EverythingALS and Compass UOL partner to advance artificial intelligence and computational biology by training and supporting 2,000 Top Talent to Cure ALS at AWS re:Invent 2024

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Dec 04, 2024, 15:25 ET

AI Powers the Fight Against ALS

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --A partnership between Compass UOL, an AI transformation services company, and non-profit EverythingALS is using artificial intelligence to address Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), one of the most intractable puzzles in medicine.

EverythingALS and Compass UOL will officially launch their partnership on December 4 at 4:00 PM PT at the annual AWS re:Invent conference in this city, at the AWS for Healthcare and Life Sciences booth within the AWS for Industries Pavilion.

The initiative aims to accelerate breakthroughs in ALS care and research by training and supporting 2,000 computational biologists and AI engineers dedicated to understanding and combating ALS and related neurodegenerative diseases as part of Vision 2030 program of EverythingALS.

EverythingALS, a patient-focused non-profit set up by The Peter Cohen Foundation, is driving innovation in ALS research by combining biotechnology with data science, working closely with Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Bristol Myers Squibb, and MT Pharma, among others.

"The time is now," said Indu Navar, whose foundation honors the memory of Peter Cohen, her late husband and an Amazon.com veteran and senior founding team member of AWS. Cohen held multiple leadership roles during his tenure at Amazon before losing his life to ALS in 2019. "AI and computational power are unlocking mysteries of the brain that were once inaccessible," Navar said.

Navar, a tech entrepreneur herself and Peter Cohen's wife, founded EverythingALS to fulfill her husband's vision of applying technological innovation to cure ALS. Navar has made it her mission to save millions of lives from brain diseases.

"This partnership allows us to honor Peter's legacy by harnessing data and technology to better understand ALS and ultimately save lives," she said.

Compass UOL contributes its AI transformation experience and the work of a team of over 6,000 experts in AI, data and digital platforms at the AI Revolution Company, its parent organization.

"We are racing to train the next generation of experts in computational biology to tackle diseases such as ALS and related brain diseases," said Dao Jensen, President of Compass UOL's AWS Business Unit in the U.S.

Last year, Compass UOL announced a training initiative with AWS support to help 15,000 computer science students in universities worldwide learn to program cloud platforms using generative AI tools.

ALS is a nervous system disease that affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat, and breathe. There is still no cure for this fatal disease, made more widely known by baseball legend Lou Gehrig. "I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for," said Gehrig in closing his speech. He might have well said it for the Compass UOL and EverythingALS alliance, which 85 years and a several technological and scientific breakthroughs later, is racing for a cure in the same unbreakable spirit.

About Compass UOL

Compass UOL is a global company that is part of the AI Revolution Company, which drives the transformation of organizations through Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, and Digital Technologies. We design and build digital native platforms using cutting-edge technologies to help companies innovate, transform businesses, and drive success in their markets. With a focus on attracting and developing the best talent, we create opportunities that improve lives and highlight the positive impact of disruptive technologies on society.

About EverythingALS

Since 2020, EverythingALS has been dedicated to advancing research, fostering innovation, and offering support for individuals and families affected by ALS. EverythingALS is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that operates under the Peter Cohen Foundation. EverythingALS has established a well-connected ALS community network comprising 7,000 subscribers, 1,400 research participants, and over 300,000 visitors to its YouTube channel from 50 countries. Furthermore, EverythingALS collaborates with a consortium of pharmaceutical companies, sharing research findings and insights through its unique citizen-driven research with an open innovation model. With a strong emphasis on collaboration and data-driven approaches, EverythingALS is committed to accelerating the development of curative therapies for ALS, aiming for a world free from the burdens of ALS. http://www.everythingals.org and http://v2030.org

SOURCE Compass UOL