The Iowa Collaboratory for Healthy Aging: Successful Aging through Innovative Technologies: Population Health and the Internet of Things, aims to combine the best models of care with innovative technologies to advance healthy aging by addressing issues before they become problems or crises.  Started by Drs. Smith and Herr with seed funding from the UI Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development (OVPRED) in 2016, the Collaboratory supports the Csomay Center’s mission by building partnerships to advance research. These include partnerships among researchers at the University of Iowa, and between the University of Iowa and other academic institutions, senior living communities, community-based services, venture partners in technology and related industries, and with state agencies and services.

Advances to date include UI researcher and industry collaborations to explore using vocal patterns of older adults as biomarkers for late life depression. Supportive pilot data have generated research proposals to further examine this topic, and papers describing outcomes. The longer-term goal is to develop passive monitoring systems that will detect changes, permit early treatment, and deter the downward spiral in function that is associated with clinical depression. For more information about the Collaboratory or the Vocal Pattern Detection of Depression pilot study, contact Dr. Smith.