AI for Health Institute hosts inaugural symposium on AI for health
Interdisciplinary event brings together AI and health experts to examine AI’s transformative role in health care and public health.
The AI for Health Institute (AIHealth) at Washington University in St. Louis hosted its inaugural AI for Health Symposium Oct. 18. Chenyang Lu, director of AIHealth and the Fullgraf Professor of Computer Science and Engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering, welcomed over 125 attendees to the symposium.
“The AI for Health Symposium will serve as an annual gathering for the expanding AIHealth community to explore the wide-ranging applications of artificial intelligence in health care and public health,” said Lu. “It also offers a valuable opportunity for attendees to forge connections and collaborate on AI for health projects.”
Mary McKay, executive vice provost of Washington University, and Aaron F. Bobick, dean and James M. McKelvey Professor in McKelvey Engineering, opened the symposium with welcoming remarks. The keynote address was delivered by Richard Cote, the Edward Mallinckrodt Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology & Immunology at WashU Medicine, and Pathologist-in-Chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, who discussed the AI and digital pathology revolution.
Symposium attendees included WashU faculty, students and industry professionals, who heard engaging discussions from leading experts on topics such as AI security, privacy, and trust; AI in public health; large language models for health care; and advancements in AI for medical imaging.
“This inaugural symposium has successfully brought together a diverse group of faculty and students from across the university to explore AI for health,” said Lu. “The speakers and attendees were truly engaged throughout the sessions. I am confident that more interdisciplinary teams and research will arise from the symposium.”
The event concluded with a poster session and reception where graduate students and faculty members presented their findings related to predictive modeling for patient re-admission, preterm birth, and post-surgical outcomes; AI-generated messaging, security in AI systems, and thematic analysis using GPT models; wearable and diagnostic technologies; addressing disparities in maternal and child health using machine learning and ethical and responsible AI.
Building on the success of this year’s inaugural event, Lu said there is a lot to look forward to.
“Next year, the AI for Health Symposium will showcase the winning projects of the AI for Health Seed Grant program, inspiring further innovative research on AI for health within the WashU community,” said Lu. “A collaboration between the Here and Next Seed Grant program and the AI for Health Institute, the seed funding program is designed to catalyze interdisciplinary collaborations and foster the integration of AI with public health and health care.”
AIHealth also looks to explore further opportunities of artificial intelligence for public health with the upcoming launch of the School of Public Health at WashU.
“Artificial intelligence for health is such a fast-growing field,” said Lu. “We will be sure to adapt next year’s AI for Health Symposium to stay at the forefront of the field.”
View the symposium program to see the agenda and speaker and guest biographies.