The Wayne State University School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development welcomes all members of our community to join us for a special interactive AI Webinar series: 

Artificial Intelligence: Foundations and Collaborative Opportunities

This webinar introduces the foundational principles underlying modern artificial intelligence and machine learning, clarifying how contemporary AI systems learn from data through optimization, layered representations, and large-scale computation. The session distinguishes between statistical pattern recognition and domain-informed inference, highlighting both the capabilities and limitations of current AI approaches in high-stakes research settings.

The speaker will also discuss collaborative opportunities across Wayne State University, including how the Institute for AI and Data Science (AiDaS) supports interdisciplinary research, grant development, methodological consultation, and responsible AI innovation. Faculty will gain insight into how AI expertise can strengthen biomedical research through structured collaboration that complements, rather than substitutes for, domain expertise.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the foundational mechanics of modern artificial intelligence.
• Distinguish between statistical pattern recognition and domain-informed scientific reasoning.
• Identify opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration through AiDaS.

When:  Thursday, March 26, 2026

Time: 12 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

Location: ZOOM

Moderators:

Teena Chopra, M.D., MPH
Assistant Dean of Faculty Development and Coaching, Clinical Professor and Director of Epidemiology and Antibiotic Stewardship

Basim Dubaybo, M.D.
Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs 

Guest Speaker:

Hengguang Li, PhD

Dr. Hengguang Li is Professor and Chair of Mathematics at Wayne State University and Director of the Institute for AI and Data Science (AiDaS). He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from The Pennsylvania State University. A scientific computing researcher, his work integrates numerical analysis, artificial intelligence, and large-scale optimization, with applications across science, engineering, and health-related research.

Dr. Li has served as Principal Investigator on multiple National Science Foundation grants and awards from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), and has led university-wide initiatives advancing interdisciplinary research and responsible AI innovation. An elected member of the Wayne State University Academy of Scholars, he has authored two books in scientific computing, and his collaborative projects span mathematics, science, engineering, medicine, education, and the humanities. As Director of AiDaS, he focuses on building collaborative frameworks that connect AI expertise with domain researchers to strengthen methodological rigor and translational impact.

Speakers: Have no commercial/financial relationships

Planning Committee Members: Basim Dubaybo, M.D. (Activity Director), Teena Chopra, M.D., Lauren Hamel, M.D., Radhika Gogoi, M.D., Kate Laimbeer and Kailah Weatherspoon have no commercial/financial relationships.

Target Audience: Wayne State University School of Medicine faculty, staff, medical students, fellow and residents

The Wayne State University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit (s) TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: This program is not related to specific diseases or conditions but rather deal exclusively with non-clinical medical education. Therefore, there are no potential conflicts of interest with ineligible companies as defined by ACCME, and there is no need to identify, disclose or mitigate commercial conflicts of interest.