Professor Zhe He from the Florida State University (FSU) School of Information has recently been recognized with two prestigious honors for his significant contributions to the field of health informatics. He has been elected as a Fellow of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI) and awarded a research grant of $280,000 from the National a2 Pilot Awards Competition, which is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Dean Michelle Kazmer of the College of Communication and Information praised He, stating, “Dr. Zhe He has been an extraordinary colleague from the moment he joined the FSU faculty. He is an excellent teacher and mentor, a committed member of the university community, and has conducted transformational research in the area of health informatics.” She highlighted his foundational research aimed at improving health outcomes globally alongside his students and research colleagues.
The IAHSI honors global leaders who advance healthcare through research, education, and innovation. This year, it selected only 18 Fellows worldwide, 11 of whom are from North America. Reflecting on his election, He stated, “Being elected as a Fellow of the IAHSI is an incredible honor and a deeply humbling experience. It represents international recognition of the work I’ve done over the past 17 years to advance biomedical and health informatics.”
Zhe He specializes in the intersection of biomedical and health informatics, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics. He serves as the director of the FSU Institute for Successful Longevity, as well as the director of the UF-FSU CTSA Biostatistics, Informatics, and Research Design Program. Additionally, he chairs the AMIA Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Working Group.
His connection with the IAHSI began through his involvement with the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), which established the IAHSI in 2017. Over the years, He has presented research, organized panels, and collaborated with international scholars through IMIA conferences.
He expressed gratitude for being nominated and elected by a group of peers he has long admired. As a Fellow, He aims to promote the academy’s goals by enhancing global collaboration on critical issues such as climate change, aging, and the ethical application of artificial intelligence in healthcare. He looks forward to working with colleagues worldwide to share knowledge and improve the capacity of communities, particularly those in low-resource settings.
In addition to his IAHSI Fellowship, He received a one-year research grant of $280,000 from the National a2 Pilot Awards Competition, which is an annual event organized by the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratories (AITC) for Aging Research Program. The funding will support his project titled “Developing a Multi-Agent AI System for Explaining Lab Results to Older Adults,” part of his ongoing LabGenie research initiative.
“This recognition underscores the importance of addressing the unique challenges older adults and their caregivers face in interpreting lab test results,” He noted. His collaboration with the National Institute on Aging began with research focused on health and aging, working alongside clinicians, behavioral scientists, and computer scientists. He has also secured two additional NIA grants for projects on clinical trial optimization and personalized AI tools.
He envisions that LabGenie will evolve to include features such as symptom tracking, contextual insight generation, patient portal integration, and shared decision-making support. This expansion aims to make lab results more comprehensive and accessible for older patients and their caregivers. “My hope is that LabGenie becomes a model for how AI can enhance patient engagement for those with varying health literacy levels and improve outcomes, especially for older adults with multiple chronic conditions,” He stated.
For further information about FSU’s College of Communication and Information, visit cci.fsu.edu.
