Highlights from Our AI x Rare Disease Event at UC Berkeley
On April 19th, in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Blum Center for Developing Economies, March was proud to host our “Transforming Care for Rare Diseases Through AI” event at UC Berkeley. The day brought together a passionate and diverse community of students, researchers, healthcare experts, patients, and advocates, all united by a shared goal: to explore how generative AI can provide meaningful solutions to the challenges of rare diseases.
Innovation Challenge: Exploring Solutions
The heart of the day was a collaborative innovation challenge. Teams partnered with mentors from both academia and industry. Together, they employed a design thinking approach to create innovative concepts for real-world issues that rare disease patients face. These ranged from faster diagnoses to stronger patient support networks.
The Panel Discussion: Exploring AI & Rare Disease with a Human Touch
A key highlight was our expert panel discussion. The panelists’ diverse backgrounds in AI, bioengineering, patient advocacy, and personal experience fostered a rich, multifaceted discussion. Together, we explored the incredible potential of new technologies while consistently grounding the discussion in a human-first approach built on ethics, trust, and genuine patient collaboration.
Our Panelists:
● JC Muyl: Digital health executive with 30+ years in health tech startups, focusing on digital health/AI for rare diseases (co-founded MyRareData and MentalHealthForRare).
● Daniel Fletcher: UC Berkeley Bioengineering professor and Vice Chair, researching cell mechanics and microscopy; Director of the Blum Center for Developing Economies.
● Sadaf Ashtari: Associate Professor at Sacramento State and Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley SPH, researching healthcare IT, patient experience, and rare disease online support.
● Natalia Vassilieva: VP and Field CTO, ML at Cerebras Systems, with decades of R&D experience in AI/ML, previously at Hewlett-Packard Labs.
● Dr. Laurel Crosby: Director of Innovation at Stanford Genome Technology Center, researching technologies to improve diagnostic accuracy for rare diseases and fatigue disorders.
● David Apple: Founder of Shark Tooth (biotech for CMT1A), 3x founder with experience at Notion/Typeform, focused on rare disease treatment development.
Meet our winning teams
The Community Empowerment Award
Recipient Team: BORN
We know that navigating daily life with a rare condition involves immense mental and organizational effort. Team BORN addressed this challenge head-on with a concept designed to build stronger peer support and human connection. Their AI-powered assistant is designed to lighten the cognitive load, creating more space for what truly matters: connection, rest, and mutual support.
The Pathway Navigator Award
Recipient Team: Claim Clear
The path to getting care shouldn’t be blocked by confusing paperwork and insurance hurdles. Team Claim Clear presented a powerful solution to streamline this often-frustrating process. Their AI tool is designed to translate complex doctors’ notes into clear, insurance-ready claims. By simplifying this barrier, Claim Clear aims to speed up reimbursements and reduce the administrative burden on patients and their families, making it easier to access the care they need.
The Catalyst for Hope Award
Recipient Team: Clint
Finding and understanding clinical trials can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, yet they represent a vital pathway to new treatments. Team Clint envisioned a way to make this search simpler and more accessible. Their AI-driven concept helps patients and their doctors find suitable clinical trials more efficiently. By breaking down barriers to research participation, Clint helps connect people with cutting-edge opportunities, accelerating the discovery of new treatments for everyone.
