Researchers from UCLA and USC have received a four-year, $6.1 million grant from the National Institutes for Health PRISMS Program to study and develop wireless sensing and analytical devices that can predict – and help mitigate or prevent – the onset of pediatric asthma attacks and other disorders.  The UCLA/USC Center for Biomedical Real-Time Health Evaluation for Pediatric Asthma (BREATHE) will develop technology to reduce the incidence of medical emergencies and allow caregivers and people with chronic conditions to monitor health conditions in real time.

The principal investigator for BREATHE is Alex Bui, professor of radiological sciences at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine (joint appointment in UCLA’s Bioengineering Department).  Research will be led by Professor Bui and Co-Directors Majid Sarrafzadeh, distinguished professor of computer science at UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Dr. Frank Gilliland, professor of preventive medicine at  USC’s Keck School of Medicine.

BREATHE researchers seek to create end-to-end software infrastructure for pediatric sensor-based health monitoring. The BREATHE platform will securely collect an array of physiological and environmental data from sensors, ranging from heart rate to air quality. It will analyze the data in real time, integrating it with the patient’s medical history and other contextual factors, and then convey vital information to patients or caregivers via smartphones or other devices. The BREATHE platform will help us answer an array of questions about the potential environmental causes or influences on pediatric illnesses