Generative AI in Healthcare: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path Forward

ISP Forum on Friday, October 16, 2026! Lunch and refreshments start at noon, with the forum from 12:30–1:30 PM, in SENSQ 5317. We will be featuring Yanshan Wang. Dr. Wang is Vice Chair of Research and Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of AI in the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). He directs the Clinical NLP & AI Innovation Laboratory (PittNAIL), where his research focuses on generative AI, natural language processing, large language models, and AI infrastructure and applications in healthcare and biomedical research. See talk details below.

Abstract: Generative artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs), is rapidly reshaping healthcare and biomedical research. From clinical documentation and decision support to patient communication, clinical research, and knowledge discovery, generative AI offers new opportunities to augment healthcare professionals, improve efficiency, and accelerate innovation. However, translating these advances into real-world healthcare settings introduces substantial challenges, including bias, evaluation, and responsible integration into clinical workflows. This talk will provide an overview of the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI in healthcare, highlighting emerging applications and lessons learned from developing and evaluating LLM-powered clinical systems. It will discuss approaches for building and evaluating generative AI and AI agents in healthcare. Finally, the talk will explore the challenges and path forward toward responsible implementation of generative AI in healthcare.

Bio: Dr. Yanshan Wang is Vice Chair of Research and Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of AI in the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). He directs the Clinical NLP & AI Innovation Laboratory (PittNAIL), where his research focuses on generative AI, natural language processing, large language models, and AI infrastructure and applications in healthcare and biomedical research. Dr. Wang has held national leadership roles in biomedical informatics, including the AMIA Natural Language Processing Working Group. His research focuses on developing scalable and trustworthy AI systems, including large language models, agentic and multi-agent AI architectures, clinical NLP technologies, and rigorous evaluation frameworks. His work aims to translate advances in AI into practical solutions for clinical decision support, clinical and translational research, and patient care.