Hey friends,

This week: Pigeons useless in comparison to pigs, a man owes his life to a drone and more companies raise money to do things.

News Bites 🥪

🐖 US surgeons successfully transplant genetically modified pig kidneys into man - Yep, you read that correctly. It’s the latest in a series of breakthrough operations using pig organs. Earlier this month, a pig’s heart was transplanted into a man in Maryland.

🚁 Drone carrying a defibrillator saves its first cardiac arrest patient in Sweden - A man in Sweden is alive today thanks to a drone. The heroic drone rapidly deployed itself to a 71-year-old who experienced a cardiac arrest whilst shovelling snow and worked in partnership with a nearby human to perform a successful resuscitation.

🧫 Ori Biotech reaps $100M in series B round to help launch innovative cell manufacturing tech - There’s nothing cheap about taking cells from a patient, weaponising them against cancer and putting them back in to cure them. That’s why hardly anyone gets cell therapy. Ori are changing that game.

🚀 DigitalHealth.London welcomes cohort 6 of their Accelerator programme - From apps to AI, remote monitoring to telephony, and mental health to cancer, these startups have the highest potential to meet London’s NHS and social care challenges.

😴 Big Health Raises $75 Million in Series C - The digital therapeutics company helping millions to better mental health through Sleepio (insomnia) and Daylight (anxiety) now have a war-chest to create even more impact.

What to Listen to 🔊

TED Talks Daily - How comic strips create better health care

Comics creator Sam Hester is part of a growing movement within health care: graphic medicine. In short, literally drawing attention to a patient's needs and goals with pictures to foster better and more accessible caretaking. Hester shares how illustrating small details of her mother's medical story as she struggled with mysterious symptoms alongside her Parkinson's and dementia led to more empathy, understanding, communication and peace of mind.

Opportunities 💰

Elon Musk wants a Clinical Trials Director for Neuralink - The job description states that you must be “willing and eager to go above and beyond.” That might refer to your hours or to earth’s atmosphere.

Women’s Health Ambassador - The Department for Health and Social Care want expressions of interests for a Women’s Health Ambassador. A completely new position created in response to their Vision for Women's Health Strategy. Deadline is 28th January so get cracking.

Industry experts (pharmaceutical and life sciences) - SomX are looking for individuals working in pharma and life sciences companies with experience and interest in digital health to join us for a number of thought leadership and advisory opportunities. For more information and to register your interest, email jessica@somx.co.uk - must be working in pharma / life sciences!

Healthtech Pigeon 🐦

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