2017 has been a year of widespread global attention to blockchain possibilities beyond mere finance, and the PROOF Centre, together with Blockchain@UBC (http://www.blockchainubc.ca/) and other partners, is exploring these applications within the contexts of health research, ethics, privacy, record-keeping, and research design.

Blockchain technology has the potential to expedite research processes and support greater citizen control over personal medical data, through verifiable provenance, pseudonymous security, and math-based trust. However, blockchain protocols are not just about code. The technology is so new that there’s an equal need for practical implementation.  

Thus, Blockchain@UBC, PROOF Centre and other industry leaders in blockchain technologies are holding the “Blockathon for Social Good” at UBC’s Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS) on Friday, August 4, 2017. Instead of just hunching over individual laptops, this full day Blockathon event will involve diffuse brainstorming, quiet reflection, cross-team discussion and networking. Participants, working in teams, will explore the use of blockchain in solving problems in biomedical research, with use cases provided by PROOF Centre. The winning team will receive a cash prize.  

We are inviting all interested biomedical researchers to participate in the Blockathon. You do not need to be a coder or knowledgeable about blockchain technology. As a “domain expert”, your knowledge of how health research works will be valuable to participating developers and blockchain experts.  

For more information about the Blockathon and to register, please visit:

https://blockchainubc.ca/2017/05/30/blockathon/ 

 

PROOF will be taking part at UBC’s Blockathon for Social Good