Health tech company EVYD Technology and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore's lead R&D agency, have launched a joint AI research lab focused on population health and digital health. 

At the same time, they announced a S$10 million ($7.5 million) project under the joint lab to facilitate multi-institutional, cross-border collaborations in digital health.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

According to a press release, the A*STAR-EVYD Joint Lab will be applying AI to resolve industry-specific challenges for population health and digital health. 

For one, it seeks to encourage the adoption of healthy habits by developing a health domain data collection and wellness score, supported by behavioural science. 

The lab will also explore a health concierge service that employs large language models in a healthcare context; use remote health monitoring for early disease detection; and streamline diagnostic workflows to assist clinicians in data interpretation and diagnostic evaluation.

Moreover, it will pilot test and deploy AI-driven medical data processing and secure data technologies for validated practical applications outside laboratory settings. It will also organise workshops, seminars, or conferences to facilitate knowledge sharing among healthcare communities.

WHY IT MATTERS

A significant undertaking of this new AI lab is a S$10 million project that aims to resolve challenges with regulations and concerns associated with inter-regional data sharing to allow multi-institutional, cross-border collaborations in digital health. To be led by A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing, the project will incorporate secure data technologies to enable healthcare entities to keep sensitive data within their IT infrastructures, thus allowing local and international healthcare providers, research institutions, and healthcare companies to co-create innovative healthcare solutions.

THE LARGER TREND

Last year, A*STAR entered into a similar collaboration to foster digital health collaborations. It signed a memorandum of understanding with Johnson & Johnson Vision to establish a consortium focusing on digital innovations in eye health. Over three years, it will promote public-private partnerships that promote eye health research and solutions addressing eye health problems within the Asia-Pacific region. Emerging technologies, such as blockchain and AI, and data privacy preservation techniques will also be leveraged to establish trusted data access and enable data sharing among consortium members.

ON THE RECORD

"The establishment of the A*STAR-EVYD Joint Lab will serve as a dynamic platform to foster collaboration with the healthcare community and facilitate cross-sector partnerships. Together, we will work towards advancing AI-driven digital health solutions that can enhance patient outcomes and population health. This partnership signifies A*STAR’s commitment to developing more AI applications in healthcare, to better address the evolving healthcare challenges of our time,” said Lim Keng Hui, professor and assistant chief executive of the A*STAR Science and Engineering Research Council.

"The A*STAR-EVYD Joint Lab is a strategic collaboration that holds tremendous potential for transforming patient outcomes on a global scale. By leveraging [AI], advanced data processing techniques and privacy-preserving technologies, EVYD Technology and A*STAR’s IHPC aim to push the boundaries of what is achievable in population health and digital health,"  EVYD Technology CEO Ming Jie Chua also commented.