University of Utah Health has earned Level 10 recognition in CHIME’s 2026 Digital Health Most Wired Survey for its work in advancing digitally enabled care. The organization has also received board approval to purchase land in Salt Lake City’s Power District to accommodate a new, larger Redwood Health Center.
Recent medical developments at the institution include research into how bacteria fight viruses and the use of machine learning to analyze gene regulation, which may help pinpoint DNA changes behind hereditary diseases. Additionally, researchers are combining genetic studies of Utah families with AI-based molecular biology tools to seek new medications for osteoarthritis.
The university has also engaged in several large-scale initiatives, such as a $30 million award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to study treatments for alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Furthermore, the institution has joined a state initiative to advance the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
The University of Utah recently dedicated the $215 million Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine to expand physician training and research. In other developments, the institution is celebrating 25 years as Utah’s first nationally verified Level I Trauma Center and the 40th anniversary of the Utah Cardiac Transplant Program.
Looking ahead, Laura B. Dunn, MD, is scheduled to become the chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, effective Dec. 1, 2026.
