In the latest episode of Face to Face With Chancellor May, Alyssa Weakley, an assistant professor in the 麻豆传媒 Health Department of Neurology, discusses her work at the intersection of neuroscience, technology and caregiving.
As an Alzheimer's disease expert, her primary research is a web-based application called Interactive Care, or I-Care, designed to help older adults experiencing cognitive impairment manage daily activities and maintain communication with family members. The platform includes features such as a shared calendar, to-do lists, video chat and collaborative notes.
鈥淲hen my grandmother started to develop cognitive impairment, there wasn't anything that really could meet our needs of taking care of her in Southern California where she was living by herself,鈥 Weakley said. 鈥淎nd so that's where the idea of this interactive online platform came, so that we would have a way to help support her from a distance.鈥
Like many early-career researchers, Weakley has encountered several challenges in establishing her research program. Securing funding, forming interdisciplinary collaborations and identifying the right institutional resources have all been part of the process, she said. Despite these hurdles, she continues to advance her work with the support of academic and federal research programs.
鈥淚t takes a lot of resources to do anything involving technology. But then when you get human subjects involved and other things, it becomes very costly,鈥 Weakley said. 鈥淎nd so getting that funding is really important to maintain that.鈥
May agreed.
鈥淭hat investment by the federal government pays off,鈥 May said. 鈥淚t allows you to do what you do and improve the lives of the people that have cognitive impairments.鈥
By developing accessible, evidence-based tools, she hopes to contribute to improving the quality of life for individuals with cognitive impairment and to ease the demands placed on caregivers.
Watch the full episode to learn more about Weakley鈥檚 research, including the other people who have helped make I-Care a reality.
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Anila Lijo is a writer and editor for the Office of Strategic Communications, and can be reached by email.