Illinois State University faculty and student researchers are helping drive the future of healthcare innovation through a newly recognized partnership with Healthy Tray, an Illinois-based digital health startup that is transforming how hospitals measure and manage patient nutrition.
Healthy Tray recently received an Illinois Innovation Voucher from the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC), a competitive award designed to connect innovative Illinois companies with the state’s leading research institutions. The award will support the continued development and validation of Healthy Tray’s artificial intelligence-powered food imaging platform through a collaborative effort involving Illinois State University and OSF HealthCare St. Francis Medical Center.
At Illinois State, the project is led by Dr. Julie Schumacher from the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and Dr. Abdelmounaam Rezgui from the School of Information Technology. The University is collaborating with Healthy Tray on a project titled “An AI-Powered Technology for Accurate Nutrition Intake.”
The technology aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of nutrition monitoring in healthcare settings. By leveraging artificial intelligence and food imaging technology, the platform is designed to provide real-time insights into patient food consumption, helping healthcare providers better understand nutritional intake and make more informed decisions about patient care.
The Illinois Innovation Voucher award underscores the important role Illinois State University plays in connecting research expertise with industry partners to solve real-world challenges. Through the project, Illinois State faculty and student researchers will contribute their knowledge and technical skills while gaining valuable experience working on an emerging healthcare technology with the potential for widespread clinical impact.
“Healthy Tray is honored and grateful to the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, Illinois State University, and OSF HealthCare St. Francis Medical Center for their academic and clinical partnership and shared commitment to advancing healthcare innovation,” said Michele Peplinski, founder and CEO of Healthy Tray. “This award is an exciting milestone that demonstrates the power of bringing together entrepreneurial vision, academic research, and clinical expertise to address real-world healthcare challenges. Together, we are working to redefine how nutrition is measured and managed in hospitals, positioning real-time nutrition data as essential to patient care and advancing the future of Food Is Medicine in Illinois and beyond.”
Partnerships such as this demonstrate the University’s commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and applied research. By working alongside industry leaders and healthcare professionals, Illinois State researchers are helping accelerate the translation of new ideas into practical solutions that benefit communities throughout Illinois and beyond.
The collaboration also highlights the power of bringing together diverse expertise. Healthy Tray provides entrepreneurial vision and technological innovation, Illinois State University contributes research and academic excellence, and OSF HealthCare St. Francis Medical Center offers clinical expertise and real-world healthcare insight. Together, these partners are working to advance a technology that could redefine how nutrition is measured and managed in hospitals.
As the project moves forward, the ISTC award serves as both recognition of the team’s accomplishments and an investment in the future of healthcare innovation. It reflects the growing impact of Illinois State University faculty and student researchers who continue to play a vital role in developing solutions that address complex challenges and improve lives through research, collaboration, and discovery.