Category: TCCI Blog

  • Will AI Help Solve the Global Mental Health Crisis?

    Will AI Help Solve the Global Mental Health Crisis?

    Summary The global mental health crisis leaves over two-thirds of affected individuals untreated. AI technologies are emerging as transformative tools in addressing this issue. At Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, AI analyzes linguistic patterns to identify suicidality with 90% accuracy and detect anxiety months earlier than traditional methods. Dr. Frederike Petzschner of Brown University highlights AI’s potential […]

  • To Turbo-Charge Scientific Discovery, Researchers Are Turning to AI 

    To Turbo-Charge Scientific Discovery, Researchers Are Turning to AI 

    Summary AI is revolutionizing scientific discovery, enabling breakthroughs that would have taken decades to achieve. Researchers are now using AI to tackle complex problems like protein engineering, material synthesis, and understanding brain function. For example, AI-powered tools have been crucial in developing next-generation vaccines and exploring neural mechanisms in both artificial and biological systems. The […]

  • Emerging Wearable Technologies Enhance Multisystem Monitoring and Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

    Emerging Wearable Technologies Enhance Multisystem Monitoring and Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

    Summary Parkinson’s disease (PD), affecting nearly 90,000 people annually in the U.S., is difficult to diagnose and treat due to its variable symptoms. Wearable technologies are emerging as powerful tools for monitoring PD symptoms, both motor and nonmotor, outside clinical settings. These devices track symptom progression more effectively than traditional methods, offering real-time data on […]

  • Bringing Wearables from Bench to Bedside

    Bringing Wearables from Bench to Bedside

    Summary Stanford University’s Professor Zhenan Bao developed a skin-like, wearable pressure sensor capable of non-invasively measuring vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse. To bring this innovation from lab to market, she co-founded PyrAmes Inc. with Dr. Xina Quan, who enhanced the device using machine learning algorithms and optimized its design for clinical use. […]

  • Is Background Noise the Key to Beating Alzheimer’s?

    Is Background Noise the Key to Beating Alzheimer’s?

    Summary The article discusses the innovative SoundMind project, led by Dr. Alexander Khalil and Dr. Gráinne McLoughlin, which explores the use of Augmented Audio Reality (AAR) to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. The project was inspired by Khalil’s experience with his father, who had dementia. Khalil developed an AAR algorithm that subtly alters background noise […]

  • A key to assembling materials on the surface of live neurons

    A key to assembling materials on the surface of live neurons

    Summary Anqi Zhang, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford, transitioned from building brain implants to mastering genetic engineering. In collaboration with Professors Zhenan Bao and Karl Deisseroth, Zhang developed a protein complex that helps neurons assemble conductive materials, potentially changing their sensitivity and creating new electrical connections. By using cellular machinery, Zhang overcame challenges in enzyme […]

  • Improving performance of polymer semiconductors with metal-ligand based mechanophores

    Improving performance of polymer semiconductors with metal-ligand based mechanophores

    Summary With the rise of wearable electronics, developing materials that withstand mechanical strain without losing electrical performance is crucial. Polymer-based field-effect transistors (FETs) are key components but often brittle due to rigid molecular structures needed for charge transport. A team led by Professor Zhenan Bao and Dr. Hung-Chin Wu at Stanford University addressed this by […]

  • Strain-insensitive stretchable electronics for wearables

    Strain-insensitive stretchable electronics for wearables

    Summary Researchers led by Professor Zhenan Bao at Stanford University have developed intrinsically stretchable transistor arrays for wearable electronics, with high device density and strain insensitivity. The material maintains less than 5% performance variation under 100% strain, making it ideal for capturing physiological signals despite strain changes. The team introduced “elastiff” layers, using rigid and […]

  • Stretchable Battery Underpinned by Supramolecular Chemistry

    Stretchable Battery Underpinned by Supramolecular Chemistry

    Summary Wearable electronics require flexible, safe, and high-performance energy storage. Traditional Li-ion batteries, which are rigid and contain flammable liquid electrolytes, are not ideal for such applications. A research team led by Professors Zhenan Bao and Yi Cui developed a new type of solid-state polymer electrolyte, incorporating a supramolecular network with dynamic hydrogen bonding to […]

  • Monitoring of Intra-Tumoral Drug Pharmacokinetics In Vivo With Implantable Sensors

    Monitoring of Intra-Tumoral Drug Pharmacokinetics In Vivo With Implantable Sensors

    Summary Drug discovery is costly, with only about 10% of drugs in Phase 1 trials gaining FDA approval, largely due to poor understanding of pharmacokinetics (PK). Standard blood-based PK measurements don’t accurately reflect drug levels in tumor tissues, which have complex microenvironments. A team led by Professor Hyongsok Tom Soh developed an implantable electrochemical aptamer-based […]