The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced Monday that it will be awarding more than $5 million toward the development and advancement of imaging technologies worldwide.
The Expanding Global Access to Bioimaging projects reach across 16 countries. Researchers in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as former Soviet countries will all receive a portion of the funds dedicated to imaging research and expanding technology access where it may have previously not been available. The recipients include software engineers, imaging scientists and biomedical researchers.
“Expanding imaging capacity for biomedical researchers requires advancing imaging software and hardware, expanding access to shared tools and resources, and building capacity for imaging scientists and organizations to advance research in their home countries,” said CZI Imaging Program Officer Stephani Otte.
Of the total funds, $1 million will go towards 41 plug-in projects for the imaging analysis tool, known as napari. Napari is a program designed to help browse, annotate and analyze large, multi-dimensional images in an open-access community of physicians, biologists and scientists. The funds will make the plugins more widely accessible and create what CZI hopes will be a collaborative environment.
“These grantees will connect researchers across their respective regions to conduct training, expand access to imaging facilities and technologies, and foster best practices, with positive impacts that will reach well beyond their regions,” said CZI Imaging Community Program Lead Vladimir Ghukasyan.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was established in 2015 by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. CZI has funded more than $2.9 billion in projects dedicated to the advancement of science and technology since its inception.
You can read the full statement here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.