Three people work with medical equipment in a clinical setting; one wears a colorful cap and is seated with their arm extended.

Research

Affiliated faculty, students and collaborators at the Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation are developing novel medical technologies and services that enable early diagnosis of disease, improve the effectiveness of therapies and treatments, and generate better patients outcomes at reduced costs.

Semcer CHI AIMS Initiative

The Semcer CHI AIMS (Aging • Integration • Multimorbidity • Signals) initiative supports interdisciplinary research focused on the early detection and prevention of age-related functional decline. Through seed funding, collaborative team science and strategic partnerships, AIMS advances engineering-driven solutions that help preserve cognition, mobility, independence and quality of life throughout aging.

In 2026, Semcer CHI launched its first AIMS seed funding program, supporting collaborative research teams addressing metabolic health, cognitive health and mobility health.

Meet the Minds Behind the Research

Focus Areas

Our researchers work across disciplines to address complex healthcare challenges that cannot be solved within a single field. By integrating expertise in engineering, data science, artificial intelligence, sensing and imaging technologies, biomaterials, and biomechanics, Semcer CHI develops innovative solutions that enable earlier detection, prevention and management of age-related functional decline, helping improve health, independence and quality of life.

Metabolic health (Diabetes)

Jennifer Kang-Mieler and two students to her left looking at a slide under a microscope.This focus area investigates early metabolic dysfunction using non-invasive tissue biomarkers, retinal vascular and metabolic imaging, and behavioral indicators of neuropathy. This approach supports early identification of risk prior to elevation of standard blood-based markers in prevention and precision health.

2026 Project: Endothelial Biomarkers of Early Metabolic Dysfunction

Project Lead: Shang Wang

Team Members: Jennifer Kang-Mieler, Simon Mahler, William Querido, Xiaojun Yu, Yong Zhang, Ravi Nataraj, Antonia Zaferiou, Kenny Wong, Shima Hajimirza and Ping Wang

Cognitive health (Neurodegenerative disorders)

Woman hooked up to neurovascular device.For this research focus area, our group studies scalable, non-invasive identification of early cognitive–motor disruption using physiological and behavioral measures that reflect underlying neurovascular and metabolic change.

2026 Project: Vascular–Cognitive Biomarkers of Early Neurodegeneration

Project Lead: Ravi Nataraj

Team Members: Jennifer Kang-Mieler, Simon Mahler, William Querido, Ilke Uguz, Xiaojun Yu, Antonia Zaferiou, Yong Zhang, Jacob Gissinger, Ping Wang, Yi Guo, Shima Hajimirza, Damiano Zanotto, Sang Won Bae and Ting Liao

Mobility health (Musculoskeletal disorders)

A rehabilitation measurement device is affixed to an athlete's upper thigh.Our third focus area treats mobility and functional performance as central aging outcomes. By integrating fine motor control, sensorimotor integration, and structural indicators of musculoskeletal health, the group aims to predict fall risk, fracture susceptibility, and decline in activities of daily living before catastrophic events occur.

2026 Project: Neuromuscular and Behavioral Biomarkers of Mobility Decline

Project Lead: Antonia Zaferiou

Team Members: Ravi Nataraj, Damiano Zanotto, Jacqueline Libby, Yi Guo, Ting Liao, Sang Won Bae, William Querido and Xiaojun Yu

Student using the equipment at Semcer Lab to study tissue reconstruction.

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