Smartphone retinal imaging for diabetic eye disease in Egypt
Official title: Smartphone-based Retinal Imaging for Diabetic Retinopathy Detection in Egypt
Funded at Kennesaw State University · NIH-11290839 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is building a low-cost smartphone camera plus AI to spot diabetic eye damage for adults with diabetes in Egypt.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kennesaw State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kennesaw, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $151,440 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EY037104-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11290839 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (about 21 years and older) with diabetes in Egypt or similar low‑resource settings who have not had recent retinal screening are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetes, those with eye problems unrelated to diabetic retinopathy, or patients already under specialist retinal care are unlikely to benefit from this screening-focused project.
What this research studies
If I have diabetes, the team will use a small attachment on a smartphone to take pictures of the back of my eye. They will train and adapt deep-learning software to read those smartphone images even when image quality is lower than hospital cameras. The work will be piloted in Egypt to reach people who lack access to standard retinal screening. The goal is to increase local screening and refer people with concerning findings to eye doctors sooner.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help find sight‑threatening diabetic retinopathy earlier and reduce blindness by increasing access to screening and timely referrals.
How similar studies have gone: Prior smartphone imaging and AI efforts have shown promise for retinal screening, but most algorithms were trained on high-quality fundus cameras so adapting them for lower-cost smartphone images is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karakaya, Mahmut — Kennesaw State University
- Study coordinator: Karakaya, Mahmut
Related research
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Smartphone retinal imaging for diabetic eye disease in Egypt
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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.