nighttime exterior of the Emory University Hospital

Ecosystem

Emory at the Epicenter

Equirectangular map of the world

Emory is poised to become the epicenter for AI in health care. The university is home to an extensive network of world-class researchers and clinicians who are eager to implement medical AI. Emory and Georgia Tech share the No. 1–ranked Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

As part of the Emory community, the institute will capitalize on a close, reciprocal relationship with the university’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC), home to the most comprehensive health care system in Georgia. WHSC is robust and includes:

  • Emory Healthcare, an academic health system with 11 hospitals and more than 250 outpatient sites
  • Nearly 800,000 patients treated annually—a rich source of the massive amount of data required for AI in health
  • More than $1 billion in research awards in FY2023
  • Winship Cancer Center, whose 500+ faculty members received more than $90 million in research funding in 2022
  • Emory Global Health Institute, which has supported global health projects in nearly 100 countries

The Atlanta Advantage

While Emory University is a powerhouse, its location in the heart of Atlanta offers additional advantages to the institute:

  • The university is adjacent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a long-time Emory partner in national and global prevention and research initiatives. In the past decade, the university has received more than $180 million in CDC research funding.
  • Emory is one of four institutions in the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance, along with Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia. The alliance’s goal is to accelerate clinical and translational education, research, and community engagement to impact health in Georgia and beyond.
  • Atlanta boasts several top hospitals outside the WHSC system that can contribute vast data sets, including Northside Hospital Atlanta, Grady Memorial Hospital, the Shephard Center, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, among the nation's top-ranked hospitals, according to US News & World Report.
  • The VA Atlanta Healthcare System’s research program is closely affiliated with Emory and encompasses more than 400 research projects.
  • Georgia leads the nation with more than 225 health information technology companies, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
  • Atlanta is home to more than 360 healthcare technology startup companies, according to startup analytics company Tracxn.
  • Emory is in close proximity to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which serves domestic and international flights. Situated 10 miles south of Downtown Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson has been the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998.

Global Reach

three students posing outside

Emory Empathetic AI for Health Institute will foster worldwide collaborations with industry partners, medical institutions, and cooperatives.

As part of its “One Emory” strategic framework, Emory University strives to mobilize change globally using its strengths as a top-notch research university in tandem with Atlanta’s other dynamic institutions.

Together, Atlanta and Emory can serve as a gateway to the world, helping to improve conditions and provide accessible, high-quality care not only in Georgia and the southeastern United States but in developing countries and underserved rural areas of all partner countries that lack sufficient health care professionals and technologies.

Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) is already making a difference. More than 450 faculty members from 57 departments have participated in EGHI-related programs to empower communities and improve global health. AI.Health is poised to be a game-changer in global health too.