The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine has been granted nearly $2.3 million by the state Legislature to develop a first-of-its-kind veterinary learning health care system.
A digital imaging platform powered by artificial intelligence will collect, collate and analyze patient data, facilitating customized cancer diagnoses and treatments, according to the university.
“We need to do everything we can to eliminate barriers to cancer treatments, and creating an AI-enabled digital imaging platform will help us do that,” said Dr. Ben Sasse, UF’s president. “This will be a transformative project that positions UF as a national leader in cancer treatments and medical innovation.”
The project will be funded at $750,000 annually for three years. The first phase will focus on populating the data warehouse using digitized information gathered from diagnostic imaging and cell and tissue data from the UF teaching hospital’s more than 110,000 cases.
Once the task is accomplished, the project will generate AI algorithms to establish preclinical, comparative and translational research models.
“For researchers, this initiative will drive a continual cycle of discovery and clinical innovation,” said Dr. Janet Robishaw, the college’s associate dean for research and graduate studies. “Whether your dog has cancer, your cat has chronic kidney disease, or your horse has colic, we will have access to a treasure trove of data from previous cases at our fingertips that we can quickly analyze for insights.”
The project is part of UF’s Health AI Initiative, which focuses on:
- Research: Developing new AI tools and methods to solve real-world problems.
- Education: Helping students understand AI concepts and their application in medical fields.
- Technology: Developing new AI technologies and applications in the UF Health domain.
- Outreach: Translating and creating awareness about AI and its potential applications.
The venture also supports UF’s One Health Center of Excellence, which promotes the idea that humans, animals and the environment are linked.
“This novel project will allow our college to play a critical role in One Health by embracing the application of innovative AI tools in areas such as comparative oncology and the discovery of common causes in animals and humans,” said the veterinary college’s dean, Dr. Dana Zimmel. “This project will help us facilitate a better understanding of One Health in next-generation students, scientists and clinical professionals.