National Recognition for Research in Artificial Intelligence and Geriatric Care
Three faculty members from the UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging have formed a multidisciplinary team—AI-AGING (Artificial Intelligence for Advancing Geriatric Innovation and Next-Gen Care)—to conduct pioneering research at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), informatics, and geriatric medicine.
Min Ji Kwak, MD (McGovern Medical School), Sunyang Fu, PhD, and Yejin Kim, PhD (both from McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston) are leading efforts to advance translational AI research in geriatric medicine and age-friendly health systems.
The team was recently awarded three competitive pilot grants from:
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)’s Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratories (AITC) a2 Pilot Award
- NIA’s Network for Investigation of Delirium: Unifying Scientists (NIDUS)
- UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging
The a2 Pilot Awards, hosted by the a2 Collective and funded by the NIA through the AITC program, support demonstration projects that use AI to improve health outcomes for older adults. Motivated by the critical need for accurate and efficient detection of adverse drug events (ADEs) in older adults with heart failure, the AI-AGING team proposed a hybrid, modular framework to enhance real-time detection of ADEs in electronic health records (EHRs).
After advancing through multiple rounds of a highly competitive selection process, the team became the first at UTHealth Houston to receive this award—totaling $115,000. The project aims to leverage AI technology to review medical records and detect adverse drug events, which are often overlooked in clinical practice. Upon completion, the project will provide a foundation for interdisciplinary collaboration and the translation of AI into real-world practice.
The team also received a pilot award from NIDUS, a national research initiative supported by the NIA that aims to accelerate discoveries in delirium research through collaboration, innovation, and data sharing. Delirium—a sudden and serious change in mental status—is a common yet underdiagnosed condition in hospitalized older adults. Delirium superimposed on dementia is especially challenging to detect due to limited awareness and diagnostic complexity.
Their project unites interdisciplinary experts to improve the sensitivity and validity of detecting delirium superimposed on dementia using real-world clinical data. The findings could integrate into real-time clinical decision support tools, enabling earlier detection and improving outcomes.
These national recognitions highlight UTHealth Houston’s leadership in developing age-friendly, technology-enabled care solutions for older adults. Through collaborative efforts, faculty are advancing personalized and preventive care that aligns with national priorities in aging and health innovation.