Published
Dear ARPA-H Community,
I came to lead ARPA-H to tackle and solve the major health crises facing Americans today. This agency exists for one purpose: to take on the challenges that are too big, too complex, and too high-risk for traditional funding or industry.
Our mandate is to take the bold steps to fulfill this mission and change the course of human health.
Since my arrival only one month ago, we’re back in business and taking the bull by the horns: we’ve launched and awarded efforts spanning the gamut of health, from distributed biomanufacturing of genetic medicines, to automated cyber patches for our embattled hospitals, to new tools that will make the US the safest place to have a baby. I’ve had the honor of speaking at my first ARPA-H Proposers’ Day.
I’ve been thrilled by a “demo day” featuring our performers from across the country, who are developing rural health care solutions that leapfrog even the best technology we have today – ensuring Americans’ quality of care is not determined by their zip code. And this is only the beginning. Our Program Managers bravely pursue solutions to the hardest challenges and, in doing so, are bound for breakthroughs and impact that change the course of human health.
At ARPA-H, we are uniquely positioned to ask the big “What if?” questions. What if we could completely eliminate organ transplant waitlists and costly treatments by 3D-printing any organ on demand? What if we could bring new therapeutics rapidly and cheaply to Americans by predicting drug safety and efficacy accurately before clinical trials even begin? What if joints could heal themselves? By convening and inspiring the best innovators from around the world, we strive to make the seemingly impossible, probable, and then possible.
To do so, we need all of you. We need your ideas, your passion, your expertise. Join us at Proposers’ Days; find your dream team of the best researchers, start-ups, and companies, and submit to our open funding opportunities; engage us wherever we travel, visit, and speak. And most importantly, if you have an idea that is burning inside of you for how we can change the course of human health – come join us as a Program Manager to make it happen: https://arpa-h.gov/careers/program-managers
Together, we can accelerate better health outcomes for everyone.
Best regards,
Alicia Jackson, Ph.D.