The Interdisciplinary Health Equity Research Center

Machine Learning-based Imaging Biomarkers for Metabolic and Age-related Diseases

Sokratis Makrogiannis, Ph.D.

Metabolic disorder, cardiovascular disease and obesity cause physical dysfunction and lead to shortened life expectancy particularly among minorities. An important risk factor for accelerated decline of physical function is adiposity, especially fatty infiltration in the muscle that is macroscopically and microscopically identifiable. Changes in muscle composition are strongly linked to loss in muscle strength with increasing age which can trigger a vicious cycle, where immobility and low physical activity further aggravate adiposity, and adiposity contributes to disability. Thus, detecting and understanding body composition and changes in muscle, adipose tissue and bone over time is important for diagnosis and rehabilitation.

Contemporary imaging technologies enable non-invasive visualization and quantification of human body morphometry. Conventional diagnostic workflows are heavily dependent on manual annotations performed by highly trained clinicians, such as radiologists and pathologists, that require significant time, increase the cost of healthcare, and dependent on the level of the human reader’s expertise. This project proposes to develop advanced mathematical methods, image analysis and machine learning techniques to characterize morphological and physiological properties of tissues.

An Investigation of Mental, Physical, and Sleep Health: The Role of Social Determinants

Janeese Brownlow, Ph. D.

According to the Center for Disease Control, over one-third of adults in the U.S. are not getting the recommended amount of sleep (7 or more hours) per day, nor are they obtaining enough sleep on a regular basis. In Delaware, over 37% of adults report sleeping less than 7 hours in a 24-hour period, which increases the risk for adverse health outcomes. Health disparities among underserved populations are multifactorial, and it is now recognized that disparities in sleep health in addition to social determinants of health are important contributors. This study seeks to understand the intersection of these relationships on functional outcomes. The results of this study will further substantiate key drivers of sleep disparities for racial/ethnic minorities to reduce health disparities and advance health equities.

Integrating Low-Cost Paper-Based Devices and Personalized Immunotherapeutics to Treat Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Shahidul Islam, Ph.D.

Approximately 15-20% of breast cancer patients have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), a complex disease characterized by the absence of three cell surface receptors that are specifically targeted by existing drugs. TNBC is more aggressive, more frequently seen in younger patients, and disproportionately seen in African-Americans. Delaware has the highest incidence rate for Triple Negative Breast Cancer in the nation. This project is focused on identifying small proteins (nanobodies) that are stable; easily prepared in a simple bacterial host; and selectively bind and target TNBC cells and recruit the immune system to selectively destroy those cells.