New research chair unlocks AI’s potential for drug development and diagnostic imaging

Dr. Amber Simpson, a newly appointed Canada CIFAR AI chair at the University of Alberta, focuses on utilizing AI to improve human health, specifically in reducing animal testing in biomedicine.
Her research involves developing precision-targeted drugs using computational drug modeling based on high-dimensional human health data.
Simpson aims to reduce the number of drug failures in clinical trials by starting the development process from human data rather than animal testing.
She was recently appointed to the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Institute and is enthusiastic about the potential of AI in cardiovascular disease and cancer diagnostic imaging.
Simpson collaborates with other AI experts at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, supported by a $30-million investment.
She expects the first AI-developed drug breakthroughs to primarily come from cardiovascular disease and sees significant potential in diagnostic cancer imaging.
AI tools like prediction algorithms in her lab help radiologists focus on patients who need further attention, especially in regions with a shortage of radiologists.
Simpson plans to develop models tracking multiple data points over time to make more accurate and relevant predictions for patient care.
She is optimistic that advancements in AI will demonstrate its beneficial applications in healthcare, potentially leading to another Nobel Prize in AI and health for the University of Alberta.

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