Researchers at Victoria University (VU) are working on a new electronic data system that they claim will eliminate internal privacy breaches in medical research. Professor Yanchun Zhang, director of VU’s Centre for Applied Informatics, has received a $295,000 grant from the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Project Scheme. The university has previously received $150,000 from industry partner Next Online to help fund the three-year project. The new grant will help fund work on new privacy algorithms to significantly improve access to health data in medical research. In a statement, Professor Zhang said protecting patient privacy has been an ethical stumbling block for medical researchers striving for advances in the various fields. “There have been many cases which show current systems are vulnerable to internal attack, with staff accessing patient records they are not authorised to access,” Professor Zhang said. “The project will develop electronic data systems to overcome current problems to support data sharing among medical researchers without breaching patient privacy.” He highlighted Medicare as an example where unauthorised access from internal staff compromised patient privacy. In 2010, Medicare investigated staff for spying on customers’ personal information. Professor Zhang said creating new privacy preserves algorithms in database federations will provide efficient data access yet block unauthorised access. “The medical knowledge that can be mined once these barriers are removed will significantly improve the quality of healthcare in Australia,” he said. The Linkage Projects Grants Scheme funds collaborative research and development projects. Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia Follow Byron Connolly on Twitter:@ByronConnolly Related content feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers feature 移民のバックストーリーが、技術リーダーを育てる 移民としての物語を有するテックリーダーには、共感と多様性に根ざした視点を持ち、かつてはほとんどなかった無数の機会を有している。 By Inna Lazareva May 25, 2023 1 min Diversity and Inclusion Careers IT Leadership feature BNY Mellon、AIを活用してマスターデータを改善 By Peter Sayer May 25, 2023 1 min Master Data Management Artificial Intelligence Data Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe