National Nurses Week: SDSU nurse-scientist is transforming health care with AI

It’s National Nurses Week!

In honor of nurses—meet SDSU’s Rebecca Mattson, assistant professor in the School of Nursing whose research leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle some of today’s biggest health challenges.

As a nurse-scientist, Mattson develops AI tools to improve early detection of lung cancer and chronic conditions, linked to heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

“I chose nursing to offer care grounded in empathy, guided by knowledge, and aimed at creating lasting change,” Mattson said.

As co-investigator in the NIH-funded AIM-AHEAD program, she works closely with SDSU mathematics professor Uduak George, the project lead—who builds algorithms to train the AI model.  While Mattson conducts comprehensive reviews of existing detection data.

“Our goal is to integrate social, behavioral, and clinical data into one interpretable model—something providers can use during routine care to catch diseases sooner,” Mattson explained.

Mattson is also developing an AI-based website to provide personalized nutritional guidance for pregnant women, especially those with gestational diabetes or gestational hypertension.   She is currently recruiting survey participants.

“AI tools are about making healthcare more proactive, personalized, and accessible,” Mattson said. “They enhance human care, particularly in the hands of nurses.”

Read more about Mattson’s AI research projects on SDSU’s News Center.