The University of Hawaii has launched a major artificial intelligence research initiative designed to tackle health challenges specific to Pacific Island populations, with $12 million in federal funding over five years. The Pacific Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science in Medicine (PAC-AID) will integrate AI and advanced data analysis into biomedical research to improve health outcomes in Hawaii and the broader Pacific region, while also developing the next generation of AI-focused medical researchers.

What Health Problems Is PAC-AID Designed to Solve?

PAC-AID addresses a critical gap in medical research: many health conditions affecting Pacific Islander and Asian populations remain understudied compared to other demographic groups. The center will focus on cancer prevention and treatment, chronic disease management, and other conditions that disproportionately affect Hawaii's communities. Initial research projects include AI-driven work on skin lesion detection, pancreatic cancer in Native Hawaiian and Japanese populations, environmental toxicant effects on fetal development, and genetic traits in congenital heart disease.

One flagship project already underway involves John Shepherd, the center's principal investigator and chief scientific officer at the UH Cancer Center, who leads the Hawaii and Pacific Islands Mammography Registry. Shepherd is using a massive breast imaging database to develop AI biomarkers that predict cancer risk specifically for Asian and Pacific Islander women, a population often excluded from earlier medical research.

"This COBRE award provides the critical infrastructure to bridge advanced AI computational methods with our specific clinical and community health challenges. By fostering a collaborative environment for our investigators, we are equipping them with the technical capabilities to tackle the most persistent health disparities in our islands and turn complex data into actionable health solutions," said John Shepherd, principal investigator and chief scientific officer at the UH Cancer Center.

John Shepherd, Principal Investigator and Chief Scientific Officer, UH Cancer Center

How Will PAC-AID Build AI Research Capacity in Hawaii?

• Medical AI Core Infrastructure: The center will renovate the UH Cancer Center Data Center to establish a new Medical AI Core (MedAI Core) with advanced, high-performance computing resources and AI expertise available to researchers across disciplines.
• Direct Research Funding: PAC-AID will directly fund four major inaugural research projects and establish a Pilot Projects Program to support more than eight new, locally relevant pilot studies addressing regional health challenges.
• Workforce Development: The five-year award includes mechanisms to support the next generation of faculty investigators, with the goal of developing six to eight early-stage faculty members who will use AI and data science to address cancer and chronic disease outcomes.
• Collaborative Network: The center, physically located within both the UH Cancer Center and the John A. Burns School of Medicine on the shared Kakaako campus, will serve as a central hub integrating AI into biomedical research across institutions.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the $12 million grant through its Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program, with the award administered by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The five-year funding runs through February 2031.

What's the Expected Economic and Research Impact?

The center's leadership has set ambitious benchmarks for success. Shepherd explained that the expected impact extends well beyond the initial $12 million investment. The four initially funded faculty projects, plus two to four additional projects expected to graduate in year three, are projected to later achieve independent NIH R01 (Research 01 level university) funding at an estimated $3.25 million per award. This represents a projected $19.5 million in additional federal research funding returned to Hawaii on top of the initial COBRE award itself, for a combined potential economic and research impact of more than $31 million for Hawaii's research and healthcare workforce in the first five-year period alone.

"AI has the potential to unlock major medical breakthroughs and help people live healthier lives, and we need to take advantage of it. This new funding will help Hawaii continue to attract top-tier talent and develop treatments and cures that will benefit people across the state," said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, who played a pivotal role in securing the grant.

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz

Beyond research outcomes, the center is expected to generate high-paying jobs that will benefit local communities. University of Hawaii leadership emphasized that PAC-AID represents a vital expansion of the university's mission to translate innovation into meaningful impact. Vassilis Syrmos, incoming chancellor of UH Manoa, noted that the center will enable faculty to harness AI to pioneer new avenues of biomedical inquiry that were previously unreachable, solidifying the university's role as a global leader in health innovation.

PAC-AID joins a growing portfolio of NIH-funded Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence at UH Manoa, including the Diabetes Research Center, Integrative Center for Precision Nutrition and Human Health, and the Integrative Center for Environmental Microbiomes and Human Health. The COBRE Phase 1 grant program is designed to have a 15-year cycle, meaning PAC-AID's impact will extend well beyond the initial five-year funding period.