Birmingham Biotechnology Hub
*2023 Tech Hubs Designee
Lead Agency: Southern Research Institute
State Served: Alabama
Applicant-Defined Region: Birmingham–Hoover MSA; (Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby counties); with statewide partnerships
Core Technology Area: equitable AI-driven biotechnology
Contact: Dr. Josh Carpenter (jcarpenter@southernresearch.org)
The Birmingham Biotechnology Hub, led by Southern Research Institute, aims to become a global leader in drug, vaccine, and diagnostics development by applying Artificial Intelligence-driven biotechnology to increase representation in clinical genomic data and clinical trials. This Tech Hub will leverage the region’s existing assets—– including the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s world-leading data bank from patients of racially diverse populations—to increase representation in clinical genomic data and clinical trials and accelerate drug discovery and development. By applying the power of AI trained with inclusive patient data, the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub seeks to shorten the drug development pipeline and deliver affordable drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics that treat a diverse global patient population.
Designee Narrative (PDF)