Research Grid, an AI-driven company dedicated to automating clinical trial administration, has raised $6.5 million in seed funding to streamline trial workflows and reduce costly delays. The funding round, led by Fuel Ventures and including backers like Ada Ventures, Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab, and Arāya Ventures, will help Research Grid expand its engineering, R&D, and marketing efforts, with a focus on US and Asian markets. This investment supports Research Grid’s mission to cut down on the labor-intensive administrative tasks that can hinder the speed and success of medical research.
This article is sponsored by MITRE. MITRE, a nonprofit renowned for tackling the nation’s most complex challenges, is breaking new ground with its latest initiative, MITRE RISE. This six-month accelerator is designed to help tech founders of color turn their innovative ideas into viable, real-world solutions, through hands-on mentorship, cutting-edge resources, and an extensive network of health and technology experts. Their inaugural 2025 cohort is dedicated to accelerating the development of health IT solutions. Applications for the 2025 program close on October 31, 2024. Innovation through collaboration Kike Oduba, founder
Women’s health company Perelel has acquired LOOM, a sexual and reproductive health information platform co-founded by Erica Chidi. Chidi, a doula and health educator, joins Perelel as a strategic advisor, where she will use her expertise to advance the shared mission of supporting women and people with uteruses through their reproductive health journeys. LOOM’s Journey In 2017, Erica Chidi and Quinn Lundberg founded LOOM to fill gaps in reproductive health education, particularly for diverse communities. LOOM offers regulatory-compliant guidance and personalized support throughout different phases of sexual and reproductive health,
BlackDoctor.org (BDO) has introduced an AI-powered chatbot, designed to offer culturally relevant health guidance to Black Americans. This new feature provides round-the-clock support and draws from BDO’s repository of over 17,000 articles, ensuring that users receive tailored information related to chronic conditions, mental health, and healthy living. As a leading platform offering health content specifically for Black communities, BDO’s chatbot stands out for its focus on culturally sensitive, condition-specific support. Tailored Health Information At Your Fingertips The BlackDoctor Chatbot claims to be the first of its kind, offering personalized, culturally
In rural South Sudan, where venomous snakebites claim thousands of lives annually, a new AI initiative is giving healthcare workers a lifeline. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is piloting an AI-driven app that can identify dangerous snake species, offering hope in a region where access to effective treatments is scarce. With snakebites killing between 81,000 and 138,000 people globally each year, this solution could help save lives by ensuring the right antivenom is administered promptly. Tackling A Neglected Crisis Snakebite envenoming is one of the world’s most overlooked tropical diseases, with
Ruby Jackson, a 23-year-old student midwife at the University of Brighton, has developed an app, “Melanatal,” to address gaps in the recognition of maternal and neonatal conditions on Black and brown skin. Her app aims to educate both clinicians and patients on how conditions such as jaundice, pre-eclampsia, and mastitis appear on darker skin tones, a subject historically underrepresented in medical training. Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Maternal and Neonatal Health Jackson’s inspiration for Melanatal came during her placement at a neonatal unit in Ghana, where she realized that key
Nigerian e-health startup, Field, has unveiled a new service aimed at addressing Africa’s maternal mortality crisis. Backed by a $11 million investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Field’s initiative focuses on emerging therapies for maternal, newborn, and child health as well as improving nutrition across the continent. Helping healthcare access Co-founded in 2015 by Michael Moreland, Justin Lorenzon, and Peter Bunor, Field has already made significant strides in transforming healthcare delivery through its pharmaceutical supply chain solutions, operating in Nigeria and Kenya. The company has supported over 800
Every year, MIT highlights young leaders worldwide who are making a difference through research and entrepreneurship. This year’s innovators are tackling issues in biotechnology, the climate sector, robotics, and more. Chosen from hundreds of nominees by expert judges and the MIT Technology Review editorial team, these trailblazers are changing the future of science and technology. Here, we’ve highlighted some of the Black and Brown innovators featured on the MIT 2024 Under 35 List. Mireille Kamariza, University of California, Los Angeles Mireille Kamariza, 35, developed a groundbreaking test that detects tuberculosis
In recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day 2024, it’s important to highlight the growing mental health needs within Black communities. Studies show that Black adults are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, compared to the general population. Despite this, only about 25% of Black individuals seek mental health care, largely due to stigma, cultural barriers, and lack of access to culturally competent providers. In response, several apps and startups are working to close this gap, offering tailored support to meet the mental
Heman Bekele, a 15-year-old high school student from Virginia, has been named TIME’s Kid of the Year 2024 for inventing a soap that could one day treat and prevent multiple forms of skin cancer. While the product may take years to reach the market, Bekele is already working in a lab at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, dedicated to making his vision a reality. A Young Scientist’s Vision Bekele’s journey into science began at a young age. He experimented with household chemicals and later received a
