Revolutionizing Autoimmune Diagnostics: Dr. Veena Joy on CAR-T & Women's Health

Dr. Veena Joy, the U.S. Lead for Strategic Partnerships in Allergy and Autoimmunity at Thermo Fisher Scientific discusses her career transition from academic research to industry work at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Driven by her interest in health economics and the underexplored aspects of autoimmune disease diagnostics, Dr. Joy transitioned to a focus on translational medicine and autoimmune diagnostics. Emphasizing the value of thinking beyond narrow specializations, Dr. Joy discusses how her diverse experiences have enabled her to make a broader impact in the autoimmune diagnostics field, particularly improvements in autoimmune disease diagnostics. The holistic diagnostic approaches Dr. Joy discusses include the consideration of factors like genetic predisposition, environmental triggers, and societal influences. In addition, health economics, the role of empathy and innovation in scientific advancements also play roles in a complete approach to diagnostics, with the ultimate goal being to improve patient outcomes.






Dr. Joy notes that, while diagnostic improvements have been ongoing for 20-30 years, there has been significant momentum in the past decade, particularly with advancements in CAR-T therapy, which holds promise for eliminating certain autoimmune diseases. More specifically, Dr. Joy discusses the potential of CAR T-cell therapy to revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment by re-engineering cells and removing certain autoimmune conditions.






Women face notable diagnostic challenges, like receiving timely and accurate diagnoses for autoimmune conditions when, for example, symptoms are dismissed as hormonal or not taken seriously by healthcare providers. Dr. Joy further notes that women tend to deal with symptoms on their own and that there are significant disparities in diagnosis rates between women and men, with women being diagnosed or misdiagnosed at higher rates despite comprising the majority of autoimmune condition patients. Addressing these issues to improve women's health and access to care, particularly for marginalized groups, is a major goal.






By focusing on improving diagnostic techniques and ensuring their value through health economics, Dr. Joy’s holistic approach to diagnostics is aimed at reducing those disparities. Educating clinicians and patients, as well as optimizing the use of existing diagnostic tests are part of this more complete picture.






Dr. Joy emphasizes the importance of empathy in science and highlights Thermo Fisher's commitment to innovation and patient care under CEO Mark Casper. With various challenges and opportunities in the scientific community, scientists must be collaborative changemakers by considering multiple perspectives and impacts of their work.






Episode Resources:


B·R·A·H·M·S Biomarkers for Preeclampsia Screening (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/ho...)


Upcoming Micro-Lecture (https://www.thermofisher.com/adlm/wor...)  


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