FIU convenes national leaders in research to examine the future of AI in health care

FIU hosted a panel discussion in Washington, D.C. focused on the future of artificial intelligence in health care. 

The dialogue was opened by FIU Honors student and Hamilton Scholar Elijah Dorrielan and President Jeanette M. Nuñez, who welcomed guests and set the stage for a discussion. 

The panel featured an esteemed group of federal and academic research leaders, including Diana Azzam, associate professor in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work; Sunita Krishnan, senior program officer at the National Academy of Medicine; Sylvia Shabaya Gayle, scientific program director for bioinformatics and computational science at the National Cancer Institute; and Adam Aten of the health technology company Verily. The discussion was moderated by Dave Clarke, policy editor at Punchbowl News. 

Throughout the conversation, panelists emphasized that while AI holds transformative promise for medicine and scientific discovery, thoughtful governance and public trust must guide its development. 

Gayle highlighted how the National Cancer Institute is already seeing opportunities to implement AI in procedural and administrative tasks. She pointed to successful applications of AI in clinical diagnosis, including liver and prostate cancers, while reinforcing the importance of the United States to establish clear regulatory frameworks and defined “rules of the road” to allow AI to scale responsibly. 

“We still have to keep a human in the loop,” Gayle said, stressing that AI tools must be validated by trained professionals to safeguard accuracy and patient care. 

Krishnan noted that the National Academy of Medicine (one of the nation’s oldest institutions of its kind, chartered by Abraham Lincoln) serves as a “North Star” in developing systems that advance health and science responsibly. When asked about best practices in overseeing AI in health care, Krishnan shared the importance of trust and accountability. 

“If there isn’t trust in the tool, then you can’t necessarily trust there won't be bias,” she said, calling for strong trust frameworks, proper education and training, and coordinated policy approaches. She emphasized the need to move away from fragmented AI policy to ensure transparency with patients when AI is used in their care and maintaining human oversight in decision-making processes. 

FIU’s Azzam, herself leading innovating precision medicine research on pediatric cancer patients with the use of AI, offered a university perspective, discussing FIU’s growing role in AI research and education. The conversation reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration with national researchers and policymakers to bridge science, medicine, policy and education to ensure the community is aware of and equipped for AI advances. 

Closing the event, FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Dean Juan C. Cendan spoke on the university’s commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders who can navigate both the promise and complexity of AI as an emerging technology in health care. 

Also joining the program were more than 20 students participating in the Talent Lab as part of FIU in DC’s “Future of Artificial Intelligence” Fly-In. These students traveled to the nation’s capital for an immersive academic experience that reflects FIU’s growing presence in Washington, D.C., and the vital role students play in shaping conversations with national impact. They were joined by members of the FIU Board of Trustees, and university leadership, demonstrating FIU’s strong commitment to engaging in national conversations at the highest levels. 
 
Watch the complete dialogue here.