AI and the Future of Dementia Care: A STEM Lecture at The India Center
By Liliana Hogan
Dr. Vijaya Kolachalama explores how artificial intelligence can transform diagnosis and treatment in the global fight against neurodegenerative disease.
On February 19, The India Center at UCF welcomed Vijaya Kolachalama, Ph.D., FAHA, for its first STEM-focused lecture of the semester. Kolachalama, an expert in artificial intelligence and healthcare innovation, delivered a talk titled “AI and the Global Dementia Crisis: Opportunities for Innovation & Impact.”
The event brought together students, faculty, and community members to explore how artificial intelligence can help address one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time: dementia. Kolachalama, who has published extensively on the subject, shared insights from his lab’s work developing AI-based multimodal frameworks to support physicians in diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases.
“Our goal is to build assistive tools that can augment or facilitate neurology practice,” Kolachalama explained, emphasizing the potential for AI to improve diagnostic accuracy and expand access to care.
Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, affects millions globally and presents unique challenges in both the United States and India. Kolachalama highlighted the shortage of neurology specialists—particularly acute in India—and the high costs associated with dementia care as key motivators for innovation in this space.
He also discussed the rigorous process of validating AI models and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing the field. “The AI part is 30–40% of our work,” he noted. “A large part of our time is actually spent on validating these models.”
The lecture concluded with a lively Q&A session, where attendees posed questions about the intersection of computer science, medicine, and ethics in AI development.
The event reflected The India Center’s commitment to fostering dialogue on contemporary issues at the intersection of technology, health, and society—both in India and around the world.