Temple University School of Pharmacy (TUSP) has appointed Usha Sambamoorthi, PhD, as professor and associate dean for health outcomes research and AI innovation, effective January 2026.
An internationally recognized leader in health services, economics, and outcomes research with expertise in applications of Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), Dr. Sambamoorthi brings to Temple more than 35 years of academic and investigative experience. Her innovative vision for the future of technologically pharmacy education and research is defined by a commitment to using real-world datasets to solve the most pressing challenges in healthcare, including the ethical applications of AI/ML.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Sambamoorthi to the Temple family," said S. Suresh Madhavan, PhD, MBA, FAPhA, professor and dean, TUSP. "Her expertise at the intersection of health outcomes research and artificial intelligence positions our school at the cutting edge of pharmacy practice and policy, and her commitment to collaboration will help propel Temple University’s AI capabilities as a whole to new heights. Dr. Sambamoorthi brings an energy and productivity that elevates everyone around her - truly a rising tide that lifts all boats.”
Dr. Sambamoorthi joins Temple from the College of Pharmacy at The University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, where she most recently served as professor in the Pharmacotherapy Department. She also served as Associate Dean of Health Outcomes Research; Vashist Professor, Texas Center for Health Disparities; and HEARD Scholar, Texas Center for Health Disparities.
At Temple, Dr. Sambamoorthi will develop a 12-credit graduate certificate in applied health outcomes and artificial intelligence that is designed to upskill the healthcare workforce to interpret digital health data and appropriately apply AI methods in clinical, economic, and patient-centered outcomes. Her broader research program draws on complex real-world data ecosystems, including Medicare, Medicaid, commercial claims databases, disease registries, and national surveys, to address pressing challenges in health policy and clinical outcomes.
In 2022, Stanford University ranked her among the top 2% of scientists worldwide. This distinction reflects the depth and reach of her scholarly contributions, which include more than 335 peer-reviewed publications and a sustained record of external funding from the National Institutes for Health (NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and industry partners including Bayer, Sanofi, and Regeneron.
Among her most prominent recent contributions is her role as a multiple principal investigator for the nationwide AIM-AHEAD program, a $149 million NIH-funded effort to expand the application of AI and machine learning to low-resource communities across the country. She continues to lead AIM-AHEAD efforts as a co-director of consortium development research projects (FAIR-MED) and collaborative training programs (AIM-AHEAD FHIR), and currently collaborates with the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry on a research project funded by the NIH that focuses on utilizing AI in clinical practice and advancing health and medicine for all Americans.
A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Sambamoorthi has guided physicians and doctoral and master's students whose research has earned recognition from leading organizations such as ISPOR and Academy Health. She is also the recipient of the Steven Banks Award for Outstanding Research Mentoring from the American Public Health Association, among numerous other faculty honors.
Dr. Sambamoorthi is a sought-after domain expert in AI and health research. She has been an invited speaker, panelist, and presenter at academic, industry, and governmental conferences and hosted national workshops on AI research. Her vision for the future of healthcare is a "responsible AI" ecosystem where clinicians and researchers use data-driven insights to provide ethical, equitable, efficient, and effective care for all.
Dr. Sambamoorthi’s appointment underscores TUSP’s commitment to academic excellence, innovative leadership, and community impact in the training of the next generation of researchers to meet the challenges of an AI-driven healthcare landscape.