Free Zoom Registration: https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/meeting/register/n1941Y8ZRw2M_-yc1MP-Ng
About the Speakers:
John Ralston, PhD | CEO and Founder of Neursantys: John is a pioneer in the development of non-invasive bioelectronic devices and adaptive neuroplastic treatments for neurosensory, neuromotor, and neurocognitive impairments that have limited pharmacological treatment options. At Neursantys, John is collaborating with healthcare researchers, providers, and payers to restore motor and cognitive functions that have been impaired by both normal aging and accelerated aging caused by head trauma, disease, and spaceflight. With a career spanning public and private R&D organizations and entrepreneurial ventures in Canada, Europe, and the U.S., John has authored/co-authored over 250 professional publications, presented over 150 talks and seminars, and has 16 issued patents. John earned B.Sc. degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering from M.I.T., a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, and the MSc in Management of Technology from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Hamed Tabkhi, PhD | CTO and Co-Founder of ForesightCares: Dr. Hamed Tabkhi is the Co-founder and CTO at ForesightCares and Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research focuses on bringing recent advances in Artificial intelligence to our communities to enhance our health and wellness. He has an extensive background in Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, and computer system design for smart digital health applications.
Talk Abstracts:
Wearable diagnostic sensors and personalized bioelectronic therapeutics for the treatment of neurophysiological conditions
Bioelectronics has been an important component of modern medicine for more than half a century, because of the ability to provide functional recovery for conditions with limited pharmaceutical treatment options. Bioelectronic devices have now received regulatory approval for a growing range of medical conditions and have been shown to provide effective treatment for a growing range of neurological conditions.
In this talk we will review the development and clinical validation of neurophysiological diagnostic sensors and non-invasive bioelectronic therapeutic devices to counteract neurophysiological disruptions caused by aging, injuries, and disease. We will highlight machine learning based approaches to enabling adaptive and personalized treatments and discuss applications to a growing range of neurological conditions, including age-related balance decline, vestibular disorders, head impact injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and spinal cord injuries.
From Motion to Meaning: Quantifying Fall Risk in Older Adults Through Accessible Visual AI Assessment
As the U.S. aging population rapidly expands, falls among older adults have become an escalating public health and economic concern, with annual costs projected to exceed $100 billion. Traditional fall risk assessments typically require clinical supervision, limiting accessibility, especially in rural and underserved areas, while current technologies such as wearables, Wi-Fi monitoring, and surveillance systems face privacy, cost, and user acceptance challenges. In this talk, I will introduce AVA, the first AI-powered, video-based mobile app designed to enable clinically grounded fall risk assessments directly in the home. AVA empowers caregivers—whether family members or staff in independent living communities—to conduct CDC-recommended evaluations, including the Timed Up and Go (TUG), 4-Stage Balance, and 30-Second Chair Rise tests, using only a smartphone with no need for professional oversight or cloud-based processing. Built on a privacy-preserving, computer vision-based approach, AVA transforms ordinary smartphones into accessible assessment tools. I will share the app’s design principles, results from early deployments at two independent living communities, and insights from our ongoing usability study involving older adults with Parkinson Disease and their family caregivers.