UMD Researchers Will Use AI to Help Boost HPV Vaccine Confidence

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is one of the few vaccines proven to prevent cancer—so why have only 61% of teens 13–17 and far lower percentages of younger children received the potentially life-saving shots?

A new project led by University of Maryland communication Professor Xiaoli Nan aims to change those discouraging statistics by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to help parents make informed choices.

Backed by a $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, Nan and an interdisciplinary team of researchers are developing a personalized, AI-driven chatbot that tailors health information to parents’ specific concerns and communication styles.

“This vaccine is safe, effective and prevents several types of cancer, but many parents still hesitate,” Nan said. “We’re using AI to help meet them where they are and make sure they feel supported in the decision-making process.”  

The project also includes Cheryl Knott and Min Qi Wang, professors of behavioral and community health in the School of Public Health, Philip Resnik, an affiliate faculty of the Department of Computer Science and an MPower Professor of linguistics, and Clement Adebamowo and Shana Ntiri, M.D., from the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. 

Recommended for adolescents as early as age 9, the HPV vaccine is widely endorsed by physicians as a safe and lasting defense against cancers of the anus, cervix, throat and other areas. But misinformation, stigma and distrust have slowed its widespread adoption, said Knott, who is also associate director of community outreach and engagement at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stuart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore. 

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