Health Tech Matters Podcast
About our podcast
The Pankhurst Presents: Health Tech Matters (HTM) is a podcast about technology and healthcare. It is hosted by Videha Sharma and Lamiece Hassan.
In each episode, we interview leading researchers, innovators and healthcare professionals linked with the Pankhurst Institute about how advances in areas such as digital health, advanced materials and artificial intelligence are shaping the future of healthcare.
All episodes will be available to stream on Spotify, or wherever you usually download your podcasts.
If you’re interested in being a guest on the podcast, have a suggestion for future guests or if you’d like to discuss joining the Pankhurst production team, then please contact us at pankhurst@manchester.ac.uk
Trailer
The Pankhurst Presents: Health Tech Matters (HTM) is a podcast about technology and healthcare. It is hosted by Videha Sharma and Lamiece Hassan, from the Christabel Pankhurst Institute for Health Technology Research and Innovation.
Episode 1 – Meet the Pankhurst Institute Director with Professor Niels Peek
In the opening episode, we speak to Professor Niels Peek, who is Director of the Christabel Pankhurst Institute and the University of Manchester’s lead for Digital Health and Care. Niels has a background in computer science and AI, and his research focuses on translational data science for clinical risk prediction, personalised and precision medicine, patient safety, and multimorbidity.
Niels and Videha discuss how to create thriving environments for health technology innovation and what makes a good leader.
Episode 2 - Digital Health Inequity Impact Assessment with Dr Sabine van der Veer and Dr Alison Crawford
Health informatician Dr Sabine van der Veer and psychiatrist Dr Allison Crawford have forged an international research partnership between the Universities of Manchester and Toronto to drive forward thinking about digital health inequities.
Videha finds out why it is important to think carefully about health inequities when planning digital interventions and how innovators can begin to assess and reduce the risk of inequities occurring as a result of introducing new technologies.
Episode 3 - Non-invasive wearable sensors with Dr Alex Casson
Dr Alex Casson’s research lab focuses on designing and applying wearable sensors for monitoring the human body in everyday life. Alex and Lamiece discuss the future of wearable sensing technologies to monitor health outside of traditional clinics, the challenges of translating cutting-edge research into everyday patient healthcare pathways and whether the hype is likely to live up the reality.
Bonus Episode - Live @ HETT North
This special episode was recorded live from the HETT (Healthcare Excellence Through Technology) North Event held on 2nd March 2023 at Manchester Central. The episode features commentary from Lamiece and Videha plus interviews with speakers, attendees and organisers including Jenny Chong (Medway NHS Trust), Emma–Victoria Fell (HETT North) and Paul Johnston (Health Innovation Manchester).
Episode 4 - Using AI to transform medical imaging with Dr Claudia Lindner
Dr Claudia Lindner is a Sir Henry Dale Fellow specialising in automated analysis of medical images to study, diagnose and manage musculoskeletal disorders. Lamiece talks to Claudia about her new fellowship plans, how AI is reshaping job roles in medical imaging and her experiences of research cultures in the different countries she’s worked in.
Episode 5 – Team science with Charlotte Stockton-Powdrell and Ruth Norris
Guests Charlotte Stockton-Powdrell and Ruth Norris are pushing the boundaries of traditional ways of working in academic research by harnessing the power of interdisciplinary and diverse teams to boost creativity and innovation. Ruth and Charlie talk to Videha about ‘team science’, the importance of role of non-academic roles in research and how bringing in skilled specialists can enrich the thinking and design of health technology.
Episode 6 – Digital mental health with Dr Joseph Firth
Dr Joe Firth is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow. His research focuses on using digital technologies and physical health interventions to improve outcomes for people living with mental illness.
Joe tells Videha about why digital health technologies offer promise when it comes to supporting people living with mental illness and gives a sneak preview on his forthcoming work, including a follow-up to the influential Lancet Commission report on protecting physical health in people with mental illness.
Episode 7 – Design, adoption, and spread of digital health apps with Dr Emily Seto and Dr Pauline Whelan
Dr Emily Seto (University of Toronto) and Dr Pauline Whelan (University of Manchester) work on the translation of digital health research into clinical practice, with particular expertise in the design, adoption and spread of apps in healthcare. Videha explores Emily and Pauline’s unique backgrounds and discusses the importance of leadership skills to manage clinical, academic and industry stakeholders when working on digital health research. Pauline then shares the role of a design-led approach to ensure digital health solutions are designed to the needs of the users and achieve intended benefits. Emily shares her experience of overcoming barriers to adoption and they both discuss the challenges of scaling successful solutions across geographies.
Podcast team
Dr Videha Sharma – Host
Videha is a doctor in the NHS and an honorary lecturer in Health Informatics at the University of Manchester. He is interested in design, digital health, and clinical leadership. Videha has held a Topol Fellowship and is a current National Medical Director’s Fellow and an NHS Clinical Entrepreneur. He is keen to learn and connect so feel free to reach out! @videhasharma
Dr Lamiece Hassan – Co-host and Editor
Dr Lamiece Hassan, a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, co-hosts and edits the HTM podcast. Lamiece’s research blends psychology, data science and computer science using real-word data from sources such as electronic health records, social media and wearables to generate insights about health. @lamiecehassan
