Balancing trust and privacy when using teens' data to manage type 1 diabetes

SCH: Striking a Balance: Trust and Privacy in Using Adolescents' Data for Diabetes Self-Management

NIH-funded research University of Colorado · NIH-11166502

This project adds 'smart nudges' to artificial pancreas devices to help teens and young adults with type 1 diabetes manage glucose using real-time signals like activity, mood, and stress.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Colorado NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Boulder, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11166502 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

As someone with type 1 diabetes, this project would make an artificial pancreas more aware of what you're doing and feeling so it can give brief, personalized prompts when you might need to adjust meals, activity, or insulin. The device collects real-time signals such as glucose, heart rate, physical activity, and short mood/stress questionnaires to build a 'whole person' model of your physiology and mental state. That model predicts when you might struggle with attention, stress, or planned activities and times nudges to support safer glucose control. The research team will test these methods with adolescents and young adults to refine what kinds of nudges work best and when.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes who use or are open to using automated insulin delivery (artificial pancreas) devices.

Not a fit: People without type 1 diabetes, older adults outside the study age range, or those who do not use automated insulin devices are unlikely to benefit directly.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, people could have better day-to-day glucose control and fewer dangerous high or low blood sugar episodes thanks to devices that personalize prompts to mood, activity, and stress.

How similar studies have performed: Existing artificial pancreas systems already improve glucose control, but combining device control with real-time mood, stress, and attention sensing for behavioral nudges is a newer approach that has not been widely tested in teens.

Where this research is happening

Boulder, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.