How quantum science is moving from lab to hospital

The University of Chicago has created the Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine. Greg Engel, a professor at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Chemistry Department, and Julian Solway, professor emeritus of medicine at UChicago, are co-directors. The center was formed last year after receiving a 21 million dollar donation from philanthropist Thea Berggren. The center will train medical students to work with quantum systems. It will focus initially on MD and PhD students interested in quantum science. These students will develop new devices, diagnostics and therapeutics in collaboration with quantum scientists. Engel said the center wants quantum healthcare to be patient friendly like MRI machines that detect tumors early without patients needing to understand nuclear spins. Solway noted the challenge of combining basic science with clinical insights and said the center facilitates collaboration by training experts in both areas. The goal is to produce translators who move ideas between the hospital and the quantum lab. Solway highlighted the potential to visualize oxygen throughout the body using quantum sensors to aid physicians treating lung, cardiovascular, metabolic and cancer conditions involving hypoxia. Engel said the technology will let researchers see new aspects of cell behavior and disease. The center represents an effort to move quantum science applications from the laboratory into medical settings.