Best Vasanth Podcasts (2025)

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#24 - What Else Is Hiding In Medical Images? 24:10

Play Pause

5h ago24:10

24:10

What if a routine mammogram could do more than screen for breast cancer? What if that same image could quietly reveal a woman’s future risk of heart disease—without extra tests, appointments, or burden on patients? In this episode, we explore a large-scale study that uses deep learning to uncover cardiovascular risk hidden inside standard breast im…

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#23 - Designing Antivenom With Diffusion Models 20:55

7d ago20:55

20:55

What if the future of antivenom didn’t come from horse serum, but from AI models that shape lifesaving proteins out of noise? In this episode, we explore how diffusion models, powerful tools from the world of AI, are transforming the design of antivenoms, particularly for some of nature’s deadliest neurotoxins. Traditional antivenom is costly, unst…

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#22 - Hope, Help, and the Language We Choose 24:58

17d ago24:58

24:58

What if the words we use could tip the balance between seeking help and staying silent? In this episode, we explore a fascinating study that compares top-voted Reddit responses with replies generated by large language models (LLMs) to uncover which better reduces stigma around opioid use disorder—and why that distinction matters. Drawing from Laura…

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#21 - The Rural Reality Check for AI 19:55

24d ago19:55

19:55

How can AI-powered care truly serve rural communities? It’s not just about the latest tech, it’s about what works in places where internet can drop, distances are long, and people often underplay symptoms to avoid making a fuss. In this episode, we explore what it takes for AI in healthcare to earn trust and deliver real value beyond city limits. F…

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#20 - Google Translate Walked Into An ER And Got A Reality Check 31:42

1M ago31:42

31:42

What if your discharge instructions were written in a language you couldn’t read? For millions of patients, that’s not a hypothetical, but a safety risk. And at 2 a.m. in a busy hospital, translation isn’t just a convenience; it’s clinical care. In this episode, we explore how AI can bridge the language gap in discharge instructions: what it does w…

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#19 - AI That Tames Your Health Data Deluge 20:35

1M ago20:35

20:35

What if your health data spoke in one calm voice instead of twenty buzzing ones? In this episode, we explore an AI “interpreter layer” that turns step counts, sleep stages, and alerts into fewer, smarter signals that nudge real behavior—without the anxiety spiral. Vasanth (AI researcher and cognitive scientist) and Laura (emergency physician) bring…

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#18 - When AI People-Pleasing Breaks Health Advice 25:01

2M ago25:01

25:01

What happens when your health chatbot sounds helpful—but gets the facts wrong? In this episode, we explore how AI systems, especially large language models, can prioritize pleasing responses over truthful ones. Using the common confusion between Tylenol and acetaminophen, we reveal how a friendly tone can hide logical missteps and mislead users. We…

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#17 - How Multi-Agent Systems Could Reshape Care, From Wearables To Scheduling 25:06

2M ago25:06

25:06

What if digital assistants could triage symptoms, schedule appointments, and coordinate rides—all while doctors focus on the human side of care? That’s the promise of multi-agent AI in healthcare. In this episode, we explore how these intelligent teams of agents are transforming both clinical and operational workflows. We begin by breaking down wha…

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#16 - Water, Watts, and Wellness: What’s the Real Cost of Medical AI? 26:37

2M ago26:37

26:37

Artificial intelligence promises faster notes, smoother workflows, and smarter clinical decisions. But behind every seamless interaction lies an invisible cost—electricity, water, and carbon emissions that rarely enter the healthcare conversation. In this episode, we trace what happens after you hit “enter” on a clinical prompt. From power-hungry G…

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#15 - When Algorithms Know Your End-Of-Life Wishes Better Than Loved Ones 23:49

2M ago23:49

23:49

What if the person who knows you best isn’t the best person to speak for you when it matters most? We explore a study that tested just that—comparing the CPR preferences predicted by loved ones with those predicted by machine learning. The result? Algorithms got it right more often. That surprising outcome raises tough, important questions: Why do …

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#14 - Medicare’s WISER Pilot: AI, Prior Auth, and the Cost of Care 27:22

2M ago27:22

27:22

What happens when an algorithm—not a doctor or a claims reviewer—denies your surgery? A single decision like that can trigger a much bigger conversation about how AI is reshaping access to care. In this episode, we dive into Medicare’s WISER pilot and the complex world of prior authorization. What’s the goal? Reduce waste and streamline approvals. …

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#13 - Can Machines Choose Our Diagnoses? 29:40

3M ago29:40

29:40

What if AI could turn chaotic clinical notes into clean, billable codes—without sacrificing accuracy or trust? Every shift, emergency physicians face the same grind: time-crunched documentation, symptom-first note-taking, and the constant lure of the “unspecified” box just to move on. But what if a system could read between the lines—and suggest pr…

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#12 - Oracle Or Algorithm? 27:39

3M ago27:39

27:39

What if we could glimpse our future health—not through guesswork, but through data-driven forecasts? A new AI model, codenamed “Delphi,” is redefining what it means to predict disease by learning from massive, population-scale medical histories. Built on transformer architecture, Delphi estimates the risk and timing of over a thousand possible diag…

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#11 - The Smile Test: How AI Detects Parkinson's Disease 27:28

3M ago27:28

27:28

Can a smile reveal the early signs of Parkinson’s disease? New research suggests it can—and AI is making that detection possible. Scientists are training machine learning systems to spot subtle facial changes associated with Parkinson’s, particularly in how we smile. These early signs, often missed by the human eye, could hold the key to faster, mo…

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Conversation with Steven Obiajulu, UseJunior 25:52

3M ago25:52

25:52

On this episode of Alumni @ RopesTalk, the firm’s technology strategy leader Ed Black is joined by Steven Obiajulu, Ropes & Gray alum and founder of legal tech startup UseJunior. Steven shares his journey from MIT and Harvard Law School to Ropes & Gray, where he worked in patent and private equity practices before launching UseJunior. The discussio…

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#10 - Skill Erosion in the Age of Medical AI 25:16

3M ago25:16

25:16

Could AI be making doctors worse at their jobs? As artificial intelligence becomes a trusted tool in modern medicine, a surprising question emerges: could relying on these systems actually erode human expertise? We explore a compelling study from The Lancet that found a 6% drop in detection rates for endoscopists who initially used AI to identify p…

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#9 - Ambient Documentation Tech: Reducing Burnout or Creating New Problems? 28:42

4M ago28:42

28:42

AI is writing medical notes, but can doctors trust what it creates? Burnout is quietly eroding the medical workforce—and documentation overload is a major culprit. Physicians now spend nearly half their workday writing notes instead of treating patients, pushing many to the brink of exhaustion. Could artificial intelligence offer a lifeline? In thi…

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#8 - No Cuff, No Problem? The Future of Blood Pressure Monitoring 24:31

4M ago24:31

24:31

What if checking your blood pressure was as easy as glancing at your watch? High blood pressure quietly affects nearly half of all Americans—yet it's one of the most preventable causes of strokes, heart attacks, and other serious health problems. The catch? Traditional monitoring methods are clunky, inconvenient, and rarely used outside the clinic.…

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#7 - Predicting No-Shows: The Surprising Science Behind Missed Appointments 32:21

4M ago32:21

32:21

Why do so many doctor’s appointments end in empty waiting rooms? Nearly one in four scheduled visits turn into no-shows, disrupting care, wasting resources, and straining already overburdened systems. But a new study shows we might be able to see these gaps coming—and stop them. By analyzing over a million healthcare visits, researchers used machin…

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#6 - AI Chatbots Gone Wrong 27:05

4M ago27:05

27:05

What if a chatbot designed to support recovery instead encouraged the very behaviors it was meant to prevent? In this episode, we unravel the cautionary saga of Tessa, a digital companion built by the National Eating Disorder Association to scale mental health support during the COVID-19 surge—only to take a troubling turn when powered by generativ…

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#5 - Doctor's Notes: When AI Writes Your Medical History 33:30

5M ago33:30

33:30

What if an AI could write your medical chart—and what happens when it gets it wrong? Doctors have long lamented the paperwork that comes with every patient encounter. “Charting was the bane of my existence,” admits Dr. Laura Hagopian, an emergency physician who’s spent countless hours piecing together fragmented notes and outdated records. Could ar…

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#4 - From Florence Nightingale to AI: Revolutionizing Outbreak Surveillance 28:40

5M ago28:40

28:40

What if a 19th-century nurse laid the foundation for 21st-century disease surveillance? Florence Nightingale, widely known for her compassion, was also a pioneering statistician who used data to reveal a hidden crisis: more soldiers in the Crimean War were dying from infections than from battle wounds. Her insights led to life-saving reforms—and sp…

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#3 - Beautiful Mistakes: The Serendipity of Drug Repurposing 27:59

5M ago27:59

27:59

What if the next breakthrough treatment for a rare disease was already sitting on the pharmacy shelf? Drug repurposing, the science of finding new uses for existing medications, is transforming how we discover treatments, blending serendipity with strategy. It began with surprises like Viagra, a heart drug turned blockbuster, but today it's driven …

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#2 - Digital Snake Oil: How AI Makes Health Disinformation Dangerously Persuasive 35:33

5M ago35:33

35:33

What if a convincing medical article you read online—citing peer-reviewed journals and quoting real-sounding experts—was entirely fabricated by AI? In this episode, we dive into the unsettling world of AI-generated health disinformation. Researchers recently built custom GPT-based chatbots trained to spread myths. The result? Persuasive narratives …

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#1 - Eye Spy with My AI: Tackling Diabetic Retinopathy 28:18

5M ago28:18

28:18

What if a simple photograph of your eye could prevent blindness? Diabetic retinopathy silently steals vision from millions worldwide, yet it's treatable when caught early. The challenge? Too few specialists, limited access to care, and not enough awareness about this serious complication of diabetes. We dive deep into how artificial intelligence is…

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My explorations of 7 Generative AI tools 17:42

6M ago17:42

17:42

I evaluated Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Perplexity and DeepSeek for their usefulness in marketing and advertising tasks. Which tools were helpful and which were less so? What were their varying strengths and limitations? Here are my thoughts.By Vasanth

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Conversation with Dan Krockmalnic, Boston Globe Media 12:18

6M ago12:18

12:18

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, employment, executive compensation, and benefits partner Megan Bisk is joined by alum Dan Krockmalnic, chief operating officer and general counsel at Boston Globe Media. Dan shares his journey from Big Law to his current leadership role, discussing his transition from litigation associat…

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Saudi Arabia throws down the gauntlet in AI 12:37

8M ago12:37

12:37

On 13th May 2025, US President Donald Trump and an entourage of US CEOs such as Jensen Huang, Arvind Krishna, Andy Jassy, Lisa Su, Alex Karp, Travis Kalanick, Jane Fraser and Elon Musk visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took this opportunity to announce ambitious plans to establish the kingdom as a world leade…

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My review of BBDO's new global positioning "Do Big Things" 16:01

10M ago16:01

16:01

Last week, BBDO, one of the world's most celebrated agencies, launched a new global positioning: Do Big Things. What's working well about it and what's not working so well about it? Here are my thoughts.By Vasanth

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DeepSeek Deep Dive with Dr. Vasanth Sarathy, Tufts University 26:14

10M ago26:14

26:14

On this special edition of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast series, technology and IP transactions partner Regina Sam Penti is joined by Dr. Vasanth Sarathy, a professor of computer science at Tufts University and a Ropes & Gray alum. Together, they delve into the technical and business implications of DeepSeek, a Chinese app and model tha…

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The right level of regulation for AI 22:04

10M ago22:04

22:04

One of the most common conundrums in AI is the ideal level of regulation. Are we regulating it sufficiently to prevent the well-documented risks of AI such as copyright violations, amplification of human biases, and the extreme scenario of an AI apocalypse? At the same time, are we ensuring that a quagmire of over-regulation doesn't strangle this n…

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Board Service Insights with Alums Jennifer Borggaard & Robert Shapiro 26:45

1+ y ago26:45

26:45

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, M&A counsel Sarah Davis is joined by alums Jenn Borggaard and Rob Shapiro to discuss the rewarding experience of serving on boards. Rob, a retired partner, and Jenn, a former associate and now a co-founder and partner at AlderBrook Advisors, share their personal journeys to board members…

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Conversation with Charles Soule, Comic Book Writer & Novelist 24:22

1+ y ago24:22

24:22

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, private equity partner Carl Marcellino interviews #1 New York Times-best-selling novelist, comic book writer and musician Charles Soule, who was an associate at Ropes & Gray from 2000-2004. They discuss how Charles built a creative life while practicing as a lawyer. Charles shares his ex…

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Conversation with Eric Yecies, LifeMD 12:34

2y ago12:34

12:34

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, health care partner Christina Bergeron interviews alum Eric Yecies, chief legal officer and general counsel at LifeMD. Eric discusses his journey from practicing IP litigation as an associate at Ropes & Gray from 2004–2008 to becoming a key figure in a publicly traded telehealth company.…

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Conversation with George Kopcsay, Atlas Air 17:24

2y ago17:24

17:24

In this installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, strategic transactions group co-leader Marko Zatylny interviews alum George Kopcsay, general counsel of Atlas Air. George was an associate at Ropes & Gray for five years before going in-house at Atlas, where he has been for 13 years. George talks about the experience of taking the co…

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Conversation with Beibei Sun, Sanofi 27:43

3y ago27:43

27:43

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, strategic transactions partner Abby Gregor interviews Beibei Sun, senior corporate counsel of global licensing and business development at Sanofi. Beibei was an associate in the life sciences group at Ropes & Gray before joining Sanofi in 2021. At Sanofi, she supports the speci…

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Conversation with Erin Abood, Stanford University 19:18

3+ y ago19:18

19:18

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast, health care partner Ben Wilson interviews Erin Abood, senior university counsel at Stanford University. Erin was a health care associate at Ropes & Gray for five years before joining the in-house team at Stanford in 2010. Her practice focuses on digital health, international me…

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Conversation with Ryan Dickey, DOJ & GW Law 20:39

4y ago20:39

20:39

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s Alumni @ RopesTalk podcast series, IP litigation partner Matt Rizzolo interviews Ryan Dickey, a cybercrime and intellectual property prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice. Ryan started his legal career at Ropes & Gray with plans to become a patent litigator. He talks about how his career goals sh…

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Conversation with Julie Constable, Blackstone 16:48

4y ago16:48

16:48

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, life sciences and health care partner Michael Beauvais interviews Julie Constable, vice president of legal and compliance at Blackstone. Julie spent almost a decade at Ropes & Gray as an associate before taking a senior legal role at Blackstone. Julie talks about…

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Episode 14: The People From Beyond The Mountains 10:41

4+ y ago10:41

10:41

My second book and first novel, The People From Beyond The Mountains, came out recently. Here are my thoughts about this climate change novel and how I went about writing it. Please get your copy from the links below. E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C38C5G5 Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BY81SNV…

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Episode 13: How To Make Others Build Your Brand? 12:52

4+ y ago12:52

12:52

When Coca-Cola fans went to town with memes after Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a water bottle, it showed the power of a brand like Coca-Cola to inspire people to build the brand for them. Is it just a case of lightning in a bottle, or is there more method to fan-driven brand building?By Vasanth

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Episode 12: Does Great Copywriting Still Have a Place Today? 11:13

5y ago11:13

11:13

Why do we always need to go back several decades for the greatest examples of advertising copywriting? Has the craft taken a beating in recent years? Or has it simply evolved?By Vasanth

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Conversation with Jacob Comer, NovaQuest Capital Management 27:28

5y ago27:28

27:28

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, asset management partner Jason Brown interviews Jacob Comer, general counsel and chief compliance officer at NovaQuest Capital Management, a leading investor in life sciences and health care companies. Jacob began his career at Ropes & Gray in 2003 as an investme…

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Episode 11: The Crisis of Masculinity in Advertising 13:26

5+ y ago13:26

13:26

Advertising's portrayal of men gravitates towards two extremes: Powerful alpha males and powerless weaklings. Why don't we have a more nuanced portrayal of men and masculinity?By Vasanth

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Episode 10: What We Can Learn From Those Who Overcome Ageism In Advertising 13:39

5+ y ago13:39

13:39

Ageism in advertising is a topic that rears its head from time to time. What can older professionals do to shield themselves from it? What can they learn from those who have successfully stayed relevant in their 60s and 70s?By Vasanth

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Episode 9: Cultural Engineering 10:56

5+ y ago10:56

10:56

A sneak peek into my new book (Cultural Engineering: The role of brands in a changing world) and the philosophy underpinning it. For the full scoop, get the Paperback from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F6MVD12 or the E-book from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CXKRPMTBy Vasanth

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Episode 8: The Father-Son Trope in Advertising 8:31

5+ y ago8:31

8:31

It's Father's Day. That's a good day to look at one of the most enduring tropes in advertising: the father-son trope.By Vasanth

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Episode 7: Brand responses to Black Lives Matter - Purposeful or Lip Service? 11:38

5+ y ago11:38

11:38

Brands today know that they cannot be silent on social issues. Black Lives Matter is no exception. But are brands wading into the topic in the right way? Which brands are a shining example of brand purpose and which are just virtue signaling?By Vasanth

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Conversation with Jason Idilbi, Passport 27:33

5+ y ago27:33

27:33

In the latest installment of Ropes & Gray’s alumni podcast series, Alumni @ RopesTalk, IP litigation partner Matt Rizzolo interviews Jason Idilbi, general counsel at Passport Labs, a mobility software platform that facilitates mobile parking and transit ticketing applications. Jason reflects on his “non-linear” legal career path, which began at Rop…

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Episode 6: The Changing Face of Healthcare Marketing 13:04

5+ y ago13:04

13:04

Healthcare marketing has become a happening space over the past few years. What has caused this wave of excitement in a category that was not always exciting in the past?By Vasanth