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Code & Cure

Vasanth Sarathy & Laura Hagopian

24 episodes

3 days ago

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 imaging. By analyzing mammograms that millions of women already receive, researchers show how a single scan can deliver a powerful second insight for...

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Health & Fitness

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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 imaging. By analyzing mammograms that millions of women already receive, researchers show how a single scan can deliver a powerful second insight for...

Show more...

Health & Fitness

Episodes (20/24)

Code & Cure

#24 - What Else Is Hiding In Medical Images?

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 imaging. By analyzing mammograms that millions of women already receive, researchers show how a single scan can deliver a powerful second insight for...

3 days ago

24 minutes

Code & Cure

#23 - Designing Antivenom With Diffusion Models

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, unstable, and can provoke serious immune reactions. But for toxins like those from cobras, mambas, and sea snakes that are potent yet hard to target wi...

1 week ago

20 minutes

Code & Cure

#22 - Hope, Help, and the Language We Choose

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’s on-the-ground ER experience and Vasanth’s research on language and moderation, we examine how subtle shifts, like saying “addict” versus “person...

2 weeks ago

24 minutes

Code & Cure

#21 - The Rural Reality Check for AI

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. From wearables that miss the mark on weak broadband to triage tools that misjudge urgency, we reveal how well-meaning innovations can falter in rura...

3 weeks ago

19 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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 well, where it stumbles, and how to build workflows that support clinicians without slowing them down. We unpack what these instructions really incl...

1 month ago

31 minutes

Code & Cure

#19 - AI That Tames Your Health Data Deluge

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 lab insight and frontline reality to a problem most dashboards ignore: humans have limited working memory, serial attention, and a knack for missi...

1 month ago

20 minutes

Code & Cure

#18 - When AI People-Pleasing Breaks Health Advice

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 unpack how these models are trained—from next-token prediction to human feedback—and why they tend to favor agreeable answers over rigorous reason...

1 month ago

25 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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 what an AI “agent” really is: not just a chatbot, but a goal-oriented system that can use tools, call APIs, and take real-world actions. You'll hear h...

1 month ago

25 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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 GPUs to evaporative cooling systems in data centers, we uncover the hidden infrastructure fueling AI and how metrics like PUE translate convenience ...

1 month ago

26 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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 partners misjudge? And could AI really support life-and-death decisions when seconds count? We unpack the study’s approach in everyday terms: who...

2 months ago

23 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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. But where does it go wrong—and how can we fix it? With insights from AI researcher Vasan Sarati and emergency physician Laura Hagopian, we unpack h...

2 months ago

27 minutes

Code & Cure

#13 - Can Machines Choose Our Diagnoses?

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 precise, payer-accepted codes grounded in real guidelines? In this episode, we explore how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is reshaping medical ...

2 months ago

29 minutes

Code & Cure

#12 - Oracle Or Algorithm?

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 diagnoses—offering a personalized view of what may lie ahead. We start with familiar ground—cardiovascular risk scores—and explore how predictions only...

2 months ago

27 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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, more accessible diagnosis. Parkinson’s typically presents with tremors, muscle rigidity, and slowed movement. But it also affects facial muscles, lea...

3 months ago

27 minutes

Code & Cure

#10 - Skill Erosion in the Age of Medical AI

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 precancerous polyps—then lost that edge once the AI was removed. This episode unpacks how AI isn’t just a helpful assistant—it may be reshaping how ...

3 months ago

25 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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 this episode, we explore ambient documentation technology (ADT)—AI tools that automatically generate clinical notes by listening to patient-doctor con...

3 months ago

28 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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. In this episode, we explore how next-gen technologies are transforming blood pressure tracking. From smartwatches and rings to toilet seats and ev...

3 months ago

24 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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 machine learning to uncover surprising predictors of missed appointments. The top signal? How far in advance the appointment was booked. Appointments sch...

4 months ago

32 minutes

Code & Cure

#6 - AI Chatbots Gone Wrong

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 generative AI. At first, Tessa was a straightforward rules-based helper, offering pre-vetted encouragement and resources. But after an AI upgrade, users beg...

4 months ago

27 minutes

Code & Cure

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

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 artificial intelligence finally lift this administrative weight? Recent advances in large language models promise to generate discharge summaries as ...

4 months ago

33 minutes