Cultivating culture to change healthcare | Robert Sundelius (Chair at FriendsLearn)

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Robert Sundelius is Chair at FriendsLearn. FriendsLearn is the award winning pioneer of Digital Vaccines and Neurocognitive Computing, as the founding research translation partner of Carnegie Mellon University’s Digital Vaccine Project . FriendsLearn developed Fooya, the widely acclaimed game designed to lower the risk of disease in children through Neuromodulation and Implicit Learning, through a gamified AI generated metaverse.

Through FriendsLearn, teenagers and young adults internationally will have access to anytime, anywhere, content-rich, interactive and collective learning. Effective learning is inherently a social phenomenon driven by exchange between peers. The core purpose of FriendsLearn is to empower human potential as a result of gaining a better understanding of our world.

The company’s first game was developed under a contract with the US Department of State’s EducationUSA to build a 3D social game that engages and promotes the US as a destination for learning. Since 2012, Your 5 Steps to US Study has been used by prospective international students around the world.

Episode Highlight: “Let’s say in school systems, we now have implemented this digital vaccine that kids play with [for] 30 minutes a week, and they’re changing their behavior and choice relative to nutrition and movement.

We expand that to other disease states and the upstream reasons for those disease states. And the system learns and grows. So from the sixth grade to the 10th grade, to the 12th grade, to their first year in college, and we’re developing and resourcing a system that continues to improve individual health literacy, that is strengthening my responsibility for my health, that is supporting and resourcing trusted support networks in everything I need to keep that journey…So this system of flourishing will greatly influence the on-ramps and the off-ramps to the medical care system.

So if I’ve grown over 10 years, and I understand what it means to practice preventative medicine or preventative well-care and well-being, I’m gonna understand how to access a primary care physician and why should I and what should that interaction be like. And you’re gonna influence where people go on those on-ramps and off-ramps based on their interaction with this ecosystem. Then all of a sudden, it’s the person who is influencing the medical care system instead of the other way around, because now you’ve got scale.”

In this episode, Robert talks about:

-The healthcare costs and affordability (05:18-26:25)

-The personal stories (05:18-08:58)

-The insurance and government policies (09:00-14:38)

-The impact on patients and society (14:38-17:40)

-The solutions and potential changes (17:40-26:25)

-The sick care vs. preventative care (26:25-34:43)

-The overview of sick care and preventative care (26:25-28:10)

-The benefits of preventative care (28:10-30:30)

-The challenges in shifting towards preventative care (30:30-34:43)

-The AI agent in healthcare (34:43-50:56)

-The overview of AI in healthcare (34:43-36:21)

-The example of an AI agent for patient care (36:21-38:49)

-The benefits and concerns (38:49-42:00)

-The potential future developments (42:00-50:56)

-The role of healthcare professionals in patient education (50:56-57:21)

-The importance of empathetic and vulnerable leadership (57:35-00:58:10)

-The conclusion and thanks for listening (00:58:10-01:00:00)

How to reach Robert:

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsundelius/
-Company: https://www.cmu.edu/heinz/digital-vaccine-project/index.html

How to reach Zain:

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zainmsyed/
-Twitter: https://twitter.com/zainsyedpharmd/
-Newsletter: https://zainsyed.substack.com/

Links to other platforms to listen:

-Apple Podcast: https://rdar.li/apple-podcast-link
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-If it is not on the one you use send me a message and I will get it on there

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– StrataPT: https://www.stratapt.com/
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– Sponsor digital thoughts: https://app.youform.com/forms/c33ffz0d

Things referenced in the episode:

-Digital Vaccine: https://www.cmu.edu/heinz/digital-vaccine-project/

Music used:

-Daystar – Sugar Cookie

Thank you so much for your support!

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I hope you have a great day!


Digital Thoughts is a Strata Studios show that talks about all things digital health, from the people to the products they build.

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