NIH-funded research R01 grant

Personalized treatment recommendations for critically ill patients using causal machine learning

Official title: Using causal machine learning for personalized treatment recommendations in critically ill patients

Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11447094 · Data updated 2026-11-12

Aims to tailor treatments for critically ill adults by using advanced machine learning to predict who will benefit or be harmed by a given therapy.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Madison, United States)
Project startAugust 1, 2021
Project endMay 31, 2030
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$815,985
NIH project number2R01HL157262-05A1
Project IDNIH-11447094 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Adults (21+) hospitalized with critical illness who are candidates for therapies studied in critical care trials.

Less likely to help

Patients whose characteristics do not align with the model’s predictive signals may not benefit from personalized recommendations.

What this research studies

This project uses patient data from adults with critical illness to build models that estimate individual treatment effects, going beyond average trial results. It compares randomized trial data with real-world observational data to improve predictions. The goal is to help clinicians choose therapies that are more likely to help a specific patient based on their unique characteristics.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could lead to more effective, personalized therapies and better outcomes for critically ill patients.

How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows potential in estimating individualized treatment effects, but best-performing methods in critical care remain to be established.

Where this research is happening

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
    Madison, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Churpek, Matthew Michael — University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Study coordinator: Churpek, Matthew Michael

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

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.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 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.