Events

Webinar – Healthy Aging in a Digital World: Promoting Caregiver Health and Well-being, Heather M. Young

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHGAhAdToUg Abstract: Over 38 million family caregivers provide the vast majority of long-term care in the United States, valued at over $600 billion annually. Most of these caregivers are supporting a person with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Disorders. This presentation will provide an overview of who are the caregivers and how health systems and technology can support them as they engage in this vital role. Biography: Heather M. Young, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing; Founding Dean Emerita; National Director, Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators at UC Davis Health A nurse leader, educator, scientist and nationally recognized expert in gerontological nursing and rural health care, Heather M. Young is national director of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship Program for Nurse Leaders and Innovators,…

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Webinar – Novel Technological Approaches for Detection of Cognitive and Functional Impairment: Drs. Larsen, Stamps, and Milburn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQhT0iakfYE Abstract:  This webinar explored cutting-edge technologies aimed at improving early detection and monitoring of cognitive and functional impairments in older adults. Dr. Kate Papp (Mass General Brigham) opened the session by highlighting the challenges of traditional clinical assessments—lengthy, labor-intensive, and inaccessible to many—and the promise of scalable, remote, and ecologically valid digital tools to address the growing needs of an aging population. Three MassAITC pilot awardees presented innovative approaches: Dr. Eric Larson (Sonde Health) discussed testing a vocal biomarker platform that leverages AI to detect and monitor cognitive impairment via smartphone-based voice samples collected in home environments. Early findings show high participant engagement and promising accuracy in distinguishing cognitive status. Dr. Jennifer Stamps (Rendever) shared progress on a multimodal virtual reality (VR) fitness platform that combines physical exercise, cognitive stimulation, and social engagement. The…

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Webinar – Technology for Enhancing Functional Health: Monitoring Movement with Wearables and Sensors, Margie Lachman, Amanda Paluch, Jen Blankenship

https://youtu.be/VLEL_qlBLFA?si=0oCfae1LTswkZyPG Abstract:  Nearly half of adults over 75 experience functional limitations, often worsened by physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. There is an inherent need for innovative technologies—such as wearables, sensors, and AI systems—to detect early declines and support timely interventions that maintain independence and quality of life. This webinar explored potential innovative approaches that are being developed through the support of the MassAITC pilot program to support functional health and independence among older adults through wearable and ambient sensor technologies. Dr. Amanda Paluch (University of Massachusetts) presented her pilot study on detecting frailty in home environments using non-invasive, whole-room body heat sensors (Butlr Care). Her team’s interdisciplinary work aims to develop low-burden, contactless algorithms capable of continuously monitoring movement patterns to detect early signs of frailty and support interventions that promote aging in place. Dr.…

Continue ReadingWebinar – Technology for Enhancing Functional Health: Monitoring Movement with Wearables and Sensors, Margie Lachman, Amanda Paluch, Jen Blankenship

MassAITC Webinar – Opportunities and Challenges in Automatic Detection of Momentary Stress via Wearables, Santosh Kumar

https://youtu.be/wKgXSOgZSdU?si=PjYmoeQYrISdVqdz Talk Abstract:  Stress, a double-edged sword, has been long recognized for its potential to fuel productivity, enhance performance, and provide life-saving bursts of energy in times of imminent danger. Excessive and repetitive stress, however, can harm our physiological, psychological, behavioral, and social well-being. Due to its wide prevalence and impact in our lives, stress detection is increasingly being introduced in smartwatches, rings, and other wearables to help us become aware of and mitigate excessive stress. But unlike activity tracking, stress detection is yet to be adopted widely. What makes real-life stress detection so challenging? What progress has been made thus far and what else needs to be done to make stress detection truly useful? About the Speaker:  Santosh Kumar is the Lillian & Morrie Moss Chair of Excellence Professor in Computer Science at the…

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MassAITC Webinar – Wearable Acoustic and Vibration Sensing and Machine Learning for Human Health and Performance, Omer Inan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHCNy3hzdXk This talk will focus on: Digital health technology in precision medicine Advancements in cardiogenic vibration sensing Musculoskeletal sensing and joint acoustic emissions Abstract: Recent advances in digital health technologies are enabling biomedical researchers to reframe health optimization and disease treatment in a patient-specific, personalized manner. This talk will focus on my group’s research in two areas of relevance to digital health: (1) cardiogenic vibration sensing and analytics; and (2) musculoskeletal sensing with joint acoustic emissions and bioimpedance. Our group has extensively studied the timings and characteristics of cardiogenic vibration signals such as the ballistocardiogram and seismocardiogram, and applied these signals for cuffless blood pressure measurement, heart failure monitoring, and human performance. We have also leveraged miniature contact microphones to measure the sounds emitted by joints, such as the knees, in the context of movement,…

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Past Webinar – Developing Useful and Usable Health Technologies for Older Adults Through User-centered Design, Pedja Klasnja

https://youtu.be/UnOF4u6fJgA?si=5N88WA9xdH7XPESb Abstract: Designing health technologies for older adults presents unique challenges that extend beyond technical feasibility to encompass behavioral, social, and ethical considerations. In this talk, Dr. Pedja Klasnja explores how user-centered design (UCD) methods can address the “wicked problems” inherent in developing interventions for this population. He illustrates how UCD’s iterative and participatory approach enables teams to co-create solutions that are meaningful and adaptable to older adults’ diverse needs and circumstances. The presentation highlights two key design tools—personas and scenarios—as powerful frameworks for translating user research into actionable design decisions. Personas synthesize data about user groups, motivations, and constraints, helping design teams recognize and accommodate heterogeneity within older adult populations. Scenarios build on this foundation by envisioning how individuals might interact with technologies in real-world contexts, uncovering potential usability issues, privacy concerns, and unintended…

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