Smart Tech, Smarter Women: How AI Is Taking Charge of Our Health Tech

In this episode of Soma Says, Dr. Soma Mandal welcomes Shalvi Singh, AI visionary and founder of Health Engine—a groundbreaking platform using artificial intelligence to bridge the $50 billion gap in women’s healthcare.

From her personal journey with PCOS to building an app that decodes biomarker shifts and predicts women’s health transitions, Shalvi shares how Health Engine is reimagining care for conditions like PCOS, perimenopause, and more. They unpack the importance of integrating AI into traditional care, discuss the potential for clinic partnerships, and address data privacy concerns—all while empowering women to understand and advocate for their bodies like never before.

🔍 Whether you're a healthcare provider, technophile, or just fed up with feeling dismissed in the exam room, this conversation is your front-row seat to the future of women’s health.

Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction and Disclaimer 01:06 – Meet Shalvi Singh: AI Visionary and Women's Health Advocate 02:48 – Shalvi's Personal Journey with PCOS 04:56 – Challenges and Critiques of Traditional Medicine 09:55 – The Birth of Health Engine 13:42 – AI and Women’s Health: The Future of Proactive Care 18:25 – How Health Engine Works 21:42 – Community and Support Systems 31:03 – Data Privacy and Security in AI 33:04 – Conclusion and Future Prospects

Guest Links: 💼 LinkedIn: Shalvi Singh 📰 TechBullion Feature

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, this is Dr.

(00:01):
Soma.
Just a disclaimer, this podcast is for informational purposes only and isn't intended as medical advice.
Always consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen.
Let's go to the show. 6 00:01:06,380.023 --> 00:01:11,30.023 Meet Shelby Singh, an AI visionary and women's health advocate. 7 00:01:11,300.023 --> 00:01:27,350.023 She's the founder of Health Engine, an innovative platform harnessing AI to bridge the $50 billion gap in women's healthcare by detecting and managing conditions like PCOS and navigating biological health transitions. 8 00:01:27,710.023 --> 00:01:32,360.023 Shelby brings dual expertise as a senior product manager at Amazon. 9 00:01:32,735.023 --> 00:01:42,215.023 And as a developer of AI driven tools aimed at early detection, personalized preparation, and ongoing support for women's health transitions. 10 00:01:42,455.023 --> 00:01:49,685.023 She's also a sought after judge at Major Hackathon, such as Cal Hacks 2024, a special editor for the Ft. 11 00:01:49,985.023 --> 00:01:54,575.023 AI Journal, and a featured speaker at the Women in Tech Global Conference. 12 00:01:55,25.023 --> 00:02:04,505.023 With deep technical chops and heartfelt commitment, Shelby is transforming how women experience healthcare from reactive treatment to proactive empowerment. 13 00:02:10,812.71 --> 00:02:13,372.71 So let's just dive right in. 14 00:02:13,522.71 --> 00:02:15,982.71 I just wanted to welcome you to my podcast. 15 00:02:16,32.71 --> 00:02:21,942.71 Hosting a guest to talk about healthcare and AI and specifically women's health. 16 00:02:22,392.71 --> 00:02:37,462.71 And I've been trying to gather more guests with, from different realms, not just physicians talking about AI and healthcare because I think it's gonna take us by a storm and it already is. 17 00:02:38,22.71 --> 00:02:39,102.71 In many ways. 18 00:02:39,522.71 --> 00:02:50,962.71 So tell us about yourself and how you came to found this company Health Engine thank you so much, Soma, for having me here today. 19 00:02:51,242.71 --> 00:02:59,617.71 I cannot stress enough whenever I'm speaking to people such as you the importance of AI and healthcare So I'd like to take you back to a time where it all began. 20 00:03:00,267.71 --> 00:03:08,917.71 Health Engine is a personal project for me, which started as a girl who was diagnosed with PCOS almost 20 years back. 21 00:03:09,287.71 --> 00:03:14,837.71 But before my diagnosis came through, I battered through series of irregular cycles. 22 00:03:15,137.71 --> 00:03:16,757.71 Fatigue, mood swings. 23 00:03:17,87.71 --> 00:03:22,737.71 And I didn't find comfort in any diagnosis or anything that my doctors were saying. 24 00:03:23,107.71 --> 00:03:28,627.71 And even when the diagnosis came through that, shall we, you have PCOS, it's a lifestyle disease. 25 00:03:28,717.71 --> 00:03:32,287.71 I didn't find any comfort around what should I do now. 26 00:03:32,767.71 --> 00:03:40,387.71 All I received was a prescription with pills mentioned, and I had to consume them for the rest of my life until my periods were regular. 27 00:03:40,807.71 --> 00:03:53,167.71 The thing that does to a 12-year-old is you have no line of sight on where that goes, whether it'll ever get better, and all the emotional turmoil and mental fatigue that comes with it just gets ignored. 28 00:03:53,477.71 --> 00:04:01,577.71 So as a small town girl who lived in India for the most powerful life, It was a battle that I had to choose for myself. 29 00:04:01,937.71 --> 00:04:13,547.71 And once I grew up and I got the exposure to meet different women across the world, is when I realized that while you are alone in the journey, there are so many women who have faced exactly the same thing. 30 00:04:13,917.71 --> 00:04:17,457.71 And that's exactly the topic that I've tried to address in a book. 31 00:04:17,672.71 --> 00:04:20,412.71 Which I'm writing, which is soon to be published. 32 00:04:20,662.71 --> 00:04:32,652.71 I have spoken to a couple of publishing houses and it's a topic that I'm really passionate about, which is around PCOS itself and the journey of it, the science of it, but also from an emotional angle on how a girl. 33 00:04:33,347.71 --> 00:04:39,127.71 Who's young gets diagnosed with a disease like that, or a condition like that has to navigate through along the process. 34 00:04:39,407.71 --> 00:04:41,447.71 So that was the building block of health engine. 35 00:04:41,687.71 --> 00:04:54,567.71 And then I finally gave it shape almost around in 2021 when I felt like I have the skill set now to give the technological background to, the science of it, which I had been reading for the last 20 years in all capacity. 36 00:04:56,17.71 --> 00:05:02,347.71 So it's interesting because you and I are both Indian, right? my parents immigrated to the US a long time ago. 37 00:05:02,617.71 --> 00:05:14,942.71 I was born and brought up here, but we're referring to basically, even though you were in India to Western medicine, right? You were diagnosed as a child with PCOS and. 38 00:05:15,867.71 --> 00:05:26,367.71 It sounds like you were probably given oral contraceptives, estrogen, progesterone combination, which in my opinion's, a little too early to start at that age. 39 00:05:26,437.71 --> 00:05:28,777.71 But that's my opinion, and I'm talking medical opinion. 40 00:05:28,777.71 --> 00:05:33,37.71 I'm not talking about anything in terms of ethics or morality here. 41 00:05:33,817.71 --> 00:05:40,357.71 And you, it sounds like you felt very confused and lost in that whole situation. 42 00:05:41,962.71 --> 00:05:50,177.71 The standard protocol in India, and it still stands true because I have the privilege of working with different gynecologists in India back home as well. 43 00:05:50,517.71 --> 00:05:52,227.71 I come from a family of doctors. 44 00:05:52,277.71 --> 00:05:58,397.71 There is a gynecologist who's also a relative, who's one of the leading doctors from the Max Healthcare Hospital back in India. 45 00:05:58,727.71 --> 00:06:04,67.71 And I keep on talking to what is the prescriptive medicine for anyone who's diagnosed with the condition. 46 00:06:04,317.71 --> 00:06:06,237.71 Very skeptical of where that is going. 47 00:06:06,287.71 --> 00:06:08,837.71 Especially in developing marginalized communities. 48 00:06:09,177.71 --> 00:06:15,307.71 I was given, as you mentioned, contraceptive care spills as the only solution to regularize my periods. 49 00:06:15,727.71 --> 00:06:24,877.71 And as someone was worked in this field, you would realize that it is it is not a preemptive action it is not the kind of medicine you prescribe to young girls. 50 00:06:25,207.71 --> 00:06:31,657.71 the only thing that helps you with is basically give you an induced period, and that doesn't help with the condition itself. 51 00:06:32,17.71 --> 00:06:40,787.71 So I feel like to answer your question, it is definitely not advised in my opinion, to give that with whatever limited medical interactions I've had. 52 00:06:41,87.71 --> 00:06:44,597.71 And b, I also very strongly believe that. 53 00:06:45,92.71 --> 00:06:55,622.71 It is a reactive protocol to just react to a part of the condition and the, not the condition as a whole, let alone all the side effects become with contraceptives. 54 00:06:55,622.71 --> 00:06:57,152.71 And probably we'll get to that or not. 55 00:06:57,562.71 --> 00:07:01,642.71 It just doesn't give you a line of sight on what the treatment really is. 56 00:07:02,92.71 --> 00:07:09,342.71 If you miss your periods for three months, you take OD contraceptives, which is the standard protocol, and you just give estrogen andone medicines as you mentioned. 57 00:07:09,742.71 --> 00:07:17,532.71 And I was on them for a very long time, almost about 10 years after, which I got to realize, and I was told that shouldn't have been the case. 58 00:07:17,742.71 --> 00:07:21,582.71 Like what it did to my body or what it could have done to my body was so unknown. 59 00:07:21,962.71 --> 00:07:29,182.71 there needs to be more standard protocol or early detection mechanisms to put forth what can be done better for women who go through it. 60 00:07:30,382.71 --> 00:07:39,392.71 I think having studied medicine in this country, but having straddled, both sides of the fence and having been to India many times and. 61 00:07:39,757.71 --> 00:07:52,547.71 Witnessing times when whether it was my family back then interacting with doctors, or even now, for example, with other family members who are in India at this time. 62 00:07:53,477.71 --> 00:08:03,982.71 My impression with India still, and correct me if I'm wrong because I am making a judgment here, is that doctors are still viewed as. 63 00:08:04,662.71 --> 00:08:10,822.71 The boss of the whole situation, it's a very patriarchal kind of relationship. 64 00:08:11,32.71 --> 00:08:15,562.71 They write out in the handwriting that you can't even make out what they're writing. 65 00:08:15,562.71 --> 00:08:25,2.71 And I often get a lot of questions from my relatives on WhatsApp, what does this mean? And, several times I can't even make out what the doctor has written. 66 00:08:25,2.71 --> 00:08:30,792.71 And I myself am a physician, so it's almost like they don't know what's going on. 67 00:08:31,2.71 --> 00:08:36,452.71 There's 10 or 12 different medications that are listed that they should be taking, which is absurd to me. 68 00:08:36,452.71 --> 00:08:43,677.71 I'm like, why would anyone take 10 or 12 medications? Maybe after I go through all of them, I'm like, okay, you could take this one. 69 00:08:43,947.71 --> 00:08:47,182.71 This might help, but I don't think you need all the other ones. 70 00:08:48,37.71 --> 00:08:54,67.71 So I, my impression is, and I'm not saying all doctors are like this in India, but my impression is that. 71 00:08:54,952.71 --> 00:08:58,192.71 E, even in India, people often come back very confused. 72 00:08:58,732.71 --> 00:09:16,52.71 And here I think it's changing a bit because I think people are taking the power back into their own hands and there's the internet and there's ai and people are educating themselves. 73 00:09:16,382.71 --> 00:09:21,92.71 And depending on how much exposure you have to medicine. 74 00:09:21,772.71 --> 00:09:39,862.71 I think people do a lot of deep dives into figuring out what's right or wrong and asking questions, and I actually, that's what I support because I don't feel comfortable being the one who says, okay, you're gonna do A, B, C, and D and this is it, and there's no questions. 75 00:09:39,912.71 --> 00:09:41,742.71 People should be understanding. 76 00:09:42,562.71 --> 00:09:49,852.71 What's happening in their bodies, what the potential side effects of medications are, what the alternatives could be. 77 00:09:50,522.71 --> 00:09:54,232.71 But it doesn't sound like that was your experience at that time. 78 00:09:55,532.71 --> 00:10:24,592.71 So I'm gonna go back to my first question when I asked you about Health Engine and how did that inspire you to move forward? And develop your company and, did you delve into the sciences? Did you decide, okay, I'm gonna go into health tech right away? What was your journey like? I wanted to be a doctor for the most part of my life up until, I would say when I joined my undergrad college, which was an engineering field. 79 00:10:24,952.71 --> 00:10:29,362.71 You must be aware of the average Indian household where the only two options that are given to a kid. 80 00:10:29,487.71 --> 00:10:34,587.71 The landscape is changing quite a bit now, but back in my time it was either you can become a doctor or an engineer. 81 00:10:34,977.71 --> 00:10:41,457.71 My family was a family of doctors, so that seemed practical and I was always intrigued by the sciences of all of it. 82 00:10:41,937.71 --> 00:10:49,587.71 But I also did really well in my math test in my 10th board exam, which is apparently just the test you take pre undergrad. 83 00:10:49,927.71 --> 00:10:58,347.71 So I was confused on the line I should take, A flip hand decision on, oh, I should do engineering because it's making more ROI sense, I'll get a better job, I learn better. 84 00:10:58,767.71 --> 00:11:04,107.71 But once I joined engineering is when I realized I'm still so passionate about medical sciences in general. 85 00:11:04,497.71 --> 00:11:08,997.71 I would read all the journals, all the books that my dad would bring back from his conferences. 86 00:11:09,207.71 --> 00:11:13,707.71 And I was particularly intrigued and interested about knowing more about PCOS and PCOD. 87 00:11:14,97.71 --> 00:11:22,197.71 My ninth standard that I actually got to know the difference through my reading that PCOS and PCOD are different terms of, not the same thing. 88 00:11:22,527.71 --> 00:11:28,717.71 One is just a syndrome, but when you qualify, 1, 2, 3 criteria of the syndrome is when you're diagnosed with the disease itself. 89 00:11:28,937.71 --> 00:11:33,407.71 If you have multiple cys in your ovaries, it doesn't mean you have PCOS, right? So things like that. 90 00:11:33,657.71 --> 00:11:46,417.71 I also started reading a lot about the dietary aspect of it I did read a lot of journals that were published in Google Scholar, and a couple of other places on the research that the US was also doing on the topic back in 20 14, 20 15. 91 00:11:46,687.71 --> 00:11:51,547.71 But I didn't find enough resources to give me a lot of proactive markers. 92 00:11:51,792.71 --> 00:11:54,492.71 To tell someone, oh, you are approaching PCOS. 93 00:11:54,492.71 --> 00:11:55,722.71 It's almost PCOS. 94 00:11:55,972.71 --> 00:12:09,352.71 So there's a genetic part of it, but there's also a lifestyle part of it, and how do you succumb to not becoming that person who's already gotten it and now reacting to it? So I feel like that was the area that intrigued me the most. 95 00:12:09,402.71 --> 00:12:28,532.71 I didn't have any idea of AI or the technology of it, but creating something which could be a safe space, a community for different women to discuss and from their experiences, someone who's just, started getting their periods could take over Build a lifestyle that, helps them probably stay away from conditions that is not very healthy. 96 00:12:28,952.71 --> 00:12:30,182.71 But that was the start of it. 97 00:12:30,512.71 --> 00:12:36,272.71 And then come the time when I completed my college, I got married to the man I love the most in the world. 98 00:12:36,392.71 --> 00:12:38,702.71 And then finally we moved to the states. 99 00:12:38,762.71 --> 00:12:44,132.71 I was told constantly back in India that I will never be able to naturally conceive. 100 00:12:44,597.71 --> 00:12:58,37.71 And that was the thought that I came to the US With that, once I plan my conception, I'll have to plan everything around it, probably beyond pills, go for IVF and whatnot because I, my body is not fit to for natural con conception. 101 00:12:58,497.71 --> 00:13:06,607.71 And it was during this time that I started reading the science of how can one nationally conceive if you have X, Y, Z to get into the technical details of. 102 00:13:06,612.71 --> 00:13:11,312.71 It like my FSH into LH ratio used to always be off the charts. 103 00:13:11,582.71 --> 00:13:17,242.71 And I would focus on that what are the food items I can eat to make that better? So in my case, I would get. 104 00:13:17,772.71 --> 00:13:20,52.71 Periods almost once every three to four months. 105 00:13:20,52.71 --> 00:13:23,952.71 And sometimes when I'm more stressed, it would reach to the six month level. 106 00:13:24,162.71 --> 00:13:30,452.71 So I could understand the reaction that my body was giving when I was more stressed as someone who was an ambitious woman. 107 00:13:30,452.71 --> 00:13:40,52.71 In this today's and age when you know you love working, you want to do better for yourself, but at the same time the stress speaks would make my irregularity go worse. 108 00:13:40,232.71 --> 00:13:42,392.71 So those things I was just reading more on. 109 00:13:42,742.71 --> 00:13:46,582.71 And then I eventually, I was introduced to the world of AI in my masters. 110 00:13:46,612.71 --> 00:13:51,802.71 So I did my MBA from Lehigh University in business analytics and AI concentration. 111 00:13:52,142.71 --> 00:13:59,292.71 So the first project that I picked up for myself was around women's health and can there be any technology to do some proactive. 112 00:13:59,297.71 --> 00:14:06,137.71 Study and biomarker level intervention to tell people, these are the things they could avoid or maybe take better care of themselves. 113 00:14:06,507.71 --> 00:14:16,677.71 So I was reading this concept of twin health, which is not only for women's fertility related issues, but in general you create a digital twin to emulate how your body functions. 114 00:14:16,977.71 --> 00:14:17,937.71 Like what are its. 115 00:14:18,307.71 --> 00:14:19,327.71 Highs and lows. 116 00:14:19,327.71 --> 00:14:22,177.71 When does it feel better? When does it feel worse? And stuff like that. 117 00:14:22,577.71 --> 00:14:32,407.71 And eventually that concept is something that I started writing about in a journal, And then eventually when I started building agent tech AI models, along with a couple of friends of mine. 118 00:14:32,657.71 --> 00:14:35,207.71 Is when I realized that it could come to fruition. 119 00:14:35,237.71 --> 00:14:36,767.71 And this was back in 2022. 120 00:14:36,987.71 --> 00:14:44,737.71 The idea was always there in me, but I would say that to be able to combine technology into the science of it was the biggest challenge. 121 00:14:45,67.71 --> 00:14:51,707.71 And I feel like now we are slowly getting there where our current product or the beta product as we like to call it, is. 122 00:14:51,742.71 --> 00:14:58,812.71 It is almost there where we could comfortably say that it will solve the solution of proactive, preventive PCOS detection. 123 00:15:00,167.71 --> 00:15:12,112.71 As a women's health doctor, whether it's PCOS or perimenopause or menopause I just feel like we go through these phases in our lives. 124 00:15:12,112.71 --> 00:15:20,332.71 And obviously not all women have PCOS, but we do go through perimenopause and menopause, and that's like our universal connection. 125 00:15:20,332.71 --> 00:15:22,852.71 It just depends on what age it is. 126 00:15:23,212.71 --> 00:15:24,982.71 But there, it's often met with. 127 00:15:25,7.71 --> 00:15:25,997.71 Confusion. 128 00:15:26,57.71 --> 00:15:41,477.71 And even for me, I often have to meet or talk to a patient several times before we decide, okay, this is likely perimenopause, or it's not, or, maybe it's something else going on. 129 00:15:42,47.71 --> 00:15:45,947.71 educate us as to how your company. 130 00:15:47,17.71 --> 00:15:55,457.71 Thank you for that great question, Soma, and I am often sent that question from prospective clients who are talking to me about using our solution. 131 00:15:55,997.71 --> 00:16:01,657.71 Honestly, the way I look at it is traditional medicine, and you can correct me if disagree with me or you feel that's wrong. 132 00:16:02,77.71 --> 00:16:14,827.71 What our solution tries to do in a lot of ways is it looks at soft, subtle changes in body overall markers, which are not necessarily lab driven or end marker driven. 133 00:16:15,247.71 --> 00:16:28,347.71 Those could be things like temperature in your body shifts, or something like, feeling off, so your emotional wellbeing with your body temperature, your basal temperature, how you feel about, everything else around it. 134 00:16:28,567.71 --> 00:16:29,827.71 Sensitivity and skin. 135 00:16:29,837.71 --> 00:16:41,417.71 All of this data, which are very precursor data to the final endpoint of, Hey, I missed a period in terms of PCOS or for peri menopause, let's say, I have a missed period plus I don't feel well. 136 00:16:41,887.71 --> 00:16:45,307.71 So mood swings, feeling off are all emotional markers. 137 00:16:45,427.71 --> 00:16:56,667.71 And then there are some precursor markers as we like to call them, which kind of all get fed into our data model, which speaks to our ai, and then it builds a model around a personalized. 138 00:16:57,87.71 --> 00:17:01,587.71 Red alert for you to say, this is the time for you to wake up and start looking at your body differently. 139 00:17:01,757.71 --> 00:17:11,57.71 I often get this question of like, how do I differentiate between, am I just not feeling well? Am I just too exhausted because I have to take care of my house and everything else Or is. 140 00:17:12,312.71 --> 00:17:14,952.71 And approaching me pauses, which I should be very of. 141 00:17:15,252.71 --> 00:17:22,422.71 And I think that's where the emotional plus your body markers giving you signals combine to tell you this is an alert. 142 00:17:22,842.71 --> 00:17:42,127.71 It's not to say that errors won't happen there as well, I feel like with all the data we have gathered so far, it seems like these small areas where body does speak back to you are regular areas to detect and say you are approaching perimenopause, and you should start acting towards go take your first lap test and do it, as opposed to wait for the end game and not be prepared for it. 143 00:17:42,127.71 --> 00:17:49,507.71 One question I have for you, and I think this is fascinating, and I'm already, thinking of all sorts of ideas of how we can work together. 144 00:17:49,787.71 --> 00:17:50,947.71 just, that's how I am. 145 00:17:52,497.71 --> 00:17:55,317.71 Always thinking like next step. 146 00:17:55,317.71 --> 00:18:01,592.71 The next step I was just telling my partner, my biggest P in life right now, as much as I love periods, is partnership. 147 00:18:02,102.71 --> 00:18:05,372.71 Any that comes in that direction, I'm happy to hear Alyssa and. 148 00:18:07,337.71 --> 00:18:22,997.71 So how does, how would this work? Would you have your consumers using an app or is it, and I looked, through your website, I know you are planning to partner with, different clinicians maybe, and EMRs. 149 00:18:23,177.71 --> 00:18:27,127.71 But how would it all work? So the workings are pretty simple. 150 00:18:27,157.71 --> 00:18:37,687.71 Right now you won't get a lot of information on our website because the data that we are collecting is so confidential that we have a consent process with the select few people that we have brought into the beta. 151 00:18:37,977.71 --> 00:18:43,847.71 I wanna make sure that the machine is learning the right things because the last thing I want is to be sued on something that. 152 00:18:44,52.71 --> 00:18:54,282.71 But having said that, I think the way it would work eventually when it's open for the public is you download an app which will start asking for different formats of data. 153 00:18:54,472.71 --> 00:18:57,772.71 For example, you have a wearable generally, which is an Apple watch or whatever. 154 00:18:57,892.71 --> 00:19:02,332.71 That's just tracking your heart rate and it's not giving you any prescriptive information. 155 00:19:02,612.71 --> 00:19:12,317.71 we are partnering with wearables as well A wearable will show our app, but that could exist on your phone similar to any heart rate detector or monitor app, The same goes for us. 156 00:19:12,347.71 --> 00:19:15,587.71 Our app would be on your phone, but it could also be. 157 00:19:15,897.71 --> 00:19:20,927.71 Embedded in a wearable it will detect basically your sleep patterns, heart rate body temperature changes. 158 00:19:21,167.71 --> 00:19:25,397.71 And then there is a section where it asks explicitly for you to give some data. 159 00:19:25,667.71 --> 00:19:30,17.71 For example, there's an emotional block it where you give lots of markers around. 160 00:19:30,17.71 --> 00:19:35,697.71 Today I didn't feel good, my mood was upset because of such and such reason I haven't gotten my period for X, Y, Z period. 161 00:19:35,907.71 --> 00:19:38,552.71 So those are textual data that has to be filled. 162 00:19:38,887.71 --> 00:19:40,507.71 By the concerned person itself. 163 00:19:40,567.71 --> 00:19:46,777.71 And then there are like your body biomarkers and precursors that are coming through while wearing or holding your phone. 164 00:19:47,27.71 --> 00:19:56,297.71 As simple as your heart rate changes, your mood changes, your sleep pattern changes we also have a detector that's also in beta, but it's in large we two that I want to, launch soon. 165 00:19:56,537.71 --> 00:20:01,277.71 Similar to an LH Monitor or a Baal temperature monitor, we have a monitor, which. 166 00:20:01,517.71 --> 00:20:05,147.71 Measures your basal temperature, but it's not too invasive. 167 00:20:05,147.71 --> 00:20:13,147.71 So it's similar to like you pee on the cup and with the, measurement of how hot your pee was, it is able to gauge the range of your basal temperature. 168 00:20:13,327.71 --> 00:20:16,897.71 And if it's frequently changing, it gets fed into the system. 169 00:20:16,897.71 --> 00:20:21,47.71 Otherwise, we don't even hold that data only when it's a marker to be included. 170 00:20:21,312.71 --> 00:20:29,332.71 Into your profiling is when it gets included and then an entire person personified profile is built with that profile. 171 00:20:29,382.71 --> 00:20:32,652.71 You start getting alerts on you're in the red zone, green zone, yellow zone. 172 00:20:32,652.71 --> 00:20:36,922.71 If you're in the yellow zone, you're asked to take x, y, z lap test to confirm where you're going. 173 00:20:37,192.71 --> 00:20:47,112.71 And then accordingly, we also have a community page where how you're feeling depending on like where you are in the journey, you can, be part of that particular community which is dedicated. 174 00:20:47,502.71 --> 00:20:52,302.71 Unlike some of the communities currently, we have nothing against them, but they are too generic. 175 00:20:52,662.71 --> 00:21:03,522.71 And it's the same forum, which is discussing women who have already gotten pregnant to women who are discussing, how do I get pregnant? And I feel like that's not very safe space for people to see those discussions. 176 00:21:03,522.71 --> 00:21:05,412.71 So we have just created out the communities. 177 00:21:05,602.71 --> 00:21:07,612.71 That's an initiative I have taken separately. 178 00:21:08,317.71 --> 00:21:13,567.71 And on top of that, we are also giving these personalized care plans on, oh, this is how you eat better. 179 00:21:13,567.71 --> 00:21:16,717.71 So I'm also partnering with a couple of nutritionists as we speak. 180 00:21:16,987.71 --> 00:21:21,307.71 So we better up people's, nutrition and diet plans as they go along the way. 181 00:21:21,587.71 --> 00:21:36,687.71 But again, once it's been detected, that's when we give it to our clinicians to take it ahead In terms of your lab reports, There's no way an intention, and I don't think it's even possible or even thought around to, take over the the diagnosis plus care part of it once it's been detected. 182 00:21:36,687.71 --> 00:21:42,787.71 It's just that it is detection plus prescription on how you should better up your life and then move it ahead. 183 00:21:42,787.71 --> 00:21:57,417.71 are you going to have separate support groups for example, women who have PCOS or women who are trying to get pregnant or, the perimenopausal, menopausal phases? are they gonna be different groups? Absolutely. 184 00:21:57,417.71 --> 00:21:57,447.71 Okay. 185 00:21:57,447.71 --> 00:21:58,377.71 You hit the nail. 186 00:21:58,377.71 --> 00:22:03,407.71 I think I'm going as granular as women in PCOS who face heroism. 187 00:22:03,412.71 --> 00:22:04,822.71 Facing irregular periods. 188 00:22:04,922.71 --> 00:22:09,652.71 Those are so different that the concerns and the challenges are completely off. 189 00:22:09,932.71 --> 00:22:17,582.71 that came from the idea that I speak to a lot of women who have had PCOS, but their own journey was so different because of what they faced. 190 00:22:17,762.71 --> 00:22:26,422.71 Like for example, I've never had an acne because of PCOS, so I cannot possibly relate with another PCOS patient who's really screaming on how their struggles with. 191 00:22:26,627.71 --> 00:22:30,497.71 Body image issues or acne has been, but weight fluctuation was my issue. 192 00:22:30,497.71 --> 00:22:32,147.71 Irregular periods was my issue. 193 00:22:32,387.71 --> 00:22:39,307.71 My friends talking about how, again, their periods have come and I'm not being part of that conversation because I have missed it for the last six months. 194 00:22:39,547.71 --> 00:22:41,467.71 Not feeling female enough is an issue. 195 00:22:41,467.71 --> 00:22:47,167.71 So I feel like the buckets are very glader in my community and I'm just trying to make sure I separate that out. 196 00:22:47,407.71 --> 00:22:49,777.71 Especially as you go towards detection. 197 00:22:49,777.71 --> 00:23:09,437.71 So once you're in the red zone of detection of let's say you know you seem like you have PCOS, go check with a doctor and get it diagnosed, but you also be part of this community now because A, you were unaware that you might have PCOS and now there are different women who have different problems that you can identify with and then join that support group to say what has helped them apart from a nutrition plan. 198 00:23:10,597.71 --> 00:23:24,797.71 And from a clinical sense like where, how do you get the clinical advice when it comes to all these different conditions? Do you work with doctors, nurses that help guide you with all of this? Yes. 199 00:23:24,827.71 --> 00:23:32,687.71 So what I'm doing is right now I have two partnerships spending there's an NDA that I would be signing almost about next week, or fingers crossed. 200 00:23:32,967.71 --> 00:23:39,535.71 So basically these partnerships with clinics is similar to how, I don't know if you've seen companies such as Maven or progeny. 201 00:23:39,635.71 --> 00:23:43,265.71 They just have, so I'm just a platform that is including. 202 00:23:44,360.71 --> 00:23:52,900.71 Clinics there's no telemedicine aspect of it as well, right? There is just support in terms of email and chat similar to what clinic already give to their patients. 203 00:23:53,110.71 --> 00:24:00,930.71 I'm just an API integration and technical terms, but this partnership also means that they can have access to multiple clinics through our platform. 204 00:24:01,230.71 --> 00:24:09,0.71 And then because the clinics are already like, you can also see your benefits plan in terms of like your insurance provider, whether it's a. 205 00:24:09,225.71 --> 00:24:14,205.71 In network, off network, all of those things, which is simply something that is coming directly from the clinic. 206 00:24:14,205.71 --> 00:24:17,385.71 And I've integrated in my platform so people have a one-stop shop. 207 00:24:17,595.71 --> 00:24:21,615.71 So I have a pre-diagnosis, I have a community to share things with. 208 00:24:21,615.71 --> 00:24:24,855.71 I have a nutrition plan, and now I have X clinics to search from. 209 00:24:25,215.71 --> 00:24:27,995.71 This is, the kind of provider I have in my network. 210 00:24:28,45.71 --> 00:24:30,715.71 Benefiting clinic for me and then that clinic takes over. 211 00:24:31,435.71 --> 00:24:37,255.71 Even schedule your first appointment through our system, but post that, it's the clinic system that take over. 212 00:24:37,305.71 --> 00:24:40,135.71 So we just allow the first appointment To create the bridge. 213 00:24:40,635.71 --> 00:24:50,275.71 But do you plan to be partnering with any insurances on this or will it just be cash only? That's a great question. 214 00:24:50,275.71 --> 00:24:52,405.71 It's definitely on the cards in all honesty. 215 00:24:52,485.71 --> 00:24:57,125.71 I have a five year plan which is obviously dependent on the success of our beta and stuff like that. 216 00:24:57,395.71 --> 00:25:05,645.71 But going forward, I definitely would like to partner with a couple of insurance providers, especially on the trying to conceive community. 217 00:25:05,950.71 --> 00:25:12,400.71 Who are struggling with PCOS and trying to conceive as well, because I feel like the benefits plan in that area is very half fazar. 218 00:25:12,400.71 --> 00:25:15,140.71 It's too costly a, regime for people to get into. 219 00:25:15,350.71 --> 00:25:19,700.71 And companies in more cases than not, corporates do not fund that end to end. 220 00:25:20,10.71 --> 00:25:25,70.71 So it all depends on your insurance provider and there is a lot of coding and back forthing that goes there. 221 00:25:25,400.71 --> 00:25:30,170.71 But that's definitely in the plan to partner with more providers and get people more access as well. 222 00:25:30,600.71 --> 00:25:37,70.71 Access doesn't really only mean getting them access to clinics, but also access to funding their overall clinical journey as well. 223 00:25:37,440.71 --> 00:25:42,340.71 I think, what you have developed will only open the door wider. 224 00:25:42,790.71 --> 00:25:53,875.71 And it's still surprising to me when I have patients who come to me and say, and I'm not the knowledgeable person about every single medical condition in this world because there are. 225 00:25:54,610.71 --> 00:26:05,280.71 Times when I need to educate myself if I'm not well rehearsed on something and I'm the first one to tell the patient like, I don't know enough and I'll need to do my due diligence on that. 226 00:26:05,590.71 --> 00:26:15,975.71 I'll share with you that I was training at a time when the Women's Health Initiative kicked in, and so that was when I had maybe, I'm not kidding you. 227 00:26:16,355.71 --> 00:26:21,995.71 Maybe a month or two of exposure to hormone replacement and then it stopped. 228 00:26:22,325.71 --> 00:26:32,105.71 So as a young physician someone out of training and practicing forward, it was taboo to put women on HRT. 229 00:26:32,375.71 --> 00:26:37,220.71 Why? Because at that time, and we even knew at that time that study was. 230 00:26:37,365.71 --> 00:26:38,625.71 Flawed in some ways. 231 00:26:39,25.71 --> 00:26:50,175.71 I'm not saying everything was bad about the study, but there was some flaws and we knew that, but we still decided that's how it was going to be, because that was the trend. 232 00:26:50,775.71 --> 00:26:59,15.71 So I think companies such as yours it just makes knowledge a much more widespread, not just for. 233 00:26:59,595.71 --> 00:27:19,495.71 Patients, but for doctors, because if a patient can come and say, I've used this app, I've used this service, and it's telling me that I may be in perimenopause or PI have PCOS, then it just gives them a lot more fuel, a lot more evidence to say, I'd like to talk about this more. 234 00:27:19,945.71 --> 00:27:24,85.71 And it gives us more of that impetus to listen to people. 235 00:27:25,105.71 --> 00:27:26,515.71 That's what I hope at least. 236 00:27:26,635.71 --> 00:27:43,775.71 So if someone was listening to you, and whether it's PCOS or if it's, let's say, let's talk about perimenopause, because most perimenopausal women, they're moms they're working, they're juggling maybe in aging parent, they're not sleeping well. 237 00:27:43,865.71 --> 00:27:52,325.71 They have a lot of stress for various reasons, and they come in and they may even be having regular cycles, but they're exhausted and they're irritable. 238 00:27:52,640.71 --> 00:27:59,890.71 What would you say to them? I would simply say that trust your gut because your symptoms are real. 239 00:28:00,100.71 --> 00:28:04,151.71 Our platform can help you track and interpret your symptoms better. 240 00:28:04,395.71 --> 00:28:09,925.71 You will have answers in a data recorded manner in terms of what you've been feeling for the last few weeks or months. 241 00:28:10,255.71 --> 00:28:18,835.71 the first step is to listen to your body I think that's a journey I have battled with, and now I can know when my body speaks something to me. 242 00:28:18,835.71 --> 00:28:22,345.71 I can know when something is off and I won't take no for an answer. 243 00:28:22,395.71 --> 00:28:25,595.71 nobody can talk me through saying oh, it's just a phase. 244 00:28:25,595.71 --> 00:28:26,885.71 Or you're just a teenager. 245 00:28:26,885.71 --> 00:28:29,260.71 You're just a mom and you're feeling off even. 246 00:28:29,965.71 --> 00:28:41,635.71 Issues with emotional wellbeing that come through for a woman who's struggling with, let's say, some of the other issues of perimenopause as well are because of something that's happening inside your body. 247 00:28:41,855.71 --> 00:28:45,545.71 And I just wanna make sure that we always are able to establish the connection between the two. 248 00:28:45,945.71 --> 00:28:49,365.71 I would always tell women to always trust their gut and instinct. 249 00:28:49,425.71 --> 00:28:51,435.71 Do not thank you're imagining anything. 250 00:28:51,805.71 --> 00:28:55,465.71 And if you're feeling off in any way, be it exhaustion or you're. 251 00:28:55,700.71 --> 00:28:57,950.71 Scared or wondering if you are hitting menopause. 252 00:28:58,340.71 --> 00:29:04,430.71 I think it's always good to figure out the why and we as Health Engine are here to help you do that. 253 00:29:06,150.71 --> 00:29:18,30.71 What would your product be called? Would it be named after your company, or do you have, or is that something that you can't share at this time? I decided the name of the product only three weeks back. 254 00:29:18,30.71 --> 00:29:24,120.71 I was always going to call it Health Engine in all honesty, but something clicked differently as we were testing. 255 00:29:24,430.71 --> 00:29:27,190.71 So I would look like to keep that confidential for now. 256 00:29:27,190.71 --> 00:29:30,610.71 Because it's still in the beta, but it's not the same, it's not the same as Health Engine. 257 00:29:30,665.71 --> 00:29:39,160.71 And when do you project that it will be out for people to use? To be honest, initial results are quite humbling. 258 00:29:39,270.71 --> 00:29:42,270.71 It's good, but we have enough data to work through as well. 259 00:29:42,690.71 --> 00:29:52,440.71 And our AI model with that limited data set is giving us good answers, but it's still not in the range I would like or be comfortable, like rolling out to the audiences. 260 00:29:52,445.71 --> 00:29:52,485.71 Okay. 261 00:29:52,870.71 --> 00:29:56,140.71 The good thing with AI is it learns with more data and it keeps on. 262 00:29:56,365.71 --> 00:30:07,325.71 Bettering itself, So I'm hoping with all the data we are charting and with all the learning that's happening, that probably next quarter, almost about end of June, early July is when we can hit the market. 263 00:30:07,375.71 --> 00:30:12,65.71 But there are other moving parts such as some of the partnerships I'm discussing with the providers. 264 00:30:12,135.71 --> 00:30:16,725.71 And I would like to launch all at once, at least, so I don't have to repeat things in multiple phases. 265 00:30:17,65.71 --> 00:30:26,75.71 The way I have thought of our SAL approach in the two year, three year plan is we would like to refresh things every six months depending on whatever we are bringing on the platform. 266 00:30:26,390.71 --> 00:30:30,740.71 phase one is something I wanna make sure at least our basic partnerships are in place and in line. 267 00:30:31,80.71 --> 00:30:31,920.71 So all put together. 268 00:30:31,920.71 --> 00:30:33,960.71 I'm hoping July launch, but, Okay. 269 00:30:34,200.71 --> 00:30:34,590.71 Crossed. 270 00:30:34,860.71 --> 00:30:35,850.71 Yeah, keep me posted. 271 00:30:35,850.71 --> 00:30:40,590.71 Definitely let me know when it's coming out so that, I can follow along. 272 00:30:40,590.71 --> 00:30:43,580.71 And I was not joking about partnering with you, okay. 273 00:30:43,790.71 --> 00:30:55,700.71 With AI and I often, I'm both a doctor as well as a patient and ai, whether you accept it or not it's here and it's taking over in all sorts of ways. 274 00:30:56,60.71 --> 00:31:03,380.71 And I'll be honest with you as a doctor, at times, it can be scary for me to see how fast it works. 275 00:31:03,480.71 --> 00:31:16,420.71 But one of my concerns and maybe you can talk about this, like how does your company plan on protecting patient information? Obviously keeping hipaa, all of these are concerns for patients. 276 00:31:17,590.71 --> 00:31:17,980.71 Yeah. 277 00:31:18,290.71 --> 00:31:20,450.71 I think that's a very relevant question. 278 00:31:20,510.71 --> 00:31:23,630.71 As a person, I have worked on the corporate side. 279 00:31:23,630.71 --> 00:31:28,400.71 I have worked with privacy of many e-commerce companies, so I understand the importance of it. 280 00:31:28,850.71 --> 00:31:34,910.71 All I can say without revealing too much right now is that the health data of any patient is sacred. 281 00:31:35,180.71 --> 00:31:37,580.71 It is as sacred as anything you would believe. 282 00:31:38,90.71 --> 00:31:42,500.71 That's why Health Engine so far is using only federated learning. 283 00:31:42,860.71 --> 00:31:48,890.71 Federated learning is anything that is compliant is only learned and everything else is not kept. 284 00:31:49,340.71 --> 00:31:57,740.71 The good thing with having an app or anything that exists on your smartphone as a standalone system is it could. 285 00:31:58,595.71 --> 00:32:09,575.71 Not do anything without your permission any permission driven data would only stay in the system within a select period until it has fed and told what it means. 286 00:32:09,705.71 --> 00:32:11,655.71 once the meaning has been derived. 287 00:32:11,945.71 --> 00:32:13,685.71 The data is lost out of the system. 288 00:32:13,805.71 --> 00:32:19,355.71 We have no cloud, no interface where it is getting stored, so only permissible data. 289 00:32:19,445.71 --> 00:32:28,415.71 It is using federated learning and making sure no data is saved once preventive measures have been taken or some action has been already put into practice. 290 00:32:28,825.71 --> 00:32:35,575.71 The only thing we've done as a company is made sure that we are not storing any data, The permissions part of it and not the storage. 291 00:32:35,825.71 --> 00:32:41,645.71 And I feel like with AI, you don't need to store as well, because once it has taken a decisive answer on what you are. 292 00:32:42,100.71 --> 00:32:49,330.71 Suppose a district win is then that answer is already out and you don't need to save the markers to further feed that or keep that. 293 00:32:49,640.71 --> 00:32:51,200.71 So that's the tr instinct. 294 00:32:51,200.71 --> 00:32:53,510.71 I'm trusting and I can see the core of it as well. 295 00:32:53,750.71 --> 00:33:00,290.71 Sometimes you have to go back to data to feed more insights into the system or the AI to give it better results. 296 00:33:00,680.71 --> 00:33:04,610.71 But that's a call that I've consciously taken that there will be no data storage whatsoever. 297 00:33:04,660.71 --> 00:33:05,710.71 so we've talked a lot. 298 00:33:05,710.71 --> 00:33:06,910.71 It's fascinating. 299 00:33:07,100.71 --> 00:33:12,100.71 I plan to have a lot more speakers in the near future actually who are experts in ai. 300 00:33:12,130.71 --> 00:33:14,650.71 Because it's, again, it's taking us by a storm. 301 00:33:15,10.71 --> 00:33:23,205.71 And I always tell people I even five years ago, I wouldn't be able to have this podcast because even though it's not ai. 302 00:33:23,550.71 --> 00:33:25,590.71 Most of it is generated by me. 303 00:33:25,980.71 --> 00:33:32,610.71 A lot of how it's powered and edited and on all sorts of stuff is by ai. 304 00:33:32,850.71 --> 00:33:36,830.71 And so if I don't, I wouldn't have the manpower to do all of that. 305 00:33:37,50.71 --> 00:33:40,380.71 So it's fascinating to me how much it's doing. 306 00:33:40,380.71 --> 00:33:42,480.71 It's also scary as well. 307 00:33:42,480.71 --> 00:33:47,290.71 I feel AI is that friend that if you've understood you can make it your best. 308 00:33:47,290.71 --> 00:34:00,310.71 If not, then it starts acting against you, right? But I think the good part, the initial success that I'm seeing with AI is so many single people, companies where people who wouldn't believe they could start something of their own because of the manpower, the resources required. 309 00:34:00,580.71 --> 00:34:02,350.71 Now with ai, you can do lots. 310 00:34:02,770.71 --> 00:34:04,630.71 By one person doing that and mana right. 311 00:34:04,660.71 --> 00:34:05,230.71 Prompting it. 312 00:34:05,690.71 --> 00:34:15,90.71 Yeah that's exactly a, aside from my social media manager, everything else is powered by ai, so it's fascinating the world that we are in right now. 313 00:34:15,140.71 --> 00:34:41,335.71 We've talked about so much stuff and I wish I could continue with this conversation for another hour, but is there something that we haven't touched upon that you absolutely wanted to discuss in this podcast? No, I think we did touch on most things that I wanted to touch on especially around like biomarker detection and the fact that some of the important hormonal journey trackers are something that are going to be part of our system. 314 00:34:41,665.71 --> 00:34:49,115.71 Understand their bodies better and start listening to it and using platforms such as ours, not necessarily ours, but in the times to come. 315 00:34:49,115.71 --> 00:34:58,905.71 I'm seeing how AI would be doing a lot in the field of fertility tech, hormonal tech, and just use different systems to make sense of what's happening. 316 00:34:59,510.71 --> 00:35:05,490.71 Then let the people who are experts, such as you to, come with guided conclusion on what needs to happen. 317 00:35:05,490.71 --> 00:35:19,480.71 So I think The world will eventually shift to a combination of, from Google Doctors to now AI doctors Plus, or, actually using AI to make sense of what's really happening which is no longer agonized or just, a snippet of an information that Google gives. 318 00:35:19,600.71 --> 00:35:21,910.71 Right? That's where the world would transform. 319 00:35:21,910.71 --> 00:35:22,660.71 I agree with you. 320 00:35:22,660.71 --> 00:35:34,290.71 I think we're living in fascinating times, in terms of technology, but I am actually hopeful that this will move women's health forward in ways that we couldn't even imagine. 321 00:35:34,290.71 --> 00:35:35,820.71 And I'm talking positive ways. 322 00:35:35,830.71 --> 00:35:40,0.71 I do hope to continue my relationship with you going forward. 323 00:35:40,0.71 --> 00:35:51,970.71 if someone was wanted to learn about you and find out more about your company where would we find you? I think the best place right now would be to go into our website and fill the contact form. 324 00:35:52,280.71 --> 00:35:56,310.71 They could also email us at Care at Health Engine us. 325 00:35:56,630.71 --> 00:36:05,75.71 But for getting supposed answers on how they could be part of the system I would just alert them to wait for another month and we'll have an expedited launch. 326 00:36:05,590.71 --> 00:36:12,160.71 I'm really working towards it and I'm so hopeful and passionate about it, but I'm just waiting to hit the nail correctly right now. 327 00:36:12,470.71 --> 00:36:21,680.71 And I would really want more people to be part of community once the launch happens, and probably that is the time that I would like to speak to you again and talk to more, talk to people more about the community angle of things. 328 00:36:22,370.71 --> 00:36:24,620.71 Thank you so much for being on this podcast. 329 00:36:24,620.71 --> 00:36:30,470.71 It was wonderful speaking with you and learning about your service, and I really wish you a lot of luck going forward. 330 00:36:30,890.71 --> 00:36:31,880.71 Thank you so much, Dr. 331 00:36:31,880.71 --> 00:36:31,970.71 Somar. 332 00:36:32,120.71 --> 00:36:38,480.71 I really appreciate you taking the time to speaking with me and making sure that I get a voice about the thing that I'm building here. 333 00:36:38,640.71 --> 00:36:42,740.71 And don't forget to like, share and review my podcast. 334 00:36:43,290.71 --> 00:36:47,80.71 Remember, it's always ladies first on Soma Says. 335 00:36:47,380.71 --> 00:36:51,40.71 Let's make a difference one conversation at a time.