世界赌场排名

KENNESAW, Ga. | May 12, 2025

世界赌场排名 researchers Mahmut Karakaya and Ramazan Aygun recently earned a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to support their technology-driven approach to addressing diabetic eye disease.

The project will focus on diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina. Left undetected, diabetic retinopathy can lead to vision loss without early symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 9 million people in the U.S. suffer from the serious eye condition.

Supported by the NIH grant, Karakaya and Aygun will develop a smartphone-based retinal imaging system to help detect the condition earlier and more affordably through the use of artificial intelligence. Karakaya began exploring the technology a decade ago.

鈥淲e were experimenting with smartphones to scan invisible barcodes,鈥� said Karakaya, an assistant professor of computer science in 世界赌场排名鈥檚 College of Computing and Software Engineering. 鈥淭hat caused me to think, 鈥榃hat if we used smartphones to capture medical images?鈥欌��

Later, the research pivoted to retinal imaging, recognizing that existing smartphone tools could capture images but not analyze them. Combining smartphone hardware with machine learning, the duo aimed to create a diagnostic tool that was both accessible and accurate.

Egypt was selected as the testing location because it has a diabetes prevalence of over 20 percent. Through an Egypt-based collaborator, Karakaya and Aygun formed partnerships with local medical professionals to support the project. While Egypt is the starting point, the technology is intended for global use, including rural areas in the U.S.

Unlike traditional equipment costing as much as $50,000, their system relies on a smartphone, a lens attachment, and AI to screen for diabetic retinopathy. A patient鈥檚 retinal image is captured, assessed for quality, and analyzed by AI. If abnormalities are found, the system recommends a follow-up with a specialist.

鈥淭his approach is game-changing for primary care,鈥� said Aygun, an associate professor of computer science. 鈥淲ith this tool, we can reach people where they are without expensive equipment or needing a specialist on site.鈥�

The team is also developing WisdomNet, an AI framework designed to recognize its own uncertainty and defer complex cases to human doctors.

鈥淭he goal isn鈥檛 just to build an accurate model, but a trustworthy one,鈥� Aygun added.

To make the AI more robust, they鈥檙e incorporating expert knowledge and plan to use gaze-tracking to teach the algorithm how doctors evaluate retinal images. Their aim is to reach at least 80% diagnostic accuracy by the end of the project.

Students at all levels, from undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates, are contributing to the work.

鈥淭hey are gaining hands-on research experience that will shape their future careers,鈥� Karakaya said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not just learning how to code or train models. They鈥檙e learning how to build ethical, reliable tools that impact lives.鈥�

Long-term, the faculty members hope the system will be scalable enough for use in mobile clinics, pop-up screenings, and even remote monitoring by community health workers. With proper support and deployment, the technology could address broader healthcare gaps beyond diabetic retinopathy, eventually adapting to detect other vision-threatening diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration.

鈥淎ccessibility is at the core of what we鈥檙e doing,鈥� said Karakaya. 鈥淭his is about removing barriers cost, distance, technology and giving people the power to act early.鈥�

鈥� Story by Raynard Churchwell

Photos by Matt Yung

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 世界赌场排名 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.