The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University has launched a new undergraduate minor in Digital Health this spring. This new program is led by Rice ECE faculty, Akane Sano, and Jose Moreto along with steering committee member, Joseph Cavallaro, who also chairs the ECE undergraduate program.
Digital health is a broad and interdisciplinary field that encompasses the use of digital technologies to monitor, manage, and enhance health outcomes. It spans telemedicine, assistive technologies, medical imaging, health equity, robotics, sensors, wearables, ingestible electronics, mobile health applications, and AI-driven healthcare solutions. Together, these technologies are transforming healthcare from episodic care to continuous care, making it more accessible, efficient, and personalized. By enhancing patient engagement, improving disease management, and supporting preventive care, digital health expands access while lowering costs and enabling delivery at a scale not previously possible.
Over the past several years, Rice University has built momentum in digital health. What began with the launch of its Digital Health Initiative in 2023 quickly evolved into the creation of the Digital Health Institute in 2024—a strategic partnership with Houston Methodist designed to address urgent healthcare challenges by harnessing AI, biomedical engineering, and integrated data systems. Building on that foundation, Rice expanded its commitment in 2025 with the launch of a new master’s program in Digital Health, positioning the university at the forefront of research, clinical innovation, and workforce development in this rapidly advancing field.
“With Rice University located at the heart of the world’s largest medical center and the Ion Innovation district — a technology and innovation park in Midtown Houston — our students have tremendous opportunities to collaborate with medical professionals in hospitals, universities and startups here and beyond,” Cavallaro said. “By launching a new minor in Digital Health, we aim to prepare a new generation of leaders with the technical expertise and domain knowledge to work seamlessly with clinicians and startup innovators, translating research into real-world impact across diagnostics, therapeutics, remote monitoring, and health equity.”
The minor offers two parallel tracks – one focused on devices and hardware used in digital health and the other focused on software and artificial intelligence networks controlling those devices. Both tracks will include core introductory courses, followed by electives that cover a broad range of topics, including ethics and psychology, and a final capstone course.
“While this minor may naturally resonate with students in electrical and computer engineering, statistics, bioengineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science, digital health has broad relevance and impact,” Sano said. “We’ve intentionally designed the program to be accessible to students across Rice who are interested in exploring careers in digital health, ensuring they can engage with and benefit from this rapidly evolving field.
It is expected that upon completing this minor, students will be able to:
- Design and implement technical solutions to real-world digital health problems.
- Integrate biomedical and health science knowledge in the design and evaluation of AI-based digital health solutions and communication with stakeholders.
- Assess regulatory, ethical, and privacy concerns specific to technologies applied to diagnostics and personalized medical devices.
A list of prerequisites and courses that are included in the minor program along with registration information can be found here.