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-11501665 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a low-cost smartphone camera and AI to find signs of diabetic eye damage in 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) | $19,440 |
| NIH project number | 3R21EY037104-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11501665 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults (21+) with diabetes in Egypt who can attend participating clinics or community screening sites for retinal photographs.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetes, those who cannot get usable retinal photos because of very advanced eye disease or poor cooperation, or those outside the study locations are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you have diabetes in Egypt, researchers would use an inexpensive attachment on a smartphone to take pictures of your retina. Those images will be run through deep-learning software adapted to work with lower-quality smartphone photos to look for signs of diabetic retinopathy. The team will optimize the imaging setup and image-processing steps to improve picture quality and diagnostic accuracy in real-world clinics and community settings. This R21 phase aims to show the approach is practical and can increase access to retinal screening where standard fundus cameras are too costly or bulky.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make retinal screening cheaper and more available and help catch sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy earlier.
How similar studies have gone: Smartphone-based retinal imaging and AI tools have shown promising preliminary results, but most automated algorithms were developed for high-quality fundus cameras and smartphone approaches remain emerging and less tested in low-resource settings.
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
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Integrative multi-omics to understand diabetic retinopathy
A doctor-scientist team will study blood markers and genetic signals to see why diabetic retinopathy happens and how it affects Hispanic/Latino people.
-
Retinal Cell Loss in Diabetic Retinopathy
This project looks at how mitochondrial problems and a specific kind of cell death called ferroptosis may cause retinal cells to die in people with diabetes-related eye disease.
-
Redox-triggered REDD1 blockers for diabetic retinopathy
A research project tests new ways to stop a stress protein (REDD1) from causing vision problems in people with diabetic retinopathy.
-
Ultrafast eye imaging to detect and track diabetic retinopathy
A doctor-science team is developing ultra-fast eye scans to better see tiny blood vessels in people with diabetic retinopathy, helping catch changes early and guide treatment.
-
Practical device to automatically track abnormal retinal blood vessel growth in diabetic eye disease
A new, easier-to-use imaging device aims to automatically detect and monitor abnormal retinal blood vessel growth in people with diabetic retinopathy.
-
Pro/renin receptor signaling and diabetic retinopathy
A diabetes-related eye disease called diabetic retinopathy will be studied to understand how a specific protein pathway contributes to eye damage.
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.