Crossing Medical Frontiers
Research Innovations Transforming Care
This podcast series features Mass General Brigham researchers whose work is redefining what’s possible and how we care for patients. Our goal is to spotlight transformative discoveries, the people leading these transformations, and how they can improve patient outcomes, highlighting how today’s research is shaping the future of medicine, including training the next generation of clinicians and scientists. Hosted by Dr. John Co, Vice President of Education at Mass General Brigham.
Transforming Heart Health Through Gene & Cell Therapy
This episode features Dr. Roger Hajjar, founder of the Gene and Cell Therapy Institute at Mass General Brigham. He discusses the revolutionary potential of gene therapy in treating heart failure and chronic diseases, exploring innovative research that aims to transform patient care. Tune in to discover how cutting-edge techniques are paving the way for treatments that could redefine chronic illness management.
Key Topics: Gene Therapy, Heart Health, Chronic Disease, Innovative Research, Patient Care
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Roger Hajjar, MD
Director, Gene & Cell Therapy Institute – Mass General Brigham
Co-Founder, Nanocor/AskBio, Medera
Dr. Roger Hajjar is the Director of the Gene and Cell Therapy Institute at Mass General Brigham in Boston, Massachusetts. He has been at the forefront of the development and translation of cardiac gene therapy from early-stage research through to clinical trials. Under his leadership, his laboratory has identified and validated multiple cardiac therapeutic targets, which have culminated in the successful initiation and completion of First-in-Human gene therapy clinical trials for patients suffering from various forms of heart failure.
Advancing Early Detection and AI in Lung Cancer Care
In this episode, Dr. Chi-Fu (Jeffrey) Yang discusses his groundbreaking work in early detection of lung cancer and the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing screening protocols. Learn how his personal experiences have shaped his research and advocacy efforts, aiming to revolutionize access to life-saving lung cancer screenings for at-risk populations.
Key Topics: Lung Cancer Screening, Artificial Intelligence, Early Detection, Health Disparities.
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Chi-Fu (Jeffrey) Yang, MD
Thoracic Surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital
Founding Director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Research (CAIIRE), Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Yang is a recognized leader in lung cancer screening advocacy. He founded the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative and has led significant studies, including a $3.5M NIH trial on postoperative complications in cardiothoracic patients and a $1.5M study on lung cancer screening in Black women. With over 180 publications and numerous accolades, including the 2021 Harvard Medical School Charles McCabe Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching, Dr. Yang is also actively involved in legislative efforts to promote lung cancer awareness, having worked on several Senate Resolutions that passed unanimously.
Translating Genomics into Cardiac Care
Join us as Dr. Pradeep Natarajan discusses his groundbreaking work in personalized medicine and how genomic insights are transforming preventive cardiology.
Key Topics: Personalized Medicine, Cardiovascular Genetics, Preventive Cardiology, Translational Research, Genomics.
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Pradeep Natarajan, MD, MMSc
Director of Preventive Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Natarajan is the Director of Preventive Cardiology and the Paul & Phyllis Fireman Endowed Chair in Vascular Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Associate Director of Personalized Medicine at Mass General Brigham, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. His translational genomics research program spans Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Genomic Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Center as well as the Broad Institute’s Cardiovascular Disease Initiative. His scientific contributions include ‘human knockout’ discovery and investigation to prioritize therapeutic targets, monogenic and polygenic characterization of heritable traits through whole genome sequencing, and the novel concept of somatic mutations contributing to cardiovascular disease. In 2023, he was awarded the Joseph A. Vita Award from the American Heart Association “based on work that changes the direction of or has transformative impact on basic, translational, or clinical cardiovascular research in any discipline.” Dr. Natarajan received a B.A. in molecular & cell biology from UC Berkeley, M.D. from UC San Francisco, and M.M.Sc. from Harvard Medical School. He completed residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and fellowship in Cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Redefining Obesity Treatment Through Research and Innovation
Dr. Fatima Cody-Stanford, an esteemed obesity medicine physician-scientist, shares her groundbreaking research on innovative treatment strategies that combine pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery. She discusses the critical disparities in access to obesity treatments and explores how recent advances are reshaping the future of obesity care. Join us to learn how cutting-edge research is transforming the way we understand and treat obesity in diverse populations.
Key Topics: Obesity Medicine, Bariatric Surgery, Pharmacotherapy, Health Disparities, Metabolic Health.
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Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA
Obesity Medicine Physician Scientist, Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Stanford is among the most highly-cited obesity medicine physician-scientists. She has over 275 peer-reviewed publications and an extensive media presence, including interviews with major outlets like the New York Times and NPR. She advocates for recognizing obesity as a chronic disease and eliminating bias against those with higher weights, which she discussed in a 60 Minutes appearance with Lesley Stahl and an interview with Deborah Roberts. Dr. Stanford holds multiple degrees, including an MD from the Medical College of Georgia and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School, and has received numerous accolades, such as the AMA Foundation Leadership Award and the Meritorious Award from the National Medical Association. She has also been selected for the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee by the US Department of Health and Human Services and Agriculture for 2025.
ABOUT THE HOST
John Co, MD, MPH, MBA
Vice President of Education and Designated Institutional Official (DIO), Mass General Brigham
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Co serves as the Vice President of Education at Mass General Brigham, leading MGB’s efforts in undergraduate medical education (UME), graduate medical education (GME), continuing professional development (CPD) and alumni engagement, serving as the inaugural president of the Mass General Brigham Alumni Association. His teaching, scholarly activity, and leadership interests have spanned several areas, including medical education, quality and patient safety, and clinical informatics. A board-certified general pediatrician and health services researcher. Dr. Co has served as Principal and/or Co-Investigator on projects funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, World Health Organization, and American Medical Association (AMA), and is the inaugural editor in chief of Pediatrics Open Science.