The University of Utah , joined with internal entities, including Huntsman Cancer Institute , today expressed deep gratitude to the State of Utah for its visionary investment in major new health and technology initiatives, including support for the Utah Health Artificial Intelligence Vault (UHAIV) and advanced computing infrastructure. The investment will enable a new AI supercomputer that will be accessible to all state universities in Utah.
Together, these new investments, totaling more than $33 million, represent a defining moment for health and discovery—positioning the state to lead the nation in AI-enabled health innovation, while ensuring that impactful resources are stewarded responsibly and for the benefit of Utahns.
“This is a powerful example of what becomes possible when a state chooses to invest boldly in the health and future of its people,” said Taylor Randall , president of the University of Utah. “Utah’s leadership understands that world-class discovery, advanced computing, and responsible data stewardship are essential to improving the lives of patients, families, and communities across our state. We are deeply grateful for this partnership and the trust it represents, and we are committed to delivering innovation that serves the public good.”
Stewarding a One-of-a-Kind Public Resource
Central to this work is UHAIV—a plan to develop a secure, modern platform designed to unlock the next era of discovery from one of Utah’s most extraordinary public assets, the Utah Population Database (UPDB). For decades, the UPDB has supported landmark discoveries in cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other conditions.
UHAIV will modernize the UPDB to enable and develop advanced AI analytics within a secure environment, while maintaining the highest standards of privacy, data security, and ethical oversight.
Huntsman Cancer Institute will play a key stewardship role in advancing this initiative, ensuring that the power of AI is applied thoughtfully and responsibly to accelerate discovery. For more than two decades, Huntsman Cancer Institute has managed the UPDB. The UPDB has powered landmark advances in cancer genetics, including the identification of inherited risk genes for breast and ovarian cancer ( BRCA1 and BRCA2 ), melanoma ( CDKN2A/p16 ), and colon cancer ( APC )—discoveries that have reshaped cancer risk assessment, screening guidelines, and prevention worldwide, cementing Utah’s place as an internationally recognized contributor to pivotal health discoveries in cancer and other diseases.
However, current UPDB data architecture is not compatible with innovations in data science and AI. The UHAIV project will be a university-wide initiative, jointly managed by Bradley Cairns, PhD , CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute, and James Hotaling, MD , chief innovation officer at University of Utah Health. By pairing UHAIV with AI computational infrastructure, including Utah's new AI supercomputer, researchers will gain unprecedented capabilities to accelerate breakthroughs in prevention, early detection, personalized treatments, and survivorship across numerous diseases—while ensuring sensitive and private data remains protected.
The State of Utah’s complementary investment in advanced computing infrastructure significantly expands the university’s research capacity and establishes a foundation for a statewide AI ecosystem—one that supports researchers, clinicians, educators, and innovators across Utah. This supercomputer will be overseen by the university’s Center for High Performance Computing at the Scientific Computing Institute , led by Manish Parashar, PhD , chief AI officer at the University of Utah.
“Infrastructure is the engine behind AI-enabled innovation,” Parashar said. “We’re grateful the state recognizes these investments as essential to keeping Utah at the forefront of AI. Once these resources are online, researchers and entrepreneurs will be able to move from concept to application at scale much faster.”
These capabilities will accelerate discovery, strengthen Utah’s competitiveness in the life sciences, and support collaboration across institutions, disciplines, and communities—ensuring that the benefits of innovation extend beyond a single campus.
“Huntsman Cancer Institute is honored to help steward these initiatives,” said Cairns. “We take seriously both the opportunity and the responsibility that come with this investment, and we are committed to ensuring that it translates into meaningful advances for patients and families in Utah and beyond.”
Beyond scientific discovery, UHAIV and the AI supercomputer are expected to catalyze economic growth by enabling new public-private partnerships, supporting biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation, and creating high-skill, high-wage jobs across Utah’s life sciences and technology sectors.
“These investments are not just about technology,” said Bob Carter, MD, PhD , CEO of University of Utah Health. “They are about people—patients seeking better outcomes, families hoping for answers, and communities building a stronger future. Utah’s commitment makes that progress possible.”
“We are grateful for the state’s leadership and partnership,” said Peter Huntsman, chairman and CEO of Huntsman Cancer Foundation . “Together, we are building a future where discovery moves faster, care reaches farther, and innovation serves everyone.”
Peter and Brynn Huntsman and the Huntsman Family Foundation generously contributed $10 million to the University of Utah to catalyze the supercomputer project. Peter Huntsman worked closely with legislative leaders during the session to advocate for this initiative.
About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) is the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. With a legacy of innovative cancer research, groundbreaking discoveries, and world-class patient care, we are transforming the way cancer is understood, prevented, diagnosed, treated, and survived. Huntsman Cancer Institute focuses on delivering a cancer-free frontier to all communities in the area we serve . We have more than 400 open clinical trials and 300 research teams studying cancer at any given time. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center. Our scientists are world-renowned for understanding how cancer begins and using that knowledge to develop innovative approaches to treat each patient’s unique disease. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.