New details have been revealed about the upcoming Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) health hackathon, to be held prior to BioPharma Ambition 2016, including the cash prizes the winners will take home.
The MIT health hackathon was one of two events announced last May as a collaboration between the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) and BioPharmaChem Ireland (BPCI) with help from the National Institute for BioProcessing Research and Training (NIBRT).
Taking place on 16-18 September this year, the MIT Hacking Health hackathon will provide a build-up to the larger BioPharma Ambition 2016 taking place on 21-22 September to showcase the latest research and discuss how Ireland plans to facilitate the sector.
Now, the organising duo of MIT and DCU Alpha has revealed more details on the hackathon element, with a number of objectives laid out.
Among them is to provide patients with better treatment outcomes as well as specific targets, such as better drug logistics and waste management, more effective doctor-patient interaction and a better overall patient experience.
€3,000 for the winner
This will be the first time a health hackathon of this scale has been held in Ireland, and is the first one organised here by the MIT Hacking Medicine programme.
A prize-giving ceremony will be held on 21 September in the Mansion House, Dublin at the BioPharma Ambition delegate dinner, with first place receiving €3,000 for their concept.
Meanwhile, €2,000 will be given to second place and €1,000 to third place.
Speaking of the upcoming hackathon, Khalil Ramadi, co-director of MIT Hacking Medicine, said: “We are always excited to partner with fantastic collaborators such as Dublin City University (DCU) to host hackathons that bring diverse expertise together to work on challenging healthcare problems.
“Ireland is a hub of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and so offers an ideal landscape for this hackathon. We are eager to see the innovations that emerge and their consequent implementation in improving patients’ lives.”
Laptop and stethoscope image via Shutterstock
