A new project at Tulane University is exploring how artificial intelligence can support cardiovascular disease prevention by combining digital tools with community-based care. Known as Heartline, the initiative brings together AI, community health workers, and faith-based organizations to help individuals make sustainable lifestyle changes. The project is led by Farah Allouch, assistant professor in epidemiology at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (WSPH), and Nicholas Mattei, associate professor at the School of Science and Engineering. The project builds on their years of experience working in community-centered health interventions and AI development. Keep reading >>
A Tulane University research team is developing an artificial intelligence platform designed to help public health professionals spot disease risks earlier, with potential applications in maternal health, cancer surveillance and infectious disease monitoring. The project, known as SMART-pred, is led by Dr. Samuel Kakraba, principal investigator and assistant professor of biostatistics and data science at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a faculty affiliate of the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science (CAIDS). The initiative recently received support through a joint seed grant program from CAIDS and the Celia Scott Weatherhead School focused on advancing AI and machine learning in public health research. Keep reading >>
Tulane program ‘Let’s Talk Digital’ provides scalable family planning intervention
A novel Tulane-led study published in AIDS Care evaluates “Let’s Talk Digital,” a first-of-its-kind hybrid intervention developed by Tulane researchers that combines live group sessions with mobile eLearning for adolescents and caregivers in South Africa -- the country with the world’s highest HIV burden. The intervention builds on Tulane’s earlier “Let’s Talk” program, which reached more than 220,000 families nationwide. The study found strong feasibility and engagement, underscoring the potential of digital approaches to extend program reach, strengthen implementation fidelity and sustain HIV-prevention and parenting support amid public health funding and workforce constraints. Keep reading >>
Tulane researcher to address extreme heat and health in Bangladesh
Mostafijur Rahman, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, was recently awarded a Wellcome Climate Impacts Award to lead a major international effort examining how extreme heat affects human health in Dhaka, Bangladesh.“Extreme heat does not affect every neighborhood equally,” Rahman said. “To protect vulnerable communities, we need precise, neighborhood-level data that shows where risks are highest and what interventions will make the greatest difference. This project is intentionally designed to move from evidence to action". Keep reading >>
A new study from Tulane University researchers found that a team-based program in community health clinics helped low-income patients reduce their blood pressure more than standard care alone. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was carried out in 36 federally qualified health centers in Louisiana and Mississippi, nonprofit centers providing primary care to many patients with limited incomes and limited access to care. Keep reading >>
Eating more ultra-processed foods linked to poorer bone health
“Our study cohort was followed for over 12 years, and we found that high intakes of ultra-processed foods were linked to a reduction in bone mineral density at several sites including key areas of the upper femur and the lumbar spine region,” said co-corresponding author Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and professor at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University. “While recent studies have shown that ultra-processed food consumption can affect bone health, this is the first time this relationship has been examined directly in humans.” Keep reading>>
