Illinois State University launches new artificial intelligence lab for health research initiative with funding from National Institutes of Health

Illinois State’s Mennonite College of Nursing Carle BroMenn Medical Center Endowed Professor Dr. Marilyn Prasun (left) and School of Information Technology Assistant Professor Dr. Nariman Ammar (right) are collaborating on a project that aims to use machine learning and artificial intelligence for early detection of Atrial Fibrillation. Together, they hope to enhance health outcomes across central Illinois. Illinois State University has launched a Partnership for AI Research (PAIR) Project, an initiative made possible through funding from the National Institutes of Health’s AIM-AHEAD PAIR seed program. Spearheaded by an interdisciplinary collaboration between Illinois State’s School of Information Technology Assistant Professor Dr. Nariman Ammar, and Mennonite College of Nursing Carle BroMenn Medical Center Endowed Professor Dr. Marilyn Prasun, the project aims to use machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for early detection of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and enhance health outcomes across central Illinois. AF is a serious heart arrhythmia that increases the risk of stroke by five times and can lead to significant health deterioration and death. By combining advanced machine learning techniques with clinical expertise, the PAIR Project plans to develop a data-driven framework using electrocardiogram (ECG) and electronic medical records (EMR) to detect AF in high-risk patients earlier and more accurately. “This initiative is not just about technology—it’s abou...