Alex Bisignano

Genomics and startups. Previously @Phosphorus, @Recombine. I believe we can improve healthcare with genomics. 🦠🧬🏳‍🌈

[Martin Varsavsky @martinvars]

They lied about the virus, about their population size, about their GDP growth, why are they NOT going to lie about the amount and type of GPUs they used?

[Nikhil Krishnan @nikillinit]

Digital health founder showing the doctor how to log in for the fifth time so they can use the product

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Whoa, I just realized that raising a kid is basically 18 years of prompt engineering 🤯

[Michael Davidson MD @mdavidsonmd]

LDL-p vs ApoB. Both outperform LDL-c and perhaps non-HDL-c in risk assessment especially on statins. Although, I am big fan of ApoB, I often prefer LDL-p because discordance from LDL-c is more evident. This is a good example in a patient with premature ASCVD on a statin.

[Alex Bisignano @alxbz]

Is there an earthquake in NY? Not this for 2024 bingo card.

[Alex Bisignano @alxbz]

@BillAckman This seems like an easy win.

[Steve Schlafman @schlaf]

I'm thrilled to announce the launch of Downshift, the world's first decelerator program tailored for high performers in transition.

Downshift is a transformative, 8-week journey aimed at fostering presence, self-discovery, and renewal.

Designed for diverse professionals who've tasted success or reached the top, yet long for deeper significance, our Downshifters include founders recovering from their last startup, executives searching for fulfillment beyond titles, athletes leaving the game behind, creators seeking a new stage, and investors pondering what constitutes a truly meaningful life.

Our program weaves together a rich tapestry of activities, including an in-person retreat to establish a solid foundation, weekly lectures and discussions, tailored one-on-one coaching sessions with me, and much more.

All of this unfolds within a nurturing and intentional community, limited to just 12 Downshifters, to ensure a deep sense of belonging and meaningful relationships.

Our Downshifters will emerge with a diverse set of tools and abilities to mindfully manage life's changes and craft a life in true alignment with their authentic selves and core values.

More than a program, Downshift is a philosophy. It challenges the prevailing culture of hustle, stress, and perpetual growth dominant in sectors like technology and finance. We advocate for a more balanced approach, one that values patience, introspection, and self-compassion.

At the heart of Downshift lies a deep commitment to intentionally slowing down. Rather than pushing for rapid acceleration, our program emphasizes the inner work essential for navigating life's transitions with clarity, intention, and courage.

We fundamentally believe that slowing down or taking a pause doesn’t mean decelerating indefinitely or giving up your ambition. Numerous high performers have decelerated and are flourishing on their unique paths.

Our method is founded on the belief that genuine transformation arises from deep engagement with oneself and the surrounding world, ensuring wisdom is cultivated with each step forward.

My journey—as both a mentor and a seeker—has taught me that meaningful personal and professional evolution cannot be forced or expedited. True transformation demands space, time, introspection, and support.

Inspired by my personal journey from venture capital to coaching, Downshift reflects the program, support, and community I longed for during my five-year transition. It is the culmination of my life's work, born out of thousands of hours of experience, learning, and exploration.

If you're at a crossroads, feeling uncertain, or navigating a transition, Downshift could be precisely what you need to traverse the abyss toward a future that respects your true essence.

Our journey kicks off on Wednesday, April 17th, and wraps up on Saturday, June 15th. We are now accepting applications.

Learn more about the program here. We'd be delighted to welcome and support you on your journey.

https://t.co/pkhUHCCK8M

[Mario Schlosser @mariots]

One of the biggest missed opportunities in U.S. healthcare is that as a society, we could be investing in better outcomes for everyone, which would save money in the long term - but often doesn’t happen because it costs more in the short term.

Here is a hands-on example that Oscar has lived through in practice: PrEP drugs. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV) refers to medications taken by people at elevated risk of HIV infection; they are an incredible scientific feat, quite effective and can nearly eliminate HIV risk for adherent patients.

When the first drug came out, it was without alternative in preventing HIV infection. Many people meet standard guidelines for who is at risk (nearly 1 in 300, more than the number living with HIV), so as society, we’d want this drug in as many hands as possible. But, it is very expensive. At about $1500/month in 2017, it was one of Oscar’s most expensive drugs not subject to utilization management.

So we felt the very real tension of the dreaded “actuarial death spiral” on the one hand, and investing in members’ future on the other hand: by 2017 PrEP was our #1 drug, making up 6% of our total RX spend. Our younger-than-average population at that time made our exposure particularly high. In retrospect, we had about 15x the number of people taking PrEP as you’d see in a random sample of Americans (see chart). In other words, we were helping keep a lot of people out of HIV harm's way, but it risked getting so expensive that the entire idea of it would just get priced out of the market, together with us. (1/3)

[Enigma @enigmalabs]

The Enigma team got into a debate over who the best sci-fi author is. We have many more favorites, but whittled it down to four, what's your vote?

[Enigma @enigmalabs]

The only thing better than a #UFO sighting is seeing your name in the @NYTGames @nytimes Crossword, thanks for the shoutout!

[Alex Bisignano @alxbz]

@nikillinit You’re a Brooklyn ninja.

[Yishan @yishan]

Google’s Gemini issue is not really about woke/DEI, and everyone who is obsessing over it has failed to notice the much, MUCH bigger problem that it represents.

(1/n)

[Alex Bisignano @alxbz]

@halletecco Very excited to read it!!

[Alex Bisignano @alxbz]

@emigal @ezrainc Congrats Emi!

[Emi Gal @emigal]

Excited to announce that @ezrainc has raised $21 million in a round led by Amir Dan Rubin from Healthier Capital. Prior to starting Healthier Capital Amir was CEO of Amazon's One Medical, and is one of the most accomplished healthcare entrepreneurs in the US. The round was co-led by @rick from @FirstMarkCap.

We will be using the new funding to double down on our AI efforts and continue investing in our master plan - offering a 15-minute full body MRI priced at $500. We've recently had a number of AI breakthroughs that give me confidence we will get there within the next 2 to 3 years.

We've also added a number of incredible investors to the cap table - Allianz Life Ventures (venture arm of Allianz Insurance Group), the Schwarzman family, the former Chairman of England’s NHS Lord David Prior, and a number of others (see full list in the blog post in the next tweet).

This year, 10 million people will be diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Our ambition at Ezra is to help all these individuals find cancer early, when it's most curable. It has been 5 years since I started the company, but it still feels like Day 1. Let's go!

Read the full announcement in the next tweet.

[Genomics Cow @GenomicsCow]

Amidst the Grail/illumina debacle, out pops this study. Though the paper doesn’t say it, Genomeweb reports that yeah, it could turn out to be a series of humble ELISAs that could do MCED 🫢 https://t.co/JACYzFzGtj

[Christina Farr @chrissyfarr]

There are 3 legs of the stool in health-tech, unless it’s a consumer biz. Companies need expertise across:

— Health “care” / clinical
— Health policy / reimbursement
— Tech / engineering

We talk a lot about 1 & 3. Not enough about 2.

[Alex Bisignano @alxbz]

@chamath Wokeness has impacted how society views standardized testing for sure, but education itself has been far more impacted by its ability to attract good teachers and pay variable rates for better teachers across different subjects.