Russo Edge Podcast

Russo Partners
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Monthly

On the Russo Edge Podcast, we interview compelling leaders, innovators, investors, and decision-makers in life sciences. Our engaging dialogues with those behind health breakthroughs center around the importance of focused communications, public and investor relations. We look at timely topics driving these decision-makers and seek their insights. The Russo Edge is hosted by Russo Partners, where we start the conversations so that our clients can change the world.

  1. 1d ago

    Fidelity’s Healthcare Investments Across Three Generations: WSJ’s Justin Baer

    For millions of Americans, Fidelity is the name they see on a retirement account, investment fund or workplace benefits platform. Justin Baer, deputy markets editor at The Wall Street Journal and author of House of Fidelity: The Rise of the Johnson Dynasty and the Company That Changed American Investing, joins Solomon Wilcots on the Russo Edge for an inside look at Fidelity and the Johnson family. Baer explains how private ownership gave the company the freedom to make long-term investments without the pressure of outside shareholders, Wall Street analysts or activist investors. That structure produced remarkable continuity, with only three CEOs from three generations of the Johnson family over approximately 80 years. At the center of that story is Ned Johnson’s deeply personal interest in Alzheimer’s disease. After watching his father and older sister experience the disease and later receiving his own diagnosis, Johnson supported scientific research, brought leading researchers together and invested directly in companies working across brain disease and biotechnology. The discussion then turns to Fidelity’s extensive healthcare interests. Its presence spans health savings accounts and workplace benefits, investments in publicly traded biotechnology, pharmaceutical and health insurance companies, and venture investments in emerging life sciences and health technology businesses.

  2. Aug 13

    The Race to Protect Newborns: Dr. Howard Berman on HIE

    What happens when a newborn does not receive enough oxygen and blood flow around birth, putting the brain at risk of serious injury? Cooling can help slow the damage, but it does not directly treat the underlying causes. Dr. Howard Berman, CEO of ReAlta Life Sciences, joins Solomon Wilcots to discuss hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE, a severe neonatal condition that can lead to brain injury, disability, cerebral palsy, and death. While therapeutic hypothermia can help slow inflammation, there are currently no approved drug therapies that directly address the biological drivers of HIE. Howard explains how ReAlta’s investigational therapy, pegtarazimod, is designed to target multiple components of the inflammatory response. He also discusses the company’s Phase 2 STAR trial, which is evaluating pegtarazimod in combination with therapeutic hypothermia and using MRI to measure changes in brain injury. For anyone interested in the science, leadership, and urgency behind the race to protect newborns with HIE, this episode offers a close look at what may come next.

  3. Jul 2

    Biotech as a Strategic Asset: Dr. Jeremy Levin on Science, Policy, and Public Trust

    Biotechnology has helped transform what is possible in medicine, turning once-fatal diseases into manageable conditions and opening the door to treatments that would have seemed impossible a generation ago. But as science advances, the systems that support innovation are under pressure, from public trust and policy decisions to capital formation, regulation, and confidence in scientific institutions. In this episode of Russo Edge, Dr. Jeremy Levin, co-founder and executive chairman of Ovid Therapeutics, former CEO of Teva, former chair of BIO, and a longtime biopharma leader whose career has included senior roles at Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis, joins host Solomon Wilcots for a conversation on why biotech should be viewed as one of America’s most important strategic assets. The conversation also explores the difference between biotech innovators and larger pharmaceutical companies, the complexity of drug pricing, the role of middlemen in the healthcare system, and why the public often does not see the full story behind how medicines are discovered, developed, funded, and delivered. Whether you are a biotech leader, investor, policymaker, or simply interested in the future of medicine, this episode offers a timely look at the pressures facing the industry and the choices that will shape what comes next.

  4. May 1

    Public Health Is Public Wealth: Dr. Michelle Williams on Why Prevention Pays

    What if the systems that keep people alive, healthy, and productive were valued the same way elite organizations value performance? In this episode, Solomon Wilcots speaks with Dr. Michelle Williams, professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University School of Medicine, former dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and author of The Cure for Everything. She explains how the often-invisible systems of public health shape daily life, from clean air and safe water to maternal health and prevention, and why public health should be seen not only as a moral imperative, but as an economic one. This conversation examines what happens when public health systems are built well, when they are neglected, and why prevention should be understood not as an afterthought, but as an investment in resilience and long-term prosperity.

  5. Apr 22

    The New Dynamics of Hospitals: What Leaders Need to Know with Scott Becker

    What’s really putting pressure on hospitals today, and what does it mean for the companies working with them? In this episode of the Russo Edge, Scott Becker, founder and publisher of Becker’s Healthcare, joins host Solomon Wilcots to explore the new realities shaping hospitals and health systems across the country. Drawing from daily conversations with executives on the front lines, Scott offers a clear view of how they are navigating a more complex, resource-constrained environment while continuing to deliver patient care at scale. If you lead a healthcare organization, build solutions for hospitals, or want a sharper understanding of how the system is evolving, this conversation offers a grounded, executive-level perspective on what matters now and what to watch next.

  6. Feb 26

    The First Venture Fund for Paralysis: SCI Ventures Founder Adrien Cohen

    What happens when a seasoned tech founder applies venture discipline to one of the toughest medical challenges: turning spinal cord injury research into real treatments? In this episode of the Russo Edge, Adrien Cohen, founder of SCI Ventures, joins host Solomon Wilcots for a conversation about building a global venture philanthropy fund designed to accelerate therapies for spinal cord injury. Adrien shares how his personal journey brought him into the SCI community, and why the most promising science too often stalls in the gap between academic discovery and clinical adoption. Adrien explains how SCI Ventures is designed to solve that problem with an evergreen model that funds and de-risks breakthrough programs, then reinvests returns back into the mission to keep the cycle going. He also talks about how SCI Ventures was co-created with leading partners in the field, including the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Wings for Life, and the Shepherd Center, and why collaboration across foundations, clinicians, researchers, and industry is essential to speed progress. From due diligence and portfolio strategy to what success could look like over the next 5–10 years, this conversation is a practical look at how venture philanthropy can help move spinal cord injury science from the lab to patients faster.

  7. Jan 29

    AI, Data, and Venture Capital: Sahir Ali on Smarter Biotech Investing

    What happens when a scientist, engineer, and VC see the same future — one where data and biology converge to change medicine? In this episode of The Russo Edge, Sahir Ali, Founder and General Partner of Modi Ventures, joins Solomon Wilcots to discuss how artificial intelligence and data are reshaping the business of biotech. Drawing on his background across programming, Wall Street, and cancer research, Sahir explains how his firm uses a portfolio theory approach to manage risk, identify value, and back the next generation of healthcare breakthroughs. From AI-enabled discovery to Houston’s fast-growing life sciences hub, Sahir offers a window into how venture capital is evolving — and how data-driven strategies can create smarter, more sustainable innovation in biotech.

  8. 10/30/2025

    Behind the Byline: What Journalists Look for When Covering Biotech

    In this episode of The Russo Edge, two leading journalists pull back the curtain on how science becomes a headline. Heather McKenzie, Senior Editor at BioSpace and Ben Glickman, Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, join host Solomon Wilcots to share what earns their attention, what builds trust, and what turns them off before a single question is asked. Together, they break down how biotech companies can communicate complex data with clarity, why timing is everything when engaging in the press, and how credibility can be strengthened long before a major announcement. From background conversations to clear trial summaries and investor context, this conversation offers practical, real-world advice for biotech leaders.

See All (22)

About

On the Russo Edge Podcast, we interview compelling leaders, innovators, investors, and decision-makers in life sciences. Our engaging dialogues with those behind health breakthroughs center around the importance of focused communications, public and investor relations. We look at timely topics driving these decision-makers and seek their insights. The Russo Edge is hosted by Russo Partners, where we start the conversations so that our clients can change the world.

Information

  • Creator
    Russo Partners
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024-5 Russo Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Russo Edge Podcast