After being diagnosed with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia at age 19, Sky Toyne came to Mayo Clinic for a potentially curative stem cell transplant. Thanks to advances in transplant medicine, a lifesaving donation from her brother, and comprehensive care that addressed both her physical and emotional recovery, Sky overcame leukemia and returned to the life she loves.  

In August 2021, Sky Toyne had just begun her sophomore year of college at a university in Iowa, where she was born and raised. With a love of learning and being active in organizations, she was excitedly thinking about her next semester. Should she run for an executive position in her sorority or study abroad in Australia?  

Soon after the fall semester began, Sky started getting bad headaches. As the weeks went on, she experienced more symptoms — frequent colds, extreme neck aches and fatigue.   

On Oct. 7, Sky woke with intense head and neck pain and a whooshing sound in her ears. Her mom drove her to the student health facility, where initial tests were inconclusive. Bloodwork, however, revealed dangerously low blood counts, and Sky went to the hospital immediately. 

After receiving blood transfusions in the emergency department, Sky was admitted to the oncology floor. A bone marrow biopsy the next morning confirmed leukemia.  

Further testing showed that Sky had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and she had several mutations that put her at high risk of recurrence. To give her the best chance at a cure, she would need a bone marrow, or stem cell transplant.  

"I decided to go to Mayo Clinic since it's the best hospital in the world and a leader in transplant," says Sky.  

She completed induction chemotherapy at the hospital in Iowa and traveled with her parents to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to meet Dr. William Hogan, a transplant hematologist. 

"His expertise was astounding, and we immediately knew I was in good hands," says Sky.  

Hope through innovation 

"Sky's leukemia carried genetic abnormalities that we know place patients at much higher risk of relapse if treated with chemotherapy alone," says Dr. Hogan. "Fortunately, she had responded very well to her initial treatment and achieved a deep remission, which gave us an important opportunity to move toward a potentially curative stem cell transplant." 

Stem cell donor matching depends on inherited immune system genes called human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. People with mixed ancestry, like Sky, often inherit combinations of HLA genes that are less commonly represented in donor registries, which means there may be fewer unrelated volunteers who share that exact genetic combination. 

Because a perfectly matched unrelated donor wasn't readily available, Sky required a haploidentical, or half-matched, bone marrow transplant. Unlike a traditional transplant, a haploidentical transplant uses a donor who shares approximately half of the patient's immune system genes — usually a parent, child or sibling.  

"This has probably been one of the biggest advances in transplantation over the past two decades, allowing nearly every patient to have a potential donor," says Dr. Hogan. 

Sky's brother, Speed, agreed to be her donor.  

"I will admit that I was nervous about the donation procedure, but the decision to be the donor was an easy one," says Speed. "It was simply what needed to be done to give my sister a chance." 

The therapies Sky would receive could permanently affect reproductive function. Her care team worked closely with reproductive endocrinology colleagues so she could undergo egg retrieval before transplant.  

"Our goal is never simply to cure leukemia — it's to help patients return to meaningful, fulfilling lives," says Dr. Hogan. "We needed to consider her long-term quality of life, including her fertility, education, career goals, emotional well-being and the many decades of life that hopefully lie ahead after treatment. Those conversations were just as important as the medical treatment itself." 

On Feb. 25, 2022, Sky received the transplant and celebrated her "rebirthday." As the months progressed, Sky was recovering physically, but she began struggling mentally.  

"Transplant recovery is not just a physical process. That's why psychological support is an essential part of transplant care, not an afterthought," says Dr. Hogan. 

Honoring her past and embracing the future 

"The nurses and physician assistants were amazing. They would give me pep talks," says Sky. "A nurse who also had leukemia when she was younger suggested the idea to hold a ceremony for my past self."  

Sky, who had lost her hair, bought a wig, and the nurse made her a flower crown. With her care team and loved ones in attendance, people wrote and read eulogies, and then she did the same, saying goodbye to her past self. 

"It was so meaningful that my care team did that for me, and it really helped me get over my mental block," says Sky. "What I appreciated most about Mayo Clinic was its holistic approach. They cared for my mental health just as much as my physical health, which helped me have the best possible outcome. I felt seen by every staff member, many of whom became like family." 

On her 100^th day post-transplant, Sky rang a bell to celebrate her semipermanent remission. She's hoping to ring the bell again on her five-year transplant anniversary on Feb. 25, 2027, to signify permanent remission.  

"Transplantation is never something a patient accomplishes alone. It requires extraordinary courage from the patient, incredible support from family and the coordinated efforts of a large multidisciplinary team," says Dr. Hogan. 

Life beyond leukemia 

Sky returned to school full time, served in an executive position in her sorority and was a leader in many other campus organizations. Since she continued her classes part time during treatment, she was able to graduate from college on time in May 2024. 

Now 24, Sky earned a master's degree, ran her first half-marathon in March and enjoys traveling around the country.  

"Because of advances in molecular diagnostics, targeted therapies, donor selection, transplant techniques and supportive care, she has returned to an active, healthy life," says Dr. Hogan. "Seeing someone like Sky thriving years later is deeply rewarding for everyone involved and reminds us why these advances matter." 

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Pioneering initiative will generate data at the frontier of healthcare to help transform early biological signals into new opportunities for prevention, diagnosis and treatment

ROCHESTER, Minn. and WALTHAM, Mass. — Mayo Clinic today announced the launch of Precure, LLC, with founding partner Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, to help transform how the life sciences community understands the biological changes that occur as people move from health toward disease.

Precure, LLC will create one of the world’s leading biomedical datasets through one of the largest human multi-omics data-generation efforts, integrating proteomic, genomic and longitudinal clinical data to help researchers identify early biological signals of disease and provide a foundation for new discoveries in disease biology, diagnostics and therapeutics.

Many diseases begin developing biologically years before symptoms lead to a clinical diagnosis. By connecting molecular and clinical data over time, Precure, LLC has the potential to help researchers better understand these early changes, accelerate drug development and create new opportunities for earlier diagnosis, intervention and more personalized care across a wide range of diseases, such as cancer, cardiometabolic disease, neurological disorders and immune-mediated disease.

Precure, LLC will bring together molecular data generated from one million biospecimens, linked with longitudinal clinical information collected over several years, integrating genomic and proteomic information with Mayo Clinic’s clinical data and expertise in a highly standardized setting. Advanced AI and large-scale data-analytics will be integral to identifying patterns within these complex datasets and translating them into actionable insights. Mayo Clinic will serve as the majority owner of Precure, LLC. Thermo Fisher joins the partnership as a minority owner.

"At Mayo Clinic, we are committed to transforming patient care through innovation," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic. "By harnessing the full potential of multi-omics data, Precure, LLC aims to help us better understand disease before symptoms appear, accelerating discoveries that can lead to earlier diagnoses, more targeted treatments and better outcomes for patients."

Together, the organizations contribute complementary expertise designed to generate the molecular and clinical data needed to accelerate discovery and translate new insights into advancements in patient care:

• Mayo Clinic combines world-class clinical and research leadership with advanced AI and data science capabilities, extensive biospecimens and longitudinal de-identified clinical data to accelerate discovery and translate insights into advances for patients.
• Thermo Fisher brings industry-leading proteomics expertise and solutions, including its cutting-edge proteomics platform, Olink™ Explore HT, and Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry, kits and reagents to help build Precure, LLC’s multi-omics ecosystem.

“Precure LLC has the potential to create a step change in how we generate and apply multi-omics data to improve human health,” said Marc Casper, Chairman and CEO, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “By combining Thermo Fisher’s leadership in scientific technology with Mayo Clinic’s leadership in clinical care, research and innovation, we can create new opportunities at unprecedented scale to detect disease earlier, accelerate drug development and enable more precise therapies.”

Precure, LLC complements Precure Research, Mayo Clinic’s investigator-led scientific effort to understand the biological changes that occur as people move from health toward disease. Precure Research advances the science of identifying and understanding early disease signals, while Precure, LLC provides the scale, infrastructure and collaborations needed to generate population-scale molecular data and help translate discoveries into new diagnostics, therapeutics and other healthcare solutions. Mayo Clinic provides the pathway to validate discoveries and ultimately brings meaningful advances into patient care.

Mayo Clinic's involvement in Precure, LLC is intended to advance its nonprofit mission. Any financial returns to Mayo Clinic would be reinvested in its mission of patient care, research and education.

Visit mayo.edu/research/precure for more information.

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About Precure, LLC
Precure, LLC is a Mayo Clinic-controlled company established to generate and responsibly integrate population-scale molecular data with longitudinal clinical information. Precure, LLC creates the infrastructure and scale needed to enable external collaborations, disease-focused discovery and the development of new diagnostics, therapeutics and other healthcare solutions. It complements Mayo Clinic’s investigator-led research and clinical translation activities.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

About Thermo Fisher Scientific 
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue over $45 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Gibco, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements relating to Thermo Fisher Scientific, Mayo Clinic, and Precure, LLC and its ambitions and potential impact. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. A discussion of these and other risks related to Thermo Fisher Scientific are contained in its most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q under “Risk Factors,” available in the “Investors” section of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s website under “SEC Filings.” These statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and all parties disclaim any obligation to update them, except as required by law.

Media contacts:  

• Tom Millikin, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu
• Jodie Wertheim, Thermo Fisher Scientific, jodie.wertheim@thermofisher.com

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic announced today that its Mayo Clinic Care Network reached a 15-year milestone as a global community of more than 50 member organizations, representing 80 hospitals and nearly 20,000 physicians.

Created in 2011, the Mayo Clinic Care Network includes carefully selected independent organizations worldwide committed to enhancing the quality of healthcare to advance patient care. Members have access to Mayo Clinic's clinical knowledge and specialists while continuing to serve patients in their local communities. Altru Health System in Grand Forks, North Dakota, was the first member to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

"For the past 15 years, the Mayo Clinic Care Network has brought together like-minded organizations to solve complex medical challenges and advance patient care," says Christine C. Johnson, associate vice president, Mayo Clinic Care Network. "By sharing knowledge and expertise, we can strengthen what each organization delivers locally and help more patients benefit from high-quality care, wherever they are."

The Mayo Clinic Care Network began as a new way for member organizations to access Mayo Clinic's expertise and to connect as a network of peers. Over time, that relationship has expanded to support needs across clinical care, education, operations, leadership, and innovation.

With the launch of Mayo Clinic Platform in 2019, Care Network members gained additional opportunities to engage with data-driven innovation and emerging technologies designed to support the evolving needs of their organizations and communities.

Some of the impact over the past 15 years includes:

• 63,545 eConsults from members to Mayo Clinic experts on complex diagnoses, treatment plans, and other clinical questions.
• 1,283 inpatient telephone consults supporting care at the bedside.
• 1,720 eBoards, or live, interactive conferences on complex cases.
• 292 affinity group meetings, both virtual and in-person, connecting colleagues across specialties, roles, and geographies.
• 121,520 Health Care Consulting hours supporting local organizational priorities.

"Being the first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network was an important milestone for Altru and the patients and communities we serve," says Josh Deere, M.D., president of Altru.

"For 15 years, this relationship has allowed us to remain rooted in our community while connecting our physicians and teams with Mayo Clinic expertise and colleagues around the world. That combination of local care and shared expertise is incredibly valuable, and we are proud of the difference this longstanding relationship has made for our patients and our region."

To learn more about how members have successfully used Mayo Clinic's solutions and services for the benefit of patient care, visit Mayo Clinic Care Network.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Caroline Auger, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic Care Network marks 15-year milestone as a global community of member organizations to advance healthcare appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Mayo Clinic researchers are combining biological, environmental and health data with artificial intelligence to identify changes that may signal disease years before clinical symptoms appear 

By the time doctors diagnose Alzheimer's disease, heart failure or cancer, the biological processes behind the illness may have been unfolding silently for years or even decades. 

Mayo Clinic wants to make those invisible years a new target for medicine. 

The healthcare organization is undertaking a sweeping research effort, called Precure Research, to identify the molecular and physiological changes that occur as people move from health toward disease and determine whether doctors can intervene before patients develop clinical symptoms. 

Precure Research initially focuses on diseases of the brain, heart, kidneys, liver and lungs. It brings together genetic information, biological specimens, medical records, environmental exposures, wearable-device data and artificial intelligence (AI). 

The goal is simple: Identify the early stages of disease sooner to improve outcomes. 

Achieving that goal requires answering hard questions. Among the countless biological changes that occur throughout a person's life, which ones reliably signal that disease is beginning, and which can doctors safely do something about? 

Mayo researchers say recent advances are beginning to make that challenge more solvable. 

In one large genetic study, Mayo scientists identified inherited risks for cancer and cardiovascular disease in nearly 2,000 participants, many of whom had no previous indication that they carried the risks. Other Mayo research has found certain precancerous changes that can be detected years before cancer develops. In Alzheimer's disease, scientists increasingly can measure biological changes that begin decades before memory problems become apparent. 

Taken together, those efforts point toward one of medicine’s biggest and transformational ambitions: shifting healthcare from treating established disease to predicting and preventing it. 

Vijay Shah, M.D., Mayo Clinic's Kinney executive dean of research, sees that shift as an extension of Mayo's longstanding approach to medical research: start with an unmet need of the patient, create the knowledge necessary to address it and bring the resulting discoveries back into clinical care. 

"At Mayo Clinic, our research and practice are intertwined," said Dr. Shah. "Everything we do must serve our primary value of putting the needs of the patient first." 

Heidi Dieter, Mayo Clinic's chief research administrator, said the change could ultimately alter the relationship between patients and the healthcare system itself. "We're not just treating disease anymore. We're partnering with people throughout their entire life journey," she said. 

The invisible years 

Doctors have traditionally encountered disease relatively late in its biological history. A tumor becomes visible on a scan. Kidney function declines. A patient develops symptoms of heart failure. Memory problems become noticeable. 

But disease does not begin at that clinical diagnosis. 

Before symptoms emerge, proteins can shift, metabolism can change, immune responses can evolve and environmental exposures can leave measurable biological traces. 

Precure researchers want to reconstruct that progression. 

The initiative combines information from genes, proteins, metabolites and immune signals with longitudinal medical records, environmental information and wearable devices. The approach allows researchers to examine different layers of biology together and how they change over time. 

A person might carry a genetic variant associated with higher disease risk for a lifetime without developing the condition. Researchers hope to understand what happens between inherited susceptibility and actual illness and identify when that trajectory might change. 

But finding a biological signal associated with disease isn't the same as developing a useful screening test. Researchers look for biological signals to develop screening tests that can help physicians intervene early, often when a condition is more easily and effectively treated.  

Looking beyond DNA 

Mayo's approach also extends beyond what is happening physiologically inside the body. 

Researchers are looking beyond genetics and incorporating the exposome, the accumulation of environmental and lifestyle exposures over a person's lifetime and the biological effects they produce. 

Those influences can range from diet, exercise and sleep to pollutants, chemicals and air quality. Researchers increasingly can detect biological traces of some exposures in blood and other specimens and connect them with genetics, clinical histories and geographic information. 

Pilot studies are examining questions including whether long-term air-pollution exposure affects solid-organ transplant outcomes and whether environmental chemicals influence how the body processes medications. Another is testing saliva-based biosensors for biological changes associated with triggers of head and neck cancers. 

Building a biological time machine 

Pulling those pieces together requires infrastructure on a scale that would have been impractical not long ago. 

Mayo says Precure Research ultimately aims to create its largest integrated collection of biological specimens and scientific and health information through Mayo Clinic Platform, connecting what is found in a blood or tissue specimen with molecular measurements, environmental exposures and years of clinical history. 

In effect, researchers want to reconstruct how a patient's biology arrived at a particular disease. 

Precure Research connects molecular information with deep, longitudinal clinical context and Mayo Clinic expertise through existing pathways and infrastructure, such as Digital Pathology, Mayo Clinic Platform and Research Data Atlas, to support research across diseases and data types. The resulting resources are intended to support discovery and translation, including research into biomarkers, diagnostics, therapeutics, clinical trial strategies and new clinical tools. 

AI is central to the strategy because the number of possible relationships quickly exceeds what researchers can examine manually. AI systems can search across genetic variants, proteins, medical records, imaging, environmental measurements and wearable-device readings for patterns that conventional analysis might miss. 

Mayo Clinic is building a research foundation designed to support discovery across diseases, not one study at a time. Connecting clinical information, biospecimens and molecular data at scale can reveal biological relationships that would otherwise remain hidden, allowing an insight from one disease to inform the understanding, prediction or treatment of another. 

A historic institution looks to medicine’s future 

Mayo Clinic is positioned to pursue an ambition as large as Precure Research in part because transforming how medicine is practiced is embedded in its history. 

For more than 160 years, Mayo Clinic has sought fundamentally better ways to care for patients. Its development of the group practice of medicine brought physicians with different specialties together around the needs of an individual patient. Its adoption of a longitudinal medical record gave those physicians something medicine once lacked: data to allow the ability to understand a patient's health not simply at a moment in time, but across years. 

Those innovations changed more than the tools available to physicians. They helped change how medical care was delivered. 

Precure Research is Mayo's next step to extend that history and culture of transformation into a new era. 

The difference is the resolution.

Where a longitudinal clinical record allowed physicians to see a patient's medical history across years, Precure researchers hope to observe the biological history occurring beneath it. 

That ambition also rests on another part of Mayo’s history: patients participating in research. 

Patients who contribute clinical information and biological specimens help researchers identify patterns that no individual patient or physician could reveal alone. Their contributions can help researchers generate knowledge that could lead to better ways to predict, prevent and treat disease, with the potential to benefit patients at Mayo Clinic and beyond. 

By contributing information and specimens over time, patients can help researchers better understand the progression from health to disease and explore opportunities to preserve health for themselves, their families and for future generations. 

From predicting disease to preventing it 

The long-term ambition extends beyond early diagnosis. 

Precure Research will allow for the study of biological processes including inflammation, aging and metabolic dysfunction that cut across diseases traditionally treated by different medical specialties. 

A patient eventually diagnosed with heart failure, kidney disease or dementia might share some underlying biological pathways years earlier. Identifying those mechanisms could give doctors opportunities to intervene before irreversible damage occurs. 

Mayo describes the ultimate objective as extending healthspan, which is the portion of a person's life spent in good health and without significant chronic disease or disability. 

That means identifying not just who is likely to develop a disease, but also when risk becomes actionable and which intervention can alter the trajectory. 

Precure Research is built on the premise that the next major advance in medicine may not come from a single new drug, device or technology, but from understanding human health in ways that avoid disease all together.

The post Can disease be identified before symptoms begin? Mayo Clinic researchers are looking for answers appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic Platform today announced that its Accelerate program for healthcare technology companies is now available through a multiyear engagement pathway. The inaugural participants of the multiyear track include 12 companies developing artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions to enhance care delivery and healthcare operations.

"The Accelerate program was intentionally designed to support digital health companies ready to transform healthcare," says Jamie Sundsbak, director of the Mayo Clinic Platform Accelerate program." As participation continues to grow, the program has evolved to support solutions developers through multiple pathways tailored to their different stages of development."

The multiyear pathway is designed for select companies seeking sustained access to Mayo Clinic Platform's discovery environment, data, technology and expertise. Through an extended engagement, participants can work alongside Mayo Clinic Platform's experts and leverage its de-identified clinical data ecosystem to advance the development and validation of their digital health solutions.

The 12 companies selected as the first participants in the multiyear pathway are developing AI-enabled solutions that leverage clinical data and advanced analytics to transform healthcare.

• Cappsule is an AI-enabled ambient monitoring platform designed to support clinical decision-making through continuous, real-world data capture.
• CerebraAI develops AI-powered software as a medical device that aims to upgrade the diagnostic capability of noncontrast computed tomography imaging, bringing it closer to MRI standards.
• Clair Health is building a women's health intelligence platform grounded in continuous, direct hormone data.
• Durotimi AI is a pioneering healthcare technology company dedicated to transforming cancer care through advanced, localized AI.
• Electrokare is building AI infrastructure for continuous biological intelligence — turning today's snapshot healthcare system into continuous measurement.
• Floe Health is a clinical reasoning engine for hospital case management.
• Koroid is an AI-native operating system for healthcare operations.
• MedLink Global is pioneering AI-powered solutions to transform psychiatric care.
• OPTT Health is a clinically led AI platform for scalable mental healthcare.
• PONS aims to make ultrasound accessible to the mass market by addressing the limitations of high-resolution images in the early stages of disease.
• Radical Health offers a patient-facing second opinion service that allows patients to receive personalized treatment recommendations.
• Respiree is an AI/machine learning health tech company building state-of-the-art, clinically-validated AI for managing disease progression across healthcare's care continuum.

Since its launch in 2022, Accelerate has supported more than 130 companies from around the world. To learn more about the program or to apply for an upcoming cohort, visit Mayo Clinic Platform Accelerate.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About Mayo Clinic Platform
Mayo Clinic Platform is a strategic initiative of Mayo Clinic that enables collaboration, data-driven innovation and responsible AI development to transform healthcare globally. Mayo Clinic Platform is reimagining healthcare as an ecosystem — one where data, digital solutions and expertise flow seamlessly between innovators and care teams to improve care for patients everywhere.

Media contact:

• Caroline Auger, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers tested an approach that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help people without previous ultrasound experience capture heart images and identify patients who may have a common and serious heart valve condition. In a study published in JAMA Cardiology and presented at the 2026 ESC Congress, after four hours of training, novice users were able to collect focused heart ultrasound images while using  AI models to guide their image collection and help to analyze the images for signs of moderate or greater aortic stenosis.

Aortic stenosis happens when the heart's aortic valve narrows, making it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. It affects approximately 7% of people age 75 and older and is the most common reason for heart valve intervention worldwide. People with aortic stenosis may not experience symptoms until the condition is more advanced. Finding the disease earlier can help ensure patients receive appropriate monitoring and care.

"A comprehensive echocardiogram is the standard diagnostic test for aortic stenosis. However, its use is resource-intensive, requiring specialized equipment as well as trained personnel with expertise in both image acquisition and interpretation. These requirements can limit access, particularly in resource-constrained settings, and make comprehensive echocardiography neither feasible nor cost-effective as a broad screening tool," says Gal Tsaban, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic and senior author of the study.

"We wanted to see whether combining AI guidance with focused cardiac ultrasound could help people with no previous ultrasound experience capture usable heart images and identify patients who may need further evaluation," adds Jared Bird, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist who co-led the study.

First, the researchers developed and validated the deep learning algorithm using echocardiograms from patients at Mayo Clinic sites in Arizona, Florida, the Mayo Clinic Health System and Rochester. They evaluated the model's performance on hand-held ultrasound images collected by experienced sonographers.

In the prospective study, nine research staff members with no previous clinical or ultrasound experience used AI guidance to perform focused heart ultrasounds after four hours of training. The staff members were able to use the AI model to analyze nearly 97% of the exams. It helped the researchers correctly identify 93% of patients with moderate or more severe aortic stenosis and correctly rule out 96% of patients who did not have the condition.

About 10% of exams were flagged for review by a heart imaging specialist. The combined approach of AI plus human review reduced false-positive results, but it also meant that some patients with aortic stenosis were not identified.   

Dr. Tsaban and Dr. Bird note that the approach is intended to help people screen for aortic stenosis and determine who may benefit from additional testing. It is not intended to replace a comprehensive echocardiogram or a physician's evaluation. Patients identified as potentially having moderate or more severe aortic stenosis still need comprehensive echocardiography to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity of the condition.

The findings suggest that putting AI tools in the hands of people with limited ultrasound experience could help more patients access screening for aortic stenosis, particularly in communities where comprehensive echocardiography and trained imaging professionals are less readily available.

A full list of authors, appropriate disclosures and funding sources for this research can be found within the paper: "Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Acquisition and Interpretation for Screening Aortic Stenosis." Mayo Clinic has a financial interest in the technology referenced in this news release and will use any revenue it receives to support its nonprofit mission in patient care, education and research.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post AI-assisted approach helps novice users capture heart ultrasound images, identify aortic stenosis  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — BioLabs Rochester, MN is building momentum toward its September opening, with leadership in place and recruitment underway for early-stage biotechnology and health technology companies seeking to grow alongside Mayo Clinic and Minnesota's expanding life science ecosystem.

Announced in 2025 and developed through a collaboration among stakeholders Mayo Clinic, BioLabs, Destination Medical Center (DMC) and Mortenson Properties, BioLabs Rochester, MN reflects a shared vision to strengthen the region's innovation ecosystem and support the growth of life science companies in Minnesota. With construction nearing completion and leadership in place, recruitment is now underway for the incubator's inaugural resident companies.

Located in Two Discovery Square at Discovery Square Innovation District, the newly constructed 17,000-square-foot shared laboratory and office facility will support emerging biotechnology and health technology companies developing new diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices and digital health technologies while advancing the partners' shared vision to grow Rochester as a destination for life science innovation.

As BioLabs Rochester, MN prepares to welcome its first resident companies, BioLabs announces that Carmen Schicklberger, Ph.D., M.B.A., will serve as BioLabs site director, leading facility operations, startup scaling support and innovation network development. Schicklberger joins BioLabs Rochester, MN from the University of Minnesota, where she served as chief operations officer and founder of the Minnesota Bioinnovation Accelerator. She previously held business development and operations roles at startups in biotech, automation and SaaS/diagnostics. 

Geof Hannigan, Ph.D., will serve as Mayo Clinic's director of startup engagement, helping connect BioLabs Rochester, MN resident companies with Mayo Clinic physicians, scientists and business development teams to explore research, clinical and commercialization opportunities. Hannigan brings experience in pharmaceutical research and startup acceleration, including leading the Merck Digital Sciences Studio in Boston before joining Mayo Clinic.

"Rochester offers a unique combination of world-class clinical expertise, a growing innovation ecosystem and a strong commitment to advancing healthcare," says Johannes Fruehauf, CEO of BioLabs. "As we prepare to open our doors, we're excited to establish BioLabs' first Midwest location in a community where entrepreneurs can work alongside leading researchers, clinicians and industry partners. We invite innovative biotech and health tech startups to apply and become part of our inaugural cohort, helping shape a new hub for healthcare innovation in Minnesota."

Application process open

Applications are now being accepted for early-stage biotechnology and health technology companies interested in joining the inaugural BioLabs Rochester, MN community. Companies selected for the incubator will have access to flexible, turnkey laboratory and office space, entrepreneurial programming, and opportunities to collaborate with Mayo Clinic while becoming part of the growing community of innovators and companies at Discovery Square Innovation District.

"BioLabs Rochester represents a significant investment in the people and companies that will shape the future of health," says Patrick Seeb, DMC executive director. "We are grateful to BioLabs, Mayo Clinic and Mortenson for the partnership and confidence required to bring the first BioLabs location in the Midwest to Discovery Square Innovation District. To entrepreneurs developing the next breakthrough in health, our message is simple: This place was built for you. We invite you to apply, join the inaugural BioLabs Rochester community and build your company alongside one of the world's leading medical institutions."

Resident companies will also have access to BioLabs' national network of investors, industry partners and entrepreneurial resources, along with pathways to engage Mayo Clinic expertise through scientific, clinical and commercial collaborations and ecosystem support through Destination Medical Center.

"Innovation happens when great ideas have the opportunity to be tested, refined and translated into solutions that improve patient care," says Andrew Danielsen, chief business development officer, Mayo Clinic. "BioLabs Rochester creates a new opportunity for entrepreneurs to engage with Mayo Clinic's clinical, research and business development expertise, helping accelerate promising technologies from concept toward impact."

Learn more about BioLabs Rochester, MN and the application process here.

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About Mayo Clinic  
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About BioLabs  
BioLabs is a global innovation infrastructure company creating the physical and community backbone that powers life science discovery worldwide. Through a growing network of premium shared laboratories and coworking spaces, BioLabs provides turnkey access to state-of-the-art research facilities, entrepreneurial programming, and deep industry and capital connections. These integrated ecosystems enable innovators from early-stage founders to established R&D teams to rapidly translate ideas into impact without the constraints of traditional lab ownership. The BioLabs network now spans major innovation hubs across the United States, Europe, and Asia, serving as a catalyst for collaboration and a launchpad for breakthroughs that advance human health and sustainability.

About Destination Medical Center  
Destination Medical Center (DMC) is the largest public-private economic initiative in Minnesota's history. The 20-year plan to transform Rochester into a global destination for health and wellness will attract developers, investors, startups and entrepreneurs to live, work and play in America's City for Health. For more information, visit dmc.mn.

Applications contacts:

• Carmen Schicklberger (primary), BioLabs Rochester MN Site Director, cschicklberger@biolabs.io
• Geof Hannigan, Mayo Clinic Director of Startup Engagement, hannigan.geoffrey@mayo.edu

Media contacts:

• BioLabs, BioLabsRochesterMN@biolabs.io
• Geno Palazzari, Destination Medical Center, Communications Manager, 307-696-9088, genopalazzari@dmceda.org
• Tom Millikin, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu 

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Physicians-in-training explore how emerging technologies, including humanoid robots, could help support healthcare teams and improve patient care 

In a simulation lab at Mayo Clinic in Florida, a humanoid robot carefully retrieves medical supplies, organizes equipment and helps prepare a cardiac catheterization laboratory. 

The robot moves slowly, and its capabilities are still being tested. But for the physicians gathered around it, the project represents something much larger than robotics. 

It’s one example of how Mayo Clinic residents are gaining hands-on experience evaluating how emerging technologies might support healthcare teams – all while keeping clinical judgment, decision-making and patient care firmly in human hands. Through Mayo Clinic's Internal Medicine Residency Innovation and Entrepreneurship Track, residents work alongside engineers, innovators and industry collaborators to evaluate new ideas and address real-world healthcare challenges. 

Developing new skills to solve healthcare challenges 

The resident-led project is exploring whether humanoid robots could someday assist with routine tasks in cardiovascular care settings. 

While the technology is still in the early stages of development, residents and faculty with Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education are exploring how robots might support healthcare professionals with tasks such as organizing supplies, retrieving equipment and helping prepare procedure rooms. The goal is not to replace clinical expertise, but to evaluate whether technology could assist with activities that occasionally require a member of the care team to step away from other responsibilities.  

For Guy Robinson, M.B.B.S., a resident in the innovation track, the project provided an opportunity to learn skills far outside traditional medical training. 

"I had zero coding knowledge," Dr. Robinson says. "I didn't understand the language at all." 

Working with the robot manufacturer, Mayo Clinic engineers and fellow residents, Dr. Robinson spent weeks learning programming fundamentals and experimenting with code. Early successes were modest. 

"At first, simply getting the robot to move its arm felt like a major accomplishment," he says. 

Within a month, however, the team had advanced to programming more complex actions with the help of artificial intelligence-assisted coding tools. 

Learning how innovation happens 

According to Abdallah El Sabbagh, M.D., director of the Internal Medicine Residency Innovation and Entrepreneurship Track, projects like this grow out of Mayo Clinic's broader culture of innovation. 

Residents participate in educational programs, mentorship opportunities and hands-on projects designed to help them identify challenges in healthcare and explore potential solutions. 

One of those experiences is Mayo Clinic's Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, which brings together physicians, innovators and other collaborators to help transform ideas into practical applications. 

"CIE helped change the way I think about innovation," Dr. Robinson says. "It emphasized that innovation is not simply having an idea but identifying a real clinical need and then taking practical steps toward implementation." 

Rena Hale, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, says helping learners connect unmet needs with practical solutions is a central focus. 

"Dr. Robinson brought that curiosity with him, and through the program developed the skills and confidence to act on it," Dr. Hale says. "Whether designing a new technology or exploring the potential of humanoid robotics, the underlying question remains the same: How can we make healthcare better for patients and the teams who care for them?" 

That mindset shaped the robotics project from the beginning. 

Rather than starting with the technology and searching for potential uses, the innovation team first engaged physicians and catheterization laboratory staff to better understand day-to-day workflows and identify areas where additional support might be valuable. Those conversations highlighted several routine tasks that can require team members to briefly step away during busy procedural workflows. 

That input helped define the problem the team was trying to address and identify practical use cases for early proof-of-concept testing. Residents, engineers and innovation leaders then worked together to develop and evaluate robotic workflows based on those frontline insights. 

A model for innovation training 

Mayo Clinic's approach recently received national attention. 

In an article for the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, physician leaders highlighted the growing need for innovation education during clinical training and pointed to Mayo Clinic's Internal Medicine Residency Program in Florida as an example of how residents can gain meaningful experience evaluating new technologies and developing solutions for healthcare challenges. 

The robotics project demonstrates what that type of training can look like in practice. 

Residents from multiple Mayo Clinic campuses have contributed to the effort. Dr. Robinson helped lead hands-on programming work in Florida, while Kiyan Heybati, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine graduate and current resident in Rochester, continued contributing remotely. Mayo Clinic engineers provided technical expertise, and innovation leaders helped connect residents with resources and mentorship. 

Together, residents, engineers, innovation leaders and frontline clinical staff contributed perspectives that helped move the project forward, combining technical expertise with firsthand understanding of the clinical environment. 

"Residents understand the clinical implications,” Dr. El Sabbagh says. “They can work closely with software engineers and bring ideas forward." 

The project also highlights how innovation opportunities can appeal to learners with a wide range of interests. Some residents enter training with backgrounds in technology or entrepreneurship. Others discover those interests during residency and gain the confidence to pursue them. 

Dr. El Sabbagh says the goal is not for every resident to become a programmer or entrepreneur. Instead, residents learn how to identify meaningful problems, collaborate across disciplines and evaluate how new ideas might be implemented safely and effectively in healthcare settings. 

For Dr. Robinson, that experience has expanded his understanding of what it means to train at Mayo Clinic. 

"I realized that we deliver the best care in the world because we also advance care the most," he says. "That's what makes this place special." 

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As healthcare evolves at an unprecedented pace, Mayo Clinic is investing in lifelong learning to prepare the workforce for the future of medicine. 

Healthcare is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Advances in artificial intelligence, precision medicine, digital health and quality improvement are transforming how care is delivered, while new knowledge and evolving professional standards require clinicians to continually adapt. 

For healthcare organizations, keeping pace is about more than meeting licensure or certification requirements. It requires a workforce prepared to respond to emerging technologies, new models of care and rapidly expanding medical knowledge while continuing to deliver the highest quality patient care. 

At Mayo Clinic, continuous professional development is a strategic investment in that future. 

Through Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development (CPD), education is embedded into professional practice across the organization, helping physicians, advanced practice professionals, allied health professionals and other staff continuously build the knowledge and skills needed to advance patient care, research and education. 

"Learning doesn't end when someone joins Mayo Clinic — it becomes part of how we practice every day," says William Palmer, M.D., dean of Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development. "Continuous professional development helps our staff stay current in rapidly changing fields while reinforcing the curiosity, collaboration and commitment to excellence that defines Mayo Clinic. Investing in lifelong learning is ultimately an investment in better care for our patients." 

Preparing the workforce for artificial intelligence

Few developments are reshaping healthcare as rapidly as artificial intelligence (AI). Mayo Clinic is approaching AI education with the same evidence-based philosophy that guides its clinical practice. 

The Practical Applications of AI at Mayo Clinic course, launched in spring 2026, focuses on real-world examples of how Mayo Clinic staff and leaders are applying AI across clinical practice, research, education and administrative work. Rather than exploring AI as a future possibility, the course demonstrates how these tools are already being used within a framework of responsible governance and patient-centered innovation. 

Directed by Atul Jain, M.D., M.S., the course offers up to eight types of continuing education credit. 

"Artificial intelligence is already changing how healthcare is delivered," said Dr. Jain. "Our goal isn't simply to introduce AI concepts — it's to help members of the healthcare workforce understand how Mayo Clinic is using these tools responsibly and to provide practical knowledge they can apply in their own work." 

The AI Foundations and Applications for Emerging Digital Leaders course, launched in 2024, complements this work and reflects growing interest among staff in developing the knowledge and skills needed to responsibly integrate AI into healthcare. 

Learning as a cornerstone of excellence 

Lifelong learning has long been embedded in Mayo Clinic's culture.  

That commitment is reflected in the scale of CPD's educational ecosystem. In 2025, the school supported 191 regularly scheduled series, including grand rounds, journal clubs, morbidity and mortality conferences and other recurring educational activities, that together delivered more than 6,000 educational sessions. 

For the 191 regularly scheduled series alone, CPD awarded more than 87,000 continuing education credits, helping employees maintain professional competencies, fulfill licensure requirements and stay current in rapidly evolving fields. The school also supports Maintenance of Certification requirements for physicians and physician assistants, reinforcing the connection between professional learning, operational improvement and patient outcomes. 

An accessible, century-long commitment to professional growth 

Mayo Clinic's commitment to continuous learning is not new. 

This year, Clinical Reviews in RST, one of CPD's longest-running educational programs, celebrates its 100th anniversary. While educational formats have evolved dramatically over the past century, the underlying principle has remained constant: Patient care depends on clinicians who never stop learning. 

And as healthcare professionals face increasing demands on their time, education must become more accessible without sacrificing quality. 

CPD has expanded learning beyond traditional conferences through online courses, podcasts, journal-based education and self-paced learning that allow healthcare professionals to access trusted education whenever and wherever it best fits their schedules. 

One example is Mayo Clinic Talks, a weekly podcast that delivers timely discussions on common clinical conditions and emerging topics across primary care and specialty practice. 

The school's online continuing medical education platform also offers hundreds of learning opportunities across specialties and professions, providing clinicians with flexible access to evidence-based education. 

Investing in the future of healthcare 

As medicine becomes more complex and innovation accelerates, organizations that embed learning into everyday practice are better positioned to improve care, advance discovery and prepare for what comes next. 

"Education has always been central to Mayo Clinic's mission," says Dr. Palmer. "By expanding access to emerging areas of learning, we are investing in our people and empowering them to deliver the highest-quality care, research and education for the patients and communities we serve." 

By treating continuous learning as a strategic capability rather than simply a professional requirement, Mayo Clinic is helping define what lifelong learning looks like in modern healthcare. 

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As the fire chief for the city of Fargo, North Dakota, Gary Lorenz is accustomed to high-stress emergencies.  

"Firefighters are problem solvers," Gary explains. "When people call 911, and the dispatchers aren’t sure whom to send, they send the fire department."  

But on Oct. 7, 2025, Gary faced a crisis he could not simply delegate.  

During a routine scan for an unrelated issue, doctors discovered a tumor on his left kidney.  

Stunned by the news, Gary recalls pacing the floor at his headquarters fire station, feeling overwhelmed and not knowing what to do next.   

"I am kind of a fixer," says Gary. "Whether it's mechanical or other things, I'm fixing problems all the time, and so when it was my problem, trying to figure out how to fix this, it just seemed big."  

Walking in circles, the reality of his diagnosis set in.  

With the love and support of his wife, who works in the medical field, Gary discussed the next steps and knew exactly where to turn. He reached out to Mayo Clinic.  

Watch: Robotic surgery helps fire chief return to duty

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (3:01) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

A rapid response and a precise plan  

Within one day, a video conference was scheduled for the following week with Dr. Aaron Potretzke, a Mayo Clinic urologic surgeon.  

Knowing a plan was in place, his family urged him to go ahead with his annual fishing trip that weekend to Lake of the Woods in Canada.  

While driving, Gary received a call from Mayo Clinic asking whether he could meet virtually that Friday instead of the following week. 

During the videoconference, Dr. Potretzke explained how the scans described a single, approximately 4-centimeter bi-lobed tumor, but the exact nature of the growth would not be determined until after it was surgically removed.  

Because of the tumor's location and associated risks, Dr. Potretzke recommended a robotic-assisted radical complete nephrectomy, a minimally invasive surgery using robotic tools to completely remove a kidney through tiny incisions. 

"Dr. Potretzke’s thoroughness, professionalism and confidence greatly helped relieve much of the anxiety I was experiencing," says Gary.  

In short order, Gary received a call on Monday morning from Dr. Potretzke’s office about a last-minute surgical opening for the next day.  

Mayo staff coordinated and communicated with Gary to complete all of the necessary surgical preauthorization. 

Despite this tight timeline and a five-hour drive the night before, he was in the operating room exactly one week after his diagnosis.  

"It’s unheard of to go from start to finish that quickly," Gary says. "It felt like people actually cared how fast it came together."  

Dr. Potretzke says Gary's case was unique because of the multidisciplinary coordination that occurred in such a short time while Gary was several hours from Rochester, Minnesota. 

"To be able to get him into the operating room that fast was not something that we see every day, but it shows that this system works really well — and people at Mayo Clinic go the extra mile in an amazing way to take great care of patients in a thorough and efficient way," says Dr. Potretzke.  

Because of this advanced approach, he spent just a single night in the hospital and was able to return to work four days later.   

Dr. Potretzke will continue to monitor Gary over the next two years for signs of recurrence. 

Reaching a milestone: 100,000 da Vinci robot-assisted surgeries  

Gary's successful journey comes as Mayo Clinic marks a milestone in robotic-assisted surgery.  This summer, Mayo Clinic surpassed 100,000 surgeries assisted by the da Vinci robot.

Mayo Clinic uses advanced surgical robots to perform complex operations with precision, helping patients like Gary experience less pain, spend less time in the hospital and recover faster.  

"At Mayo Clinic in Arizona specifically, it's a marker of how far we've come as a campus from adopting the technology to now defining where complex robotic surgery goes next," says Dr. Michelle Nguyen, a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon. "Reaching 100,000 cases is a meaningful milestone, but it's the culture of innovation behind it that will define what the next 100,000 look like."  

Much of that progress is being driven by breakthroughs in surgical technology. 

"Robotic-assisted surgery allows us to perform increasingly complex operations with greater precision, control and safety," says Dr. David Yang, a urologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minnesota. "This translates into improved patient outcomes, less postoperative pain and faster recovery. Perhaps just as importantly, procedures that were once only available at large tertiary care centers can now be performed closer to home."  

That high level of care is a collective effort. 

"Each of those 100,000 robotic surgeries was made possible by our exceptional care teams, including not only surgeons at Mayo Clinic in Florida but nursing teams, anesthesia, surgical staff, custodial support, scheduling and many others," says Dr. Mara Piltin, a Mayo Clinic surgical oncologist. "Each member of our institution plays a meaningful role in allowing us to offer high-volume, high-complexity care to patients in need, and we are grateful for each piece of the puzzle."  

Grateful for the seamless multidisciplinary care  

Reflecting on his clear follow-up scans and rapid recovery, Gary is grateful for the seamless multidisciplinary care he received.   

Highlighting how technology empowers clinical teams, Dr. Potretzke notes that robotic-assisted surgery has been a tremendous asset.   

"Robotic surgery allows us to enhance traditional laparoscopy with 3D and magnified visualization, and articulating instruments that allow for meticulous dissection and sewing in very small spaces," he adds.  

Meanwhile, patients like Gary are thankful for the team at Mayo Clinic.   

"I told Dr. Potretzke I would only share my story if I could brag about him and his team," says Gary. "You really respect the knowledge and training that the care team has." 

The post When a fire chief needed help: How Mayo Clinic’s collaborative care and robotic surgery saved his life (VIDEO) appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.