{"id":432082,"date":"2020-05-08T13:55:29","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T17:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=432082"},"modified":"2021-07-09T21:46:25","modified_gmt":"2021-07-10T01:46:25","slug":"ehsan-hoque-named-an-emerging-leader-by-national-academy-of-medicine-432082","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/ehsan-hoque-named-an-emerging-leader-by-national-academy-of-medicine-432082\/","title":{"rendered":"Ehsan Hoque named an \u2018emerging leader\u2019 by National Academy of Medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ehsan Hoque, a University of Rochester<\/a> expert in human-computer interaction, is one of 10 new emerging leaders<\/a> selected by the National Academy of Medicine<\/a> to collaborate with the organization on \u201csparking transformative change to improve health care for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the world faces the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reminded of the importance of involving emerging leaders, who are poised to shape the future of health and medicine, in cross-disciplinary activities to tackle pressing challenges such as these,\u201d says Victor Dzau, president of the academy.\u00a0 \u201cI am delighted to welcome these extraordinary individuals . . . into the National Academy of Medicine\u2019s Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoque, an assistant professor of computer science and the Asaro Biggar (\u201992) Family Fellow in Data Science, directs\u00a0the\u00a0Rochester Human-Computer Interaction (ROC HCI) Lab<\/a>.<\/u><\/p>\n

\u201cI am very excited to be the odd one with a background in technology among a cohort of highly accomplished researchers and leaders in medicine, public health, policy and law,\u201d Hoque says.<\/p>\n

While serving as the interim director of the Goergen Institute of Data Science,<\/a> Hoque helped establish the Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence in Parkinson\u2019s Research<\/a> at the University of Rochester, funded by $9.2 NIH grant. The center brings together researchers and multiple academic institutions including MIT and Johns Hopkins, to focus on the development of digital tools to enhance understanding of the disease, engage broad populations in research, and accelerate the development of treatment for Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

Hoque and his students are working on creating a video analytics tool that would allow anyone with Parkinson\u2019s, from any part of the world, to perform neurological tests in front of a computer and receive standardized metrics corresponding to the disease progression.<\/p>\n

Hoque has also been collaborating with Medical Center in improving end-of-life communication for final stage cancer patients. More than two-thirds of advanced cancer patients have an incorrect understanding of their diagnosis, leading to decisions \u2013 later regretted \u2013 to pursue aggressive and often toxic treatments that worsen the quality of life. In collaboration with Ronald Epstein, professor of family medicine, Hoque and his students are developing an emotionally aware \u2018virtual patient\u2019 for doctors to practice responding to patients\u2019 emotions, checking patient understanding and avoiding lecturing.<\/p>\n

Hoque joined the University in 2013 after completing his PhD at MIT. His PhD thesis<\/a> introduced the idea of a computer being a conversation coach. \u00a0The possibility has become more mainstream with Microsoft releasing \u201cPresenter Coach<\/a>\u201d in 2019 to be integrated into PowerPoint.<\/p>\n

At Rochester he has continued to be a pioneer in developing AI that improves human ability while expanding his research to:<\/p>\n