Zadie Moon is working toward a master’s in computer science at Northeastern’s Oakland campus. But that’s not her only focus. Moon—who didn’t touch a digital device until age 16—is also helping Assistant Teaching Professor Akram Bayat conduct research on using AI to train therapists who support patients with chronic diseases. 

Patients with diabetes and other illnesses often require support to manage their condition and the feelings of anxiety and depression that often come with it. One possibility for improving that support is an app that can help train more therapists and help more people. Another of Moon’s research goals is improving AI-generated patient personas to more accurately represent real people.

Moon and Bayat connected last fall, through research on how to mitigate bias in machine learning models that diagnose and manage chronic disease. 

As Bayat’s research apprentice, Moon is helping to explore how large language models can be used for therapist training and how to evaluate these tools for both accuracy and bias. “Our research contributes to the larger conversation on ensuring AI serves all populations fairly,” says Bayat. “Particularly those most at risk of being left behind.” 

For Moon, these opportunities allow her to pursue her two passions: technology and public health. They also help her prepare for a career in making health technology more accessible.