U of Mich. creates computational medicine, bioinformatics dept

The University of Michigan Medical School is establishing a computational medicine and bioinformatics department, following action by the Ann Arbor-based university’s board of regents.

The school is bringing together into a single department the areas of bioinformatics, computational biology and bioinformatics building on the U-M Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics.

This new department will enable further academic growth of the faculty and trainees of this discipline and help the medical school attract the best new faculty and trainees to the university, a statement said.

Around the web

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.