Vivli is pleased to announce the awardees of the 2024 AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance) Surveillance Data Challenge. The Data Challenge aims to stimulate and support the innovative re-use of surveillance data available in the AMR Register.
The AMR Data Challenge, funded by GARDP, Paratek, Pfizer and Vivli, was launched in June 2024, as a catalyst for innovation and support for the inventive reutilization of the wealth of surveillance data available within the AMR Register.
Data challenge judge Seamus O’Brien, Director of Research & Development at Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP) which helped to fund the challenge, said, “The Data Challenge demonstrates the value of open access to AMR surveillance data through the creativity of the applicants in applying this data to innovative AMR solutions.”
A total of 56 teams with members from 27 different countries participated in the AMR Data Challenge. This event served as a unique platform for multidisciplinary teams to leverage high-quality industry AMR surveillance data, proposing groundbreaking advancements and tools for use in AMR surveillance. The Challenge culminated in the recognition of six outstanding winners, selected by a distinguished judging panel.
The Grand Prize was awarded to a team from University of Oxford, UK, – Kasim Allel, David Smith, Koen Pouwels, Nam Nguyen, and Sam Lipworth. The team used the Pfizer ATLAS dataset to develop a flexible spatiotemporal modelling framework to predict AMR dynamics from routine surveillance data, and to identify key change points in epidemiological trends.
Dr Kasim Allel, researcher at the University of Oxford’s Health Economics Research Centre, said, “Participating in this prestigious data challenge has been a profoundly rewarding experience for our team, and winning it has further strengthened our commitment to using data to drive impactful health solutions. We are particularly grateful to Vivli for creating such an accessible and supportive platform. This experience underscores the critical importance of early detection of changes in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends and the development of early warning systems that empower communities, including those with limited resources, to address AMR challenges more proactively.”
The Student Innovation award winners were a team from Northeastern University, USA – Harry Akligoh, Charlie Huh and Thomas Lim with Alexander Kwakye from Stony Brook University, USA. The team used the Pfizer ATLAS dataset to develop microBIS, a laboratory assistant in the form of an interactive web app for bacterial identification, AMR prediction and data management. Without the need for expensive equipment, the platform empowers healthcare providers to deliver high-quality care regardless of their resource constraints.
“The Vivli AMR Surveillance Data Challenge has been an exciting opportunity and a crucial milestone in our innovation journey,” said Akligoh. “With our diverse backgrounds in medical laboratory science, bioengineering, population genetics, and data science, through hard work and perseverance, we managed to create a novel web-based laboratory assistant with immense potential to drive meaningful progress in AMR diagnosis, research and development, of which we are immensely proud!”
Other notable awardees and their project titles include:
- Impact Award Winner: team from Chuka County Referral Hospital and Narok County Government, Kenya, led by Rachael Kanguha
Project title: “Using AI to Incorporate Dynamic Antibiograms and Research into Electronic Medical Records for antibiotic decision support”
- Impact Award Winner: team from Institut Pasteur, France, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and City St. George’s University of London, UK, led by Quentin Leclerc
Project title: “Rethinking AMR sampling: can non-sterile samples predict resistance in blood/sterile samples at a country level?”
- Innovation Award: team from Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), India, led by Tavpritesh Sethi
Project title: “AMROrbit Scorecard: A Dynamic Phase Space Model for Strategic Monitoring and Actionable Insights on Global AMR Trajectories”
- Innovation Award Winner: team from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, led by Naomi Waterlow
Project title: “Unveiling the Sex-Specific Impact on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): A Bayesian Hierarchical Model Approach Using Vivli Data”
- An Honorable Mention for Impact goes to the team from University of Ibadan, Nigeria, led by Christian Tochukwu Agboeze
Project title: “Predictive Analytics and Genotypic Evaluation for AMR in Africa (PANGEA)”
Data contributed by GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Paratek, Pfizer, Shionogi, and Venatorx was made accessible through the AMR Register, significantly enhancing the impact of the Challenge.
“The Vivli AMR surveillance Open Re-use Challenge has gone from strength to strength in its second iteration,” said Prof. Marc Mendelson, Chair of the Vivli AMR Scientific Advisory Board, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases & HIV Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town. “Solutions were largely driven by innovation in the use of AI, machine learning, prediction models and innovative modelling methodology to bring impactful change to the way we use surveillance data. Congratulations to all the teams who entered. The standard was extremely high across the board and we all look forward to following the winners’ progress.”
For more details and to view the winning teams’ solutions, please visit https://amr.vivli.org/data-challenge/finalist-and-award-winning-solutions.
Contact: Catherine D’Arcy, Rebecca Li
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About Vivli
Vivli is a non-profit organization working to advance human health through the insights and discoveries gained by sharing and analyzing data. Data sharing initiatives include the AMR Register for AMR surveillance data and the Vivli Platform for clinical trial data. Vivli acts as a neutral broker between data contributor and data user and the wider data sharing community. For more information, visit www.vivli.org and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @VivliCenter.