Research Areas

NEW special interest areas in fourth annual competition

Biology of Aging

The JH AITC is seeking proposals that use AI to model biological and phenotypic dynamics of aging and AD/ADRD. Data types include: deep phenotyping, diverse-omic data, and multimodal data. Focus areas include:

  • AI, machine learning for aging and AD/ADRD studies
  • Multi-scale data analysis
  • Innovative analysis of datasets that contain both molecular and phenotypical data
  • Validation of computational models

The JH AITC welcomes applications from investigators with engineering, medicine, rehabilitation, therapy, social work, nutrition, nursing, public health, or business backgrounds and proposes funding approximately $475,000 for pilot projects in 2024. Proposed budgets can range from $10,000–200,000 over one to two years.  Applicants from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, members of minoritized communities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Acceptable proposals have strong AI and machine learning technology focus, as well as direct relevance to aging or AD/ADRD. Data access must be established or use of public data resources (such as UKBB) must be planned. Testable hypothesis, predictive model, or clear use case for the computational model must be presented.

Suggested Research Themes

  • AI-driven biological clocks
  • Machine learning analyses of aging hallmarks
  • Impact of metabolic changes on aging
  • Patient subtying from molecular data
  • Temporal AI/ML models of phenotype and molecular changes during aging
  • Analyzing interventions for healthy aging and candidate drug targets for AD/ADRD

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia

RFP

The Johns Hopkins Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory (JH AITC) is seeking proposals that facilitate the rapid development and implementation of novel artificial intelligence or technology solutions that improve the health and well-being of older persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD).

The JH AITC welcomes applications from investigators with engineering, clinical, nursing, medicine, rehabilitation, therapy, social work, nutrition, public health, and business backgrounds and proposes funding approximately $1,000,000 for pilot projects in 2024. Proposed budgets can range from $10,000–200,000 over one to two years. Applicants from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, members of minoritized communities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Acceptable proposals must demonstrate some viable pathway toward product development and must prioritize the use of engineering- or AI-based approaches such as robotics, machine learning, big data analytics, image and biometric scanning, speech and natural language processing, integrated platforms, mobile/smart devices and applications, or nanobiotechnologies. Emergent technologies, as well as the adaptation of existing technologies or AI approaches to address a novel ADRD-related problem, are encouraged. Proposals are expected to describe plans for pre-competitive data sharing in a consortium data commons and the National Institute on Aging archive.

Areas of programmatic interest for funding in this area, along with examples of potential projects, are listed in the tab to the left.

Areas of Interest

Patient Care and Engagement

  • Use of integrated platforms to enhance communication among older adults, their advocates, and their health care providers
  • Use of sensing technology/smart devices within home, clinic, hospital, or long-term care facility environments to detect, triage, and alert to changes in physical, behavioral, and cognitive status
  • Validation and assessment of methods for assessing, monitoring, and alleviating behavioral or neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia (e.g., wandering, distress, paranoia)
  • AI-based precision dementia care planning using electronic health record (EHR) data analytics

System Management and Administration

  • Analytics to detect health care disparities in given populations of older adults (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual minority, disability)
  • Population health monitoring of panels of older adults living with ADRD
  • Predictive analytics for future health care expenditures and population risk for managed care systems

Diagnostics and Assessment

  • Classification of dementia by type
  • Prediction of older adults’ prognosis
  • Risk prediction tools for use in patient panels to identify probable dementia in non-identified or non-diagnosed cases using available EHR data
  • Risk prediction for likelihood of surgical success, risk, and resilience
  • Prediction of future cognitive impairment among cognitively normal persons

Family Caregiver and Workforce Support

  • Virtual, augmented, or mixed reality for care provider skill training
  • Virtual or integrated platforms for family caregiver dementia support and education
  • Technology to enable clinical skills and diagnostic capabilities in resource-limited areas
  • AI to bridge and support information management, care coordination, and communication across health care settings (e.g., hospital, clinical, home, long-term care) and among medical and long-term services
  • Platforms to support caregiver expectation management, role assignment, task management, and financial planning and support

Please note: These pilot awards are not meant to fund projects related to geriatrics and age-related conditions. See the RFP for healthy aging, below.

Resources

A broad variety of resources are potentially available to facilitate development and completion of pilot projects, including:

  • Clinical research personnel to assist with the development and implementation of a clinical study
  • A registry of older adults from which to recruit
  • Older adult stakeholders from urban and rural areas
  • A network of potential research subjects from these areas
  • Technology development and feasibility testing
  • Database, data collection, and analytical expertise
  • Market and business model validation
  • Business networking opportunities

Useful Links

Core Leaders

Quincy Samus, PhD

Quincy Samus, PhD

Director, ADRD Pilot
Pilot Core A Core Leaders
Najim Dehak, PhD

Najim Dehak, PhD

Co-Director, ADRD Pilot
Pilot Core A Core Leaders Engineering Resources
Esther Oh, MD, PhD

Esther Oh, MD, PhD

Co-Director, ADRD Pilot
Pilot Core A Core Leaders

The goal of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Pilot Core is to use a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to identify, develop, refine, and disseminate promising technologies that have a high potential to improve the health and well-being of older Americans living with ADRD and/or their caregivers, with an emphasis on technologies that can mitigate current disparities in the access and delivery of dementia care. Core leadership’s duties include:

  • Developing an annual call for and funding pilot studies focused on the application of AI and related technologies to improve the health and well-being of older adults with ADRD and/or their caregivers
  • Ensuring pilot projects are well-designed, timely, and rigorous by providing intellectual leadership, oversight, and access to JH AITC resources
  • Assisting in the further development and translation of completed pilot projects into products that will benefit older adults with ADRD and/or their caregivers
  • Expanding the expertise and network of funded investigators focused on advancing dementia-related AI technologies

Healthy Aging

RFP

The JH AITC is seeking proposals that facilitate the rapid development and implementation of novel AI or technology solutions that improve the health and well-being of older persons.

The JH AITC welcomes applications from investigators with engineering, medicine, rehabilitation, therapy, social work, nutrition, nursing, public health, or business backgrounds and proposes funding approximately $475,000 for pilot projects in 2024. Proposed budgets can range from $10,000–200,000 over one to two years.  Applicants from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, members of minoritized communities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Acceptable proposals must demonstrate some viable pathway toward product development and must prioritize the use of engineering- or AI-based approaches such as robotics, machine learning, big data analytics, image and biometric scanning, speech and natural language processing, integrated platforms, mobile/smart devices and applications, or nanobiotechnologies. Emergent technologies, as well as the adaptation of existing technologies or AI approaches to address aging-related health problems, are encouraged. Proposals are expected to describe plans for pre-competitive data sharing in a consortium data commons and the National Institute on Aging archive.

Areas of programmatic interest for funding in this area, along with examples of potential projects, are listed in the tab to the left.

Areas of Interest

Patient Care and Engagement

  • Personalized approaches for diagnostics and treatment of conditions relevant to older persons
  • Engagement of older adults in physical activity
  • Promotion of successful aging, well-being, and resilience
  • Prevention of frailty and muscle loss
  • Optimization of older adults’ nutrition
  • Social engagement, connection, and prevention of loneliness
  • Access to health care or information through digital technologies (e.g., telemedicine)
  • Promotion of physical safety at home
  • Management of physical disabilities

System Management and Administration

  • Redesign of teamwork, information transfer, coordination, or clinical workflows in health care settings (e.g., hospital, clinical, home, or long-term care)
  • Population health monitoring
  • Rural and urban management systems
  • Expenditure and population risk
  • Detection of health care disparities
  • Design of health care provider alerts and decision support to mitigate safety risks

Diagnostics and Assessment

  • Geroscience diagnostic approaches
  • Identifying and addressing medication problems (e.g., polypharmacy medication safety, drug interactions)
  • Addressing older adults’ risks prior to a procedure or surgery
  • Detection of co-existing health conditions affecting older adults’ health and well-being
  • Early detection of signs of frailty (e.g., weakness, exhaustion, weight and muscle loss)

Family Caregiver and Workforce Support

  • Caregiver wellness
  • Caregiver education and skill training
  • Caregiver emotional and financial support
  • Health care provider training and continuing education
  • Care coordination and communication across providers and settings

Please note: These pilot awards are not meant to fund projects related to Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. See the RFP for ADRD, above.

Resources

A broad variety of resources are potentially available to facilitate development and completion of pilot projects, including:

  • Clinical research personnel to assist with the development and implementation of a clinical study
  • A registry of older adults from which to recruit
  • Older adult stakeholders from urban and rural areas
  • A network of potential research subjects from these areas
  • Technology development and feasibility testing
  • Database, data collection, and analytical expertise
  • Market and business model validation
  • Business networking opportunities

Useful Links

Core Leaders

Jeremy D. Walston, MD

Jeremy D. Walston, MD

Co-Principal Investigator, JH AITC
Administrative Core Pilot Core B Access to Underserved Populations of Older Adults JHU University-Wide Resources
Suchi Saria, PhD

Suchi Saria, PhD

Co-Director, Healthy Aging Pilot (Geriatrics)
Pilot Core B Core Leaders Engineering Resources

The goal of the Healthy Aging Pilot Core is to utilize a multidisciplinary collaborative approach to identify, develop, refine, and disseminate promising technologies that have high potential to improve the health and well-being of older Americans and/or their caregivers, with an emphasis on technologies that can mitigate current disparities in the access and delivery of health care in rural and urban areas across the US. Core leadership’s duties include:

  • Identifying and funding innovative AI- and machine-learning-supported technologies that promise to improve the health and well-being of older adults through an annual pilot award process
  • Ensuring pilot projects are well-designed, timely, and rigorous by providing intellectual leadership, oversight, and access to JH AITC resources
  • Assisting in the further development and translation of completed pilot projects into products that will benefit older adults and/or their caregivers
  • Expanding the expertise and network of funded investigators focused on AI technologies relevant to healthy aging

Johns Hopkins geriatricians Jessica Colburn and David Hurwitz share their views on how technology and artificial intelligence could benefit older adults.
They discuss what challenges related to healthcare technology might be addressed, considerations in the design and development of technology intended to help older adults and facilitators, and barriers to older adults’ adoption of new technologies.

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