The Intelligent Critical Care Center (IC3) associate director of education Ruogu Fang appears in the National Geographic article “Your eyes may be a window into early Alzheimer’s detection” because of her work at SMILE Lab, where she directs research into using artificial intelligence and machine learning for treatment and early detection of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
In the National Geographic article, Fang comments on a recent study led by Cedars Sinai Medical Center neuroscientist Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui that “found that higher levels of beta-amyloid protein—a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease—in the retina corresponded to higher levels in the brain and more severe cognitive decline.”
According to Fang, the finding “adds another layer of confidence…to show that anatomical, molecular, cellular, and even functional changes in the retina can reflect changes in the brain.” Fang’s work at SMILE Lab includes using machine learning algorithms to detect early signs of neurodegenerative diseases through retinal scans, as was mentioned in a Forbes article in December 2022.
To read the full National Geographic article, which is currently available only to subscribers, click here.
For more information about Fang’s work with her SMILE Lab, click here.
On Twitter, follow Ruogu Fang and SMILE Lab.