UW-Parkside Professor Awarded Research Grant

University of Wisconsin-Parkside Professor Suresh Chalasani has received state funding for research on a device that could ease the burden of people with chronic diseases like diabetes. The $10,000 WiSys Technology Foundation matching grant funds Professor Chalasani’s “Wireless Technologies for Monitoring Chronic Diseases” project.

“Our goal is to develop technologies that enable cost-effective and continuous monitoring of chronic diseases. This project involves a hand-held wireless monitoring device and the intent is to build a prototype of the proposed technology,” said Professor Chalasani who teaches management information systems at UW-Parkside.

In addition to continuous monitoring, Chalasani said such a device allows feedback between the user and health care providers.

As part of the research, users receive a blood glucose measurement unit and enter blood glucose test data into a hand-held wireless device. That information is transmitted to specialized database servers and stored in the clinic’s electronic health record system. The clinic’s staff is alerted when a user’s blood glucose information is received. Feedback on glucose levels is then transmitted back to the user’s hand-held device. The user is complimented when glucose levels are normal or asked to come to the clinic when levels are outside the norm.

In announcing the grant, WiSys Technology Foundation Associate Vice President for Academic, Faculty and Global Programs Stephen Kolison Jr., said, “In addition to the technical merit, quality of the research design, and likelihood of successful completion, a major criterion for selection [of Professor Chalasani’s project] was the potential impact of the project on Wisconsin's economy.”

A final report on the research is due later this year.