Saudi Team Claims Top Prize at Harvard Health Hackathon for Innovative Cancer Navigation Platform

Washington, April 28, 2024, SPA -- A Saudi medical team has triumphed at the Harvard Health Systems Innovation Lab Hackathon, securing first place in the cancer track for their project “iCancer Navigator”.
Held earlier this month, the hackathon challenged participants to develop solutions using digital health and artificial intelligence to benefit three key healthcare areas: cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health.
The winning team consists of Critical Care Nursing Acting Director at King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam Eman AlAskandrani, Digital Transformation Executive at Misk Foundation Haytham AlQuait, and researcher at Harvard Dr. Juan Luis Santana Guerrero.
AlAskandrani told a Saudi Press Agency reporter that her team designed a practical platform that aids cancer diagnosis by flagging high-risk patients using sophisticated algorithms. It offers a personalized care pathway and interactive features through a user-friendly interface, integrates AI for data analysis and processing, and provides automated reminders to help patients make their healthcare decisions.
According to AlAskandrani, iCancer Navigator tackles some of most pressing challenges in healthcare: shortage of qualified nurses, delays in cancer diagnosis, extended cancer screening wait times, and the need for a more patient-centered approach.
-- SPA