Pace University Seidenberg School Of CSIS Receives $175,000 Grant From The National Science Foundation

Grant will provide funds for research in wearable technology for healthcare workers

NEW YORK (June 24, 2020) – The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Pace University Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems Professor Zhan Zhang, Ph.D., a $175,000 grant to research wearable technology for emergency healthcare workers.

“This is my long-standing research interest,” said Professor Zhang, who has been doing research in the healthcare technology field since 2011. “Emergency care work is inherently important to society as it deals with life-threatening injuries and emergency situations. Improving the work efficiency of emergency care will lead to better patient outcomes and decreased medical errors.”

Zhang’s almost decade of work in the field has brought him to his current project: designing and developing novel technologies to support decision making and collaboration in highly dynamic medical environments. In these situations, decisions must be made quickly and acted upon immediately, such as when paramedics work to keep someone’s heart beating while transporting them to a hospital.

Throughout the two-year term of the grant support, Dr. Zhang aims to develop wearable devices that can be used by paramedics to collect real-time patient data in a hands-free manner, and to communicate with emergency room and trauma teams at the receiving hospital. For example, paramedics transporting a patient can use smart glasses to transmit what they are seeing to colleagues awaiting the patient at the hospital. This enables them to act upon observations and instructions delivered by colleagues with relevant expertise. The result would be more efficient and effective patient care until the paramedics could deliver the patient to the hospital.

“In this time of global pandemic, there is no research work more vital than leveraging technology to rapidly diagnose and treat patients. Dr. Zhang’s work will empower emergency medical technicians with real time information to analyze a patient’s condition and apply the best available treatments on the spot,” said Jonathan H. Hill, DPS, Dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

“I feel extremely excited to work on this challenging yet understudied research problem that has significant scientific and societal impacts,” Professor Zhang added.

About Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems

At Pace’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS), students experience the best of IT education at one of the first comprehensive schools of computing in the nation. Strategically located in the heart of NYC’s tech scene, the Seidenberg School places students on the doorstep of New York’s most promising companies, whether they are established tech giants or exciting new startups. Through partnerships with leading corporations, banks, federal agencies, and global entities, the School's curricula and programs are designed to give students the latest in computer science theory and invaluable hands-on practice to ground it. The faculty includes numerous cybersecurity experts who operate labs and centers providing students with practical experience and connections that lead to impressive internships and jobs.

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. Follow us on Twitter or on the Pace News website.