Late Star Trek creator’s family donates $1M to heart disease research

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s family has donated $1million to cardiovascular research in the hope that more people really will live long and prosper

The cash is funding the development of a tricorder-like scanner – used by Dr McCoy in the TV series – that can detect heart disease with “unprecedented accuracy”.

U.S tech firm iCardio.ai was awarded the money by The Roddenberry Foundation as part of its million-dollar prize fund for start-ups that “use AI to improve the world”.

The Foundation was established in Gene’s honour after he died of cardiac arrest in 1991.

iCardio plans to use the winnings to scale-up its echocardiography technology and treat more people in rural and deprived areas.

Gene’s son Rod said his father’s dream to eradicate heart disease had taken a step closer to reality.

He said: “iCardio.ai’s groundbreaking technology has the potential to save millions of lives, making it a well-deserved recipient of the Roddenberry Prize.

“We’re inspired by Star Trek to boldly go towards a future where today’s diseases are easily detectable and preventable, and it’s an honour to continue my father’s legacy by supporting medical advancements that will make this future a reality.”

The biennial Roddenberry Prize is open to early-stage ventures — including nonprofits and for-profits — across the globe that create “positive, lasting change”.

Its latest competition, launched in 2024, focused on using AI and machine learning. Entrants needed to demonstrate that “AI can benefit society towards a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive world”.

The prize is administered by The Roddenberry Foundation, which was founded after Gene’s death and now supports “extraordinary people who can change the world”.

This year’s winner, iCardio.ai, scooped $1million thanks to its cutting-edge ultrasounds that use AI to improve the speed and accuracy of cardiovascular diagnosis.

According to the Foundation, iCardio’s technology is similar to the fictional ‘tricorder’ handheld device seen across the Star Trek franchise.

In the TV series, a tricorder detects injuries, vital signs, and “dangerous organisms” by scanning patients’ bodies.

It was used by Dr ‘Bones’ McCoy to diagnose medical conditions, often when he was beamed down to a new planet.

Joseph Sokol, co-founder and CEO of LA-based iCardio.ai, said: “We are honoured to receive the Roddenberry Prize.

“This award will enable us to scale our technology to reach more people, particularly those in regions where cardiovascular care is lacking.

“Our goal is to empower clinicians with knowledge about their patient and, ultimately, drive higher quality care in patients suffering from cardiovascular disease.”

Biotech start-up Noetik also received a $250,000 grant from this year’s Roddenberry Prize to accelerate its work in cancer immunotherapy.

The original Star Trek series premiered in September 1966 and has spawned over 700 TV episodes, 14 movies and comic books, and countless animated series and homages.

Its creator, Gene, a former World War II bomber pilot, is known as the godfather of science fiction whose work inspired countless other franchises including Star Wars.

He introduced the concept and the power of AI to the public long before it gained mainstream popularity, through storylines and characters including interactive computers and medical holograms capable of autonomously treating patients.

Gene later became the first TV writer with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while his legacy also includes having both a crater on Mars and an asteroid named in his honour.

In 1976, NASA invited Gene and the Star Trek crew to the rollout of the Enterprise space shuttle at the Dryden Flight Research Center.

Years after his death, he was one of the first humans to have his ashes carried into earth orbit.

Main image: Courtesy, NASA
In this image, the then Dryden Flight Research Center (now Armstrong) hosted the Star Trek crew in 1976 for the rollout of space shuttle Enterprise. In front, from left: NASA Administrator James Fletcher, and the show’s stars DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, show creator Gene Roddenberry, and Walter Koenig.