She’s smart, she’s optimistic and she works tirelessly to improve how people interact with the U.S. healthcare system. Meet Geetha Parachuru, BioIQ’s director of product, responsible for the development, innovation and execution of the company’s product roadmap.

What drew you to BioIQ?

BioIQ allows patients, payers and employers to have the upper hand with their own health. By providing another avenue to proactively get tested or screened at a convenient location (your own home, your office, a retail setting near you), it brings convenience and proactiveness to healthcare.

Many healthcare companies focus on people after a health episode, but BioIQ empowers them to take action earlier, and in many cases, avoid a health episode in the first place. This approach aligns with the shift to value-based care in the healthcare industry. In my eyes, there’s nothing not to be drawn to about helping people live healthier lives.

What surprised you about the company culture?

It was pleasantly reinforcing to find that hard work and an entrepreneurial attitude are acknowledged readily by BioIQ’s leadership team.

What are you currently working on?

I’m responsible for the product and strategy. In simple terms, it’s the past, present and future of the company and I take on this huge responsibility with great pride. My team is responsible for the execution of the current roadmap as well as the future, in terms of how we will adapt to change.

What accomplishment at BioIQ are you most proud of?

My team is constantly evolving. Every quarter we gain a new skill set, a new process and a greater depth of knowledge in the product space. The only thing constant about the product team is our ability to change while maintaining a positive attitude. For the amount of work that my team produces, it’s admirable to see them constantly remain upbeat and hungry for more knowledge. That makes me immensely proud.

What did you do prior to coming to BioIQ?

I worked on the product team at Staywell within the clinical space. I was responsible for tactical and strategic operations around integrating patient education material in the clinician’s workflow.

Prior to Staywell, I worked on the health beat in local news as a one-woman-band journalist. I would pitch, interview, write, shoot, edit video and be camera-ready within seven hours for pre-recorded news packages or live stand-ups. It was a combination of storytelling, truth-seeking, fact-checking, creative writing, connecting disparate dots and a lot of determination.

My experience as a journalist has shaped my intentions and defined my work ethic. While most local news stations pushed for broadcast journalists, my preference was to go digital. I spent a lot of time understanding my viewers’ demographics and the impressions my stories were making through analytics tools. I also formed correlations about my audience’s predilections with statistics. My background in technology and math made it all possible. Prior to working as a journalist, I worked in IT as a technical project manager for four years.

If you could have interviewed anyone in the world when you worked in broadcast journalism, who would it be and why?

Charles Darwin. I would really love to pick his brain about the evolution of humans in light of all the strides we are making with technology today.

What trends do you believe will most impact healthcare over the next decade?

Artificial Intelligence (AI). With a tremendous amount of data, the predictability of machine learning is improving healthcare with more precise, timely and impactful treatments. AI takes the capabilities of traditional analytics to the next level. Coupled with repeatable processes in medicine and medical best practices, learning algorithms can be enhanced with greater accuracy to decrease treatment variability and ultimately improve patient outcomes. AI can even be applied to population health with the ability to predict the most at-risk patients and facilitate early interventions. What’s more, AI-assisted surgeries help surgeons optimize their time and precision.

I’m also excited about the advancements in precision medicine and think it will provide more targeted, proactive treatments for patients. In fact, I believe advancements in precision medicine have the ability to cause a paradigm shift in healthcare.

Lastly, with the high cost of healthcare, I am excited about the possibility of 3D printing making it more affordable, accessible and personalized. I recently read a fascinating study on the ability to grow organoids, tissue cultures that are grown by stem cells, thanks to 3D printing. Once perfected, it may be possible to grow inside a sick patient’s body and potentially replace a damaged liver or kidney.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I love spending time with my family, working out, dreaming big, planning the future and making new friends.