The Institute for Equitable Health Data Science Research, an initiative of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, aims to bridge data science and computing research on campus with healthcare research at UIC. Building on the broad scientific strengths and health equity mission of UIC, the institute unites experts from across campus to maximize the potential of using data science and computing, including AI, in medical research and care.
The institute was created in February 2024. The institute, with its fabric of interdisciplinary collaborations, will shape solutions for biomedical and health data science and technology. It also seeks to ensure that everyone, including Chicago’s and Illinois’s population, benefits from the transformative potential of computing and AI, regardless of background or circumstance.
The institute is co-directed by two internationally-renowned professors, each with expertise in data science and health-related applications: Prof. Andrew Boyd and Prof. Elisabeta (Liz) Marai. The institute further unites researchers from seven colleges in a new effort to ensure that medical applications of new technologies benefit all populations without bias.
“Data science is critical for the future of healthcare,” says Andrew Boyd, professor in the Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in Computing and Data Initiatives.
Elisabeta (Liz) Marai, professor in the Department of Computer Science and a University of Illinois Scholar, reflects on the unique strengths of the initiative: “UIC is an incredible nexus of talented researchers, with world-class expertise in both data science and healthcare. These researchers can take the computational health mission to national and international leadership”.
Faculty cross-campus, from the Colleges of Applied Health Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy and the School of Public Health serve as associate directors and executive board members of the institute. The institute will spearhead a series of initiatives, including an annual week-long bootcamp to jumpstart collaborations among researchers on campus, a yearly industry summit, seed funding to help produce proof-of-concept results, and external grant application support. The opportunities for funding and workshops will be open to all UIC researchers.