Massachusetts Institute of Technology ‘Hacking Medicine’ event coming to Ireland for the first time

The world renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology is bringing its ‘Hacking Medicine’ event to Ireland for the first time, and Healthcare professionals, patient organisations, biopharma industry talent and technology enthusiasts of all levels are being called upon to take part. The event theme is ‘Improving the Patient Experience from Bench to Bedside’ and will feature contributions from MIT, DCU and other key healthcare stakeholders.

The hackathon will take place from September 16 –18 in DCU Alpha, DCU’s standalone Innovation Campus in Glasnevin. The event will form part of the Dublin 2016 International Biopharma Ambition Convention, organised by the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA), BioPharmaChem Ireland (BPCI) and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT).

The primary goal of the hackathon 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.

The winning team will receive €3,000 with €2,000 for second place and €1,000 for third. The prize giving ceremony for the winning team will take place in the Mansion House Dublin on Wednesday 21st September at the BioPharma Ambition delegate dinner. Tickets for the event cost €20 per person and are available at Eventbrite along with a full schedule and running order for the three days (click here).

The intensive weekend of challenging activity aims to see innovative solutions emerge which will improve aspects of patient pathways and clinical care from the combined brain power of teams of industry experts, scientists, hardware engineers, patients, healthcare providers, artists, designers, entrepreneurs and marketers.

Khalil Ramadi, Co-Director of MIT Hacking Medicine added: “MIT Hacking Medicine is thrilled to have this opportunity to host our first event in Ireland together with DCU Alpha. We are always excited to partner with fantastic collaborators such as 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.”

Commenting on the event DCU President Brian MacCraith said: “DCU Alpha has rapidly established itself as the home of hackathons, bringing together multi-disciplinary teams who set their minds to solving pressing, real-world challenges. This partnership with MIT’s Hacking Medicine team shines a spotlight on healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship, providing a platform for collaborations with the potential to transform the experience of patients and clinicians across the globe.”

For more information on the Hackathon and Dublin 2016 Biopharma Ambition Convention visit www.biopharmaambition.com