Sepsis remains one of medicine's most difficult diagnostic challenges, where every hour can impact patient outcomes. In this episode of Innovate & Elevate, Sharon Kedar sits down with Dr. Tim Sweeney, Co-Founder and CEO of Inflammatix, to explore how advances in artificial intelligence, host-response diagnostics, and precision medicine could transform the way clinicians detect infection and critical illness. Dr. Sweeney shares the personal experience that launched his two-decade mission to improve sepsis care, explains why traditional diagnostic approaches often fall short, and discusses how Inflammatix's TriVerity™ platform is helping physicians identify the right patients for the right treatment at the right time.

- You want to understand why sepsis remains one of healthcare's most challenging diagnoses.

- You're interested in how artificial intelligence is being applied to real-world clinical decision-making.

- You want to learn how innovation can improve outcomes for critically ill patients.

Connect with Dr. Tim Sweeney:

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tim-sweeney-a6589594/

- X: https://x.com/timsweeney83

- Inflammatix: https://inflammatix.com

Connect with Sharon:

- Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/

- Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.com

- Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/email

The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions.

(00:00) The Patient That Changed Everything

(01:57) Why Sepsis Is So Difficult to Solve

(03:10) What Sepsis Really Is

(05:59) Why Early Diagnosis Matters

(08:18) Introducing TriVerity

(12:17) A Life Saved by Earlier Detection

(17:10) The Science of Host Response

(19:07) How AI Interprets the Immune System

(25:22) The Future of Precision Critical Care

(31:28) Improving Care Beyond Saving Lives

About Our Guest: Tim Sweeney, MD, PhD, is co-founder and CEO of Inflammatix, a clinical-stage startup bringing precision medicine to hospital care. He led the company from its Stanford roots through product development, clinical validation, FDA clearance, and commercialization. His background spans clinical medicine (surgery), data science, and translational diagnostics, giving him a practical view of both clinical need and market adoption. Tim is named on more than a dozen patents, has published more than 100 manuscripts and abstracts, and has served as PI on multiple development contracts from DOD/DARPA, BARDA, and NIH. He lives with his wife and 3 boys in Northern California.

About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.

This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts.

What if some forms of hearing loss do not appear on current hearing tests at all? In this episode of Innovate & Elevate, Sharon Kedar sits down with neuroscientist, engineer, musician, and Carnegie Mellon Dean Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham to explore how the brain processes sound and why hearing is far more complex than simply detecting noise. Together, they discuss hidden hearing loss, the “cocktail party effect,” ADHD and sound filtering, cognitive fatigue, aging, sensory processing, and the emerging science behind sound, music, and the brain.

- You’re interested in ADHD, sensory processing, and cognitive load

- You want to understand how the brain filters sound

- You’re curious about the future of hearing diagnostics and neuroscience

Connect with Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-shinn-cunningham-9705208/

Connect with Sharon:

1. Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/
2. Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.com
3. Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWi1O9RBaPMYuCkKszPYVA
4. Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/email

The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions.

(00:00) Introduction to hearing and brain processing

(03:12) Why identical twins can experience sound differently

(06:25) Loud concerts, noise exposure, and hidden hearing loss

(11:08) Why hearing tests may miss subtle hearing damage

(16:10) Hypersensitivity, sound amplification, and aging

(21:22) ADHD, focus, and filtering sound

(27:40) The “cocktail party effect” explained

(34:18) Why hearing loss can feel mentally exhausting

(42:55) ADHD as a potential superpower

(52:11) Sound baths, sleep, and the neuroscience of sound

About Our Guest: Dr. Barbara Shinn-Cunningham is a neuroscientist, engineer, musician, and Dean of the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research focuses on how the brain processes sound, attention, hearing, and sensory perception in complex environments.

About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.

This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts: https://www.bravemoonpodcasts.com/

What happened in 1993 still affects medicine today. That was the year women were required to be included in NIH-funded clinical trials, a shift that helped begin correcting decades of male-centered medical research. In this powerful conversation, Sharon Kedar CFA sits down with Jessica Federer, former Chief Digital Officer at Bayer and Managing Director of The Women’s Health Fund, to explore why this moment matters not only for women’s health, but for human health, innovation, and the future of medicine.

They discuss how exclusion from research shaped diagnostics, drug dosing, autoimmune disease, heart health, cancer care, and why one of the world’s largest multi-trillion dollar industries still has enormous opportunity ahead.

This Episode Is For You If:

- You want to understand why women’s health impacts everyone

- You’re curious how clinical trials shape modern medicine

- You care about innovation, investing, longevity, and better healthcare outcomes

What You’ll Learn:

- Why women were historically excluded from many clinical trials

- How 1993 changed medical research standards

- Why better science creates better care for everyone

Key Takeaways

- Clinical research has historically relied heavily on male data, creating downstream gaps in care.

- Including women in research improves diagnostics, treatment, safety, and outcomes across medicine.

- Women’s health may be one of the greatest innovation opportunities of our time.

Connect with Sharon:

Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/

Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.com

Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWi1O9RBaPMYuCkKszPYVA

Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/email

Connect with Jessica Federer:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjfeds

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicafederer

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessica.federer?_r=1&_t=ZP-95ZSDLDRyyF

- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jjfeds?si=bX8_ii-GccsfXHN8

Organizations, resources and citations referenced:

Bayer: https://www.bayer.com/en/

National Institutes of Health (NIH): https://www.nih.gov/

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: https://www.fda.gov/

Jennifer Doudna: https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/jennifer-doudna

The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions.

Timestamps

(00:00) Welcome Jessica Federer

(00:50) Why Jessica cares deeply about women’s health

(02:10) Why 1993 was a turning point in clinical trials

(04:33) NIH rules requiring women in funded research

(08:28) Why women spend more years in poorer health

(12:08) Mammograms, heart disease, and missed opportunities

(15:36) Why cancer treatment may look barbaric in hindsight

(18:53) Why top talent is moving into women’s health

(21:13) Autoimmune disease and the need for better systems

(25:29) The next frontier: brain health and hormone science

About Our Guest: Jessica Federer is a trailblazer and market builder. She was the first female chief digital Officer in the global pharmaceutical industry. She now sits on public and private boards, convenes the Health of Women Investor Summit and is the managing director of the Women’s Health Fund. She also serves on the Yale IRB and the Yale Blavatnik Fund advisory.

About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Her extensive career includes leadership roles at Sands Capital and McKinsey & Company, and she is a published author on personal finance. As the host of the Innovate and Elevate podcast, she passionately advocates for menopause care and HRT (hormone replacement therapy), challenging the silence around human health XX (also known as women’s health). She aims to help women navigate midlife and achieve longevity by aging with power. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.

This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts: https://www.bravemoonpodcasts.com/