SAS and Maxwell Centre at University of Cambridge Forge Groundbreaking Collaboration in Healthcare Innovation

SAS and Maxwell Centre at University of Cambridge Forge Groundbreaking Collaboration in Healthcare Innovation

(IN BRIEF) SAS and the Maxwell Centre at the University of Cambridge are teaming up to propel healthcare innovation with advanced analytics. This partnership aims to integrate SAS expertise and its SAS® Viya® data and AI platform into the University’s ecosystem, fostering targeted collaboration with top researchers and emerging entrepreneurs in the healthcare technology sector. The newly established SAS Advanced Analytics Hub, situated at the Maxwell Centre on the Cambridge West campus, will drive multiple high-impact academic research projects and support promising startups in health-tech, offering crucial momentum to their innovative endeavors. Notably, this collaboration has already delivered impactful results, exemplified by the PITHIA project led by the University of Cambridge, which leverages AI-driven decision support to enhance kidney transplant procedures. Spearheaded by Dr. Alex Samoshkin, this initiative marks a significant milestone in bridging academia with industry, laying the foundation for future breakthroughs in healthcare innovation. The official opening celebrations for the SAS Advanced Analytics Hub in Cambridge are scheduled for July, following a pre-announcement at the SAS Innovate on Tour event in London on June 12, 2024.

(PRESS RELEASE) MARLOW, 12-Jun-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — An exciting collaboration between the Maxwell Centre at the University of Cambridge and SAS, a leader in data and AI, has been unveiled. This partnership aims to revolutionize healthcare innovation by facilitating access to advanced analytics within the academic sphere. By integrating SAS experts and their cutting-edge SAS® Viya® data and AI platform into the University’s ecosystem, this collaboration seeks to foster targeted engagement with top researchers and budding entrepreneurs in the healthcare technology sector, guiding them from vast datasets to actionable insights.

Located at the Maxwell Centre on the Cambridge West campus, the SAS Advanced Analytics Hub will serve as a dynamic space for supporting multiple high-impact academic research projects and early-stage startups focused on health-tech. Through this hub, innovative ideas will receive the necessary resources and support to propel them forward.

Already, the partnership has yielded promising results in addressing critical healthcare challenges. One notable project, PITHIA, led by the University of Cambridge, has leveraged SAS’s dynamic analytics platform to develop an AI-based decision support system for kidney transplants. This system automates biopsy scoring, aiding in the identification of suitable organs for transplantation. The ultimate goal is to increase transplant rates and enhance the functionality of transplanted kidneys, potentially saving numerous lives and millions of pounds for the NHS annually.

Dr. Alex Samoshkin, Deputy Head of the Office for Translational Research at the School of Clinical Medicine, played a pivotal role in initiating this collaboration. He emphasizes the significant role played by SAS in accelerating the translation of research ideas into tangible clinical outcomes.

Building on this initial success, the partnership between Cambridge and SAS has evolved into a broader collaboration. Following discussions at SAS headquarters in Cary, NC, USA, in June 2023, led by SAS co-founder and CEO Dr. Jim Goodnight, the SAS Advanced Analytics Hub at the Maxwell Centre has now become a reality. This hub is poised to catalyze a new wave of collaborative projects aimed at improving healthcare outcomes globally.

Dr. Aga Iwasiewicz-Wabnig, Director of the Maxwell Centre, highlights the potential of this partnership to merge Cambridge’s research excellence with SAS’s advanced analytics expertise for the betterment of society. While the initial focus is on healthcare, future projects spanning sustainability and social equality are also envisioned.

Roderick Crawford, Senior Vice President of SAS Northern Europe, underscores the transformative potential of AI in healthcare and society at large. He expresses enthusiasm for deepening the partnership with the University of Cambridge and leveraging additional expertise from partners like Microsoft and customers like AstraZeneca.

The official opening celebrations for the SAS Advanced Analytics Hub at the Maxwell Centre are scheduled for July, following a pre-announcement at the SAS Innovate on Tour event in London on June 12, 2024, by Roderick Crawford and Dr. Iwasiewicz-Wabnig.

Media Contact:

David Smith
+44 1628 490 433
David.C.Smith@suk.sas.com

SOURCE: SAS