Ira Pastor, ideaXme life sciences ambassador and founder of Bioquark, interviews Dr. Wei-Wu He, Ph.D, Executive Chairman of Human Longevity Inc (HLI).
Ira Pastor comments:
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) calls chronic degenerative disease “the public health challenge of the 21st Century,” especially as 75% of our healthcare spending is on people with chronic degenerative conditions, which are the leading causes of death and disability.
Preventative healthcare consists of measures taken for chronic disease prevention.
Disease and disability are affected by numerous factors (including the environment, genetic predisposition, disease causative agents, and lifestyle choices), are dynamic processes which begin before individuals realize they are affected, and if we could intervene earlier, we could have significant impact not only on the deaths that could have been prevented, but also the lifelong disability, compromised quality of life, and burgeoning healthcare costs.
Dr. Wei-Wu He
Dr. Wei-Wu He, Ph.D has been serving as the Executive Chairman of Human Longevity Inc (HLI), a company merging extensive amounts of human genotype and phenotype data with machine learning so that it can help develop new ways to fight and prevent diseases associated with aging), since July 2019. Dr. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine and received an M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to HLI, Dr. He was the CEO of OriGene Technologies, Inc. a company founded as a research tool enterprise focused on the creation of the largest commercial collection of full-length human cDNAs which helps develop products for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic research, and he remains the chairman of the board of directors.
Dr. He also is the founder and General Partner of Emerging Technology Partners, LLC (ETP), a life sciences focused venture fund established since 2000. Dr. He has been involved in founding or funding over 60 biotech companies throughout his career, some of which went on to be acquired by significantly larger firms.
In the earlier part of his career, Dr. He was one of the first few scientists at Human Genome Sciences, and prior to that, was a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Mayo Clinic.
Dr. He is an author to more than 30 research publications and inventor of over 32 issued patents.
On this episode we will hear from Dr. He about:
His Background – how he developed an interest in science, in molecular biology and in cancer biology. Why he transitioned from bio-medical research into venture capital. The HLI “Health Nucleus” program which integrates whole-genome sequencing with advanced imaging and blood metabolomics, to identify adults at risk for key health conditions associated with age-related chronic conditions including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, chronic liver disease, and neurological disorders. The HLI microbiome/virome research focus. HLI’s new corporate venture fund initiatives and investments it is making in supportive health and wellness tools.
This interview is in American English
Credits: Ira Pastor interview video, text, and audio.
Follow Ira Pastor on Twitter: @IraSamuelPastor
If you liked this interview, be sure to check out our interview on virtual health with Dr. Sneh Khemka!
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