Cleveland Clinic’s quantum computing program has transformed from a cautious pilot into a fully operational innovation engine — and it is running at more than 90% capacity. Lara Jehi, MD, chief research information officer at the health system, says the program has advanced much faster than anyone originally expected. Today, it combines quantum technology with artificial intelligence to tackle some of healthcare’s most complex research challenges.
From Pilot to Innovation Engine
Three years ago, Cleveland Clinic launched its quantum computing program with a simple goal — explore whether quantum technology could meaningfully advance healthcare research. Today, that exploration has evolved into something far more ambitious. Dr. Jehi describes the shift clearly: the program has moved from a “tentative pilot phase” into a “fully functioning innovation engine producing real breakthroughs.”
This transformation did not happen overnight. Researchers built internal expertise. Teams formed specifically around quantum applications in life sciences. Furthermore, the relationship with IBM shifted from structured guidance to genuine collaboration. These developments laid the foundation for the program’s current momentum.
The IBM Partnership That Started It All
In 2023, Cleveland Clinic entered a 10-year partnership with IBM to create a joint accelerator center focused on advancing healthcare discoveries through AI and cloud computing. As part of this agreement, IBM installed its first private-sector, on-premise quantum computing system in the United States at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute.
Known as IBM Quantum System One, the machine is dedicated exclusively to healthcare research. Initially, the partnership paired Cleveland Clinic researchers with IBM scientists to develop quantum projects and explore life sciences questions. Over time, however, the dynamic changed. Cleveland Clinic built its own internal quantum teams, and the collaboration expanded to include additional external partners.
Operating at 90% Capacity
The quantum machine now runs at more than 90% capacity. Notably, at least two-thirds of users at any given time are Cleveland Clinic researchers. The remaining one-third consists of external collaborators, which underscores how the program has grown into a shared resource for the broader research community.
Cleveland Clinic has also upgraded the hardware itself. The original system ran on IBM’s Eagle processor. Now, it operates on IBM’s Heron processor, which offers more qubits and significantly greater computational power. This upgrade has expanded the scope of research the system can support.
Quantum Meets AI: A Powerful Combination
Perhaps the most significant development in the program’s evolution is the full integration of quantum computing with the health system’s AI and classical computing platforms. This combination has become central to how Cleveland Clinic approaches complex research problems.
How AI and Quantum Work Together
Rather than treating AI and quantum as competing technologies, Cleveland Clinic now uses them together. AI first identifies the most critical components of a problem. Then, quantum computing simulates or processes those components. Finally, AI reconstructs the full model. This workflow allows the health system to apply quantum computing to datasets that are too large for quantum hardware to handle independently.
“Once we stopped thinking about it as ‘AI versus quantum’ and instead started treating quantum as one tool within a larger computational ecosystem, everything changed,” Dr. Jehi said.
Real-World Research Applications
This integrated approach is already producing tangible results. One notable project involves a 12,600-atom protein simulation. AI first identified the most critical sections of a large compound. Quantum computing then simulated the structure and function of those sections. AI subsequently reconstructed the full model. Researchers now apply the same framework to MRI image analysis, where AI isolates the highest-priority regions of scans before quantum processes them.
Another promising project focuses on circulating biomarkers in lung cancer patients. Today, patients return every few months for imaging scans to monitor cancer recurrence. The team is developing a blood test that could monitor recurrence through biomarkers instead — a potentially transformative shift for patient care.
Workforce Development and External Partnerships
Cleveland Clinic recognizes that quantum computing requires a trained workforce to sustain its momentum. Consequently, the health system partnered with Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, to develop undergraduate and graduate quantum-focused academic programs. Students from these programs rotate through Cleveland Clinic labs and work directly with research teams.
Beyond academia, Cleveland Clinic also runs its Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program. This initiative offers selected early- and venture-stage companies a yearlong residency on the main campus, with direct access to IBM Quantum System One. Additionally, the health system received two contracts through Wellcome Leap’s Quantum for Bio Challenge, a global program allocating up to $40 million to researchers advancing quantum computing applications in healthcare.
What Comes Next for Quantum in Healthcare
Cleveland Clinic views quantum not as a standalone tool but as part of an ecosystem that must come together for healthcare to fully benefit. Dr. Jehi says the health system is intentionally building partnerships across every part of that chain — spanning academia, industry, government, and the startup community.
“If you think about quantum as an ecosystem that has to come together for healthcare to fully benefit, we’re intentionally building partnerships across every part of that chain,” Dr. Jehi said.
As the program matures, the focus is shifting toward designing projects where AI and quantum computing complement each other by design — not as an afterthought. That integration, combined with upgraded hardware and a growing community of users, positions Cleveland Clinic as a leader in quantum-powered healthcare research.
