NEWARK, N.J., Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WebMD today announced the recipients of the 2024 WebMD Health Hero Awards, recognizing individuals who are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform healthcare. This year's theme, "AI in Medicine" highlights how AI is being used to address critical health challenges, offering innovative solutions for diagnosing, treating, and preventing serious conditions.

The 2024 WebMD Health Hero Award recipients exemplify how AI is reshaping the future of medicine, offering hope and saving lives in ways previously unimaginable. They are:

• David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc – Finding Existing Drugs to Treat Rare Diseases With AI
  A physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and co-founder of EveryCure.org, Fajgenbaum used AI to identify an existing kidney transplant drug that treated his own rare condition, saving his life. His groundbreaking AI-driven research has also identified 16 other treatments for diseases that these drugs weren't originally intended for. His personal journey, research, and discoveries have been widely published in scientific journals, as well as in his best-selling book.
• Suchi Saria, PhD – New AI Tool to Help Prevent Sepsis Deaths in Hospitals
  Saria, the founding research director at the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare at Johns Hopkins, developed an AI tool that has reduced the risk of sepsis-related deaths in hospitals by 20 percent. After losing her nephew to sepsis, Saria committed to creating this life-saving technology, which can detect sepsis nearly 6 hours earlier than traditional methods. Her work is already saving lives in hospitals across the country.
• Regina Barzilay, PhD – MIRAI: Predicting Breast Cancer Risk Years in Advance
  Barzilay, a Distinguished Professor at MIT, developed MIRAI, an AI tool that predicts breast cancer risk years before the disease appears on mammograms. MIRAI analyzes mammograms to assess future risk, especially in aggressive cancers that affect younger women. Validated on data from over 200,000 exams, MIRAI has proven more accurate than previous methods in predicting cancer risk across diverse groups. Prospective trials are underway to showcase its potential benefits in tailored screenings.

"Artificial Intelligence is reshaping healthcare in profound ways, saving lives and improving patient outcomes," said Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer of WebMD. "This year's Health Heroes are leading the way in AI innovation, and we are honored to recognize their achievements."

To learn more about the inspiring work of this year's honorees, visit:

About the WebMD Health Hero Awards
Now in its 17th year, the WebMD Health Hero Awards honor individuals and organizations making a lasting impact on health and wellness. WebMD celebrates those advancing healthcare through innovation, leadership, and courage. The recipients are chosen by WebMD's editorial team, which includes board-certified healthcare professionals and award-winning journalists.

Join Tonight's Medscape Masters Event: Revolutionizing Healthcare with AI
As part of the WebMD Health Hero Awards celebration, healthcare professionals are invited to attend tonight's Medscape Masters event: Revolutionizing Healthcare: AI-Driven Solutions. This session will feature WebMD Health Hero honoree, Dr. Fajgenbaum, who will discuss his pioneering work in using AI to repurpose existing drugs for rare diseases, as well as his broader insights into the evolving role of AI in clinical practice. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on how AI is transforming treatment approaches. To register, click here. Medscape is a subsidiary of WebMD Health Corp.

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