How Cleveland Clinic is educating the workforce of the future

Cleveland Clinic and Miami University have partnered to educate and train the next generation of the quantum computing workforce.

The collaboration, announced Jan. 15, is rooted in a shared vision and cultural alignment.

"It made perfect sense for us to partner with them [Miami University], particularly because of their excellence not only in education but also in entrepreneurship. Miami University is one of the top programs for teaching entrepreneurship, and many Fortune 500 CEOs are alumni," Lara Jehi, MD, Cleveland Clinic's chief research information officer, told Becker's. "They bring an additional layer of expertise beyond education, which was exactly what we were looking for in a partner for a cutting-edge field like quantum computing. Our goal was to train students who not only understand the science but can also apply it in the real world. That aligns perfectly with Cleveland's innovation mandate, which focuses on translating ideas into marketable solutions."

Through the partnership, Miami University will offer specialized bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in quantum computing, with an emphasis on real-world applications in healthcare and life sciences.

Additionally, as part of the Cleveland Innovation District, the university plans to establish a facility near Cleveland Clinic's main campus, where students will participate in six-month internships. These internships build on Cleveland Clinic's summer program, offering additional hands-on opportunities through the Discovery Accelerator and the Center for Computational Life Sciences, which collectively receive about 400 applications annually.

"Instead of students spending just three months in the summer, they'll have the opportunity to spend six months. They can choose to begin the semester before or stay the semester after summer, which gives them enough time to truly embed themselves in one of our biomedical research labs that use quantum computing for real-world biomedical research projects," Dr. Jehi said. "This extended period allows them to go beyond a basic introduction and deeply explore the science."

Cleveland Clinic has been a leader in quantum computing for healthcare research. In March 2023, in collaboration with IBM, the health system unveiled the IBM Quantum System One, the world's first quantum computer dedicated exclusively to healthcare research. This effort, part of a 10-year Discovery Accelerator partnership, leverages quantum computing, AI, and hybrid cloud technologies to advance biomedical discoveries. Researchers have applied quantum methods to protein structure prediction, improving the understanding of diseases and accelerating therapy development. Quantum computing is also being explored to optimize clinical trials, potentially reducing costs and enhancing patient selection.

By partnering with Miami University, Cleveland Clinic is furthering its commitment to quantum computing, not only in research but also in education. The creation of Ohio's first specialized degree programs in quantum computing aims to develop a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation in healthcare and beyond.

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