The University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Institute, or CTSI, announces the appointment of Yonghui Wu, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, as its new chief data scientist. A leading expert in artificial intelligence and biomedical informatics, Wu will enhance the CTSI’s impact across campus by integrating AI-driven solutions into translational research, fostering collaboration and accelerating scientific discovery.
In addition to his role at the CTSI, Wu has been named associate director of artificial intelligence research for the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy and has received a joint appointment in the Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery. His expertise in AI, natural language processing and biomedical data science is already shaping the future of research and health care at UF.
Wu’s groundbreaking work has established him as a leader in AI-driven health care solutions. As director of natural language processing at the UF CTSI and the OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium, he played a pivotal role in developing GatorTron™, the world’s largest clinical language model. This AI tool deciphers medical language within clinical notes, opening new opportunities for researchers to analyze unstructured patient data and enhance clinical research precision. His work has been recognized for its potential to transform how medical professionals access and interpret health information.
Beyond AI-powered language models, Wu is spearheading efforts to bring leading-edge health care to rural communities. He and his team recently secured funding to develop a mobile AI-driven health care system that integrates hospital-level care into an electric vehicle. By leveraging AI to analyze and respond to real-time patient data, this initiative has the potential to revolutionize health care accessibility in rural areas, ensuring that patients receive timely and effective care regardless of their location.
His commitment to improving health care efficiency extends to medical records as well. With a $1 million award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Wu is leading research on using AI-driven transfer learning to streamline electronic health records across different health care systems. This work aims to reduce administrative burdens, lower costs and ensure that critical patient information is seamlessly integrated and accessible across medical networks.
Wu’s leadership and vision are advancing the role of AI in medicine, making a direct impact on clinical research and patient care. His appointment at the UF CTSI and the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy reflects UF’s commitment to harnessing AI’s potential to transform health care. Please join us in welcoming Wu to these new roles as he continues to push the boundaries of AI and data science in medicine.