From Friday, February 28, to Saturday, March 1, FAU hosted a groundbreaking data engineering hackathon focused on precision medicine. The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is at the forefront of this transformation, fostering world-class faculty and talented students who are tackling emerging challenges in the field.
Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science is internationally recognized for cutting edge research and education in the areas of Computer Science and Artificial intelligence (AI), Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Ocean Engineering. The College is dedicated to driving innovation and excellence in education, research, and industry collaboration. With a strong focus on emerging technologies, the college prepares students to tackle real-world challenges and shape the future of engineering, computer science, and healthcare.
Research conducted by our faculty and their teams expose our students to technology innovations that push the current state of the art of the disciplines. The College research efforts are supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Education (DOEd), the State of Florida, and Industry.
The FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science offers 34 degree programs at the Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. level with a modern twist that bear specializations in areas of national priority such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, internet of things, transportation and supply chain management, and data science. New degree programs include Masters of Science in AI (first in FL), Bachelors and Masters of Science in Data Science and Analytics, Ph.D. in Transportation and Environmental Engineering and the new Professional Masters of Science and Ph.D. in Computer Science for working professionals.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science are poised to revolutionize healthcare and medicine, driving innovations in precision medicine. The event utilized the All of Us dataset—a rich and diverse repository of patient genetic, lifestyle, and health records—as a testbed for innovation. Students were invited to address critical challenges in precision medicine, leveraging AI and data science to develop solutions that promote individualized healthcare.
A highlight of the event was a special keynote address from Chris Lunt, Chief Technology Officer of the All of Us Research Program, who inspired participants with insights into the platform’s future and the vast opportunities in precision medicine.
Throughout the hackathon, participants explored data, trained AI models, and designed cutting-edge tools and interfaces aimed at advancing precision medicine. Key challenges included addressing sample heterogeneity, mitigating data biases and imbalances, and ensuring fairness in predictive models. Teams developed software prototypes and presented preliminary findings based on their research and stakeholder interviews.
The event was made possible through the generous support of industry partners, including ModMed, Memorial Healthcare System, Aventusoft, and Battery Ventures. A total of 13 teams comprising 55 students competed for top honors, showcasing their innovative approaches to improving healthcare outcomes. In preparation for the hackathon, students participated in specialized skill-development workshops where they gained foundational knowledge of precision medicine, learned best practices for leveraging the All of Us platform, and received guidance from Howard Anderson, an acclaimed entrepreneur and educator.
At the conclusion of the hackathon, three outstanding teams were awarded prizes totaling $10,000 for their innovative contributions to precision medicine.
The winning teams were:
FIRST PLACE TEAM:
- Team Name: MEDAI
- Project: Multi-agent AI for Multi-modal Biomarker Based Disease Risk Prediction
- Students: Jaya Kumar Gontine, David Schallipp, Sophie Pharand-Dias, Arvind Shiv Tej Reddy Gongati
SECOND PLACE TEAM:
- Team Name: Ollie AI
- Project: Data-driven Support Tool for Proactive Recurrent Pleural Effusion Risk Assessment
- Students: Wayne Cole, Johnny Forde, Andre WIlliams, and Kimoy Williams
THIRD PLACE TEAM:
- Team Name: Revolutionizing Maternal Health in 3D
- Project: Advanced Posture and Body Monitoring for Safer Pregnancies
- Students: Vivek Ganesh Sonar, Sai Prasad Muppala, Manasa Patil, Jashwanth Dasari