Dr. Nabil Adam (Ph.D.) and Dr. Robert Wieder (M.D., Ph.D.) Awarded 2020 Busch Biomedical Grant
The two-year grant will allow them to study how machine learning and artificial intelligence can be used to predict adverse events in breast cancer patients.
Dr. Nabil Adam and Dr. Robert Wieder (M.D., Ph.D.) of Rutgers University have recently been awarded a 2-year grant from the 2020 Busch Biomedical Grant Program in order to study how machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to predict adverse events in cancer patients, especially in minorities. Dr. Adam, a distinguished professor, and Dr. Wieder, a physician-scientist, plan to carry out this study by preparing, adapting, and implementing both supervised and unsupervised ML and AI techniques in order to discover interaction risks for adverse events in breast cancer patients. Due to the large number of variables that can contribute to these adverse events, both Dr. Adam and Dr. Wieder understand that complicated algorithms and expertise from their fields of study are required in order to identify the contributing factors.
In another study conducted by Dr. Adam and Dr. Wieder, it was found that African American women with stage I-III ER- and PR- breast cancer had greater improvement in survival than Caucasians in 2001–2011. The background of this study was based on the fact that African American women have not benefited equally from recently improved breast cancer survival.
When a breast cancer patient receives combination therapy, it tends to cause significant adverse events that can affect patients in a variety of ways, and there’s even more of a risk when it comes to minorities and the elderly due to more comorbidities. Dr. Adam and Dr. Wieder hypothesize that combinations of the tumor, patient, and treatment-specific characteristics can generate higher than expected chances of adverse events. This is where the ML and AI come in, allowing the two researchers to develop algorithms that can identify the risks associated with these events in both minorities and the elderly. The main aims of the study are to 1) identify causal variables of adverse events, 2) characterize the events by organ, grade, timing, and duration, and finally 3) apply unsupervised and supervised ML and AI techniques in order identify adverse events, patient and treatment variables, and predictive associations among disease.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning in the medical field is developing at an exciting rate, during a time in which the population is becoming increasingly aged, yet access to more tests within precision medicine is also on the uprise.
Dr. Nabil Adam is a distinguished Professor of Computer & Information Systems and Professor of Medicine at Rutgers University. Nabil is a specialist in cybersecurity, machine learning and artificial intelligence, healthcare technology, and clinical/healthcare informatics and has won various prestigious awards in regard to them, making him one of the most accomplished individuals in these fields. Dr. Adam has used the experience he’s gained throughout his career to write over 200 publications and 11 books, as well as mentoring Ph.D. students and speaking at conferences around the world on varying subjects. On top of that, Dr. Nabil Adam holds both chairman and vice-chairman positions on over 20 boards and has both founded and co-founded nine initiatives for Rutgers University and other prestigious organizations.
