AI-powered skin disease diagnosis with multi-sensor data
Official title: The SKIN DEEP Study: Advancing AI Diagnosis of Skin Diseases through Multi-Sensory Data Enhancement and Processing
Funded at Tulane University of Louisiana · NIH-11307440 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly AI tool that uses thermography and other data to help doctors quickly and accurately diagnose skin conditions, aiming to reach people in underserved communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tulane University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $382,500 |
| NIH project number | 1R21TW012975-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11307440 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with suspected or existing skin diseases in underserved communities where access to dermatology is limited.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions already well-managed by local clinicians may see limited additional benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops a user-friendly remote diagnostic platform that combines thermal imaging with AI to triage and assess skin diseases. It plans to train and test the algorithms using diverse skin disease cases collected in a rural setting, with the goal of scalable access to dermatologic care. The work focuses on making expert-level insights available to clinicians and patients outside traditional urban centers, reducing wait times and unnecessary travel. The study will occur in Côte d’Ivoire to build robust AI tools that can later support care in the United States for conditions like inflammatory diseases, infections, and chronic wounds.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients in underserved areas could receive faster, more accurate dermatologic assessments without long delays or travel.
How similar studies have gone: Previous AI dermatology efforts show promise, but this project emphasizes field-adapted, multi-sensor data for broader real-world applicability.
Where this research is happening
-
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yotsu, Rie — Tulane University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Yotsu, Rie
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.