Shannon Haymond and Christopher McCudden - A.I. and the Clinical Laboratory

In our first ever two-interviewee episode we welcome Doctors Shannon Haymond and Christopher McCudden.

Dr. Haymond is the Vice Chair for Computational Pathology and Director of Mass Spectrometry at Lurie Children’s hospital of Chicago and an Associate Professor of Pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr. McCudden is the Vice Chair for the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of Ottawa and a Clinical Biochemist in the Division of Biochemistry at The Ottawa Hospital.

They are co-authors of "Rise of the Machines: Artificial Intelligence and the Clinical Laboratory." This article details the potential uses for artificial intelligence within the clinical laboratory. From newborn screening and inborn errors of metabolism to toxicology screens and everything in between, this article not only provides insight into the future of artificial intelligence, but also a peek into the clinical laboratory.

In this interview, we talk about the many paths to understanding and working with machine learning, from Dr. Haymond who is classically trained, to Dr. McCudden, who taught himself "R." We discuss the use of mass spectrometry, genomics screenings, and other current laboratory techniques and how they might be aided by artificial intelligence.

We hope that this interview gives you a comprehensive look into the world of laboratory medicine that is at the heart of all healthcare systems. Thank you and enjoy!

1:37 What are Clinical Laboratories?

3:20 Breaking up with Excel - Dr. Haymond’s Journey

5:49 All Specialties use the Lab

7:40 Learning “R” - Dr. McCudden’s Journey

11:31 Clinical Mass Spectrometry

15:45 Newborn Screening and Genetic Testing

17:41 Clinical Biochemistry

21:56 Artificial General, Narrow, and Super Intelligence

23:40 AI in Genomics

29:55 Open Source or Proprietary?

32:33 Future of AI In the Clinical Lab

38:50 Advice to Listeners