News & Events

Company Launch: Billion Labs Inc.

About Billion Labs Inc. strives to reach the billions of people in the world through health monitoring solutions built on top of the sensors and computational capability of smartphones, transforming smartphones into the next billion medical devices. The technology at Billion Labs is supported by scientific research pioneered at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), a world leading institution on biomedical engineering research, where our founder/CEO Dr. Edward Wang directs the Digital Health Technologies Laboratory as a faculty member in the School of Engineering and Design. Billion Labs’ mission is to bring cutting-edge digital health tools through rigorous regulatory requirements to provide health monitoring solutions where traditional clinical tools cannot by augmenting remote/telehealth services with the ability to monitor vitals without expensive medical equipment. Website: https://www.billionlabsinc.com/

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Past Webinar – The Potential Role of Technology in Supporting Older Adults: Activities at the Center on Aging and Behavioral Research, Sara Czaja

https://youtu.be/vvpCWUdphQ0?si=KDt2x3pLg8aM0HYC Abstract: The aging of the population, especially the increase in individuals aged 85 and beyond, has vast implications for our economic, social, and political systems. Clearly, the increased number of older individuals in our society is associated with many positive implications. Most older adults are independent, active, and want to remain productively engaged. There are also challenges associated with “population aging.” For example, the incidence of chronic disease increases with age, as does the likelihood of developing a functional limitation. Thus, there is a significant need to identify strategies to promote independence and well-being among aging adults. At the same time, that the population of older people is increasing we are witnessing an explosion in the development of technologies. Technology has become ubiquitous in all aspects of life and assuming increasing importance in society…

Continue ReadingPast Webinar – The Potential Role of Technology in Supporting Older Adults: Activities at the Center on Aging and Behavioral Research, Sara Czaja

Past Webinar – Digital Cognitive Assessments in Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease, Kate Papp

https://youtu.be/EpOYQnm0oJY?si=U0nU7Ao-LGkH30RC Abstract: Traditional paper-based cognitive assessments, while the current gold standard in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), lack the sensitivity and ecological validity needed to detect subtle cognitive changes in preclinical stages. Dr. Kate Papp’s work highlights cutting-edge approaches leveraging digital technologies—ranging from AI-analyzed speech and digital pens to ecological momentary assessments and learning curve paradigms. Her team’s development of the Boston Remote Assessment for Neurocognitive Health (BRANCH) demonstrates how multi-day, web-based testing on participants’ own devices can identify diminished learning effects over days—correlating with AD biomarkers and predicting cognitive decline. This talk also addresses validation challenges, participant adherence, and data privacy considerations crucial for adoption in clinical trials. These insights underscore the potential of digital cognitive measures to accelerate early detection, improve trial efficiency, and support Alzheimer’s prevention efforts globally. Biography: Kathryn V.…

Continue ReadingPast Webinar – Digital Cognitive Assessments in Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease, Kate Papp

Past Webinar – Technology Use in Alzheimer’s Disease Research: Current Status & Future Promise, Rhoda Au

https://youtu.be/sXAMmZZ5YEM?si=d5QDssWNCXVmchEP Abstract: Digital technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to revolutionize cognitive health monitoring and Alzheimer’s disease prevention. Current high-burden, clinic-based assessments can be augmented by passive engagement technologies—leveraging smartphones and their array of embedded sensors for continuous, unobtrusive data collection. At the Framingham Heart Study and BU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, multi-sensor approaches combining smartphone applications, digital voice, eye-tracking, and in-home monitoring are being deployed to detect subtle cognitive and behavioral changes. Through the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, a global minimal viable protocol has been launched, integrating digital and blood-based biomarkers across diverse populations. Data sharing via the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (ADDI) is accelerating discovery through open challenges and collaborative analytics. This paradigm shift emphasizes inclusivity, rethinking traditional study designs, and advancing from digital phenotyping to truly dynamic, multi-dimensional digital biomarkers. The long-term goal is early…

Continue ReadingPast Webinar – Technology Use in Alzheimer’s Disease Research: Current Status & Future Promise, Rhoda Au

Fall 2022 Pilot Grant Competition Launched

  • Post category:News

MassAITC is pleased to announce that the Fall 2022 pilot grant competition has now opened. An overview of the MassAITC pilot grant program is available at https://massaitc.org/grants. The request for proposals is available at https://massaitc.org/rfpf22/. An introductory webinar will be held in conjunction with the a2 Collective on July 14th at 3:00pm ET (click here to register). Round 1 project proposals are due August 15th, 2022 and can be submitted through the a2 Pilot Awards common application site. For key dates, details about the application process, and FAQs, click here.

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Past Webinar – Sleep Measurement: Challenges and Opportunities to Measure Sleep Health, Rebecca Spencer

https://youtu.be/wmz-rMzTMDU?si=B-t8xSVptTgDL78p Abstract: Sleep plays a vital role in cognitive function, emotional regulation, and overall health, effects that are particularly salient in older adults and individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). In this webinar, Dr. Rebecca Spencer, a leading sleep researcher and Professor at UMass Amherst, provides a comprehensive overview of sleep’s physiological functions, such as memory consolidation and glymphatic waste clearance, and how these processes are altered by aging and neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Spencer examines the evolution of sleep measurement technologies, from gold-standard polysomnography to consumer-grade wearables and actigraphy. She critically assesses the validity and limitations of these tools, particularly when applied to aging and ADRD populations, and highlights challenges such as device comfort, physiological variability, and the need for population-specific validation. Finally, she explores promising avenues for technological innovation and targeted…

Continue ReadingPast Webinar – Sleep Measurement: Challenges and Opportunities to Measure Sleep Health, Rebecca Spencer