Category: Research Story

Hariri Faculty Affiliates Lou Awad and Roberto Tron team up to aid post-stroke recovery

By Emily Tan With adults age 65 and older forming the United States’ fastest-growing population segment, more Americans are bound to experience severe and complex health conditions. To meet the needs of the country’s graying population, the current health care system must rethink its existing treatment approaches for older patients. Roberto Tron, a Hariri Institute […]

BU-led Interdisciplinary Team Develops Data-driven Strategy for Early Alzheimer’s Assessment

Collaborating Institutions include University of California San Francisco, Mass General Hospital, and Lahey Hospital and Medical Center By Maureen Stanton and Gina DiGravio Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, afflicting more than six million Americans today. By 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million, with one in three seniors […]

What’s behind Boom of Christianity in China?

The Brink reports on this fascinating research, initiated with incubation funding from Hariri Institute. Theology scholars and a global network of researchers are using big data to map religion’s history in China and explain its rapid growth. Over the past four decades, Christianity has grown faster in China than anywhere else in the world. Daryl […]

Best of The Brink 2022: BU’s Most-Read Science and Research Stories

The Brink published its most-read science and research stories of 2022, featuring work or commentary from the Hariri Institute community. Read excerpts with the links to the full stories below. Story: What Will Bruce Willis’ Aphasia Diagnosis Mean for the Veteran Actor? For answers, The Brink  turns to experts in aphasia, including Swathi Kiran, a […]

Can WhatsApp Messages Be Secure and Encrypted—but Traceable at the Same Time?

A new program could strengthen the security and privacy of WhatsApp, Signal, and other end-to-end encrypted messaging apps and help them better moderate online abuse Cryptographers love an enigma, a problem to solve—and this one has it all. Indestructible codes, secret notes, encryption, and decryption. Here’s the puzzle: someone wants to send a secure message […]

Could a computer diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?

Boston University researchers develop an artificial intelligence program that detects cognitive impairment accurately and efficiently from voice recordings It takes a lot of time—and money—to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. After running lengthy in-person neuropsychological exams, clinicians have to transcribe, review, and analyze every response in detail. But researchers at Boston University have developed a new tool […]