Treating health data like a public utility (opens in new tab)

In early March 2026, a new paper, “Governing real-world health data as a public utility,” was published in Science. The paper’s authors include UNC researchers, particularly RENCI’s own Deputy Director, Becky Boyles, a leading voice in data governance and FAIR data principles. The utility model featured in the article offers a framework for ethical data stewardship, patient empowerment, and distributed innovation. We sat down with Becky to talk about the highlights of the paper, why it matter...