Could you share a bit about your background and role at the company?
SZ: Yeah, sure. I’m Dr. Shitalkumar Zambad, PhD in medicine and pharmacology. Previously I majorly worked in drug discovery research, where I was involved in design and conduct of preclinical and clinical efficacy and safety studies. I’ve been associated with BreathAI for more than two years. I look after the medical context of various projects we’re working on.
What inspired you to join BreathAI?
SZ: When I first met Sanjay, he told me how BreathAI is developing a solution for the betterment of health and the prevention of development of diseases, making the society and world happy and healthy. This excited me because I worked with the development of therapies, and I know that every therapy has its toxicity. With medicine, regaining the body’s physiology to normal is difficult unless we can stop the progression. However, we can also not completely cure issues, so maintaining physiology is the actual requirement, which BreathAI is working towards!
With medicine, regaining the body’s physiology to normal is difficult unless we can stop the progression. However, we can also not completely cure issues, so maintaining physiology is the actual requirement, which BreathAI is working towards!
Does BreathAI’s values align with your personal values?
SZ: The company’s primary objective is societal benefit and making the world healthier. After working at the corporate level initially, I’m now in the second phase of my life and feel that I should contribute to society, and I should be a part of the team which will make a significant societal impact.
Do you think that BreathAI is different from others in the industry?
SZ: I’ve worked with various types of companies before, and I also have my own startup. BreathAI being a startup includes thinking big, thinking about the long term goals, which I believe is very important. In every step that we take, we’re thinking scientifically with respect to our end goal, and aligning every activity accordingly.
How would you compare BreathAI’s product to other similar products?
SZ: There are many companies with similar products, but there are very few companies looking at a product that is sustainable with the overall objective of making a healthier world, not just market mobility. Most other companies are working on a single product and commercialising it.
What kind of preventive health are you currently looking at?
SZ: The major problem arising in the last 3-4 decades is the sustained pressure of service and competition which is leading to various types of mental and physical stress. This means that the body’s physiology is working above threshold levels, which when sustained, leads to pathological situations and lifestyle diseases. If we can prevent such stress and identify and manage it timely, we could see a transition to below threshold levels.
If we can prevent such stress and identify and manage it timely, we could see a transition to below threshold levels.
What kind of algorithms are you developing currently?
SZ: We are syncing radiology through various sensors that are looking at pulse, heart rate, temperature, accelerometer, etc. From this, we are creating an algorithm that will give us the distribution of sleep stages, quality of sleep, categorise physical and mental stress, breath rate analysis, and readiness scores.
What are readiness scores and breath rate analysis?
SZ: Breath rate analysis is an algorithm giving an overall idea about breath rate at various time intervals, which is derived from PPG sensors. In fact, our measure of breath rate is the first measure of ambulatory breath rate (the rate when you’re moving around). There’s no set method of finding this right now. Readiness scores show how ready and relaxed you feel, and how your physiology is coming back to the normal level, after the previous day of stress.
What insights do you get from such data?
SZ: Breath connects the heart with the brain. When there is an increase in rate or depth of inhalation/exhalation, this translates into a change in the heart rate. So, breath is connecting the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system with the heart. Any activity that leads to stress leads to an increase in breath rate. If we can control the breath rate, we can control the stress.
Okay. What would you say is the most exciting project you've worked on?
SZ: Algorithm development is the most exciting project for me as it is the first time I’m involved in this aspect. The most exciting moment for us was when we got our first algorithm working, the sleep algorithm, which matched almost exactly as expected!
Amazing! Lastly, what does a happier and healthier world look like to you?
SZ: The healthier world is one that is de-stressed. Stressing events are a part of life, which is a major culprit of the unhealthy world. If we are able to tackle such stress, making our body efficient enough, this is a healthier world.
The healthier world is one that is de-stressed. Stressing events are a part of life, which is a major culprit of the unhealthy world.
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