The 2025 issue of Rice Engineering and Computing Magazine is here!
In our 50th anniversary issue, we celebrate the deep and growing connection between engineering and computing. From our early breakthroughs in high-performance computing to today’s advances in AI and data science, Rice has long been at the forefront of computing innovation. This edition highlights some of the people, ideas, and investments shaping what’s next.
Rice and Houston Methodist Launch Digital Health Institute
Rice University and Houston Methodist have partnered to establish the Digital Health Institute, an innovative initiative aimed at revolutionizing health care through cutting-edge technology and collaborative expertise. This multi-year partnership combines Houston Methodist’s research and academic resources with Rice’s leadership in engineering, digital health, and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop solutions that enhance patient and population health, operational efficiency, and access to care.
The institute’s primary goal is to advance research and development in digital health while training the next generation of leaders in this field. By turning innovative ideas into scalable solutions, the collaboration seeks to address major healthcare challenges and ensure long-term progress.
Leading the initiative are Rice’s Ashutosh Sabharwal, the Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Houston Methodist’s Dr. Khurram Nasir, the William A. Zoghbi Centennial Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine and division chief of cardiovascular prevention and wellness.
“This partnership embodies Rice’s bold vision to lead at the forefront of innovation in health and responsible AI,” said Rice President Reginald DesRoches. “By combining our strengths with Houston Methodist, we are creating a transformative platform to address critical challenges in health care with solutions that are ethical, accessible, and impactful.”
This collaboration builds on a history of successful projects between Houston Methodist and Rice, such as the Center for Neural Systems Restoration launched in 2024 and the Center for Human Performance established in 2022.
Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist, emphasized that this new initiative has the potential to be the most impactful of the shared efforts between Houston Methodist and Rice University to drive innovation at the intersection of health care and technology.
The Digital Health Institute will focus on several key areas, including developing AI algorithms to enable early detection of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and infections. By using predictive analytics and real-time monitoring, the institute seeks to identify and prevent health events such as strokes and heart failure. Additionally, researchers will work on creating new sensors, wearables, and ingestibles to enhance remote monitoring and care options for patients.
Another major area of focus is personalized medicine. Using machine learning, the institute plans to develop models that create individualized health profiles based on various factors, such as social, environmental, and genetic data. This approach will optimize patient care by tailoring treatment to each person’s unique circumstances. The collaboration will also explore new imaging technologies that provide deeper diagnostic insights and assistive technologies designed to reduce healthcare disparities across different populations.