Events

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…

https://youtu.be/FXBL5xMj9ig?si=0ujyIT1f6y8sExZX Abstract: Clinical trials are the workhorse of testing new treatments with regards to evaluating the effect they have on health outcomes. Traditional clinical trials and clinical research studies are often centralized around a specific physical location such as a clinic or hospital and rely heavily on a “high-touch”, in-person approach with study staff and coordinators. The downstream effects can have a negative impact on recruitment from populations not affiliated with the site despite potentially benefiting the most from the proposed research. Decentralizing the model and designing for the participant to meet them where they are provides a new paradigm. The advent and continued advance of digital health technologies has added considerable flexibility in the types of research questions that can be asked and answered. Biography: Edward Ramos, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at CareEvolution; Director…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPkrI7U3QMI Abstract: In this webinar, Dr. Diane Cook (Washington State University) introduces the concept of digital twins as a powerful framework for modeling the health, behavior, and environmental context of older adults in real time. Drawing from years of research in smart homes and pervasive computing, Dr. Cook explains how sensor-based monitoring can be used to build personalized digital representation, i.e. “twins" of individuals, enabling proactive support for aging in place. This talk outlines the components and lifecycle of a digital twin, including data streams from ambient sensors, activity recognition, anomaly detection, and health trajectory modeling. Dr. Cook highlights applications in detecting changes in daily routines, predicting health risks, and informing interventions before crises occur. She shares findings from longitudinal studies, discusses the potential for integrating AI with environmental and behavioral data, and emphasizes the…

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…

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.…

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…

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…