The right amalgamation of clinical practice & research is needed synergistically to bring out the best of both worlds and contribute towards advancing medical science in a great way by helping patients!
Rohit Warrier, our next pathbreaker, is Head of Clinical Operations at Twin Health, a diabetes remission company, with the mission of keeping the global population healthy & free of chronic metabolic disorders, especially helping people with diabetes through their advanced AI patented technology.
Rohit talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about the satisfaction of being involved in not only treating patients (as a doctor) but also clinical research in areas of Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cells !
For students, have your own mission and work for an organization whose mission statement aligns with yours !
Rohit, can you share your background for young readers?
Hi, I would like to start off by introducing myself as someone who always had a strong inclination towards science from early years. I’m not a science fan in the conventional sense where memorizing data is what most academic setups would want young minds to do; I was more introspective & involved in exploration & analysis of phenomena around me. I believe this kindled my interest in natural & life sciences during my formative years. Additionally, I had a deep interest in finer arts including traditional Indian classical music which I continue to foster; I’m a trained vocalist and I continue to experiment with newer notes & rhythms just for the pure pleasure behind the process. I believe this has shaped my mental framework in a great way where I’m more ‘fluid’ in the way I approach a scientific problem with no pre-fixed ideas to begin with. This I believe is very important to come up with innovative solutions to any problem.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I did my MBBS. I also have a masters (MS) in Regenerative Medicine/Bioengineering & its clinical applications in chronic metabolic & degenerative conditions, from The University of Texas in Arlington/UT Southwestern Medical Centre. I did an MSc in Diabetology from the University of South Wales.
I also have an ACCD ( Advanced Certificate Course in Diabetes), a benchmark scientific program in diabetes
What were some of the drivers that influenced me to pursue such an offbeat, unconventional and uncommon career in Medicine?
I’m basically an allopathic physician/diabetes specialist & an American Board-certified Regenerative Medicine specialist. Through my early training in Medicine, I have realized that although modern medicine has tremendously benefited humanity, there are still limitations, especially in managing chronic disease conditions, where at best, it’s only possible to manage the conditions with phases of betterment and worsening of health depending on various factors influencing the patient.
One of the key influences I would say is exposure to literature on stem cell therapy early on during my graduation days. I remember reading an article from a local magazine about how stem cells are capable of healing literally any damaged tissue in the body under the right conditions of ex-vivo culture and in-vivo transplantation subsequently. This sowed the initial seeds of interest in the fascinating field of Regenerative Medicine & its potential. This paved my path to further pursue my interest in this field. During the early years, I have had the privilege to be influenced & mentored by exemplary people, including participating in a one of its kind lecture by the father of bioengineering, Dr.Robert Langer, at MIT, Boston.
Subsequently, through a very rigorous process of taking multiple qualifying exams & interviews, I was able to work as a Research Associate in the prestigious lab of globally renowned Dr.Ali Khademhosseini at the Harvard MIT School of Technology (HST). This gave me the basic training needed for participating in groundbreaking bench research. Further, my basic skills in doing thorough literature review and understanding the need based gap analysis for any medical problem comes through my close association with Prof.Frank Nuttal at University of Minnesota who accepted me as his research associate for a few months. Further, I pursued my Master’s degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre/ UT Arlington in Tissue Engineering. Subsequently, after I officially became American Board certified in Regenerative Medicine, I took up the endeavor to promote the novel science of Regenerative Medicine in India by becoming a Diplomat & Affiliate of the board for India.
Tell us about your career path
I would say, a lot of it is determined by the early interest that we harbor during the formative years & the exposure we get during the initial days of graduate training. If we “listen” internally to what it is that we are inclined towards & align our skill sets according to that, the path opens by itself more or less, because we naturally start seeking opportunities in that direction. We just need to have an open mind & follow what we think is best for us after a brief phase of self-introspection.
I had the initial opportunity to work as a Sub-Investigator for Clinical trials at MS Ramaiah medical college, in the Dept. of Endocrinology. This gave me the initial insight needed to understand the methodology involved in RCT (Randomized Controlled Trials), which kindled my research interests further. Since, by nature I have a mind that is inclined towards research, this initial exposure pushed me to develop research skills with a medical perspective.
Subsequently, I wanted to expose myself to the cutting-edge research practices in the US to see how I could play a role in the future. I had probably contacted more than 100 well-known medical researchers in various universities to apply for research fellowship positions. Among the few that accepted me, I preferred to work at the University of Minnesota under the mentorship of Dr.Frank Nuttal, who I consider to be my initial guide & mentor. Through the clinical rounds & the cohort studies I participated in the Dept. of Endocrinology at the University, my research interests got kindled further. My exposure to stem cells during my MBBS & the training skills from here, I wanted to see how I could work further in stem cell & Regenerative medicine.
I knew that Regenerative Medicine is going to be the cutting edge of modern medicine, which could help advance this great science further. Through an acquaintance, I was informed of this Research fellowship at HST; I contacted the program & the lab, and was accepted to the position after clearing few qualifying exams, where I burnt the midnight oil, studying medicine & even difficult mathematical concepts including advanced calculus, since Regenerative Medicine involves not only medicine but also technical analysis! I was fortunate to be part of an excellent team where I was trained on the know-how of molecular level research. Through our research project, I remember, for the first time I was able to see live osteoblasts (bone cells) grown from premature stem cell in the petri dish I was holding; this is basically the genesis of life that typically happens in the growing fetus in the womb, which was now visible in front of my eyes! Truly a revolution & eureka moment!
I decided this is what I need to pursue passionately & make a difference. After a period of hard work & exams, I was fortunate to get admission in the Tissue Engineering Master’s program. I worked further in groundbreaking research that involved understanding the body’s immune response to different forms of biomaterials used in various implants & invasive technologies. This is one of the major obstacles that we face with any newer treatment protocols, i.e., the problem of the body’s rejection of the material/foreign tissue. With advances in research, we have much more biocompatible materials available now, which is revolutionary. In the coming future, through my collaborations, I plan to develop newer techniques through which we can have less rejection problems with stem cell transplantation especially for type 1 diabetes, which is one of the most challenging diseases ever both for the afflicted child & the parents.
Fortunately, after I returned from the US, I have been able to pursue additional training by completing my Master’s in Diabetes from the University of South Wales, along with postgraduate training from RSSDI/Jaipur National University in Diabetology. This unique combination of my training in Regenerative Medicine & Diabetes has helped me understand that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in people suffering from this life long chronic condition.
After coming back from the US, I started working at Jothydev Research Center and Hospitals. This is where I got my core clinical training & skills needed to manage diabetes patients as a classic clinician, keeping aside the research aspects. During my training under Jothydev Diabetes Centre & the University of South Wales program, my skills as a clinician was enhanced greatly. Now, with the right amalgamation of clinical & research skills, going ahead, I plan to work on projects where I bring bench research outcomes directly to patients & see the impact of that on their lives! With my collaboration with institutions/organizations like StemRx and ABRM, I plan to work on large scale projects where cutting edge research is done & work towards developing revolutionary treatment protocols that will make a difference in the lives of diabetes patients.
My clinical training under eminent Diabetologists, like Dr.Jothydev Kesavadev, and through the service I provide currently to a remarkable company called Twinhealth, I believe I’m on the right path to make a difference, however significant it may or may not be in the long run.
Currently, I’m a faculty of the American Board of Regenerative Medicine (ABRM) & taking forward the mission of advancing research & teaching in this field to gradually shift the way we approach modern medicine incorporating novel therapies that provide long lasting benefits to patients utilizing the best stem cell & AI based technologies. I’m on a long-term mission to make a positive shift in how we currently practice modern medicine by advancing research in the right direction & translating it from bench to bedside. Hopefully, I’m able to make some positive impact on the lives of patients in the long run.
How did you get your first break?
As mentioned earlier, my brain has always been oriented towards nature based research; somehow, I’m wired like that! I never liked the rote memorisation process and always wanted to introspect deeper into any information between the lines. I was clear after MBBS, I should have my first stint in research & not as a routine clinician.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
Challenge 1: Understanding the limitations of modern medicine & trying to figure out solutions to overcome them. This requires extensive knowledge of Internal Medicine as a whole & then working on the limitations.
Challenge 2: Identifying key role players who could help me pave the way further towards implementing this daunting task. Seeking maximum support through them to work further.
Challenge 3: Gain visibility in what I’m doing so that I could possibly inspire more professionals working in the healthcare sector to work collaboratively towards the same long-term goal.
The only possible way to address these challenges is to have a single-minded dedication towards the goal of doing good to the patient community & exploring all possible ways to advance research & science for the benefit of humanity.
Where do you work now?
I work with Twin Health which is primarily a metabolic wellness & diabetes remission company.
The mission statement of Twin Health is to keep the global population healthy & free of chronic metabolic disorders, especially helping people achieve diabetes remission through advanced AI patented technology which is the only one of its kind in the world. The AI is able to build whole body digital twin for every patient who joins the program, where it’s able to give precision recommendations at the nano level, which if the patient follows, allows the body to heal back to full state of health that we are endowed with. This also resonates with my personal goal of helping people stay healthy for life.
Twinhealth has a RCT wing that is dedicated to developing the research protocol & the AI technology further to drive to greater levels of precision. It’s the only company across the world that has scientific publications in more than 30 plus journals, out of which 13 are high impact factor journals! It’s a revolutionary company by all means & I strongly believe that in the coming 5-10 years, will completely change healthcare in a way never thought of before!
I also teach for University of South Wales & ABRM as per my availability of time, along with a few hours of clinical practice in morning hours.
I also have my clinical practice at Apotek where patients consult me from all parts of the state & even outside the state. I spend my morning hours of practice, consulting patients like a conventional physician. I believe the right amalgamation of clinical practice & research is needed to bring out the best in any doctor and contribute towards advancing medical science in a great way!
What’s a typical day like?
It involves a good mix of clinical practice of treating patients & also managing the clinical operations of Twin Health. This involves training the internal doctors & managing the patients on the program. I also work towards potential collaborations of Twin Health with other organizations. I also teach occasionally for universities & publish when there is some time available.
What is it you love about this job?
It aligns completely with my passion & what I intend to do in the long run. I would want my work to make an impact on people suffering with chronic conditions like diabetes. Although it’s fraught with daily struggles, I personally feel it’s worth my time if it makes a difference somewhere or to someone!
How does your work benefit society?
The current approaches to medical management of chronic medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension etc are limited in the sense that we cannot provide a respite to patients in terms of reducing the pill burden or largely preventing organ related complications in spite of all the newer good drug molecules available. If revolutionary therapies like stem cell transplant or AI based remission programs can shift this in a positive way towards restoring the health of the body, this would revolutionize the way we practice medicine.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
I wouldn’t say it’s one particular piece of work but all the small steps I have been able to take which have helped to make some degree of impact as a whole. I would want this to continue going ahead in a steady fashion.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Follow the Ikigai principle, i.e., first find out what your natural inclinations are based on self-introspection & analysis. Then, see if that could be your mission statement for life. Then see if society would benefit from it & how it could help you to make a good career for yourself. It’s as simple as that!
Future Plans?
To keep working on this path with single minded focus and unwavering dedication. As Robert Frost says in his poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, “I have miles to go before I sleep” although the route may be arduous & with endless challenges!