Medibio CEO Jack Cosentino believes exercise can aid mental health
“I have personally experienced Medibio’s technology and believe it can help make a profound impact in Diagnosing Mental Health"
- Michael Phelps (the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time)
According to the World Health Organization, there are 350 million people across the globe, affected by mental health disorders. October 10th is World Mental Health Day to help raise awareness of mental health issues and an opportunity for stakeholders to talk about their research or projects relating on mental health issues. One such company called Medibio, based in Melbourne, Australia is doing just that in helping to solve what’s being described as the greatest health challenge of all time. Medibio has developed the potential to be the world’s first objective clinical decision support diagnostic tool for mental illness including depression, anxiety, insomnia and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
In a Q&A interview, Jack Cosentino, CEO and president of Medibio talks about his work and how exercise can help with mental health.
Q: Do you think exercising helps depression?
A: Of course. There is a lot of research that supports that exercise is beneficial for those with depression and an important part of overall health. According to sources, there are at least five types of exercises that are known to help with depression – walking, running, Yoga, Tai-chi and weight lifting.
Q: How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle?
A: I make sure to stay hydrated, eat well, and exercise. I take stress breaks when necessary and make sure to get adequate sleep. Staying connected is also essential for mental health and happiness. Since I travel so much, I make sure to stay connected with those important to me daily. Facebook and Skype get a lot of use.
Q: What is the definition of mental illness?
A: Mental illness has a broad definition, and encompasses disorders that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. They include things like depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictions. We’ve focused our test first on depression, as this impacts over 350 million people even though there are successful treatments available. Mental health also impacts every aspect of a person’s health, so we think by tackling this we can solve a host of other related health and societal challenges.
Q: Tell us what you enjoy most about your role as CEO and president of Medibio?
A: It is so rewarding to take my experience in medical technology, and help solve the greatest health challenge of our time. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, yet if we can get people diagnosed and accurately treated, we can solve this problem. Our diagnostic is a step in that direction, on track for FDA approval, and is helping us identify the type of mental illness a person has. We also see more quickly which medication works for the patient, saving the patient a lot of frustration and pain. It is going to change the lives of hundreds of millions of people, and that is a great feeling for me and I’m happy to be a part of it.
Q: Describe a typical day for you? A: There is no typical day! I may be at home in Minneapolis, meeting with Michael Phelps in DC, or in Melbourne meeting with our team. I’m often on a plane. One thing that connects my very different days is a constant feeling that I am putting myself and my skills to good use to effect major positive change.
Q: Are you meeting your objective to be a pioneer in diagnosing mental illness?
A: I’ve run and sold several successful medical technology companies in other industries, so I’m excited to bring that expertise to a disease state that needs more business expertise. Depression and mental health is a US 2.5 trillion dollar yearly problem, yet we know how to solve it. So, I plan to take my extensive business experience and use it in a very underserved market to create massive global change.
Q: What is next for the company? A: We are in working on FDA approvals for our depression diagnostic it’s an innovative, objective test to diagnose depression. We are also moving quickly to PTSD, anxiety, and other mental health issues. We hope to work on addiction and eating disorders too. We are talking to strategic partners about investment, platform build out, wearable partnerships and research. Our technology can be integrated into any study currently being done as an added safety measure and way to understand the patient better, how they respond to treatment, and get a clearer picture of their overall mental health. We’ve had a lot of hospitals and clinics requesting our diagnostic tool, and their studies add to our research. www.runwithit.ca Twitter: @christineruns Run With It on Youtube Channel