Congratulations to Andrew Smith, PT, PhD for being named a recipient of a 2020-2021 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Pilot Grant for the project, “Machine learning to quantify muscle changes, lean body mass, and function in obese adults.” The main objective of the project is to train and test a machine-learning model to automatically measure mid-thigh muscle cross sectional area to both provide rapid estimation of lean body mass and predict the functional status of obese adults. To accomplish this, the team will employ machine learning image processing approaches to a dataset provided by Dr. Bryan Bergman’s laboratory.

This interdisciplinary project assembles key personnel that span three separate departments at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  The investigative team includes Donglai Huo, PhD and Dan Lopez Paniagua, PhD from Radiology, as well as Bryan Bergman, PhD from the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. The PM&R investigators, Andrew Smith, PT, PhD, Stephan Bodkin, PhD, ATC, Katie Boncella, MS, and Michael Harris-Love, PT, DSc are affiliated with the Muscle Morphology, Mechanics, and Performance Laboratory (3MAP Lab).

This truly interdisciplinary pilot study leverages collaboration among imaging scientists, muscle physiologists, exercise scientists, physical therapists, and athletic trainers.