Zika Hackathon in Boston - apply *today*!

[Patrik D'haeseleer]

Anyone interested in attending a very last-minute Zika medical technologies hackathon in Boston next weekend, April 2-3. 

http://www.mghcgh.org/camtech/zika-hack-a-thon/

Catch is you need to APPLY TODAY.

This seems somewhat similar to the Ebola workshop that Ellen Jorgensen and I participated in last year, except that one was driven by the NIH and White House. This one will likely have less impact. Still, might be an interesting experience...

If you come with some solid ideas around the Challenges they post on their website, that will likely help:

Zika Innovation Hack-a-thon Challenges

These clinical challenges were sourced from our network of healthcare experts specializing in infectious disease control around the world. Participants are welcome to work beyond what is listed below!

 

CHALLENGE	DESCRIPTION
Theme -The Mosquito	For decades, killing disease-transmitting mosquitos and their eggs by use of chemicals has been the main mechanism for prevention of vector-borne illnesses such as Malaria, Dengue and now Zika. This can be expensive, time consuming, and complicated. Current attempts to curtail Zika and other vector-borne illnesses focus on genetically modified mosquitos, but this has not yet proved to be an effective intervention. What are other innovative, easily accessible, timely, and affordable methods to disrupt the life cycle of the mosquito and protect people? What are new ways to approach vector control?
Theme - The Person	There is a need for safer, more effective personal protective gear that can guard against vector-borne diseases, especially in the home and workplace. How can we think beyond chemically treated skin, clothing, and bednets? What are some alternative ways to alter living environments and workspaces so that people are less susceptible to exposure, vector bites, and disease transmission? How can we recognize exposure and diagnose the disease more quickly and efficiently?
Theme - The Clinic	Diagnosing the Zika virus is complex, because often the symptoms overlap with other vector-borne diseases like Dengue and Chikungunya. Healthcare providers and lab researchers are still trying to understand how to correctly identify, treat and communicate with patients about Zika. How can we improve the patient experience and support healthcare workers with better innovations to treat Zika?
Theme - The Community	The public health response is an integral part of dealing with vector-borne illnesses and affected populations. A key aspect to a rapid and effective response involves developing novel approaches to diagnose and track outbreaks, as well as collecting and reporting data in real time. We need faster and more efficient ways of communicating risks, which includes utilizing mobile technology and social messaging to aid in the public health response. How do we bend the bio-surveillance curve to our advantage?
Theme - The Future	The frequency of infectious disease outbreaks continues to increase. Climate change and rapid and chaotic urbanization have elevated our risk of contracting vector-borne illnesses. Rapidly responding to such threats - in part through open-innovation in which collective thought across disciplines is championed - will be increasingly important to mitigate risks, improve health, and save lives. How might we course-correct, predict future outbreaks, and improve our response to future threats?