Mountain View, CA– We know how much air pressure is in our tires. We are informed well before the gasoline in our car runs out. We can even request products to be automatically shipped to our households with the touch of a button when they start to run low. So why is it that we aren’t taking these sorts of preventative measures for our own health and well-being? Why is healthcare a reactive measure that we take when things start to crumble beneath us and not something we feel prepared for? These are questions that Google Life Sciences has been exploring since its inception. And with their latest rebranding effort under parent company Alphabet, Verily will seek to uncover critical insights into the massive question of how we can intelligently blend science, data and health.
Amongst the projects that we know of that Verily is already undertaking include:
a glucose-sensing contact lens in partnership with Novartis subsidiary Alcon
a multiple sclerosis research project with Biogen
a “cancer sensing pill” powered by nanoparticles
a smart eating utensil for people with Parkinson’s disease (Lift Labs)
Verily isn’t joining this mission alone. They will be joining a fleet of other companies that are embarking on this growing effort to use big data in order to understand complex diseases. If they are successful, expect to continue to see healthcare innovations that help patients receive more preventative and less reactive solutions.
About the Author:
As Managing Director of Innovation and Insights for Syneos Health Communications, Leigh is responsible for building and scaling a global team of healthcare experts who together help life science leaders better understand the complex lives, influences and expectations of their customers. Specifically, they uncover actionable insights that fuel empathy and creativity; lead co-creation events that let marketers learn from peers, trends, and new possibilities; and help clients identify the most valuable and useful new customer experiences to create.
Leigh has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to craft their digital, mobile, social and CRM strategies for nearly 20 years.She’s worked for category-leading agencies in retail, public affairs, B2B technology, and higher education. Prior to moving to Syneos Health Communications, she held several leadership roles at our largest agency, GSW. There, she founded an innovation practice fueled by the zeitgeist and spearheaded digital and innovation thinking across the business.
Leigh has taken a special interest in complex healthcare products that can change lives in meaningful ways. She was recently a strategic lead on the 3rd largest launch in pharmaceutical history: Tecfidera. Before that she had keys roles with Eli Lilly Oncology, Abbott Nutrition, Amgen Cardiovascular, and Eli Lilly Diabetes.
A critical part of Leigh’s work is trends and new ideas. Every year, she convenes a group of trend watchers from across our global network to identify the shifts most critical to healthcare marketers. This year, she led over 250 experts to experts to focus on the most important changes in the commercial, consumer, marketing, digital and healthcare landscapes. (See reports at trends.health)
Leigh is a sought-after writer and speaker. Recognized as one of the most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVoice and Top 10 Innovation Catalysts of 2017 by MM&M, Leigh also was recognized as a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) for her overt passion, industry thought leadership and significant contributions in new business, strategy and mentoring.
