Latest news with #AIforGoodLab
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium Joins Forces with Microsoft's AI For Good Lab To Launch First-Of-Its-Kind $1M+ Global Grant To Improve Survival Rates
Four leading ovarian cancer research charities from four countries are funding a new AI Accelerator Grant in partnership with Microsoft's AI for Good Lab to supercharge the next cancer research breakthrough TORONTO, May 8, 2025 /CNW/ - Today marks World Ovarian Cancer Day and the launch of the Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium — a first-of-its-kind alliance uniting four leading ovarian cancer research organizations across the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Together, the Consortium is announcing its inaugural initiative: a game-changing $1 million grant, with an additional $1 million in compute support from Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, to address the global challenge in ovarian cancer survival rates. Globally, 324,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 207,000 women die from the disease each year. The Consortium's groundbreaking AI Accelerator Grant is a bold new effort that will ignite a wave of innovation in AI-powered ovarian cancer research — bringing hope, and potentially life-saving breakthroughs, to women around the world. The Consortium, formed in 2024, brings together leading ovarian cancer organizations from the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Their mission: to combine forces, resources, and determination to accelerate progress where it's desperately needed. Now, with the support of Microsoft's technology and expertise, the Consortium is poised to rewrite the future of ovarian cancer care. Progress in ovarian cancer research is lagging dangerously behind other diseases. It's predicted that by 2050 the number of women around the world diagnosed with ovarian cancer will rise over 55% to 503,448 and the number of women dying from ovarian cancer is projected to increase to 350,956 each year. "The complexity of ovarian cancer, with its vague symptoms and many types, makes it difficult to diagnose early and treat at advanced stages. Yet these are accomplishments we know we need to save lives. This is why the $1 million collaborative investment in AI-powered ovarian cancer research is critically needed," shares Tania Vrionis, CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada. "Through this AI Accelerator Grant, we can harness AI to understand ovarian cancer and its impact on women faster than ever. Our global philanthropic partnership, support from Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, and international research collaboration are key to accelerating change. After decades without real progress, women facing ovarian cancer deserve breakthroughs as quickly as we can make them." AI is already revolutionizing cancer diagnoses—from breast to brain, skin to thyroid—with stunning advances. But ovarian cancer has yet to feel the full power of this transformation. That changes now. With this urgent call to action, the Consortium is summoning the world's brightest minds to harness AI and tip the scales toward survival. "When I heard my treatment options, I was not happy. To treat my cancer, they had to remove my uterus, my ovaries, and I knew I could no longer have a child on my own. But I also knew that I wanted to live so I had no choice," shares Julia, a 38-year-old Canadian woman diagnosed with advanced low-grade serous ovarian cancer, a rare form of the disease. Despite undergoing life-altering treatment options when diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, women still face a high chance of their cancer returning, just as Julia's did in 2023. To improve their treatment options and disease outcomes, innovative research is urgently required. "We need to make ovarian cancer a top priority. It doesn't have the same visibility and awareness that other cancers have but women like me have limited options when facing the disease," adds Julia. "The truth is that change will only happen if research funding increases in a significant way. Ovarian Cancer Canada has helped me a lot through my journey. They support me, share information, and most importantly, with research investments like this, they gave me what I was missing most - hope." Researchers will be asked to form teams that will include a representative from each of the four countries to compete for the new grant. The successful grant will support any area of research that will improve survival rates. It must have a multi-jurisdictional team from across the grant-funded countries and a multidisciplinary team, including an AI expert. To learn more about the grant, visit Microsoft is generously partnering on this grant to donate up to $1m of in-kind Azure compute credits to the successful project through Microsoft's AI for Good Lab-partnership with OCRA. Microsoft's cloud computing power will enable the successful applicants to accelerate progress against ovarian cancer. "New discoveries are needed to find lifesaving treatments for ovarian cancer, a cancer that tragically still has a low survival rate. Equipping leading researchers around the globe with powerful AI tools and computing resources will help accelerate their critical work, hopefully leading to breakthroughs that save women's lives. Microsoft's AI for Good Lab is proud to support ovarian cancer research through this grant." said Juan Lavista Ferres, Microsoft Chief Data Scientist and Director of Microsoft's AI for Good Lab. ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER CANADAWe are the only national health charity in Canada focused on uncovering key discoveries that can change the reality of an ovarian cancer diagnosis. We are building research capacity, unlocking insights into rarer forms of the disease, addressing urgent needs, and bringing hope to people across the country. After decades without real change, improved outcomes are finally possible. The 3,000 Canadians diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year deserve our attention . They deserve our focus on demanding action, delivering change, and transforming their lives. We will not rest until women are able to live freely, fully, and uninhibited by ovarian cancer. Towards this goal, we are relentless. Learn more at SOURCE Ovarian Cancer Canada View original content to download multimedia:
Cision Canada
08-05-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
New Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium Joins Forces with Microsoft's AI For Good Lab To Launch First-Of-Its-Kind $1M+ Global Grant To Improve Survival Rates Français
Four leading ovarian cancer research charities from four countries are funding a new AI Accelerator Grant in partnership with Microsoft's AI for Good Lab to supercharge the next cancer research breakthrough TORONTO, May 8, 2025 /CNW/ - Today marks World Ovarian Cancer Day and the launch of the Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium — a first-of-its-kind alliance uniting four leading ovarian cancer research organizations across the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Together, the Consortium is announcing its inaugural initiative: a game-changing $1 million grant, with an additional $1 million in compute support from Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, to address the global challenge in ovarian cancer survival rates. Globally, 324,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 207,000 women die from the disease each year. The Consortium's groundbreaking AI Accelerator Grant is a bold new effort that will ignite a wave of innovation in AI-powered ovarian cancer research — bringing hope, and potentially life-saving breakthroughs, to women around the world. The Consortium, formed in 2024, brings together leading ovarian cancer organizations from the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Their mission: to combine forces, resources, and determination to accelerate progress where it's desperately needed. Now, with the support of Microsoft's technology and expertise, the Consortium is poised to rewrite the future of ovarian cancer care. Progress in ovarian cancer research is lagging dangerously behind other diseases. It's predicted that by 2050 the number of women around the world diagnosed with ovarian cancer will rise over 55% to 503,448 and the number of women dying from ovarian cancer is projected to increase to 350,956 each year. " The complexity of ovarian cancer, with its vague symptoms and many types, makes it difficult to diagnose early and treat at advanced stages. Yet these are accomplishments we know we need to save lives. This is why the $1 million collaborative investment in AI-powered ovarian cancer research is critically needed," shares Tania Vrionis, CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada. " Through this AI Accelerator Grant, we can harness AI to understand ovarian cancer and its impact on women faster than ever. Our global philanthropic partnership, support from Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, and international research collaboration are key to accelerating change. After decades without real progress, women facing ovarian cancer deserve breakthroughs as quickly as we can make them." AI is already revolutionizing cancer diagnoses—from breast to brain, skin to thyroid—with stunning advances. But ovarian cancer has yet to feel the full power of this transformation. That changes now. With this urgent call to action, the Consortium is summoning the world's brightest minds to harness AI and tip the scales toward survival. " When I heard my treatment options, I was not happy. To treat my cancer, they had to remove my uterus, my ovaries, and I knew I could no longer have a child on my own. But I also knew that I wanted to live so I had no choice," shares Julia, a 38-year-old Canadian woman diagnosed with advanced low-grade serous ovarian cancer, a rare form of the disease. Despite undergoing life-altering treatment options when diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, women still face a high chance of their cancer returning, just as Julia's did in 2023. To improve their treatment options and disease outcomes, innovative research is urgently required. " We need to make ovarian cancer a top priority. It doesn't have the same visibility and awareness that other cancers have but women like me have limited options when facing the disease," adds Julia."The truth is that change will only happen if research funding increases in a significant way. Ovarian Cancer Canada has helped me a lot through my journey. They support me, share information, and most importantly, with research investments like this, they gave me what I was missing most - hope." Researchers will be asked to form teams that will include a representative from each of the four countries to compete for the new grant. The successful grant will support any area of research that will improve survival rates. It must have a multi-jurisdictional team from across the grant-funded countries and a multidisciplinary team, including an AI expert. To learn more about the grant, visit Microsoft is generously partnering on this grant to donate up to $1m of in-kind Azure compute credits to the successful project through Microsoft's AI for Good Lab-partnership with OCRA. Microsoft's cloud computing power will enable the successful applicants to accelerate progress against ovarian cancer. " New discoveries are needed to find lifesaving treatments for ovarian cancer, a cancer that tragically still has a low survival rate. Equipping leading researchers around the globe with powerful AI tools and computing resources will help accelerate their critical work, hopefully leading to breakthroughs that save women's lives. Microsoft's AI for Good Lab is proud to support ovarian cancer research through this grant." said Juan Lavista Ferres, Microsoft Chief Data Scientist and Director of Microsoft's AI for Good Lab. ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER CANADA We are the only national health charity in Canada focused on uncovering key discoveries that can change the reality of an ovarian cancer diagnosis. We are building research capacity, unlocking insights into rarer forms of the disease, addressing urgent needs, and bringing hope to people across the country. After decades without real change, improved outcomes are finally possible. The 3,000 Canadians diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year deserve our attention . They deserve our focus on demanding action, delivering change, and transforming their lives. We will not rest until women are able to live freely, fully, and uninhibited by ovarian cancer. Towards this goal, we are relentless. Learn more at
Arab News
01-04-2025
- Science
- Arab News
AI and satellites help aid workers respond to Myanmar earthquake damage
'The biggest challenge in this particular case was the clouds,' said Microsoft's chief data scientist, Juan Lavista Ferres'There's no way to see through clouds with this technology'MANDALAY, Myanmar: Just after sunrise on Saturday, a satellite set its long-range camera on the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, not far from the epicenter of Friday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake that devastated the Southeast Asian country's second-largest mission was to capture images that, combined with artificial intelligence technology, could help relief organizations quickly assess how many buildings had collapsed or were heavily damaged and where helpers most needed to first, the high-tech computer vision approach wasn't working.'The biggest challenge in this particular case was the clouds,' said Microsoft's chief data scientist, Juan Lavista Ferres. 'There's no way to see through clouds with this technology.'The clouds eventually moved and it took a few more hours for another satellite from San Francisco-based Planet Labs to capture the aerial pictures and send them to Microsoft's philanthropic AI for Good Lab. By then it was already about 11 p.m. Friday at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. A group of Microsoft workers was ready and waiting for the AI for Good lab has done this kind of AI-assisted damage assessment before, tracking Libya's catastrophic flooding in 2023 or this year's wildfires in Los Angeles. But rather than rely on a standard AI computer vision model that could run any visual data, they had to build a customized version specific to Mandalay.'The Earth is too different, the natural disasters are too different and the imagery we get from satellites is just too different to work in every situation,' Lavista Ferres said. For instance, he said, while fires spread in fairly predictable ways, 'an earthquake touches the whole city' and it can be harder to know in the immediate aftermath where help is the AI analysis was complete, it showed 515 buildings in Mandalay with 80 percent to 100 percent damage and another 1,524 with between 20 percent and 80 percent damage. That showed the widespread gravity of the disaster, but, just as important, it helps pinpoint specific locations of damage.'This is critical information for teams on the ground,' Lavista Ferres cautioned that it 'should serve as a preliminary guide and will require on-the-ground verification for a complete understanding.' But in the meantime, the tech company has shared the analysis with aid groups such as the Red Labs says its satellites — it has 15 of them orbiting the Earth — have now photographed roughly a dozen locations in Myanmar and Thailand since Friday's quake.
Boston Globe
31-03-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Primark CEO resigns after ‘error of judgment'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up FUNDING Advertisement Isomorphic Labs, Google's AI drug business, raises $600 million Over the past 12 months, Google's efforts to use artificial intelligence to accelerate drug design have achieved breakthroughs in mimicking human biology and won its top scientists the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Now Isomorphic Labs, the division within the software giant meant to develop and commercialize the technology, is taking another big step: raising money from an outside investor. Isomorphic announced Monday that it had raised $600 million, led by Thrive Capital, the venture capital firm that has bet big on AI companies, including OpenAI. GV, Google's venture capital arm, and Alphabet, Google's parent company, also invested. The announcement underscores Google's ambitions for Isomorphic, which was spun out of the company's DeepMind lab to focus on drug discovery. It is built on software that DeepMind, a central intelligence lab in London, has developed. That includes AlphaFold, which can predict the structure of millions of proteins and more. — NEW YORK TIMES Advertisement ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AI and satellites help aid workers respond to Myanmar earthquake damage People stand next to a damaged building in Mandalay on March 30. SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images Just after sunrise on Saturday, a satellite set its long-range camera on the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, not far from the epicenter of Friday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake that devastated the Southeast Asian country's second-largest city. The mission was to capture images that, combined with artificial intelligence technology, could help relief organizations quickly assess how many buildings had collapsed or were heavily damaged and where helpers most needed to go. At first, the high-tech computer vision approach wasn't working. 'The biggest challenge in this particular case was the clouds,' said Microsoft's chief data scientist, Juan Lavista Ferres. 'There's no way to see through clouds with this technology.' The clouds eventually moved and it took a few more hours for another satellite from San Francisco-based Planet Labs to capture the aerial pictures and send them to Microsoft's philanthropic AI for Good Lab. Once the AI analysis was complete, it showed 515 buildings in Mandalay with 80 percent to 100 percent damage and another 1,524 with between 20 percent and 80 percent damage. That showed the widespread gravity of the disaster, but, just as important, it helps pinpoint specific locations of damage. 'This is critical information for teams on the ground,' Lavista Ferres said. Microsoft cautioned that it 'should serve as a preliminary guide and will require on-the-ground verification for a complete understanding.' But in the meantime, the tech company has shared the analysis with aid groups such as the Red Cross. — ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement CONSUMERS Americans are spending less as they brace for new tariffs Americans are tapping the brakes on spending — pulling back on dining out, hotel stays, and other expenses, as they boost their savings ahead of new tariffs and continued economic uncertainty. Consumers are increasingly anxious about the economy, and they're curbing spending habits accordingly, data released Friday shows. Consumer spending inched up by 0.1 percent in February, after adjusting for inflation, following a 0.6 percent drop the month before, according to government figures. Meanwhile, the personal savings rate — or how much of their incomes people set aside — rose to 4.6 percent. A separate survey released by the University of Michigan, meanwhile, showed that Americans' views on the economy fell for a third straight month, to the lowest level since 2022, as households and businesses prepare for a wave of higher prices once new tariffs go into effect this week. 'Consumers are increasingly apprehensive about spending,' said Lydia Boussour, a senior economist at EY-Parthenon. 'We are seeing clear signs that people are being more careful — they're reluctant to spend on nonessential expenses. They're worried about inflation and have preemptive anxiety around tariffs.' Strikingly, economists say Americans of all income levels, including the wealthiest, are rethinking their spending — in what could be a pivotal warning. The drop-off in consumer spending is expected to drag down economic growth in the first three months of the year, with many economists now forecasting a contraction after years of consistent growth. — WASHINGTON POST Advertisement TRAVEL Air Canada says US bookings down 10 percent as trade war rages on Workers removed luggage from an Air Canada plane on the tarmac at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in Montreal. Christinne Muschi/Bloomberg Air Canada says demand for flights between Canadian and US cities is weak for the spring and summer months, as Canadians respond to the trade war by avoiding trips south. Bookings for transborder flights were down 10 percent for the April-to-September period compared with the same period last year, as of mid-March, according to a presentation at the company's annual meeting. Air Canada is the largest Canadian airline and flies to more US destinations than any other. 'Am I concerned?' chairman Vagn Sørensen said in a response to a question from a shareholder during Monday's meeting. 'Yes, definitely, I'm concerned.' Shares of Air Canada are down 35 percent since the beginning of the year. Air Canada and WestJet said in separate statements last week that geopolitical tensions are causing some consumers to choose not to take vacations in the United States. The shift is part of a larger boycott of American products in response to President Trump's tariffs and his repeated statements that he believes Canada should be part of the United States. — BLOOMBERG NEWS AEROSPACE NASA's newly returned astronauts say they would fly on Boeing's Starliner capsule again Astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams, and Barry "Butch" Wilmore at a news conference at the NASA Johnson Space Center on March 31. Brandon Bell/Getty NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams said Monday that they hold themselves partly responsible for what went wrong on their space sprint-turned-marathon and would fly on Boeing's Starliner again. SpaceX recently ferried the duo home after more than nine months at the International Space Station, filling in for Boeing that returned to Earth without them last year. In their first news conference since coming home, the pair said they were taken aback by all the interest and insisted they were only doing their job and putting the mission ahead of themselves and even their families. Wilmore didn't shy from accepting some of the blame for Boeing's bungled test flight. 'I'll start and point the finger and I'll blame me. I could have asked some questions and the answers to those questions could have turned the tide,' he told reporters. 'All the way up and down the chain. We all are responsible. We all own this.' Both astronauts said they would strap into Starliner again. 'Because we're going to rectify all the issues that we encountered. We're going to fix them. We're going to make it work,' Wilmore said, adding he'd go back up 'in a heartbeat.' — ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
AI and satellites help aid workers respond to Myanmar earthquake damage
Just after sunrise on Saturday, a satellite set its long-range camera on the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, not far from the epicenter of Friday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake that devastated the Southeast Asian county's second-largest city. The mission was to capture images that, combined with artificial intelligence technology, could help relief organizations quickly assess how many buildings had collapsed or were heavily damaged and where helpers most needed to go. At first, the high-tech computer vision approach wasn't working. 'The biggest challenge in this particular case was the clouds,' said Microsoft's chief data scientist, Juan Lavista Ferres. 'There's no way to see through clouds with this technology.' The clouds eventually moved and it took a few more hours for another satellite from San Francisco-based Planet Labs to capture the aerial pictures and send them to Microsoft 's philanthropic AI for Good Lab. By then it was already about 11 p.m. Friday at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. A group of Microsoft workers was ready and waiting for the data. The AI for Good lab has done this kind of AI-assisted damage assessment before, tracking the flooding that devastated Libya in 2023 or this year's wildfires in Los Angeles. But rather than rely on a standard AI computer vision model that could run any visual data, they had to build a customized version specific to Mandalay. 'The Earth is too different, the natural disasters are too different and the imagery we get from satellites is just too different to work in every situation,' Lavista Ferres said. For instance, he said, while fires spread in fairly predictable ways, 'an earthquake touches the whole city' and it can be harder to know in the immediate aftermath where help is needed. Once the AI analysis was complete, it showed 515 buildings in Mandalay with 80% to 100% damage and another 1,524 with between 20% and 80% damage. That showed the widespread gravity of the disaster, but, just as important, it helps pinpoint specific locations of damage. 'This is critical information for teams on the ground,' Lavista Ferres said. Microsoft cautioned that it "should serve as a preliminary guide and will require on-the-ground verification for a complete understanding." But in the meantime, the tech company has shared the analysis with aid groups such as the Red Cross.
