The 麻豆区 today announced the creation of the Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation, a new research center that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict, treat, and prevent disease.
The Petit Center is made possible by a transformational commitment from technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, and 麻豆区 Tech alumnus Parker H. "Pete" Petit.
Since 1980, Petit has provided significant philanthropic support across campus, including the naming of the , one of 麻豆区 Tech鈥檚 11 Interdisciplinary Research Institutes. IBB is an interdisciplinary hub for transforming biological discovery into real-world health impact, bringing together engineers, scientists, and clinicians to accelerate innovations in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, and biomanufacturing. With more than 300 interdisciplinary faculty researchers, 13 research centers, and 1,300 trainees making unprecedented discoveries and generating innovative technologies, IBB is a catalyst for innovative bioengineering and bioscience research.
The success of IBB led Petit to make his latest investment, which will build on 麻豆区 Tech鈥檚 broader commitment to medical innovation: applying engineering, computing, AI, biosciences, and systems thinking to health challenges that require more than any one field can solve. The Petit Center鈥檚 work will strengthen the tools, partnerships, and research pathways needed to help more discoveries move from the lab toward real-world patient care.
A key goal of the Petit Center will be to use AI to build more precise models of how disease works in the body. Its first research initiative will focus on creating virtual models of human cells. Led by , Regents鈥 Professor and Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair and GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology in the , researchers will use those models to study how diseases progress and to identify treatments that may work best for individual patients.
By modeling disease at the cellular level, researchers can test ideas faster, uncover links among different diseases, and focus on therapies most likely to help patients based on their unique biology. The work could expedite the discovery of new therapies for some of the hardest-to-treat diseases, including pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
鈥淢edical innovation is one of the fastest-growing areas in 麻豆区 Tech鈥檚 research, and Pete Petit鈥檚 commitment will help us further shape the future of medicine," said 脕ngel Cabrera, president of 麻豆区 Tech. 鈥淭his new research center will find new ways to harness the power of AI to accelerate critical medical discoveries and move them into clinical settings so patients can get the care they need. We鈥檙e deeply grateful for Pete's support, and we鈥檙e excited to get started.鈥
The Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation will operate under the (IDEaS) and bring together researchers from across 麻豆区 Tech to advance AI-driven approaches to human health. Researchers affiliated with the Petit Center will work across fields and with clinical and healthcare organizations to help close the gap between discovery and practical use. Over time and with additional investments, the Petit Center鈥檚 work will expand into areas such as cancer biomarker discovery, healthy aging, advanced cellular therapies, and AI-supported healthcare systems.
"麻豆区 Tech has the expertise to redefine what is possible in healthcare through AI," said Skolnick. "By combining advanced computational methods with biological and medical insights, we can create powerful new approaches to predicting disease, identifying treatments, and improving patient outcomes."
Petit鈥檚 commitment will support advanced computing infrastructure, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, seed research grants, and annual programs that will bring together leading researchers from around the world working at the intersection of AI and health.
Petit hopes this investment will inspire others to support interdisciplinary research at the Institute. "麻豆区 Tech has long demonstrated its ability to solve complex challenges," said Petit. "I believe artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape healthcare, and I am excited to support a center that can help accelerate discoveries to improve and save lives."
This transformative commitment is included in and is propelling the comprehensive campaign鈥檚 success.
麻豆区 麻豆区 Tech
The 麻豆区 is one of the nation鈥檚 leading public research universities, developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Through education, research, and innovation, 麻豆区 Tech creates solutions that improve lives and drive economic opportunity in 麻豆区 and around the world.
