Words by Smiley Team
Technology is vital for modernizing healthcare and big tech companies can ensure this happens efficiently. Contributing to this endeavour, Microsoft has announced a new partnership with the medical research platform, Terra.
Originally developed by research organisation Verily and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the platform permits biomedical researchers to access data, analyse it and share findings. It helps thousands of researchers on a monthly basis to use data from millions of groups conducting valuable scientific research projects.
Eric Lander, president and founding director of the Broad Institute, said: “We are thrilled that Microsoft has joined the Terra community and, through this collaboration, we will reduce many more barriers to advancing science and medicine.”
Scientists are generating biomedical data at an unprecedented rate but because they generally employ a variety of different research tools and due to varying government regulations, the data is difficult for scientists to access.
To break through those obstacles Microsoft is offering its cloud, data and Artificial Intelligence technologies along with its global network of more than 168,000 health and life sciences partners.
Run by the Microsoft Health Next initiative, the move will allow data scientists, biomedical researchers and clinicians around the world to collaborate in tackling some of the most complex and widespread diseases facing society today.
Corporate vice president of Microsoft Health Next, Gregory Moore, commented: “The opportunity to partner with the Broad Institute and Verily in helping researchers around the world understand and treat our toughest human diseases is an honour.”
Tech firms make a crucial contribution to innovating medical care, and fortunately, Microsoft isn’t the only one to do so. Google, Apple and Samsung are among the other influencers helping this valuable cause.
But of course, there’s room for more and other tech companies can consider what they might be able to add to the corporate drive to develop medical solutions and help save lives.
