BU Experts Develop AI Surveillance System to Enhance Pandemic Preparedness
Five years after COVID-19 shut down the world, Director of the BU Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering and CISE faculty affiliate and professor Yannis Paschalidis (ECE, SE, BME, CDS) is studying how prepared we are for the next outbreak. Alongside Boston University infectious diseases expert Nahid Bhadelia, the two are developing an AI-powered global surveillance program called Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network, or BEACON, which is designed to detect pandemic outbreaks early and help optimize response strategies.
By analyzing real-time data from sources like hospitals, travel patterns, and climate conditions, BEACON identifies potential outbreaks before they grow to dangerous levels. Unlike traditional surveillance methods, which often rely on tedious government reporting, BEACON processes vast amounts of data quickly, giving public health officials a crucial head start and encouraging a more global response.
Paschalidis and Bhadelia believe the system could be a game-changer in pandemic preparedness by helping experts pinpoint high-risk areas, allocate resources more effectively, and tailor responses to specific communities rather than applying blanket restrictions.
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