilities have value in all contexts, and include curiosity, empathy, creativity, and imagination. He argues that when companies and organizations focus on cultivating capabilities in their employees, human capital is increased, learning is accelerated, unexpected challenges are better addressed, efficiency is increased, and both employee and customer satisfaction improves. Check out one of the many books published by John Hagel and visit https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/center-for-the-edge/topics/center-for-the-edge.html to learn more.

CEO of Akoya Biosciences, Brian McKelligon, discusses how technology can improve and advance research in the field of immuno-oncology. In this episode, you will learn: How the therapies in immuno-oncology use the immune system to shut down the pathways responsible for unchecked tumor growth, which leads to metastases How the identification of more predictive biomarkers will improve overall health economics Why Akoya's technology is first being applied to the neurological space and therapies for breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanomas In essence, immuno-oncology is the study of how to treat cancer by unlocking the power of the immune system and leveraging it against metastatic processes. In recent years, therapeutic modalities in this field have been exploding, and the goal at Akoya is to provide technology to scientists in academic, biopharmaceutical, and government institutions who are developing these therapies. The cornerstone of Akoya's technology is the identification of biomarkers predictive of the success of immuno-oncology therapy for individual patients. Instead of merely detecting whether or not a biomarker is present, McKelligon emphasizes the importance of locating where in the tissues they are present, determining how many are present, and obtaining proximal measurements between biomarkers. Standard technologies are only able to detect up to three biomarkers at a time, whereas the Akoya technology allows for the detection of 30 to 50 at a time, making it an excellent and much-needed tool for next generation tissue analysis. This technology will allow scientists to locate more predictive biomarkers, which will in turn benefit health economics and patient care. Learn more at https://akoyabio.com/.

Iain Smith is the managing director and founder of Fisher Smith, a company that brings machine vision technology to the industrial sector. In this episode, you'll learn the following: How computer vision technology can allow for more efficient and accurate production of various goods, including pharmaceutical drugs and automotive parts How to mitigate one of the main trade-offs with computer vision technology How acutely this technology can detect variations from one product to the next In less than a tenth of a second, the machine vision technology at Fisher Smith can acquire, inspect, and automatically categorize an item as either a reject that should be removed from the production line, or as an item that's been manufactured precisely as it was designed. This provides a huge benefit to companies in the industrial sector, particularly those that rely on high-speed manufacturing and consistent quality, such as automotive and drug manufacturers. Smith gives us an inside look at how this technology works, how it can address and prevent supply chain issues, how it can identify error propagation, the idea of "industry 4.0" or the fourth industrial revolution and how computer technology might play a role, innovations on the horizon (including high speed flaw detection using deep learning), and more. Visit https://fishersmith.co.uk/ for more information.

Shervin Takyar, MD, PhD, is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine who joins the show today to discuss microRNA (miRNA). Tune in to learn the following: What role microRNA play in cell-to-cell communication How the identification of a particular microRNA has shed light on the allergic response in asthma, and how to decrease that response How microRNA are able to control multiple genes, and why this could potentially have life-saving clinical applications Dr. Takyar holds a medical degree, as well as a PhD in both microbiology and molecular biology. He discusses the discovery of microRNA over 10 years ago, and the subsequent discoveries about their role in the body and gene expression. His research is focused on the interaction between microRNA and endothelium. His most recent work began years ago when he noticed that a vascular growth factor (VEGF) was high in patients with asthma. Up until that point, most of the research about asthma was focused on lung epithelium or immune cells; Dr. Takyar wanted to investigate whether this vascular growth factor also affects the microRNA in endothelial cells. Over the past 12 years, that's been his primary focus. He has been able to show a correlation between VEGF and one particular microRNA in endothelial cells—specifically in the expression of the Mpl gene, which controls the adhesion of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell present in the asthmatic response). He has shown that when VEGF increases, the specific microRNA decreases, and the Mpl gene is expressed. The relationship between the microRNA and Mpl gene makes sense, since microRNA is known to play an inhibitory role in gene expression. By changing this one microRNA in the endothelium of an animal model, the asthma response decreased significantly. This explanation leads Dr. Takyar to discuss the potential of microRNA as a tool for inhibiting or modulating groups of genes, rather than just one gene. This would confer a huge advantage to the treatment of certain ailments such as lung cancer, where it is known that targeting a single gene does not often produce the desired result. In addition to explaining just why it is that single-gene targets don't work well, Dr. Takyar discusses a number of interesting topics, including the role of microRNA in cell-to-cell communication, how genes are matched with certain microRNA, how microRNA is able to control many genes as opposed to just one, and the biogenesis of microRNA. Learn more at https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/seyedtaghi_takyar/.