Alan Finkel, long-time Brentwood resident, is in the news with an award-winning piece of software he and his partners developed called “KNALIJ.†Here’s a Q&A with the Brentwood News that explains all.
Q: Alan, for those in Brentwood who don’t know you, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
A: I grew up in Brentwood. Attended Brentwood Elementary and Crossroads School. I spent my childhood at the Country Mart eating Reddi Chick and running miles on the San Vicente grass. My mother, Marcia Finkel, had breast cancer when I was in 4th grade. She went into remission for over 20 years, and had a recurrence in 2000 that finally took her life. Cancer has always been at the forefront of my life experience. Since I wasn’t to become a doctor, I instead focused on making a difference in other ways. This desire to make a difference i
n medical research and healthcare is what inspired the creation of KNALIJ.
Q: What is “KNALIJ†? What kind of name is that? What does the site do??
A: KNALIJ (sounds like ‘Knowledge’) is an exploration engine for all types of Internet information. KNALIJ is the next generation of knowledge discovery. It provides a dynamic visual interface for understanding and sharing the connections and relationships in large amounts of information.
A user types a search inquiry into KNALIJ. In real-time, KNALIJ analyzes and groups the results, and then visually displays the entirety of the information for the user to explore and discover. Almost every element of KNALIJ conveys information. Users can explore and filter the maps, and pull up data, videos, photos or even additional applications. It is an incredibly powerful and versatile tool for discovery as the Internet evolves.
Q: We understand you just got some big award from NIH for your work. Talk about that.
A: KNALIJ was presented with an Innovation Award from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda this past November. The Award recognized KNALIJ’s innovative uses of the PubMed database, the world’s primary repository of medical research information. The awards ceremony was hosted by U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and Health and Human Services Chief Technology Officer Todd Park. I had a tremendous sense of achievement presenting my years of work in front of such accomplished technology and healthcare leaders.
Q: What’s next for KNALIJ? Where do you see your company in five years?
A: Our first application is for medical research, but we are expanding KNALIJ to provide a visual experience for YouTube, Wikipedia, LinkedIn and many other services and sources of data on the Internet. We are also excited about a great politics application for the 2012 election year. We will provide a visualization application that will connect politicians to money and how they vote.
In five years, we see ourselves as a popular visualization alternative to using Google or Yahoo. KNALIJ can dip its toes in Google’s sandbox and provide a unique experience for Internet users.
