Clear and fair AI tools to detect and predict Alzheimer's
Explainable and Ethical AI for Studying Alzheimer's Disease
Building easy-to-understand AI that combines brain scans, spinal fluid protein tests, and health information to help diagnose and predict Alzheimer's for diverse groups, with attention to race and social factors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11359653 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will create AI models that explain how they reach their conclusions while using multiple kinds of data, including brain imaging, connectome measures, amyloid/tau markers, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomics. The team will fuse these data types and explicitly account for race, sex, social determinants of health, and other medical conditions to reduce bias. Models will be trained and tested using existing and collected human data, building on prior work in explainable AI and CSF proteomics. The goal is fairer, more transparent tools that clinicians could use to inform diagnosis and prognosis decisions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with memory concerns, mild cognitive impairment, or diagnosed Alzheimer's who can provide medical records, brain imaging, and possibly CSF samples — with recruitment emphasis on including African American participants.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer's-related concerns or those unwilling or unable to provide imaging or CSF samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get clearer, less biased AI-based information to help with earlier diagnosis and better predictions of Alzheimer's progression.
How similar studies have performed: AI using brain imaging and biomarkers has shown promise for Alzheimer's, but combining explainable models with CSF proteomics and explicit race/SDOH adjustments is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qiu, Deqiang — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Qiu, Deqiang
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 below.