Gregory Abowd, Distinguished Professor in the School of Interactive Computing, has been named interim director of the Health Systems Institute (HSI) at Georgia Tech. Abowd will oversee HSI while a committee headed by Associate Director Don Giddens, dean of the College of Engineering, leads an international search for a new director.

HSI is a joint research effort that includes Tech, Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. According to the Institute’s website, HSI brings together the expertise of many disciplines at Georgia Tech and Emory to foster the development and implementation of new interdisciplinary and collaborative research, education, and outreach programs. The Institute’s goal is to transform healthcare delivery systems and lead the nation away from a system that is ineffective, reactive and focused on disease and toward one that is more cost-effective, pro-active and focused on health- and wellness.