Cancer is the cause of one in every four deaths in the United States. The later the diagnosis comes, the lower the patient’s chances of survival. Experts agree that next-generation artificial intelligence will lead to advanced diagnostic tools and precision treatments that can save lives. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is at the forefront of this research. Its supercomputer-powered AI is critical in the fight against cancer. Such state-of-the-art technology requires huge amounts of data storage that comes with a very high price tag.
In a new development, the federal government will support CSHL’s next AI initiative. On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. This annual budget legislation contains a congressional spending request from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The request calls for $2 million in funding for CSHL. It was put forward by U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.
The money will fund a CSHL project called “Next Generation Artificial Intelligence for Advanced Cancer Diagnostics.”
“AI is already used to detect cancer in mammograms,” says CSHL Chair Marilyn Simons. “Now CSHL is going even deeper, leveraging AI to view cancer cells as they interact with healthy tissue.”
This represents the clearing of a major hurdle.
“President Biden’s U.S. Cancer Moonshot calls for decreasing the nation’s cancer death rate 50% by 2045,” says Senator Schumer. “With the $2M in funding I worked to secure, the world-renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory can help doctors and scientists get us there and save millions of lives along the way. I will continue fighting to increase funding for medical and biotechnology research to better public health and improve the lives of New Yorkers.”
Written by: Samuel Diamond, Editorial Content Manager | diamond@cshl.edu | 516-367-5055