BloodCounts! Project Uses AI to Analyze Routine Tests

The international research consortium aims to identify disease patterns from millions of daily blood count tests.

Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a clinical blood tube, representing global medical data research.
The BloodCounts! research project, involving seven countries, is training AI to extract diagnostic insights from routine blood count tests. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe using artificial intelligence to analyze routine medical tests will improve patient care?

The Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore has launched the BloodCounts! research project. This initiative utilizes artificial intelligence to extract medical signals from routine complete blood count tests to improve clinical decision-making.

Why it matters

By leveraging existing data, the project seeks to enhance early disease detection and prognosis without increasing the clinical burden on patients or providers. This approach turns standard diagnostic procedures into more powerful tools for healthcare systems worldwide.

The project operates under the AI-for-Science initiative, which is supported by SGD$120m in funding. Researchers aim to integrate clinical data from global hospital partners to refine predictive models across an international consortium.

The players

Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education

This institution serves as the primary host for the BloodCounts! research project in Singapore.

National University Health System

This organization is a member of the BloodCounts! international research consortium.

SingHealth

This entity participates in the research consortium to help advance the goals of the BloodCounts! project.

National Research Foundation, Singapore

This foundation provides the support for the AI-for-Science initiative that oversees the research project.

The details

The research consortium spans seven countries, including Belgium, The Gambia, Ghana, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the UK. Teams are currently integrating clinical data from hospital partners to train algorithms that identify subtle disease patterns within standard diagnostic tests.

Timeline

  1. 2013 marked the establishment of the CARES centre in Singapore.

  2. October 26, 2026, served as the announcement date for the project launch.

  3. October 29, 2026, is the date scheduled for the formal project launch event.

The Tech Race

This project represents a broader push to integrate artificial intelligence into standard diagnostic workflows to replace manual, legacy analysis methods. It positions the Cambridge Centre and its partners at the forefront of the global movement toward data-driven clinical prediction.

The project aims to improve the diagnostic value of routine tests without requiring patients to undergo additional procedures. This could eventually lead to faster clinical decision-making and earlier detection of conditions during standard check-ups.

The takeaway

Using artificial intelligence to re-examine existing medical data offers a way to improve health outcomes without increasing costs or procedural burdens. This research highlights how current diagnostic testing capacity can be maximized through advanced computational modeling.

What happens next

The research team is scheduled to host a formal launch event for the project on October 29, 2026.

Further reading

Learn more about the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence in medical diagnostics.

More information

Read more about the initiative on the Cambridge Centre research project information page.

Live Poll

Do you believe using artificial intelligence to analyze routine medical tests will improve patient care?