“Our black bodies are the prototype on which genealogical advancements were cultivated. Our genetics wove the original tapestry of weft threads that is now modern obstetrics and genealogy. Our bodies were sacrificed on the altar of scientific development; our minds contributed to their advancement.”
Dementia activist Rianna Patterson has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund her master’s degree in the degenerative disease at University College London. The 25-year-old founded the Dominica Dementia Foundation in memory of her grandfather, who died of dementia in Dominica when she was 16. She hopes to use her degree to continue providing a lifeline to people living with the disease and to work for an organisation focused on making dementia a health priority in Dominica. Patterson needs £24,100 for living expenses while living in London, on top of the £14,100 tuition fee.
Doctors in Hungary are testing the effectiveness of AI software for spotting cancer, including breast cancer. Early results show that AI systems are at least as capable as radiologists at detecting cancer, and Hungary has become one of the largest testing grounds for the technology on real patients. Clinics and hospitals in the US, UK, and EU are also beginning to test or provide data to help develop the systems. However, there are still many obstacles to overcome before the technology can be more widely adopted. Additional clinical trials are needed to show the tool can produce accurate results on women of all ages, ethnicities, and body types, and can cut down on false positives that are not cancerous. The technology has also sparked a debate over whether it will replace human radiologists, with makers of the technology facing regulatory scrutiny and resistance from some doctors and health institutions. However, many experts believe that the technology will only be effective if it is used in partnership with trained doctors.
