The institute will pursue three main research thrusts:
- Analyzing SDoH and cultural competence
- Creating SDoH-informed Chicagoland data repositories
- Integrating SDoH with patient physical and mental health data to promote health equity through technology
These research thrusts leverage the existing UIC NSF TRIPODS infrastructure, and may involve equity-focused links to other UIC urban, community, and transportation initiatives. These thrusts that collectively focus on responsible AI development, rigorous evaluation, fairness guarantees, and robust cybersecurity align perfectly with the growing national interest in societally-facing AI systems, as reflected in the White House’s Executive Order regarding AI. The institute will particularly seek to ensure that the systems are properly evaluated and tested, are not used to deny people opportunities they are entitled to, and are providing adequate cybersecurity protections.