The University of Cambridge, AstraZeneca, and GlaxoSmithKline to Fund Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine

The University of Cambridge, AstraZeneca, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on Nov. 11, 2020 that they are entering into a five-year agreement to fund the Cambridge Centre for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medicine (CCAIM), a program that provides students interested in machine learning and bioscience the opportunity to partner with leaders in industry and academia.

According to a CCAIMpress release, the program will consist of 10 University of Cambridge researchers and a group of PhD students who will work together to develop AI and machine learning technologies for clinical trials, personalized medicine, and biomedical discovery. Additionally, the experts from the University of Cambridge will also work in conjunction with scientists and leaders from AstraZeneca and GSK to pinpoint challenges in drug discovery and development that can be solved through academic research.

“The Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine is a terrific and timely venture that builds on the strong relationships between the University of Cambridge and global leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, AstraZeneca, and GSK,” said Professor Andy Neely OBE, pro-vice-chancellor for Enterprise and Business Relations, University of Cambridge, in the press release.

“The depth and diversity of the CCAIM faculty’s expertise means it is uniquely positioned to deliver and accelerate the breakthroughs in medical science and healthcare that AI has long promised. I anticipate the center’s impact will be nothing less than transformational.”

“We know the best science doesn’t happen in isolation which is why collaboration is essential to the way we work,” said Jim Weatherall, vice president, Data Science and AI, R&D, AstraZeneca, in the press release. “This new center combines world class academia with real-world industrial challenges and will help to develop cutting-edge AI to potentially transform the way we discover and develop medicines.”

“The new Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine will recruit and train the next generation of practitioners at the intersection of AI, industry, and academia,” added Kim Branson, senior vice president and global head of AI/ML, GSK, in the press release. “The work of this institute will be critical to translating AI methods from theory to practice, so that we can keep improving our therapeutic discovery efforts and so that together we can make a tangible impact on patients, from diagnosis, to treatment, and beyond.”

Source: CCAIM​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​