Biomarkers and AI insights to understand OSCC racial survival gaps
Official title: Study of Biological and Radiographic Biomarkers and Association with Ancestry and Survival Disparities in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using AI Approaches
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11375147 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-facing look at using AI to understand why oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma affects African ancestry patients differently and what biomarkers and imaging can reveal.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $655,930 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE033426-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11375147 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
OSCC patients, especially those of African ancestry, with available clinical data and tissue/imaging samples.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to diverse data or those not represented in the study datasets may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses AI to study oral cavity cancer in African-ancestry patients compared with European-ancestry patients, drawing on diverse clinical data and tumor samples. Researchers will analyze clinical, biological, imaging, and socioeconomic factors to uncover why survival differs by ancestry. The work combines patient data from the Maryland and Yale biorepositories to look for patterns that could guide more personalized care in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to more tailored treatments and better outcomes for African-ancestry patients with OSCC.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in cancer has shown that integrating clinical, imaging, and biological data with AI can reveal disparities and potential targets for therapy.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gaykalova, Daria a — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Gaykalova, Daria a
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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.