PC3I Faculty Farouk Dako and Fellow Satvik Tripathi Receive Google.org Health AI Grant to Advance Equitable Lung Disease Care
April 1, 2026
PC3I Faculty Farouk Dako, MD and PC3I Fellow Satvik Tripathi have received a $110,000 grant from Google.org through its Health AI call to support a new initiative focused on advancing equitable, patient-centered care in low- and middle-income countries. The project is being conducted in collaboration with RAD-AID International and the University of Pennsylvania, with Ameena Elahi and James Gee, serving as Co-Principal Investigators.
Limited access to diagnostic imaging and radiology services remains a major barrier to care in many parts of the world, particularly in the African Region. Around two-thirds of the global population lacks access to essential medical imaging, contributing to delays in diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as tuberculosis and other lung diseases.
To address these challenges, the research team will implement Google’s MedGemma multimodal AI model to translate fragmented clinical and imaging information into more patient-friendly, culturally sensitive formats. Working closely with Penn Radiology and the Botswana–UPenn Partnership (BUP), the team will pilot AI-assisted triage and structured reporting tools, alongside culturally adapted, multilingual patient-friendly summaries.
These tools are designed to support earlier identification of lung disease, improve clinical workflow efficiency, and strengthen communication between providers and patients across diverse care settings. By integrating AI into clinical workflows, the project aims to make complex medical information more accessible and understandable for patients while supporting more efficient care delivery.
Pilot deployment will take place at partner sites in Botswana. A key component of the project will focus on capacity building and knowledge transfer, ensuring that AI tools can be sustainably integrated into existing clinical workflows and effectively used by local healthcare teams.
This project has the potential to significantly expand access to high-quality lung disease care in resource-constrained settings, while generating important insights into how emerging technologies can be implemented to expand access, improve efficiency, and support more equitable healthcare globally.
Featured PC3I Faculty:
Satvik Tripathi
Researcher, Department of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine
