JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

The Open Science movement enhances collaboration and transparency in biomedical research, enabling faster medical discoveries through open-source data and tools. It was crucial during COVID-19, aiding vaccine development, and is vital for rare diseases and precision medicine. Initiatives like the White House's 'Year of Open Science' aim to expand access to federally funded research, fostering a more inclusive research environment.

Digital pathology accelerates precision medicine by automating slide analysis, reducing human error, and enabling remote access. Five startups—Clarapath, Ibex Medical Analytics, Paige, PathAI, and Proscia—are leading this transformation, leveraging AI to enhance cancer diagnostics and treatment development. The global digital pathology market is projected to grow from $1.15 billion in 2024 to $3.86 billion in 2032.

At the 2024 ECTRIMS Congress, clinicians discussed revised McDonald criteria for MS diagnosis, emphasizing early detection via MRI and biomarkers, and the inclusion of the optic nerve as a diagnostic factor.

Pulse oximeters, crucial for monitoring blood oxygen levels, are three times more likely to miss dangerously low levels in Black patients than in white ones, highlighting institutional racism in healthcare. The FDA has been urged to address this racial bias, which has led to delays in treatment and worse health outcomes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite industry pushback, the FDA plans to recommend more diverse testing for new oximeters, including a significant number of dark-skinned individuals, to improve accuracy and reliability.

Stanford Medicine researchers received ARPA-H contracts for precision cancer care, surgical innovation, and large language model-driven patient communication. Katherine Ferrara leads a $35 million project on precision radiopharmaceutical imaging and therapy, focusing on ovarian and head and neck cancers. Lisa Knowlton co-leads a $22.3 million effort to improve intraoperative anatomy visualization. Roxana Daneshjou and Akshay Chaudhari are awarded $4.8 million to develop AI-driven medical chatbots for patient assistance.

J. Grant Brewen Jr., 84, of Peoria, Illinois, died on September 30, 2024. Born in 1939 in Easton, Pennsylvania, he excelled in athletics and academics, obtaining degrees from Johns Hopkins University and working in radiation biology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He later became President and CEO of the Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation, influencing agricultural biotechnology. Married to Bobbie Scandlyn Brewen for 54 years, he was also a passionate fisherman, hunter, and Bridge player.

The RAVENS study found no delay in disease progression with the addition of radium-223 (Ra223) to stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for bone-metastatic oligometastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, contrary to the hypothesis. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.8 months in the SABR arm vs 10.5 months in the SABR/Ra223 arm. Ra223's mechanism of action may be less effective when bone lesions are eradicated by SABR, suggesting potential benefits in higher volume disease.

RAVENS phase 2 trial results show no benefit of adding radium-223 to stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for oligometastatic prostate cancer, with similar progression-free survival rates. The study highlights the need for biomarker research in this field.

The Katz School of Science and Health has added new faculty experts in AI, biotech, computer science, and digital marketing, enhancing its leadership in STEM education and research.

A workshop on disability trends among U.S. working-age populations (25-64) will be held Oct 15-16, 2024, focusing on measurement, social/economic factors, and COVID-19 implications. It aims to identify research and data priorities, considering labor force participation and public programs, and will discuss interventions and social safety net policies.