Digital Health Explorer Journal: CogX Day Two & Three

Leg 4

Why your Health is About to Change Forever

Any glance at headlines confirms it: we're potentially on the precipice of a golden age in healthcare thanks, primarily, to the accelerated advancements of technology. From boosting longevity to innovative AI drug discoveries and the intriguing entrance of psychedelics, the second day of the keenly-attended CogX Conference took a deep dive into how our health is on the verge of transformation. The session included some ace industry thought-leaders: Chief AI Officer of Exscientia, Charlotte Deane; CEO & Founder of Cambrian Bio, James Peyer Ph.D.; Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder of COMPASS Pathways, Dr Ekaterina Malievskaia; and CEO of Human Centric Drug Discovery, James Peach. It was clear from the onset that health tech as a whole, and technologies that leverage 'gappy' data in health, in particular, remained at the heart of the discussion.

Charlotte Deane, illuminated the way Exscientia has been applying a comprehensive approach to confront deeply ingrained issues like treatment-resistant mental health and eating disorders. She drew attention to an alarming data-related issue: one-third of all data is health data and 90% of that remains unused. She cited Google Maps as a splendid example of data driving predictions—a service universally embraced without question for its undeniable usefulness. But healthcare, unfortunately, fails to enjoy such luxury—it can’t afford any misdirection: you’re not going to drive into the river (or are you?!). The discussion raised some critical questions on how to get health predictions right the first time.

Meanwhile, James Peyer addressed the burgeoning field of longevity. He highlighted two significant and challenging concepts—health disparities and medical issues—and how population data might help the former but not the latter. He shared the revolutionary concept of using 'gappy' data, a more manageable and less expensive process, as opposed to relying entirely on gold standard clinical trials - how we can blend the two safely and effectively to address these issues.

In a conversation about precision medicine, Charlotte steered towards precision mental health. She called for long-term and multi-generational studies, reminiscing about The British Doctors Study in the 1950s that linked tobacco smoking with cause-specific mortality.

One of the many takeaways from the day—the need for people's participation in preventative care. This faces a significant challenge in a landscape where one-third of heavy smokers are likely to die prematurely due to their habits. Looking to the future, one thing becomes clear. The dual approach of prevention through data and directly supporting people in their health journeys is critical. Furthermore, the fields of health and wellbeing require us to question what the life's quality is if we're continually 'living sick' versus 'living well,' hinting at the need to reduce the time people spend being medicalised.Yet, at the heart of it all lies a dilemma: how can medical data be integrated into our everyday lives without intrusion? One potential answer could be wearable devices for individual health monitoring, like an Apple Watch or Fitbit. But population health and preventative data may also provide crucial intervention points to offer support. One thing is for sure: it is not about persecuting but protecting.

Quite many questions linger, yet the path emphatically points towards responsible and secure data collection, storage and use combined to generate  evidence to build practice. The session left us enlightened about the agile realities of health tech and its predictive potential, all posing a lucid assertion: your health is about to change forever.

Leg 5

Pablos Holman: The Deep Future: Implementing Science Fiction

Day three of the prestigious CogX conference kicked off with energy and anticipation. The agenda was nothing short of groundbreaking, with Pablos Holman, a Hacker, Inventor, Futurist, and General Partner at Deep Future, opening the AI & DeepTech Summit. The keynote topic was "The Deep Future: Implementing Science Fiction" and it plunged headfirst into the world of Applied AI, Cyber Security, Defence, Material Science, and Leadership.Holman made an intriguing distinction between deep tech and shallow tech. Deep tech, in his view, delves into creating fundamentally innovative technologies, those that Possess the potential to make significant societal or economical impacts. On the other hand, shallow tech includes readily implementable applications that lack the transformative potential of their deep tech counterparts in the long term.

One of the stirring examples provided was the idea of programmable factories. Here, the challenge lies in creating cost-effective solutions. He spoke about the concept of 3D printing with biomass, presenting the unexpected combination of technology and coffee residues from Starbucks. It appears outlandish at first but demonstrates how we can reimagine better processes using existing resources in surprising ways.

Holman continued his talk, diving into modern industrial advanced technologies. He elaborated on the power of incremental improvements, encouraging developers to aim for 10x improvements rather than settling for a mere 2%. This ethos was further supported with examples such as self-driving sailing cargo boats and new cement production techniques inspired by the Romans, which use 20% less CO2 and require no steel.

To implement these future-thinking technologies, he cautioned, we are not computation-constrained but imagination-constricted. He challenged the audience to rethink how they use computational powers. He suggested dropping small data tools like Excel and instead, creating computational models that imitate the ways children play and learn. These models are instrumental in testing and refining ideas. Holman pointed out that our computers carry a deep love for mathematics, and we're surrounded by a wealth of data. Understanding and utilising these factors can revolutionise how we test and refine our theories and designs.Holman left attendees with a significant and timely challenge: re-imagining the world's energy production. He noted that we need to 10x global energy production. He drew attention to the consequences of rejecting nuclear reactors – a rich energy source that could provide abundant power for thousands of years. He spoke passionately about the untapped potential of fusion reactors, which could solve energy problems indefinitely.

The subject of quantum computing also underlined the urgency to secure data and privacy in a world where data collaboration is becoming ubiquitous. As Holman concluded his visionary talk, his words echoed what every attendee at CogX was likely thinking – with the transformative momentum of deep tech, there’s no time to delay. The future is undoubtedly deep, and it’s already playing today.

Leg 6

Your Life, Your Health

My final destination at CogX was a sparkling event titled "Your life, your health" spearheaded discussions on personalized health and the transformative impact of technology on healthcare. Speaking at the Industry Transformation Summit were industry thought-leaders: Co-founder and President of ZOE, George Hadjigeorgiou; Thriva Health's Founder, Hamish Grierson; Health Editor of The Economist, Natasha Loder; and Chief Strategy Officer of Kheiron Medical, Sarah Kerruish.

Personalised data took centre-stage in the day’s deliberations, identified by the esteemed speakers as the biggest opportunity to improve health outcomes. Sarah Kerruish spoke about her organisation’s efforts in cancer diagnostics, clarifying that the aim is not to replace radiologists but support them using better, more accessible tools. Their goal is to ensure every woman everywhere has access to this life-saving tool, reflecting the global importance of representative data.

Grierson’s focus shifted towards prevention and personalised health. He envisioned diagnostics as an essential service that could make invisible health issues visible while being consumer-centric. Despite potential limiting factors— such as lags and speed—the potential for diagnostics to enhance healthcare was clear.Hadjigeorgiou's insights revolved around the medicalisation of people, active personalised healthcare and lifestyle diseases prevention. He envisioned a shift of control from the medical system to the individual, citing the importance of personal agency in controlling lifestyle diseases.

He used an intriguing comparison: in 1965, the UK implemented annual car inspections to ensure safety, likening this to modern times where we can take control of our health. Grierson then shared his personal experience with B12 deficiency, demonstrating how personalised health data can help individuals make informed decisions about their health.Hadjigeorgiou further discussed the potential and challenges related to the healthcare system's uptake of data-driven insights and AI. He pointed towards the importance of gathering substantial inside-body data and making it affordable and accessible.

The panellists agreed that adopting new technologies relies heavily on trust and debunking misinformation. They proposed a shift from a search-based paradigm to an assistant-based paradigm, presenting the concept of a personal health assistant who could provide actionable health informatics.

Discussion flowed around the pertinent issue of health inequalities, emphasising the role of data in making health services accessible and equitable. They believed that more data collection could lower costs in the long run, but for that to happen, healthcare systems must be open to integrating new technologies. They asked a resounding call-to-action to the audience: make politicians take notice of preventive health.

We left the day's session understanding that the future were a blend of advanced technology with consumer-focused healthcare plays a massive role in addressing current problems in health access and delivery. An individual’s power to access personal health metrics may indeed lead to not only an increased lifespan but also a better quality of life. The last day at CogX reminded us all that "Your life, your health" isn't merely a slogan but a realisable vision.