INDIANAPOLIS — Dr. Jill Inderstrodt, assistant professor at the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis, has been named a recipient of the highly competitive AIM-AHEAD Program for Artificial Intelligence Readiness (PAIR) award.
Dr. Inderstrodt and her colleagues, Dr. Kedir Turi, assistant professor of epidemiology at IU Bloomington, and Dr. Lalatendu Acharya, assistant professor of health sciences at IU Kokomo, are co-leading Indiana University’s new Better AI for a Strong Rural Maternal and Child Health Environment (BARE) Lab. Their work addresses critical maternal health needs in Indiana’s rural communities, where access to care is limited and maternal mortality remains among the highest in the nation.
“The BARE Lab will empower Indiana to address rural maternity care deserts through AI-driven solutions,” said Dr. Inderstrodt. “We’re honored to join a national network of scholars who are using artificial intelligence not just to advance science, but to improve lives.”
The BARE Lab team will receive intensive mentorship and training in the application and integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Their pilot project will develop a predictive AI tool to identify cardiometabolic complications during pregnancy, which disproportionately affect rural populations.
Cardiometabolic complications during pregnancy are health issues involving the heart and metabolism, often linked to pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. These complications can increase health risks for both mothers and their babies.
Over the two-year project period, the team will:
- Strengthen AI research infrastructure across IU campuses
- Engage rural students in maternal health research
- Co-create technology with communities for real-world use
“This award reinforces the Fairbanks School’s commitment to advancing health through interdisciplinary research and innovation,” said Dr. Inderstrodt. “It also exemplifies how universities can meaningfully partner with the communities they serve.”
The IU team will collaborate with AIM-AHEAD’s regional and national hubs, contributing to a growing effort to expand the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare and ensure broader access to its benefits.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the AIM-AHEAD initiative is designed to build an artificial intelligence and machine learning-ready workforce and improve health outcomes across the country. The PAIR program supports early-career researchers working on innovative data science challenges, with a focus on health.