Wearable alcohol sensor to help real-time support for people with alcohol use disorder
Official title: Towards a Wearable Alcohol Biosensor: Examining the Accuracy of BAC Estimates from New-Generation Transdermal Technology using Large-Scale Human Testing and Machine Learning Algorithms
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11455617 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A wearable sensor and phone app will work together to detect drinking episodes in real life and trigger timely support for people with alcohol use disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $610,038 |
| NIH project number | 2R01AA028488-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11455617 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with alcohol use disorder who are participating in treatment and able to use a wearable sensor and a smartphone app.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without access to smartphones or who are not willing to wear a sensor may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on wearable transdermal alcohol sensors and smart algorithms to monitor alcohol use as people go about daily life. It aims to create an intervention-ready system that can provide real-time prompts or support when cravings or drinking are detected, potentially interrupting relapse before it happens. The research will test accuracy of the biosensor and machine-learning models in large-scale real-world use and integrate these tools into a mobile app for clinical use. Participants would use the wearable and app in everyday settings to see how well the system detects drinking and differentiates drinking levels. The long-term goal is to move from basic research toward a practical, clinician-guided tool to support recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive timely, context-aware support to stay on track with recovery.
How similar studies have gone: Previous cycles showed strong accuracy for detecting drinking and promising differentiation between moderate and heavy drinking in real-time.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fairbairn, Catharine — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Fairbairn, Catharine
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.