University of Florida researchers are part of a new $21.5 million National Science Foundation AI institute that will develop systems to personalize rehabilitation and speed patient recovery. The five-year grant establishes the NSF AI Institute for Human-AI Cooperation (HAIC), led by the University of Delaware, with UF, Delaware State University, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania collaborating on the effort.
UF's work focuses on the interface of AI, neuroscience, and clinical care, a prime example of AI for Healthcare. The goal is to create AI systems that can interpret complex multimodal data and adapt treatments to individual patients, particularly for conditions affecting motor control. "This will help tremendously with rehabilitation," said Jose C. Principe, distinguished professor and UF co-principal investigator. "We expect to improve both the effectiveness of treatment and the speed at which patients recover."
Interdisciplinary expertise drives the research
Principe, a pioneer in brain-computer interfaces and computational neuroscience, will lead efforts to integrate neural data with adaptive AI systems. He is joined by:
- Sean Meyn, Ph.D., an expert in reinforcement learning, who will focus on developing adaptive algorithms to improve brain-computer interface performance
- Joel Harley, Ph.D., who specializes in physics-based AI and will help design models that predict movement and support rehabilitation pathways
- Jie Fu, Ph.D., an expert in control theory and robotics, who will lead efforts to translate AI methods into clinical applications
- Yuheng Bu, Ph.D., whose expertise in information theory and statistics will help ensure the reliability and performance of AI systems
HiPerGator supercomputer accelerates AI health models
A key component of UF's contribution is the use of HiPerGator, one of the nation's most powerful university-owned supercomputers. The system will process large volumes of health data and accelerate the development of advanced AI models. "This gives us the ability to use HiPerGator in a very prestigious application in AI," Principe said. "We have the infrastructure, and this allows us to push it further into cutting-edge health research."
Training the next generation of AI health researchers
In addition to advancing core technologies, including digital twins, intelligent sensing systems and AI-enabled virtual coaching, the institute will serve as a national hub for training students, researchers and health professionals in AI-enabled health care. The institute's training mission and interdisciplinary research demonstrate how AI for Science & Research can be applied to complex clinical challenges.
Why this matters for Science and Research
The HAIC institute shows how coordinated, well-funded AI research can move from theoretical models to tangible clinical applications. For researchers, the project highlights the value of combining expertise in reinforcement learning, control theory, and neuroscience, supported by high-performance computing, to tackle real-world problems. The institute's focus on measurable outcomes-like faster recovery times-and its commitment to human-centered design provide a template for future AI research initiatives.
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