Dr. Sana Syed
Pediatrics and Data Science, University of Virginia in the United States
Sana Syed, MD, MSCR, MSDS is a practicing pediatric gastroenterologist who focuses on improving global health and combating childhood undernutrition. Dr. Syed is an Associate professor in Pediatrics and Data Science at the University of Virginia in the United States and Adjunct Research Faculty at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. The Syed Lab uses cutting-edge molecular and data science techniques to study intestinal structure and function in patients with environmental enteropathy, considered the primary driver for stunting in Pakistan, Zambia, and Bangladesh, as well as those with other inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease. Through her NIH-funded research, Dr. Syed aims to transform clinical care and improve health outcomes for children by facilitating precision medicine through enhanced diagnostics and individualized outcome predictions to ensure all children live happy, healthy lives.
In her commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders in science and medicine, Dr. Syed has led training workshops around the world, including in Tanzania, Pakistan, and across the United States, supporting young researchers to pursue and submit grant applications and manuscripts. Dr. Syed is also a champion for improving diversity and enabling career development, having spearheaded several diversity-focused career development and mentorship programs for women and underrepresented minorities in science and medicine all over the world.
All Sessions by Dr. Sana Syed
AI and Global Health: A workshop for Leaders Driving Change
AI has the potential to improve health outcomes, enhance health systems, and address health inequities. Its integration into Global Health presents opportunities to improve disease diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance.
However, AI also poses significant challenges and risks, such as ethical, legal, social, and technical issues, that need to be carefully considered and addressed by health leaders.
Global health leaders, who are responsible for setting health policies, strategies, and priorities at the programmatic, regional and global levels, need to have an understanding of AI and its implications for health.
By the end of the workshop, the participants are expected to:
- Define AI and its subfields, and how they relate to health.
- Describe current initiatives and AI for health activities in the global health space.
- Explain some of the current and emerging use cases of AI for health, and their benefits and limitations.
- Summarize issues specific to gender and data and other key challenges and risks of AI for health, and how to address them.
- Articulate some of the best practices and principles for ensuring that AI for health is responsible, ethical, and human-centered.
- Communicate and collaborate with various stakeholders on AI for health issues and initiatives.
The workshop will be facilitated by a team of experts from various disciplines and backgrounds, such as AI, digital health, ethics, policy, and education. The facilitators will provide relevant and up-to-date information, insights, and guidance on AI for health, and will also encourage active participation and feedback aligned with feminist pedagogies.