While the private sector has been investing in an attempt to conquer healthcare, funding can sometimes be difficult to come by in the public sector. The US government launched the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, to help bridge the gap. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Director Renee Wegrzyn, the first director of the agency, speaks with Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani to discuss the agency's role in the health sector. ARPA-H, according to Wegrzyn, focuses on “looking for those breakthroughs in a disease-agnostic way.” ARPA-H aims to be a “first-in-funder,” focusing on incentivizing innovation to address preventable diseases such as maternal health, substance abuse, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. The agency seeks to bridge the gap between the laboratory and real-world implementation which, according to Wegrzyn, can be “incredibly challenging,” and will be doing so through its programs, such as ARPANET-H and Heroes. Wegrzyn emphasizes the responsibility of stewarding federal dollars as an “incredible opportunity,” that allows for “high-contact program management,” to ensure proper dispersing of funds. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live. Editor's note: This article was written by Eyek Ntekim

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