Striving to End Childhood Cancer: A Conversation with Jean Machart, COO, Children's Cancer Research Fund

Jean Machart: 0:00

So as we think about our research, we do look at not just the treatment as a child, but what's that full impact of the treatment for the rest of their life.

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Frank Jaskulke: 1:11

Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to everyone out there in Medical Alley. This is your host, Frank Jaskulke, on another episode of the Medical Alley Podcast. Today, I'm so pleased to be joined by Jean Machart, who is the COO of the Children's Cancer Research Fund. We're gonna be talking a little bit about biotechnology, about cancer research, about her career journey. And I think with the rapidly growing biotechnology community in Minnesota, this will be a particularly interesting conversation. Jean, thank you so much for joining us today.

Jean Machart: 1:43

Love being here, Frank.

Frank Jaskulke: 1:44

Yeah. Well, maybe we can start for our listeners, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and then maybe introduce the CCRF.

Jean Machart: 1:52

Absolutely. So to your point, I'm at CCRF as COO, but also an expert in residence at a Silicon Valley digital fund. So at DigitalDX, where we apply AI for early diagnosis.

Frank Jaskulke: 2:07

Oh, very cool. And then tell me a little bit about the Children's Cancer Research Fund. What does the organization do?

Jean Machart: 2:13

Yes, so the organization has a vision of striving to end children's cancers. And really what that means from a mission and focus side is we select and fund the best, most innovative medical research to truly deliver breakthroughs for Children's Cancer.

Frank Jaskulke: 2:30

Oh, wow. Kind of selecting the best. How does the organization go out and do that? Because I have to imagine there is a ton of research happening in this area, that's going to be quite a complex process.

Jean Machart: 2:45

It is. So you're right, we run a research advisory committee to select or to really first get all of the projects that are more review. Have it peer reviewed so it's scored. And then through prestigious researchers in the committee voting on it selecting the best research, our focus then are three areas. One is hard to treat. So those are cancers where the survival rate is pretty low. Also, health disparities, and then survivorship. What we find with children, the treatment moves into the next phase where you survive it. But you have then a chance of increased longer term health defects. So it could be learning, it could be in terms of the cancer reoccurs or a different cancer shows up. So how can we change the treatments to avoid more of those long term issues?

Frank Jaskulke: 3:42

Oh, interesting. I think quite often, in the work that the health technology community does, we're often very focused on diagnosis and initial treatment. But then particularly for children, they're hopefully going to have a very long life afterwards. And other things would come up that maybe we're not usually thinking about at the start.

Jean Machart: 4:06

So then we do research on that, to your point of, what are alternatives or different ways to approach the treatment since they're so young.

Frank Jaskulke: 4:15

Yeah. You know, survivorship, I think is a topic we don't talk about enough. What's the issue in survivorship with pediatric cancers?

Jean Machart: 4:25

You know, it's just devastating. And what we see by the age of 45, 95% of the adults who had cancer as a child have a major condition. And so that could be an occurrence of cancer. It could be mental disabilities, or it could be brain damage or loss of hearing and sight. And so as we think about our research, we do look at not just the treatment as a child, but what's that full impact of the treatment for the rest of their life.

Frank Jaskulke: 4:54

Oh, so important.You know, I think we we often hear about about nonprofits and organizations that are raising money for research in cancer, and also in pediatric cancers. When you look at what's going on out in the world right now, are there areas where you go, this is very exciting work, very exciting research, high opportunities, what are the things that you see coming down the pike the next couple of years that could be highly impactful?

Jean Machart: 5:23

It's right, you know, certainly with the overall the Cancer Moonshot that's going on. Overall, the two things I find the most exciting. One is for children's cancer of a data sharing and artificial intelligence. So just as an example, for brain tumors, there are over 100 different types of tumors. And that means that even for large institutions, they don't have enough data to be able to then to train from an AI perspective, along with clinical trials and getting the right samples. And so this is where as an example, you see that children's brain tumor network has created then a repository and data repository, but also a bio repository they use across the globe for researchers. And it takes a, you know, a long research path down to even a few years compared to where it was before data sharing existed. And, you know, again, I think about that's, you know, when you can reduce a number of years, that picks up even more children and almost more generations for research. And so the second thing I'm excited about is cell and gene therapies. And for that, the from and to is really reducing using chemo therapies as a solution or treatment, and moving to treatments that still receive the remission or, you know, cure for the cancer, but also then higher quality of life for the children.

Frank Jaskulke: 6:49

Yeah. And I have to imagine that having those data sharing agreements in place, there are things coming up or things happening that we probably couldn't even have anticipated or planned for because scientists, policymakers, physicians, didn't have a world where that information was readily available. I didn't realize there were so many different types of just brain tumors even to think of the volume of patients you would need to be able to get a data set that you can train a model on or develop a drug for. That's pretty darn cool. And you said that was part of the Cancer Moonshot effort?

Jean Machart: 7:28

It's actually operated at CHOP. So Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. And, you know, it's one example focused on brain tumor, but there are others. For instance, University of Minnesota has that with leukemia. And so this, again, with children's cancers, we always have an S on it, because it's not just one specific cancer, but but many that we're focused on.

Frank Jaskulke: 7:50

Oh, very interesting. So how did you get involved in this? How did you end up at doing this kind of work?

Jean Machart: 7:56

Well, you know, prior to this, I was at UnitedHealth Group for almost six years, focused on almost the reverse across end to end on healthcare, leading out or enterprise digital and AI platforms, before that leading out client experience and transformation within operations. And then that was the focus from a payer, provider, pharmacy, home health side of seeing the large end to end. What attracted me were three things to Children's Cancer Research, obviously, the missions compelling of how can you really impact children with cancer? But the second thing is the role is integrated. So I'm able to work, how does the organization operate, but also focus on research of getting to the driving to the selection, but full end to end. And so it's been interesting to go deep onto one aspect to healthcare is really the reverse compared to a UnitedHealth Group.

Frank Jaskulke: 8:54

Yeah. And now also

Jean Machart: 8:56

And loved both.

Frank Jaskulke: 8:57

Yeah. And I think now, the DigitalDX part makes a lot of sense where you've got the digital experience and the the DX and RX experience for that matter. Maybe you can tell our audience a little bit more about the work of DigitalDX and some of the stuff you're doing there.

Jean Machart: 9:14

Yes. So with DigitalDX, it's a venture capital fund in in Silicon Valley. And the focus is selecting startups that are applying AI for early diagnosis. And you think primarily, the testing is non invasive. So that's where, how can we very early on identify a disease and from that, then take action and pull the treatment up as early as possible. So I think of it is a continuous driver within healthcare for us not only think about the diagnosis side, but to rethink about the treatment side. Again, lower costs in the end for health care, but also then improving the life.

Frank Jaskulke: 9:55

And I think, especially lately, artificial intelligence has been something we're all hearing about, talking about. Someone reminded me the other day, and this blew my mind, that the whole ChatGPT thing was only November of 2022 that it came onto the scene in a public way. What's your take on AI's impact in healthcare or potential for impact in healthcare? Clearly, I think the diagnostic side you've identified. Where do you see it going?

Jean Machart: 10:23

It's right. I think, you know, overall, for AI, and to your point with, certainly with generative AI coming on the scene, and a third of Americans have already, you know, tried it. AI to me I see as the broader component. So you have the generative AI, but also AI that many of us have been working on for years. You know, with the Master's at Carlson School of Management, I studied neural networks in the 90s. And so it's, you know, to your point, it's just exponentially increasing. So directly, the impact for healthcare, two things. One is primarily the use cases, and we're focused on efficiency. So that's improving the member and patient experience, getting down to an individual level at scale. But also looking at how can we reduce paperwork for doctors, so you're seeing now generative AI being applied to meeting certain, you know, or visits with patients, rather than having the provider deal with the paperwork, you have —

Frank Jaskulke: 11:20

Have to turn their back and type into the health record and all that fun.

Jean Machart: 11:23

That's right. So you can get initial draft and of course, edited or updated from a provider side. And then also the data processes, you know, end to end. How can we make more of AI for automation? Then to your point on digital diagnose, digital dx, focusing on care, not only from a diagnostic side, you're seeing it coming through the radiology side and imaging prospective. And so then, next, it will be more strategic around what are the new products and services that can be offered? You know, how can we again, think end to end for healthcare to connect, you know, members and patients are really the same consumer. So how do we move into more of a consumer based business?

Frank Jaskulke: 12:09

I think that part really fascinates me the, the idea that we can personalize at scale, as you've said, to be able to better manage the individual's needs or better support them in their care. But in ways that no human could do because we can't process that volume of information that consistently. I have to think that the experiences and the knowledge of people who are coming out of the United Health groups of the world where as you said, work very broadly. And then the organizations that are, you know, very focused, very in depth in specific areas, that more and more, those are going to have to tie up in some way of bringing those systems together on specific diseases or specific needs. And it seems like with the work you've done, and that you're now doing, you're bringing those two sectors together.

Jean Machart: 13:04

That's right. And when you think about it, to your point, it's also then integrating data in your daily life. I think before it used to be your provider or your doctor is in one column and your daily life or somewhere else. And the same thing with your insurance company. You may call when you want to make sure you're seeing the right doctor. But when we think about wearables, and then so much of the sensors that can be in your home, pulling that data in to see what are those triggers that might be an alert. And then to your point, looking at it even deeper from a healthcare side, when you're looking at medical records, you know, and pulling it all together to make it decisional.

Frank Jaskulke: 13:46

You know, maybe the thing I'd ask you about in closing, you're part of this broader healthcare community here in Minnesota, but around the world. And you having been in the payer/provider side, in the research side, working in venture capital and entrepreneurship, seen a lot of different angles that are going on. What might you say out to the audience as far as how you think they best can serve the community and what might you say to Medical Alley as far as how we can better serve the community or better engage in the way healthcare seems to be transforming in front of our very eyes?

Jean Machart: 14:23

It's right, I think of the community and each of us as leaders, you can see how data sharing is just one example of how can we partner together to look at what's that better end to end healthcare for consumers. And, you know, for Medical Alley, I think it's just a fabulous resource. From the one on ones you've you've connected me to, to many community members, but also the events to collaborate and see what's next and how do our pieces fit together.

Frank Jaskulke: 14:52

Yeah. Okay, one last question, because this is the important one to close on. If folks want to learn more about the Children's Cancer Research Fund, how they might get involved, how they might support it, where should we send them?

Jean Machart: 15:05

Yes. What a fabulous question. So, September is childhood cancer awareness month. And you can find us at childrenscancerresearch.org. So you can see how to sponsor an event or donate or even volunteer.

Frank Jaskulke: 15:18

Oh, fantastic. And folks, we'll make sure to have that in the show notes. And of course, you also can find it on the Medical Alley website. Or if you need to reach out to me or anyone else on the team, we'll get you plugged in. Great organization doing incredible work. And we're glad to have you here. Jean, thank you so much for spending a bit of time with us today.

Jean Machart: 15:36

Thank you, Frank.

Frank Jaskulke: 15:37

And, folks, that's been another episode of the Medical Alley podcast. If you're not already a subscriber, you can head over to medicalalleypodcast.org. Or you can find us on Apple, Spotify, or now on our YouTube channel. And hey, would you do me a favor? I know normally I ask you to share it with one person, but would you share this episode with at least two other people? It's a really important topic and a really important time. And I'd appreciate it if you help spread the word of this great story and so many others that are happening in Medical Alley. I'd appreciate if you do that. And until next time, have a great day.