#423 Teaching AI to Predict the Future of Your Brain: Dr Hannah Madan from Prima Mente

Hannah Madan joins us to share a rollercoaster journey of co-founding Prima Mente— an AI-driven neuroscience company building foundations models for the brain. This episode is packed with thought-provoking insights, including: — The biological hypothesis behind Prima Mente that "No one believed was true" — How Hannah made it by doing "just enough", not by being a top student — A baptism by fire— landing her first role as Chief of Staff and flying out for a YC launch party on her 25th birthday — Prima Mente's "Ecosystem plays" and atypical competitive strategies — Hannah's unique focus on the people she works with— deep personal understanding and fostering reflective behaviour  — A decentralised vision for the future of healthcare Connect with Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahmadan/ Learn more: https://www.primamente.com/ Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.com Subscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.com Get in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com Chapters: 00:00:00 Welcome to the Health Tech Podcast 00:01:23 Uncovering Novel Biology in the Neurodegenerative Space 00:02:03 Primemente's Integrated Approach: Clinical Studies, Wet Lab, and Machine Learning 00:03:22 Early Life  00:04:38 Undergraduate Studies 00:08:58 PhD Research: The Link Between Diet, Diabetes, and Bowel Cancer 00:12:23 Chief of Staff at Cambridge Cancer Genomics (CCG) and YC 00:15:10 CCG's Mission: Liquid Biopsies for Cancer Treatment Monitoring 00:19:05 The Road to Prima Mente 00:22:19 Establishing Team Culture: Communication, Self-Reflection, and Growth 00:27:13 Scientific Hypothesis: Cell-Free DNA and Epigenetics in Neurodegenerative Conditions 00:30:03 Technical Approach: Using Transformer Architecture and Foundation Models 00:33:47 The Pleiades Model and Diagnostic Accuracy 00:34:56 The Sandbox Study: Pushing for Earlier Diagnosis 00:37:47 Future Strategy: Focusing on Novel Clinically Actionable Targets