In its second round of funding, the UW Medicine Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions is awarding $1.3 million for technology-driven solutions that aim to improve brain health. The awards will go to 13 UW faculty-led teams representing seven UW schools and colleges, 14 departments and divisions, and numerous UW- and community-based centers, institutes and organizations.
The focus on technology for this second round of funding was driven by the need to develop novel approaches that can reach large numbers of people impacted by brain disorders. Topics range from using deep learning to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and predict its progression to using computerized algorithms to reduce the risk of suicide.
The newly funded Innovation Grants join 11 projects that are already underway to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by cognitive aging, trauma and addictions.
The winning ideas
- Using neurocomputational modeling to track memory decline
- Project lead: Andrea Stocco, PhD, Department of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences; Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-Labs)
- Testing online platforms to identify patients with persistent post-COVID symptoms
- Project leads: Rebecca Hendrickson, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UW School of Medicine; VA Puget Sound Healthcare System; John Oakley, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, UW School of Medicine
- Improving diagnostic imaging to guide treatment of neuroinflammation
- Project lead: Caleb Stokes, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, UW School of Medicine
- Quantifying socio-cognitive deficits to optimize schizophrenia treatment
Project lead: Trevor Cohen, MBChB, PhD, FACMI, Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, UW School of Medicine - Leveraging artificial intelligence to improve digital mental health interventions
- Project lead: Trevor Cohen, MBChB, PhD, FACMI, Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, UW School of Medicine
- Improving patient-focused, population-informed care in clinical neurosciences
- Project lead: Sean Mooney, PhD, FACMI, Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, UW School of Medicine
- Leveraging peer mentor texting to support caregiver wellbeing in pediatric settings
- Project lead: Amritha Bhat, MBBS, MD, MPH, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UW School of Medicine
- Using technology to scale Caring Contacts and reduce suicide
- Project lead: Katherine Anne (Kate) Comtois, PhD, MPH, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UW School of Medicine
- Harnessing the ECHO Model to help Washingtonians with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Project lead: Jennifer Erickson, DO, FAPA, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine
- Developing a digital platform to deliver family intervention for psychosis
- Project leads: Chieh Cheng, RN, PhD, Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, School of Nursing, UW Tacoma; Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UW School of Medicine
- Deploying a texting intervention for psychosis; from research to real-world practice
- Project lead: Dror Ben-Zeev, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UW School of Medicine
- Using deep learning to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and predict its progression
- Project lead: Linda Shapiro, PhD, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
- Improving conversational best practices in online mental health support
- Project lead: Tim Althoff, PhD, MS, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, College of Engineering
A full list of projects, collaborators and descriptions is available on the Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions website.
The Institute was founded last October with a $50 million donation to UW Medicine by local philanthropists Lynn and Mike Garvey, with a goal to fast-track treatments for patients with mental health, addiction and other brain health problems.
