MARTHA

Martha Chase was a pioneering geneticist who, alongside Alfred Hershey, conducted the ground-breaking Hershey-Chase experiments. Their work was pivotal in confirming that DNA is the carrier of genetic material. While Hershey received a Nobel Prize for this discovery, Martha Chase's contributions went largely unrecognized. To honor Martha Chase's legacy, our new Genetic Suite is aptly named "Martha" (Molecular Assay Repository for Tumor Heterogeneity Assessment).

Martha is our cutting-edge genetic suite designed to seamlessly integrate genetic testing data from both external partners and our internal resources into our existing platforms that are already taking in Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Clinical Trial data. Each outside genetic vendor has a different way of handling data, naming data, and structuring data. This means that our developers had to write complex code to make all of this work, and then combine it further with our EHR data which does not follow any specific standard and certainly doesn't match back to the external labs. This app does it all in real time with no human intervention. As results get completed, there are interfaces with external and internal partners to automatically curate the data and feed our systems.
Looking to the future, Martha's impact on the Wilmot Cancer Institute and the community beyond is poised to be transformative, underscoring our commitment to the overarching strategic visions of UR and Wilmot. We are set to integrate Social Determinants of Health metrics, bolster our AI capabilities, and refine our data extraction techniques in future iterations. This advancement is not just about technological innovation; it's about making a substantial difference in the lives of individuals at Wilmot and throughout the community, enhancing both care and research.