That's Understandable – Details, episodes & analysis

When it comes to medicine, the impact it makes on human health isn’t just measured in how it treats disease. Hear our experts discuss how Green Chemistry is improving outcomes by improving our impact on the environment.

For more information on how we are implementing Green Chemistry across product design, production, and beyond, please visit our website.  

Everyone knows trees are incredibly important to a healthy planet, but do we really understand the spectacular impact trees have on human health? Brendan digs into the exceptional value of trees in everyday life with experts passionate about the good going on under the branches. 

Brendan speaks with AstraZeneca's very own Chief Sustainability Officer, Pam Cheng, and President of National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Victor Dzau, to discuss the health implications of the climate crisis on the next episode of That’s Understandable. 

• At AstraZeneca, we believe our future depends on the interconnection of healthy people, a healthy society and a healthy planet. Click here to learn more about sustainability at AstraZeneca.
  • OR: To learn more about sustainability at AstraZeneca, visit: https://www.astrazeneca.com/sustainability.html. 
• AstraZeneca, in collaboration with the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and POLITICO Focus, convened a roundtable discussion in June 2023 to identify opportunities to scale public-private action to decarbonize the healthcare sector. 
• Click here to learn more about the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector.

In this episode of "That's Understandable," Liz Bodin, Vice President, US Respiratory & Immunology, and Mariam Koohdary, Deputy General Counsel, BioPharmaceuticals, join Brendan to shed light on the challenges and triumphs of women in leadership roles within the healthcare industry. They discuss the importance of diversity, the role of mentorship, the drive to innovate and how we can all agree – the struggle is real.

In this episode, Brendan brings in Cindy Hoots from AstraZeneca and Deborah DiSanzo, President of Best Buy Health, to discuss how artificial intelligence is changing the face of healthcare. Hear what they have to say about AI-led diagnostics, patient privacy and how the Geek Squad has switched from installing TVs to at-home healthcare. (Yes, that Geek Squad). 

In this episode, Brendan sits down with Dr. Tonya Villafana, Vice President, Global Franchise Head of Infectious Disease at AstraZeneca, to talk about the impact science has on public health. Tonya speaks about the process, the ripple effect of science, the early stages of modern medicine, and the reason why “Talking Heads” is on her pre-meeting playlist. 

Brendan invites Brittany to tell her story to help the audience understand what it means to be immunocompromised. ​

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Episode 3 will serve as a human-interest piece and dive into how Brittany coped with her diagnosis, how it changed her life and how the pandemic further complicated her daily living. ​

In this episode, Brendan is joined by AstraZeneca’s VP of US Corporate and Government Affairs, Christie Bloomquist, and Tulane University’s Dr. Thomas LaVeist to discuss health equity. The trio chat about navigating the healthcare system, the roots of health disparity, how organizations can help, Star Trek, romance novels, and Brendan’s sweet dreams.