The initiative was announced in a recent news release after representatives from both schools returned from a global Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx) meeting in Switzerland to formalize plans with various international partners. UAlbany Vice President for Research and Economic Development Thenkurussi “Kesh” Kesavadas told Government Technology on Tuesday that much of the future research will involve an AI supercomputer currently under construction at UAlbany that’s expected to go online next spring.
Kesavadas said supercomputers develop the next generation of AI and deep learning technology using trillions of data points. At UAlbany, he said, this technology will map and analyze the human brain. The long-term goal is to improve mental health-care capabilities globally to the point where technology can detect conditions earlier and doctors can monitor patients more efficiently, somewhat lessening the impact of shortages of health-care workers. UAlbany’s AI supercomputer will be one of the largest in the nation located in a university setting, and the biggest within the SUNY system, Kesavadas said.
Although specific research projects within this massive initiative have not been specified yet, and the partners are still seeking additional funding from public and private sources, Kesavadas said faculty and staff across various UAlbany departments, to include public health, psychology, nanotechnology and engineering, have already committed to future efforts. SUNY Downstate will conduct clinical research on underserved patient populations.
“Bringing in people from different backgrounds and combining our expertise is important,” Kesavadas said. “Collaboration is the key.”
HIEx is particularly interested in providing better mental health care in Asian and African countries, according to the news release. Biju Jacob, the organization’s chief technology officer, said economic problems, climate change, disasters and health emergencies are contributing factors to the 25 percent increase in mental disorders in Africa and Asia.
“We need a radical shift in mental health-care delivery, as the current approach has failed to address this silent pandemic,” Jacob said in a public statement. “That shift is possible only through digital technologies and AI-based community-centric care. This partnership is particularly aimed at creating a technology framework and backbone to quickly translate cutting-edge technologies to practice.”
David Christini, SUNY Downstate senior vice president for research, said the partnership between the two SUNY campuses and HIEx is aiming at “substantive global advancements in mental health care.”
“Identifying and treating mental health and wellness has grown increasingly important as our global society faces challenges that dominate everyday living,” Christini said in a public statement. “We are excited to redouble our mental health research efforts and see tremendous potential in utilizing AI to advance diagnosis and treatment.”
While AI-powered research is developing new methods for treating mental health, Kesavadas said, existing virtual reality or augmented reality (VR/AR) could be deployed around the globe in the meantime to treat patients. He said these low-cost tools can be customized to work with different health-care systems, languages and customs, adding that advocating for increased mental health screening around the world and reducing the stigma of mental health disorders are important tasks that the partners in this initiative can get working on right away.
“We have plenty to get started with to analyze different conditions,” Kesavadas said. “There are various domains. You can monitor people’s actions through the tracking of Apple watches and social media — especially in student environments. You can see how moods are changing.”
