New health data science partnership to improve patient care

AstraZeneca teams up with UK university network the Health eResearch Centre in public-private powerhouse.

The partnership will advance health informatics across the UK by opening up opportunities for knowledge transfer between the global pharmaceutical company and HeRC’s academic network across the UK: The Farr Institute.

It has been announced today that Dr Jim Weatherall, Head of AstraZeneca’s Advanced Analytics Centre in Global Medicines Development, is to join Prof Iain Buchan’s world-leading team of health data scientists as a visiting researcher at the Health eResearch Centre.

The main aim of the collaboration is to improve patient care through data-driven medication optimisation. The advanced analytics involved are also expected to improve wider healthcare by giving new insights into patterns of disease hidden in big data.

By combining Dr Weatherall’s experience with analysis of medication data from around the world with the HeRC team’s innovations in wider health data science, it is hoped that more personalised and effective treatments can be developed for patients.

Dr Weatherall, who has over ten years’ experience in health informatics and development said: “I’m really looking forward to harnessing the potential of techniques such as endotype discovery modelling, so that we can gain deeper insight into conditions such as asthma, diabetes and psoriasis, enabling us to tailor treatments for these diseases.”

Having developed text analysis software that improves patient safety, and visual analytics methods that make clinical trials more efficient, Dr Weatherall’s work at AstraZeneca is at the forefront of digital health technologies. He will share this expertise via his involvement in specific HeRC research projects, as well as his input into The Farr Institute’s nationwide education and training programme which will help to upskill NHS Informaticians as well as create a pipeline of talent for the UK’s emerging health data science sector.

Prof Iain Buchan, Clinical Professor in Public Health Informatics at the University of Manchester and Director of the Health eResearch Centre and The Farr Institute added: “No university, healthcare organisation or company alone, can use the mounting data about health at the scale needed properly to improve care for patients and communities. The public’s health deserves transparent, multi-sector partnerships of the best people from different organisations working together in trusted environments. So we are delighted to welcome Jim and AstraZeneca into the open-innovation network of the Farr Institute at Manchester to work with us on advanced analytics connecting medicines better with the needs of patients.”

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