In a landmark collaboration bridging higher education, health care delivery, and cloud computing, Rutgers University and RWJBarnabas Health have officially announced the creation of the Rutgers/RWJBarnabas Health Innovation Hub, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The initiative establishes one of the nation’s first technology innovation hubs directly uniting an academic medical center, a major health system, and a global cloud leader to transform medical education and patient care.
Housed at the prominent Health and Life Science Exchange (HELIX) in downtown New Brunswick, the hub will serve as a collaborative ecosystem where students, clinicians, researchers, and technology experts tackle real-world medical challenges.
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Students across medicine, engineering, computer science, and business will engage in hands-on, rapid-prototyping projects lasting four to 10 weeks.
- AWS Integration: Participating student teams gain access to cutting-edge AWS technology, cloud credits, and technical mentorship from AWS engineers and the broader AWS Cloud Innovation Centers network.
- Core Focus Areas: Initial projects will target clinical decision-making tools, medical and interprofessional education, student wellness, operational efficiency, and health equity initiatives.
A vision for the future of New Jersey medicine
The hub arrives as New Jersey cements its legacy as a cradle for invention. It will also serve as a key pillar supporting the future Rutgers School of Medicine—uniting the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and New Jersey Medical School at HELIX.
“As we build the future Rutgers School of Medicine, we have an unprecedented opportunity to embed innovation into the foundation of how we educate and deliver care,” Amy Murtha, founding dean of the future Rutgers School of Medicine, said. “Our students won’t just learn about the future of health care – they’ll build solutions that can reach real patients in real communities across New Jersey.”
Mark Manigan, president and chief executive of RWJBarnabas Health, echoed this sentiment:
“As New Jersey continues to lead in being a home for innovation, RWJBarnabas Health will lead by bringing to New Jersey a new model for integrating technologies that can change the way we deliver care, educate tomorrow’s clinicians, and save lives.”
AWS leadership emphasized the transformative potential of cross-sector cooperation.
“What Rutgers and RWJBarnabas Health are building together is exactly the kind of bold, mission-driven collaboration we champion at AWS,” Kim Majerus, vice president of global education and local government at Amazon Web Services, said. “They’re creating an engine that will deliver real solutions for the people of New Jersey while preparing the next generation of health care professionals to lead with AI.”
The year-round hub builds upon the framework established by the successful Rutgers Health Hack, a 48-hour hackathon environment that previously spawned projects like AI-guided intelligent coaching systems for medical students.
The inaugural cohort will feature up to five interdisciplinary teams working under the mentorship of Rutgers faculty and RWJBarnabas Health clinicians. Operations for the new hub are slated to begin this fall.
