Georgia Tech has announced a new research center dedicated to using artificial intelligence to predict, treat, and prevent disease by creating precise computational models of how diseases work inside the human body. The Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation, made possible through a major philanthropic commitment from technology entrepreneur Parker H. Petit, will focus on translating AI breakthroughs into real clinical treatments.

What Will the Petit Center Actually Do?

The center's first major research initiative will focus on creating virtual models of human cells, led by Jeffrey Skolnick, a computational systems biology expert at Georgia Tech. Rather than testing drug candidates only in laboratories or animal models, researchers will use AI to simulate how diseases progress at the cellular level and identify which treatments might work best for individual patients based on their unique biology.

This approach could significantly speed up the discovery process. By modeling disease computationally, researchers can test therapeutic ideas faster, uncover unexpected connections between different diseases, and focus development efforts on therapies most likely to help patients. The initial research will target some of the hardest-to-treat cancers, including pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

"Georgia Tech has the expertise to redefine what is possible in healthcare through AI. 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," said Jeffrey Skolnick, Regents' Professor and Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair in Computational Systems Biology at Georgia Tech.

Jeffrey Skolnick, Regents' Professor and Mary and Maisie Gibson Chair in Computational Systems Biology, Georgia Tech

How Will the Center Bridge Lab Discoveries to Patient Care?

• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: The Petit Center will operate under Georgia Tech's Institute for Data Engineering and Science and bring together researchers from across the university, working alongside clinical and healthcare organizations to close the gap between laboratory discoveries and practical clinical use.
• Infrastructure and Funding Support: Petit's commitment will fund advanced computing infrastructure, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, seed research grants, and annual programs that bring together leading researchers from around the world working at the intersection of AI and health.
• Future Research Expansion: Over time and with additional investments, the center's work is expected to expand into cancer biomarker discovery, healthy aging, advanced cellular therapies, and AI-supported healthcare systems.

The center builds on the success of Georgia Tech's existing Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, which already brings together more than 300 interdisciplinary faculty researchers, 13 research centers, and 1,300 trainees working on bioengineering and bioscience challenges.

"Medical innovation is one of the fastest-growing areas in Georgia Tech's research, and Pete Petit's commitment will help us further shape the future of medicine. This 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," said Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech.

Ángel Cabrera, President of Georgia Tech

Why Does This Matter Now?

The timing reflects a broader shift in how the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries view AI's role in drug discovery. While earlier AI applications focused on identifying drug targets or predicting protein structures, the real bottleneck has been translating those discoveries into treatments that actually work for patients. By building AI systems that can model disease progression at the cellular level, researchers hope to reduce the time and cost of bringing new therapies to market.

Petit, who has supported Georgia Tech since 1980, emphasized his belief in AI's transformative potential for healthcare. "Georgia Tech has long demonstrated its ability to solve complex challenges," he stated. "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".

The Petit Center's work represents a shift from AI as a tool for basic research toward AI as a bridge between discovery and clinical application, addressing one of the most persistent challenges in modern medicine: getting promising laboratory findings into the hands of patients who need them.