Collaboration in Action: Targeting Heart Valve Disease and Hypertension Using AI
March 11, 2025
LSU and Our Lady of the Lake Health extends research awards to two additional teams under the growing Collaboration in Action Program to improve Louisianans’ health.
Dr. Jorge Castellanos with Our Lady of the Lake Health and LSU Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Bruno Rego.
LSU and Our Lady of the Lake Health's landmark program to overcome some of Louisiana's most critical health challenges through collaborative research, the Collaboration in Action Program, has been extended to support two additional teams in its inaugural funding round:
Bruno Rego, LSU assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering, is working with Our Lady of the Lake Structural Heart Program Director Dr. Jorge Castellanos to improve the diagnosis and treatment of heart valve disease by leveraging electronic health records and advanced image processing using AI. Two of the most common forms of heart valve disease are aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation.
“When you do an ultrasound of the heart, you look at pump function, valve function, and dozens of measurements that may not necessarily make it to the final report,” Dr. Castellanos said. “The data is there that could indicate the patient has a condition that has not [yet] been diagnosed.”
Rego and Dr. Castellanos will also use statistical analysis to figure out who is getting referred for particular surgeries, who is not, and why.
Dr. Yun Shen
In addition, LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Dr. Yun Shen will lead a team to help Type 2 diabetes patients more effectively manage their blood pressure. The team includes LSU Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Shuangqing Wei, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Yola of LSU Health New Orleans, and Drs. Tiffany Wesley Ardoin, Tonya Jagneaux, and Jolene Johnson of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System/LSU Health New Orleans.
The researchers will use data from electronic health records and AI to help guide personalized drug dosing and more targeted treatments.
“I am excited to collaborate with this exceptional team to leverage artificial intelligence in tackling the pressing health challenges facing our community,” said Dr. Jagneaux, chief medical informatics officer and chief medical analytics officer at Our Lady of the Lake Health. “By integrating AI-driven insights, we have a unique opportunity to refine treatment strategies, improve patient outcomes, and address healthcare inequities. This research represents a significant step toward advancing precision medicine and enhancing care for those living with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.”
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In September 2024, the Collaboration in Action program announced an investment of $1.2 million to support five collaborative teams who will pursue basic, clinical and translational research in five critical areas: cardiovascular disease and care; comprehensive cancer care; trauma and neuroscience; chronic respiratory disease; and sports medicine and performance.
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