A team of researchers from West Virginia and Arkansas are beginning a four-year project aimed at using AI to improve the treatment of cardiovascular disease and cut healthcare costs.
The group—which includes representatives from West Virginia University (WVU), West Virginia State University, three separate University of Arkansas campuses and more—has received $4 million in funding from the National Science Foundation to explore how AI can detect cardiovascular disease before symptoms start to surface.
A key focus of the study, according to a prepared statement from WVU, is to address various challenges associated with AI research, including “new privacy methods to protect an individual’s health data, establishing trust in AI results, improved efficiency in data analysis by AI systems and a study of the misinformation and health-related propaganda found on social media.”
“We see this challenge as a unique opportunity for a technology-driven transformation of the economy in West Virginia and Arkansas, with a real potential for important scientific discovery in both AI and smart health applications,” Partho Sengupta, MD, chief of cardiology and director of the Center for Cardiac Innovation at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, said in the statement.
The project will also involve high school students, who will be taught about AI and take part in various experiments that revolve around learning how to track your own health.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.