**(!) Cash prizes of $10k, $5k, $2.5k available for 1st/2nd/3rd place submissions**

Scientists around the world are leveraging artificial intelligence to ask bigger questions and address previously intractable challenges in human biology and disease. Embracing AI tools, such as machine learning (ML), has become essential to accelerating drug discovery and development and meeting the needs of patients suffering from the most complex diseases. 

As we continue to expand our [ML capabilities](https://www.gene.com/topics/advanced-computation-and-data-science), both internally and with external collaborators [external collaborators](https://www.gene.com/partners/what-we-are-looking-for/research-technologies), it is important to consider the existing hurdles that arise in preclinical and clinical research settings. One of the most common issues that scientists face is missing data. Gaps in data sets can bias the statistical analysis, creating a new host of problems down the road. 

In line with our commitment to advancing AI/ML technologies, and in an effort to engage the broader ML community, we are launching a challenge to tackle the issue of missing data.