When the University of Pittsburgh hosted the 2025 Global Innovation Summit Oct. 20–21, Pitt Public Health leaders joined peers from education, business, science and technology to explore the future of health and innovation.
The summit, “Forging the Future: The Intersection of Health, AI and Tech,” featured panels, innovation spotlights, site visits and discussions focused on how artificial intelligence is shaping future policy, education and health care.
The event followed the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils’ (GFCC) annual conference, also held at Pitt on Sunday, Oct. 19, and was hosted in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University.
In opening remarks, Chancellor Joan Gabel highlighted Pittsburgh as one of the world’s top 20 most innovative university ecosystems, noting that Pitt attracts “the best innovators and leaders and high-value investments and partners.”
School of Public Health Dean Maureen Lichtveld moderated “Unlocking the Promises of Health Technologies for Economic Growth,” which brought together international experts from government, academia and industry.
Suresh Kuchipudi, chair of the school’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, discussed how artificial intelligence and integrated data systems are transforming public health practice. His session explored how diverse data sources — such as genomic, environmental and clinical information — can be combined to predict health risks and target interventions with greater accuracy.
An interactive simulation of an H5N1 bird flu outbreak in Allegheny County illustrated how predictive modeling can guide timely, evidence-based decisions and underscored the value of data in strengthening preparedness, response and resource allocation for communities facing emerging health threats.
Both sessions demonstrated how technological innovation can drive public health advancement and economic resilience and reflected Pitt Public Health’s ongoing commitment to advancing research, policy and partnerships that strengthen health systems worldwide.
-Joe Barreto