NVIDIA, Sheba’s ARC, & Mt. Sinai Join Forces to Unlock the Human Genome With AI

A major challenge in genomics is understanding the extensive regions of our DNA whose functions remain poorly understood—areas once dismissed as “junk DNA” that are now recognized as critical to human health.

Decoding the 98% of the Genome That Remains Unexplored

“While approximately two percent of the human genome has been thoroughly characterized, the remaining 98 percent, which was once labeled junk DNA, is increasingly recognized as containing critical regulatory and functional elements,” said Prof. Gidi Rechavi, Head of the Sheba Cancer Research Center, and the Wohl Institute of Translational Medicine, Israel Prize laureate, and initiator of the project, emphasizing the significance of this collaboration. 

“Moreover, when individual genomes are sequenced, significant differences are observed. The genomic LLM approach at the heart of this pivotal collaboration aims to decipher the basic function of human genomic sequences and to enable the use of their variability as a key to diagnosis and future therapy.”

By analyzing these genomic regions with AI, the collaboration aims to identify patterns that link individual genetic variations to disease risk and therapeutic response.

A Powerful Global Partnership Driving Precision Medicine

This ambitious initiative unites three global leaders from healthcare, research, and technology: 

NVIDIA will provide its advanced computational architecture and AI development platforms, software, and scientific expertise, while Sheba’s ARC and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will contribute extensive genomic datasets, AI research capabilities, and clinical insight.

NVIDIA’s Drs. Nati Daniel and Yoli Shavit highlight the technological leap:
“AI has the power to unlock the secrets of the human genome and transform health care for billions of people worldwide,” they say. “The development of a state-of-the-art Genomic Foundation Model (gFM), brings together clinicians, geneticists, bioinformaticians, and AI researchers to tackle one of science’s greatest challenges with NVIDIA’s full-stack AI platform.”

Alexander Charney, Director of the Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Vice Chair, Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, and Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Psychiatry, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, underscores the value of this collaboration: “This collaboration is an important step toward a future where every person can benefit from the power of whole genome sequencing. By bringing advanced AI into genomic research, we’re moving closer to making personalized, precision medicine a reality for all.”

Together, this partnership is constructing an AI-driven genomic research engine capable of parsing the interplay among thousands of genomic regions to expose underlying mechanisms of disease and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Leadership Perspectives on Genomic Medicine’s Future

Leaders from both institutions emphasize how this initiative represents a fundamental shift in healthcare innovation, with implications extending far beyond traditional genomic research.

Eric Nestler, Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reflects on the partnership’s significance: “This partnership exemplifies the power of global collaboration at the intersection of science, medicine, and technology. By working with Sheba Medical Center and NVIDIA, we are unlocking new possibilities to decode the vast, uncharted regions of the human genome and advance discoveries that will benefit patients worldwide.”

At Sheba Medical Center, Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, Director of ARC and Chief Innovation Officer, along with Avner Halperin, CEO of Sheba Impact at ARC, describe the collaboration as a fusion of unique strengths tackling fundamental healthcare challenges: “Only by combining the unique strengths of the three partnering organizations can we solve one of the toughest challenges in healthcare that touches at the very core of how the human body works.  This allows us to take AI to a place where it empowers a fundamental transformation in healthcare—accelerating scientific discovery, strengthening  health systems, improving healthcare outcomes globally, and driving new economic value throughout the ecosystem.” 

Bringing Together World-Class Teams and Expertise

The success of this ambitious initiative depends on deep collaboration across multiple disciplines and institutions, uniting leading researchers, clinicians, and AI specialists.

The project is propelled by the dedicated teams at Sheba, including Dr. Omri Nayshool and Dr. Tal Zinger from the Cancer Research Center, Dr. Dan Dominissini from the Laboratories Division, and Raizy Kellerman, Dan Ofer, and Guy Leib from ARC Innovation, highlighting Sheba’s synergistic blend of clinical excellence and innovation leadership. The AI Center at Sheba, a hub for global partnerships at the intersection of medicine and artificial intelligence, will co-lead the collaborative effort alongside Mount Sinai’s Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine and Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, creating a unified engine accelerating genomic, data science, and clinical innovation.

Existing joint research teams from all three institutions have already begun developing a shared platform to enable seamless collaboration among scientists and clinicians globally.

Three Global Leaders United by a Common Mission

This landmark collaboration brings together three powerhouses, each contributing distinct strengths to tackle one of genomics’ greatest challenges.

NVIDIA provides the advanced computational architecture, AI platforms, and technological expertise that make decoding the genome’s complexity at scale possible—transforming an insurmountable challenge into an achievable scientific breakthrough.

ARC Innovation Center at Sheba Medical Center—the largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East, ranked as one of the top-ten hospitals in the world—spearheads the initiative, contributing extensive genomic datasets, AI research capabilities, and clinical insight. ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate) is Sheba’s innovation arm that connects entrepreneurs and clinicians to advance the development and implementation of AI and technological solutions in healthcare, accelerating the adoption of innovation both within the hospital and across health systems worldwide.

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai contributes internationally renowned research capabilities and clinical depth. As the academic partner of the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, its cutting-edge programs in genetics, genomics, and AI position it at the forefront of next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic development.

Together, this partnership unlocks unprecedented pathways for precision disease prevention, diagnostic accuracy, and therapeutic innovation worldwide.