Talk Title: “Dynamic Systems Modeling of Humans to Optimize Digital Health Care”
Speaker: Misha Pavel, Professor of Practice in Computer Sciences and Health Sciences at Northeastern University; Visiting Professor in the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, UC Davis
Abstract: The vision of transforming health care from reactive sick care to proactive health care requires new approaches to the assessment of individuals’ physical, physiological and mental states and their dynamics. Emerging advances in sensing, computation and communication technology have the potential to enable intensive longitudinal monitoring, assessment and prediction to close the loop by optimizing early detection and tailored intervention. This presentation will discuss examples of robust computational modeling and predicting individuals’ behaviors combining machine learning, hybrid dynamic systems and statistical signal processing with psychological knowledge. These include inferences of cognitive functionality from computer interactions and games that can be used for early detection of changes in cognitive function, and approaches to inferences of stress levels from physiological measurements. In addition, a principled approach using intensive longitudinal health behavior monitoring to help individuals to increase their physical activity and engagement is described. This approach also provides transparent explanations of the inferences and recommendations.
Speaker Bio: Misha Pavel holds a joint faculty appointment in Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences and Bouvé College of Health Sciences and visiting faculty at UC Davis. His background comprises electrical engineering, computer science and experimental psychology. His research includes multiscale dynamic computational modeling of behaviors and psychological states, with applications ranging from elder care to augmentation of human performance. Pavel uses these model-based approaches to develop algorithms transforming unobtrusive monitoring from smart homes and mobile devices to practical and actionable knowledge for diagnosis and intervention. Under the auspices of the Northeastern-based Consortium on Technology for Proactive Care, Pavel and his colleagues target technological innovations to support the development of economically feasible, proactive, distributed and individual-centered health care. In addition, Pavel is investigating approaches to inferring and augmenting human cognition using computer games, EEG, gait characteristics, and transcranial electrical stimulation.
About the Series: CITRIS Research Exchange delivers fresh perspectives on information technology and society from distinguished academic, industry and civic leaders. Free and open to the public, these seminars feature leading voices on societal-scale research issues. Presentations take place on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. PT. Have an idea for a great talk? Please feel free to suggest potential speakers for our series.
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