I’ve worked in data science and healthcare-adjacent fields for about five years now. I studied
biology and marketing at Wharton, where I did pancreatic cancer research. And I will tell you, regardless of the stunning achievements of access and strength in tech, the healthcare field is not even close to keeping up. Let’s put this in perspective.
Right now, every company claims to have terabytes of data flowing in. And yet, no company I have ever been to, from startup to Fortune 500, has incorporated Bayesian statistics and really utilized the power of user-level data. These are people who are trained in statistics or computer science, people who are paid to raise the bottom line for the company and thus have enormous incentive to do so.
It’s not like Bayes is extremely complex or new, despite the confusing sounding name. Bayes died in 1761. So if we have terabytes of user-level data, why doesn’t each push notification target my soul directly? Why doesn’t each wearable have a health plan that knows the minute I will get heart disease from sitting on my butt all day?
It’s because collecting data is merely the first step. Data mining is very appropriately named: You get vast amounts of technology and manpower, churn the engines, dig deep and maybe find absolutely nothing. You may find that 100 percent of people behave one way and try to locally optimize, only to find that you shouldn’t even have that feature in the first place.
What data can do now is raise awareness. I didn’t know I spend some days taking 10 steps, then plopping down and watching Netflix. But now that I have my Fitbit, Strava (the run-tracking app) and the iOS 8 HealthKit, I can keep track of it and fight back.
The same thing is true with Vessyl, a cool tech-enabled accessory that tracks how much water you intake during the day. When I was pitching at the TechCrunch Boston pitch-off, one of the other companies named Neumitra was making an awesome wristband that tracks your stress level in real-time.
With the huge caveat of cost: We are before the point that we can 3D-print organs (which won’t be data heavy, anyway) but after the point where there is any excuse to not take care of yourself. Judging by the rate that tech is advancing (Microsoft Word) versus the same advances in healthcare (electronic medical records), we’ll be well past the singularity before we have accurate biomarkers for anything, so make your bets accordingly!
A
new partnership will support translational sciences and health
technology at Caltech thanks to a three-year commitment from Heritage
Medical Research Institute (HMRI), a nonprofit founded and led by
Caltech trustee Richard N. Merkin.
With this gift, the Institute and HMRI have created the Heritage Research Institute for the Advancement of Medicine and Science at Caltech. Eight Caltech faculty members from three academic divisions have been selected for the inaugural cohort of Heritage researchers, with a ninth yet to be named. These scientists and engineers—who will hold the title of Heritage Principal Investigators—will receive salary and research support as well as opportunities to learn from and collaborate with each other and with practicing physicians in the local community.
"Dick Merkin's insights into the changing landscape of modern medicine, his devotion to supporting young talent, and his exceptional generosity have come together to create an innovative program to advance translational research," says President Thomas F. Rosenbaum, holder of the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and professor of physics. "The generous support of HMRI, through Dick's vision, will provide the freedom and resources for faculty from across the divisions to tackle difficult science and engineering problems for the betterment of the human condition."
As a physician and a healthcare executive, Merkin has witnessed the rapid evolution of medicine and patient care in recent decades—and says he sees monumental changes on the horizon.
"I think some of the greatest breakthroughs this century will occur in biology, and I think Caltech is particularly positioned to be a leader in this area," Merkin says. "Our biggest problems are our biggest opportunities, and Caltech is gifted in looking at the world not as it is, but as it could be."
Caltech is uniquely suited to accelerating progress due to its highly collaborative environment, Merkin adds. The convergence of multidisciplinary science and technology, he says, is driving innovation at an exponential rate, particularly in the areas of implantable sensors and precision medicine.
Many of Caltech's new Heritage Principal Investigators have already deepened our understanding of how the human body works—from the microbes in our gut to the chemicals in our brain—and are advancing the study of diseases such as diabetes, autism, and cancer. As a trustee and benefactor, Merkin has been energized by the potential impact of their investigations.
"The most imaginative scientists on the globe are concentrated at Caltech," Merkin says. "They are dedicated to understanding the world around us. Just being able to interact with so many passionate, hardworking, and brilliant people is inspiring. I'm very grateful to be part of the Institute."
Adds Stephen Mayo, the William K. Bowes Jr. Leadership Chair of the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and Bren Professor of Biology and Chemistry: "As a valued friend of the Institute and a physician, Richard Merkin knows that the treatments of tomorrow begin in the lab today. This gift will embolden the Heritage Principal Investigators—some of whom are in the early stages of their careers—to pursue their most promising ideas and, in turn, quicken the pace of discovery in the biosciences."
A graduate of the University of Miami, Merkin began his career as a physician before creating what is now known as Heritage Provider Network (HPN) in 1979. Merkin serves as HPN's president and chief executive officer and has overseen its growth into one of California's largest healthcare provider networks. In 2012, Fast Company magazine named HPN one of the most innovative healthcare companies for embracing techniques such as data mining and predictive modeling to better the well-being of patients and improve the nation's healthcare system.
Merkin's philanthropy focuses on medical research, the arts, and children, with a special emphasis on the people of Southern California. He has served on the Caltech Board of Trustees since 2007 and also sits on the boards of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and United Friends of the Children, as well as educational institutions, including the Keck School of Medicine of USC and Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. The latter runs 27 charter schools in the greater Los Angeles area, including one site named after him—the Richard Merkin Middle School.
In 2003, Merkin founded HMRI, a nonprofit that also has supported the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. In deciding where to direct HMRI's research funds, making a pledge to Caltech made sense for Merkin.
"Watching the Institute's stewardship of resources as a trustee makes me very comfortable investing as a benefactor," Merkin says. "Supporting Caltech and its faculty and students is a much broader investment in a better future—not just for the local community, not just for the United States, but, really, for the world."
- See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/news/partnership-heritage-medical-research-institute-will-augment-translational-medicine-research#sthash.e7fQL6xB.dpuf
With this gift, the Institute and HMRI have created the Heritage Research Institute for the Advancement of Medicine and Science at Caltech. Eight Caltech faculty members from three academic divisions have been selected for the inaugural cohort of Heritage researchers, with a ninth yet to be named. These scientists and engineers—who will hold the title of Heritage Principal Investigators—will receive salary and research support as well as opportunities to learn from and collaborate with each other and with practicing physicians in the local community.
"Dick Merkin's insights into the changing landscape of modern medicine, his devotion to supporting young talent, and his exceptional generosity have come together to create an innovative program to advance translational research," says President Thomas F. Rosenbaum, holder of the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and professor of physics. "The generous support of HMRI, through Dick's vision, will provide the freedom and resources for faculty from across the divisions to tackle difficult science and engineering problems for the betterment of the human condition."
As a physician and a healthcare executive, Merkin has witnessed the rapid evolution of medicine and patient care in recent decades—and says he sees monumental changes on the horizon.
"I think some of the greatest breakthroughs this century will occur in biology, and I think Caltech is particularly positioned to be a leader in this area," Merkin says. "Our biggest problems are our biggest opportunities, and Caltech is gifted in looking at the world not as it is, but as it could be."
Caltech is uniquely suited to accelerating progress due to its highly collaborative environment, Merkin adds. The convergence of multidisciplinary science and technology, he says, is driving innovation at an exponential rate, particularly in the areas of implantable sensors and precision medicine.
Many of Caltech's new Heritage Principal Investigators have already deepened our understanding of how the human body works—from the microbes in our gut to the chemicals in our brain—and are advancing the study of diseases such as diabetes, autism, and cancer. As a trustee and benefactor, Merkin has been energized by the potential impact of their investigations.
"The most imaginative scientists on the globe are concentrated at Caltech," Merkin says. "They are dedicated to understanding the world around us. Just being able to interact with so many passionate, hardworking, and brilliant people is inspiring. I'm very grateful to be part of the Institute."
Adds Stephen Mayo, the William K. Bowes Jr. Leadership Chair of the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering and Bren Professor of Biology and Chemistry: "As a valued friend of the Institute and a physician, Richard Merkin knows that the treatments of tomorrow begin in the lab today. This gift will embolden the Heritage Principal Investigators—some of whom are in the early stages of their careers—to pursue their most promising ideas and, in turn, quicken the pace of discovery in the biosciences."
A graduate of the University of Miami, Merkin began his career as a physician before creating what is now known as Heritage Provider Network (HPN) in 1979. Merkin serves as HPN's president and chief executive officer and has overseen its growth into one of California's largest healthcare provider networks. In 2012, Fast Company magazine named HPN one of the most innovative healthcare companies for embracing techniques such as data mining and predictive modeling to better the well-being of patients and improve the nation's healthcare system.
Merkin's philanthropy focuses on medical research, the arts, and children, with a special emphasis on the people of Southern California. He has served on the Caltech Board of Trustees since 2007 and also sits on the boards of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and United Friends of the Children, as well as educational institutions, including the Keck School of Medicine of USC and Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. The latter runs 27 charter schools in the greater Los Angeles area, including one site named after him—the Richard Merkin Middle School.
In 2003, Merkin founded HMRI, a nonprofit that also has supported the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. In deciding where to direct HMRI's research funds, making a pledge to Caltech made sense for Merkin.
"Watching the Institute's stewardship of resources as a trustee makes me very comfortable investing as a benefactor," Merkin says. "Supporting Caltech and its faculty and students is a much broader investment in a better future—not just for the local community, not just for the United States, but, really, for the world."
- See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/news/partnership-heritage-medical-research-institute-will-augment-translational-medicine-research#sthash.e7fQL6xB.dpuf
