University of Virginia School of Data Science researcher Heman Shakeri has received a $4.7 million grant to lead research on artificial intelligence-powered diabetes management. The project is funded by Breakthrough T1D and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, with additional in-kind support from Tandem Diabetes Care and Arecor.
Shakeri will work as contact principal investigator alongside Dr. Greg Forlenza, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes). The initiative aims to develop fully closed-loop insulin delivery systems that use adaptive learning algorithms created at UVA, paired with ultra-rapid-acting insulin formulations. These systems are designed to personalize glucose control without requiring patients to manually announce meals or exercise.
The University of Colorado Anschutz will serve as the administrative prime for the project, while UVA leads algorithm development and engineering tasks. Clinical trials are planned at three locations: UVA, the Barbara Davis Center, and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Current automated insulin delivery systems require users to manage meal announcements and carbohydrate calculations. This project seeks to improve upon those systems by integrating machine learning algorithms with ultra-rapid-acting U-500 insulin, allowing real-time adjustments based on patient data such as circadian rhythms and metabolic changes.
Heman Shakeri explained the importance of UVA’s role: "UVA is where the core data science and engineering innovation happens," he said. "We are building the learning systems that allow these devices to personalize care in real time."
The new grant builds on previous research efforts led by Shakeri at UVA, including projects supported by LaunchPad grants and collaborations with the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"Diabetes is not static," Shakeri said. "People's bodies change from hour to hour. Data science allows us to build systems that learn alongside the patient instead of working against them."
Dr. Forlenza commented on the collaboration: "This exciting project builds upon a decade of collaboration between the Barbara Davis Center and UVA to continue to bring the most advanced technologies to children and adults with diabetes."
The UCSF Diabetes Technology Research Team will also contribute clinical expertise as part of this multi-institutional effort.
Looking ahead, Shakeri described his vision for AI in healthcare: "This is not just about one device," he said. "It is about rethinking how we use data science to support human health in a way that is adaptive, humane, and sustainable."
