In this episode, we chat with Vera M., a cancer researcher-turned-chief scientific officer-turned-biotech founder. We dive into what makes healthcare data “good,” the challenges of connecting siloed clinical trial data to the real world, and the evolving infrastructure powering data-driven medicine. Vera shares her journey from the lab to consulting to startups, and we explore the current and future state of real-world data, patient matching, and tokenization.

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Meet our first guest: Vera Mucaj 

(01:00) From cancer research to Datavent  

(03:00) Why consulting became the next step  

(05:00) Startup life

(06:00) Linking trials to real-world data  

(09:00) The problem with siloed trial data  

(11:00) What happens after a trial ends?  

(15:00) Are we underusing trial data?  

(17:00) The evolution of informed consent  

(20:00) Ethics vs access  

(26:00) Real-world data is still early  

(29:00) Observational limits & FDA guidance  

(32:00) Can RWD replicate trial results?  

(34:00) Data context is everything  

(36:00) Could consumer data help healthcare?  

(39:00) Why data decisions take so long  

(44:00) Product tip: No one wants your dashboard  

(47:00) Vera’s Nature paper on patient matching  

(51:00) The penny-drop moment for linkage  

(52:00) What Vera’s building next  

(55:00) Advice for pivoting PhDs  

(57:00) Wrap-up and reflections

🔗Links & Resources:

• Vera’s Nature article on patient matching

• Flex Capital

• Datavent

• FDA’s guidance on real-world evidence

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🎙️ About High Dimensional Health Data (HD²) HD² is the podcast for people building healthcare’s data and AI future. Hosted by Aaron and Phil, HD² explores the intersection of healthcare, data, and AI, and focuses on conversations with builders and practitioners.

Hosts

Phil Ballentine – Sr Director, Data Engineering at Atropos Health

🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-ballentine/

Aaron Neiderhiser – Co-Founder and CEO at Tuva Health

🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronneiderhiser/

Guests

Vera Mucaj – Venture Partner at Flex Capital & Former Chief Scientific Officer at Datavent

 🔗https://www.linkedin.com/in/veramucaj/
Interested in working together or coming on the podcast as a guest? Email us at [email protected]