A smartwatch that detects early signs of diseases. A virtual reality tool that lets surgeons practice their skills without stepping into an operating room. Artificial intelligence that customizes treatment plans just for you.
This is the exciting future of healthcare, and the Duke Center for Computational and Digital Health Innovation is at the forefront of this transformation.
"We’re uniting engineers, scientists, and doctors to achieve one goal: finding, tracking, and treating diseases," says Amanda Randles, the center’s director and an expert in biomedical engineering. "We want to change healthcare by pushing technological boundaries."
The center’s work centers around three main technologies: wearable devices, high-performance computing, and extended reality (like virtual reality).
Unique Collaborations at Duke
The best part? This center thrives on collaboration. Researchers from various disciplines at Duke come together to tackle medical challenges using computational methods. Faculty members from the Pratt School of Engineering, Duke School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and Trinity School of Arts & Sciences work side by side, enhancing their research impact.
Jerome Lynch, Dean of Engineering, notes how Duke’s close-knit campuses foster innovative cooperation between engineering and medicine. "Having these schools so close makes our collaborations vibrant and productive," he explains.
The idea for the center stemmed from workshops where faculty discussed the challenges in digital health that required innovative solutions. Manesh Patel, MD, who leads the Division of Cardiology, emphasizes the need for computational methods in medicine. "It’s a game changer for our medical community—making tools accessible for everyone involved, including patients."
Transforming Medical Practices
Center members are already doing remarkable work. For instance:
- Maria Gorlatova is developing augmented reality tools to assist surgeons by highlighting specific areas of interest during procedures.
- Jessilyn Dunn and her team utilize wearables and advanced analytics to turn huge data sets into helpful health insights that can be seen in real time.
- Cameron McIntyre is working on visual software that helps surgeons understand complex neurosurgical tasks using holographic images.
The center isn’t just about research; it also focuses on education in computational health. They host seminars and plan to set up roundtable discussions where tech and medicine intersect. "We want everyone to be savvy with these new tools," Randles states. "Clinicians should know how AI can help, while engineers need to understand practical applications in healthcare."
A new certification program for graduate students in Engineering, Arts & Sciences, or Medicine starts soon, further supporting this interdisciplinary approach.
The Future Is Bright
With its commitment to combining technology and medicine, the Duke Center for Computational and Digital Health Innovation is shaping the future of healthcare. They’ll continue pioneering new methods that promise to enhance patient care and set new standards.
For further reading on the advancements in digital health, you can visit the Duke Center for Computational and Digital Health Innovation.
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