Team Research

We propose to form an interdisciplinary research team at UGA focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR) as foundational technologies for transforming learning, clinical decision-making, and communication across health professions (i.e., “XAIR”). This addresses a critical need in health professions education and practice: the systematic integration of advanced technologies with evidence-based pedagogical approaches, clinical reasoning frameworks, and health communication strategies. Our approach positions AI and XR not as supplementary tools but as core unifying technologies that enable new models of knowledge acquisition, clinical reasoning, and patient-provider interaction. Central to this effort is team building and infrastructure development to support sustained interdisciplinary collaboration across pharmacy, education, veterinary medicine, engineering, communication, medicine, and artificial intelligence. This foundation will establish a preliminary research agenda connecting team science activities to competitive federal funding opportunities and position UGA faculty as national leaders at the intersection of advanced learning technologies and health professions.

Pre-seed funding will support four evidence-based team formation activities. First, structured laboratory visits across all team facilities will enable systematic assessment of research capabilities, identification of technological synergies, and development of shared research agendas. Second, participation in Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (CTSA) team science training will provide our interdisciplinary team with validated frameworks for collaborative research, communication strategies, and conflict resolution mechanisms essential for sustained partnership. Third, we will engage in strategic engagement with medical centers through two complementary approaches: (a) visits to institutions where team members have existing collaborations (including Emory University, TIRR Memorial Hermann, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital) to leverage these established relationships and showcase the full team’s advanced technology capabilities, and (b) targeted outreach to Georgia-based medical centers and health facilities to identify potential collaborators and generate local enthusiasm for expanded collaborative research initiatives. Fourth, we will develop a website as a comprehensive digital platform to establish our research identity, showcase collective expertise, and provide infrastructure for ongoing collaboration and external engagement. These activities will yield a unified framework positioning XAIR at the center of health professions research and inform competitive proposals, for example, to NSF 25-542 (Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence), NIMH PAR-23-095 (Innovative Mental Health Services Research), and DoD HT942523SBAA1 (Extramural Medical Research).

Team Lead

Schmidt, Matthew
ms18131@uga.edu 
College: Mary Frances Early College of Education

Team Members

Lamb, Richard
Richard.Lamb@uga.edu
College: College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) / College of Pharmacy (COP)
Department: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology / Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy (CAP)

Lu, Jie
jlu@uga.edu
College: Mary Francis Early College of Education (MFCOE)
Department: Workforce Education and Instructional Technology (WEIT) 

Kim, Eunice
sj.eunicekim@uga.edu
College: College of Pharmacy (COP) / College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
Department: Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy (CAP) / Department of Physiology and Pharmacology

Doshi, Prashant
pdoshi@uga.edu
College: Franklin College of Arts and Sciences / College of Engineering
Department: School of Computing

Johnsen, Kyle
kjohnsen@uga.edu
College: College of Engineering
Department: School of Electrical & Computer Engineering 

Ahn, Sun Joo (Grace)
sjahn@uga.edu
College: Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
Department: Department of Advertising and Public Relations 

Brownfield, Erica
erica.brownfield@uga.edu
College: School of Medicine
Department: Department of Internal Medicine

Hill, Jannette
janette@uga.edu
College: Mary Francis College of Education (MFCOE) / School of Medicine
Department: Workforce Education and Instructional Technology (WEIT) / Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences

Cabellero, Joshua
joshua.caballero@uga.edu
College: College of Pharmacy
Department: Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy (CAP)

Fulford, Michael
mfulford@uga.edu
College: College of Pharmacy
Department: Dean’s Office

Smith, Susan
Susan.Smith@uga.edu
College: College of Pharmacy
Department: Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy (CAP)