Weil Institute partners with Taiwan’s largest healthcare provider on international scholarship exchange
Dr. Kuan-Fu Chen, an attending physician at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, will join Weil for a two-year fellowship to foster networking and enhance international research collaborations.
Contact:
Katelyn Murphy
Marketing Communications Specialist, Weil Institute
mukately@med.umich.edu
ANN ARBOR, MI – The Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation announced the launch of a critical care scholarship exchange initiative in partnership with Taiwan’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare provider--Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
As part of this exchange, Kuan-Fu Chen, MD, PhD, Professor of the College of Intelligent Computing at Chang Gung University, will join the Weil Institute for two years, where he will learn from Weil’s approach to AI-related research and will also plan new projects and apply for grants with Weil’s core teams.
“I am particularly eager to learn from the Weil Institute's immersion program, where engineering experts, trainees and clinical researchers collaborate and learn from each other,” said Dr. Chen. “It’s rare to find such a multidisciplinary and integrated environment like that created by the Weil Institute.”
"Our aim is to deepen our collaboration, expand our research efforts on a global scale and achieve more substantial outcomes through this fellowship. Through ongoing conversations and collaborations, I believe we can make more relevant, meaningful and impactful contributions to society."
Kuan-Fu Chen, MD, PhD
Professor, College of Intelligent Computing, Chang Gung University
An attending physician and physician-scientist in emergency medicine, Dr. Chen’s research interests lie in clinical prediction, diagnostic medicine, critical care and data science, with his work focusing heavily on the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases such as sepsis and influenza in emergency departments. Recently, Dr. Chen’s work involved the validation of the Chang Gung Research Database, leveraging the healthcare system that accounts for one-tenth of Taiwan's total health expenditure. His recent publications have also focused on applying machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms, two areas he is keen to continue focusing on as he works with the Weil Institute’s Data Science team.
Ultimately, Dr. Chen’s goal through this fellowship is to foster networking and friendships that will further enhance collaboration between the University of Michigan and the Chang Gung Medical Foundation.
U-M and Chang Gung have been actively collaborating since July of 2015, when Dr. Joseph C. Kolars, Senior Associate Dean for Education and Global Initiatives, visited Chang Gung. Later that year, Drs. Ming-Huei Cheng and Ji-Hong Hong, both vice presidents of Chang Gung, lead a delegation for a reciprocated visit to U-M. This laid the foundation for future cooperation, with an official academic Memorandum of Understanding signed during a joint seminar between the two institutions in 2016.
It was at this symposium that Dr. Kevin Ward, executive director of the Weil Institute (then MCIRCC), met Dr. Chen, and the idea for what would become the new fellowship took root.
“My trip to Chang Gung, really had an impact on me,” said Dr. Ward. “As I toured the hospital and met colleagues like Dr. Chen, it was clear how many of the same challenges we faced, though separated by such a distance. Big data and medical AI were just beginning to come into focus. It’s gratifying for the Weil Institute to be able to host Dr. Chen and to contribute to his goal of using AI to innovate and elevate the care of the critically ill and injured.”
“When I met Dr. Ward, we discussed the importance of not just dreaming up international projects but actively pursuing them with a commitment to making a significant impact,” said Dr. Chen. “Our aim is to deepen our collaboration, expand our research efforts on a global scale and achieve more substantial outcomes through this fellowship. Through ongoing conversations and collaborations, I believe we can make more relevant, meaningful and impactful contributions to society.”
About the Weil Institute
The team at the Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation is dedicated to pushing the leading edge of research to develop new technologies and novel therapies for the most critically ill and injured patients. Through a unique formula of innovation, integration and entrepreneurship that was first imagined by Weil, their multi-disciplinary teams of health providers, basic scientists, engineers, data scientists, commercialization coaches, donors and industry partners are taking a boundless approach to re-imagining every aspect of critical care medicine. For more information, visit weilinstitute.med.umich.edu.