Health network Geisinger has received a $175,000 Amazon Web Services (AWS) Imagine grant to accelerate the development of a new genomics data platform.
The platform will serve as infrastructure for Geisinger’s MyCode Community Health Initiative, the Danville, PA-based organization said in a statement. The grant consists of $150,000 in unrestricted funding, $25,000 in AWS promotional credits, and support from AWS technical specialists.
Geisinger is developing the genomics platform to make genomic data more accessible for research, enabling the expansion of preventive genomic screening for more participants across more conditions, and supporting the integration of genomic information into real-time care decisions for more effective diagnosis and treatment, the firm explained.
The MyCode DNA sequencing program has grown since its inception in 2007 to include more than 350,000 consented participants, with paired genetic sequencing and electronic health record data on more than 230,000 of these participants, according to Geisinger. The data collected through the program has contributed to more than 250 published studies and provided actionable genetic information on genetic risk to more than 5,000 participants, the firm added.
Launched in 2018, AWS Imagine grants are awarded to organizations that use cloud-based services to develop technology-driven, innovative projects. Geisinger noted that its project was chosen from the grant program’s Go Further, Faster category. Submissions are judged on criteria that include the innovative and unique nature of the project, the impact on mission-critical goals, and having clearly defined outcomes and milestones.
