SHU Professor Publishes Book on AI in Health Care

Collection of articles bridges gap between technology and medical field

Sacred Heart University Professor Tolga Kaya recently published his first textbook, Explainable AI in Healthcare: Unboxing Machine Learning for Biomedicine, a collection of articles about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine.

The book presents information about technology and medicine in a way that people in both fields can understand. Each article presents timely information about matters relevant to health care, including advances in the use of computers and machines for diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive medicine. “The variety of topics in the book, from computer vision to health care privacy, will allow students and researchers to gain a diverse understanding of AI and its implementations,” Kaya said.

Ten researchers with backgrounds in computer science, engineering, exercise science and athletic training, along with professional coaches and athletes, contributed to the book. “The process was rewarding and allowed us, the editors, to learn from each field and author,” he said.

The textbook took about two years to complete. “The biggest challenge was staying within the focus of the book, which is explainable AI, because each author had so much information they wanted to share,” said Kaya.

Kaya has written more than 40 peer-reviewed journals and more than 100 conference papers. He has a diverse research background, including studies on hydration and wearable devices to monitor athletes’ physiology. A professor in SHU’s Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, he teaches engineering and computer science courses.

Kaya expects that Explainable AI in Healthcare will benefit students and professionals alike. “The book can be used as a reference for data analytics, bioinformatics and machine learning classes. I believe it will help both students and researchers who work or plan to start working on AI in biomedicine,” he said.