Speaker: Alex Mariakakis, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto

Abstract: Traditional healthcare is centered around face-to-face interactions between patients and clinicians. While these human relationships are important for establishing empathetic and ethical care, they limit the extent to which healthcare can be accessed and delivered. Ubiquitous technologies like smartphones and wearables can augment traditional healthcare workflows by increasing people's access to health-monitoring tools. Rather than viewing healthcare as a reactive endeavor, we can work towards proactive approaches like preventative screening, continuous disease management, and informative visualizations that empower all stakeholders to make informed and timely decisions. To achieve this vision, my research group applies signal processing and machine learning on sensor data to measure vital signs and infer symptoms. Since these technologies may sometimes be intended for people without medical training, my group also explores how such tools should be designed to achieve clinically relevant goals. In this talk, I will highlight three lines of research: (1) acoustic cardiac sensing with earbuds, (2) accurate and informative menstrual health tracking, and (3) chatbots for clinical pre-consultation.

Bio: Alex Mariakakis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He runs the Computational Health and Interaction (CHAI) lab, which leverages ubiquitous and emergent technologies to address problems related to people’s health and wellbeing. He is also an Affiliate Scientist at the KITE Research Institute and an Education Faculty Affiliate within T-CAIREM, which has enabled his passion for digital health research to influence the clinical landscape in the Greater Toronto Area. His work has garnered multiple Best Paper Awards at top computer science venues like ACM CHI and ACM COMPASS, as well as significant attention from media outlets ranging from the BBC to Cosmo Magazine.

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IPaT: GVU Lunch Lecture Series