The School of Information is celebrating Dr. Zhe He, who was awarded a one-year $280,000 research grant from the National a2 Pilot Awards Competition hosted annually by the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratories (AITC) for Aging Research Program and funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
In 2025, the NIA designated $40 million to support around 30 pilot projects that utilize artificial intelligence to enhance healthcare for the elderly. Dr. He’s a2 Pilot Grant, “Developing a Multi-Agent AI System for Explaining Lab Results to Older Adults,” is the third grant awarded to Dr. He for his ongoing research project, LabGenie: an AI-powered patient engagement tool designed to help older adults better understand their laboratory test results.
“This recognition underscores the importance of addressing the unique challenges older adults and their caregivers face in interpreting lab test results,” Dr. He said.
Dr. He was first involved with the NIA through his research in health informatics and aging, where he collaborated with teams of clinicians, behavioral scientists, and computer scientists on aging-related grants and projects. Dr. He has also been awarded two additional grants from the NIA—an R21 grant and an R01 grant—for his work on data-driven clinical trial optimization and AI-based personalized technologies.
“The NIA has been very forward-looking in supporting innovative solutions that integrate technology into the aging space, and their priorities align closely with my research mission,” Dr. He said.
Looking ahead, Dr. He hopes that LabGenie will become a multi-agent system that goes beyond interpreting lab results, adding components such as symptom data collection, contextual insight generation, patient portal integration, and shared decision-making support. Alongside his research team, Dr. He will continue to focus on making 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 patients with varying health literacy levels and improve outcomes, especially for older adults with multiple chronic conditions,” Dr. He said.