Dhruv Jain and Devin McCaslin receive William Demant Foundation grant for AI-driven dizziness diagnosis

Dhruv Jain, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, and Devin McCaslin, professor of otolaryngology and director of audiology at Michigan Medicine, have been awarded a $740,000 grant from the William Demant Foundation. The funding will support their collaborative project titled “Data-driven Approach to Clinical Decision-Making in Patients with Dizziness,” which aims to improve the diagnosis and management of dizziness, a symptom associated with hearing loss, using machine learning methods.

Jain and McCaslin’s collaboration came about through the e-Health and Artificial Intelligence (e-HAIL) Initiative, a joint strategic initiative between the Associate Dean of Research in the College of Engineering and Michigan Medicine’s Office of Research. Their partnership exemplifies the type of cross-disciplinary collaborations e-HAIL was designed to promote, uniting experts across disciplines to drive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare.

The William Demant Foundation is dedicated to supporting initiatives that enhance hearing health, promote technological innovation, and contribute to the betterment of society. In line with these goals, Jain and McCaslin’s project addresses the critical need for improved diagnostics in the field of dizziness, a symptom affecting a significant portion of the population. Despite its prevalence, dizziness often leads to misdiagnosis due to its non-specific nature and the number of potential underlying causes.

The researchers aim to overcome these challenges by developing a scalable, open-source database to facilitate the collection and analysis of data from vestibular and hearing tests. This database will be instrumental in creating machine learning models to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of dizziness diagnosis.

“Our project’s goal is to provide a proof-of-concept for an AI-driven dizziness diagnostics and patient management system,” said McCaslin. “By establishing a comprehensive database and employing machine learning techniques, we can improve diagnostic accuracy and personalize treatment plans, potentially benefiting clinics worldwide.”

Jain added, “With this grant, we are poised to revolutionize how dizziness is diagnosed by harnessing the power of AI to model complex relationships between symptoms and test outcomes, leading to more precise and expedient care.”

The initiative will also explore integrated AI systems to support communication between clinicians and patients, particularly those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This further aligns with Jain’s vision at the Soundability Lab to develop accessible technology solutions for diverse user needs.

Through their collective expertise, Jain and McCaslin are set to advance the field of dizziness diagnostics significantly, offering new hope to patients and practitioners alike.

You can read more about Jain and McCaslin’s collaboration on the e-HAIL website.