HackUTD

Ernest Kestone (left), patient safety workshop facilitator and judge, pictured with the winning patient safety team, Curis.

HackUTD, the largest university hackathon in Texas, was held at the University of Texas at Dallas on November 4-5, 2023. Team members from Curis took home $1,000 as the winner of Patient Safety Technology track, sponsored by the Patient Safety Technology Challenge with funding from the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative.

Curis is a project focused on keeping oncologists updated on the optimal course of action for their patients. The team aims to improve upon the standard process for clinical trial matching. The AI-powered tool can identify pertinent medical trials tailored to the individual patient's needs based on matching algorithms created by the team.  Curis team members include: Ahad Jawaid, Arnav Jain, Daniel George, and Joe Cowles.

According to team members, the model successfully classifies cancer and determines treatment through the implementation of three separate AI models for aiding oncologists in diagnostics and treatment of cancer. The team’s solution has the promise of enhanced diagnosis – reducing the risk of wrong or delayed diagnosis – which can be the difference between life and death for cancer patients.

Bhuvana Madiraju, HackUTD’s industry coordinator, shared a favorite part of the organizing the event was the setting up the workshops and, in turn, gaining a deeper understanding of the industry.

The Patient Safety Technology Challenge invited Ernest Kestone, CEO and co-founder of Clear Protocol Inc., a patient safety focused SaaS platform, to host the patient safety workshop and judge the patient safety tech track. The workshop was a great opportunity for students to learn more about patient safety and hear from an industry expert.