Cancer

  • New diagnostic tools leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence. Too Much Data to Process By 2030 all Baby Boomers will be over 65, which means that health-related issues become more and more top-of-mind for this aging population. Regular cancer screenings are one of these concerns. The sheer volume of such screenings already taxes existing healthcare systems. However, laboratories, diagnostic technicians, and healthcare providers are using powerful new technological tools to aid them in the work of helping patients live happier & healthier lives. One such tool is Artificial Intelligence, commonly referred to as AI. Unlike its counterparts depicted in the movies as sentient neural networks whose sole purpose is to destroy humanity, real AI has been a computing and data processing resource staple for decades. AI is as quotidian as the electric power grid and supermarkets. Everything from predictive weather modeling to aid meteorologists to CAD-based generative design for engineers, AI has proven to be a powerful tool for many industries in an everyday capacity. In the case of healthcare, data modeling and data processing have become synonymous with AI-driven environments capable of handling such massive volumes. Take for example liquid biopsies to better predict infant cancers. The data associated with these tests are referred to as high-throughput data. Making connections is essential between high-throughput data on orders of magnitude within a smaller outcome sample space of patient responses. The results of these AI-driven computations expedite determinations on whether or not they have cancer. Statistical models are useful for summarizing and describing variations to predictive models, and machine learning AI leverages these summaries that can make for more useful predictions, as seen above. Imaging for Data Collection and AI Processing From X-Rays, to CT (CAT) Scans, to MRIs, in vivo imaging technology has been one of the most powerful medical...
  • February 4, 2021

    Science of the Heart and Stars

    In honor of Black History Month, I very much wanted to profile two wonderful Black American scientists who have greatly contributed to the advancement of humanity’s health and well-being and to our understanding of the universe! I’m speaking of none other than Progressive Pioneers Doctors Marie M. Daly and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Let’s take a look into the lives of these great Americans who make us all proud—for we are all one color: beautiful. Dr. Marie Daly STEM Revolution of Equal Opportunity When the 45th president signed into law the Hidden Figures Act honoring the four African‐American women who were instrumental in the success of NASA’s space race to the moon, we should not forget other accomplished women who have also contributed our nation’s scientific knowledge. One such venerated pioneer is Dr. Marie Maynard Daly. Dr. Daly was born in Queens, NY on April 16, 1921. She was the daughter of Ivan Daly (an immigrant from the British West Indies) and Helen Page of Washington DC. Her parents settled in the New York City area where Mr. Daly attended Cornell University in pursuit of a chemistry degree. Like her father, Dr. Marie Daly also chose to pursue a career in chemistry. She was spurred on by her grandfather’s extensive library of books about scientists and their scientific achievements. Dr. Daly graduated from Queens College magna cum laude with a BA in Chemistry. Due to labor shortages and the need for scientists during World War II, she was able to garner fellowships to study at both New York and Columbia Universities earning her a master’s and a Ph.D. (respectively). Daly’s first major publication was her thesis on the formation of pancreatic amylase on corn starch. From there, her scientific career soared. She was awarded a grant from the American Cancer Society...