Schmidt Sciences Awards $1.95M Gift to Mount Sinai’s Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health to Establish The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Human Health Fellowship Program

The Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai announced a transformative $1.95 million gift from Schmidt Sciences to create The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Human Health Fellowship Program. The gift will support an inaugural cohort of five fellows over a three-year fellowship.

By leveraging AI and machine learning to tackle the increasing volume of data in health care, The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Human Health Fellows will play a pivotal role in advancing medical research. The program aims to attract exceptional talent in machine learning and applications in health care, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and providing a platform for groundbreaking research.

“Artificial intelligence has the ability to transform society, and there is no place where it can be better harnessed or more impactful than at Mount Sinai. And I continue to be inspired by the significant contributions that Schmidt Sciences is making to advance the scientific community,” says Thomas J. Fuchs, Dr.sc., Dean for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at Icahn Mount Sinai. “This gift aligns with our shared goal of attracting and developing the next generation of AI leaders to make a meaningful impact on scientific research and discovery, ultimately benefiting patients everywhere.”

The fellows will serve as instructors at Icahn Mount Sinai, focusing on specific projects while collaborating with Mount Sinai’s internationally renowned faculty. The fellows will also benefit from the Department’s commitment to creating an “intelligent fabric” that integrates machine learning and AI-driven decision-making throughout the Mount Sinai Health System, facilitating breakthroughs in disease prevention, treatment, and quality of life.

The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Human Health Fellowship Program seeks to accelerate AI research at Mount Sinai by cultivating a consistent influx of talented junior and senior faculty. Strengthened by strategic alliances with institutions such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cornell Tech, and other prominent universities, Mount Sinai is poised to enhance its ability to attract top-tier talent.

“AI has tremendous potential to change the process of scientific discovery and revolutionize health care. The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Human Health Fellowship Program aligns with our core mission at Schmidt Sciences to find the ideas, people, and techniques across disciplines of science and technology to catalyze results for society,” says Stu Feldman, Schmidt Sciences President and Chief Scientist. “It is a privilege to work with Mount Sinai on this initiative to enhance the AI knowledge of fresh thinkers and enable them to apply new technical approaches to medical care. I hope this new program can achieve real breakthroughs to benefit patients everywhere.”