UMass Chan and Red Cell Partners collaborate to accelerate safe, effective AI in health care

UMass Chan Partners with Red Cell Partners to Test AI Health Care Solutions

The Health AI Assurance Laboratory at UMass Chan Medical School has joined forces with Red Cell Partners, an incubator and investment firm, to evaluate and certify AI products focused on health care innovation and regulatory compliance. This collaboration spans two years and positions UMass Chan as a key member of Red Cell’s Partners Advancing Critical Technologies program.

Through this partnership, UMass Chan will assess select AI health care products from Red Cell’s portfolio, using real-world clinical data to determine their safety and effectiveness in practical settings.

Collaboration Highlights

• Two-year agreement between UMass Chan and Red Cell Partners, which specializes in building technology-led startups across health care, national security, and cybersecurity.
• UMass Chan will rigorously test and certify AI health care tools from Red Cell’s curated portfolio.
• UMass Chan becomes an established member of Red Cell’s Partners Advancing Critical Technologies program.

Adrian Zai, MD, PhD, MPH, associate professor at UMass Chan and co-leader of the Health AI Assurance Laboratory, emphasized the goal: “This collaboration enables a rapid yet rigorous pathway to develop, test and evaluate AI tools using real-world clinical data. Our shared goal is to quickly identify which AI tools are safe, effective and ready for real-world health care challenges, and which are not.”

Zai also noted the partnership’s focus on creating a steady influx of AI startups, developing assurance guidelines for AI deployment in patient care, and refining a business model to support and accelerate the entry of AI companies into the health care market.

Operational Details

Red Cell will supply selected AI health care products for rapid-cycle evaluation at cost. UMass Chan will facilitate data access through its Center for Clinical and Translational Science’s Research Informatics Core and will receive fee-based reimbursement for these services.

David McManus, MD, chair of medicine and founder of the Health AI Assurance Laboratory, highlighted UMass Chan’s strengths: “We have developed great talent, technical infrastructure, a national network, and intramural governance to contribute meaningfully to industry partners like Red Cell.”

Timothy Ferris, MD, MPH, president of Red Cell’s Healthcare Practice division, praised the partnership’s potential. With prior leadership roles in the NHS England and Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Ferris said, “We're refining and making the technology that clinicians and hospital systems want. UMass Chan doesn’t just talk the talk of serving the underserved. They do it day in and day out. Those are the types of people that we want to partner with.”

Ferris pointed to UMass Chan’s mission-driven faculty and innovative approach as key reasons for the collaboration. Nate Hafer, PhD, associate professor and a key member of the Assurance Lab leadership, added, “This partnership expands the pipeline of AI companies and innovators who will be able to work with our outstanding students, faculty and resources.”

Next Steps

The collaboration was formalized with a memorandum of understanding signed in March. Red Cell Partners operates out of McLean, Virginia.

Health professionals interested in developing skills to work with AI in health care may find relevant training and certification resources at Complete AI Training.