OSU initiative elevates human performance research through technology
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Media Contact: Cody Cramer | The Innovation Foundation at OSU | 405-613-2838 | ccramer@okstate.edu
HPNRI launches new human digital twin consortium driving innovation in health care and human performance
Industries like engineering and energy utilize digital models to simulate mechanical systems like jet engines and replicate large-scale equipment in various environments. In the fashion industry they are used to visualize designs before physical production.
In health care, a human digital twin has the potential to predict how a body will react to a new treatment or where athletes can simulate their peak performance in a virtual world before stepping onto the field.
However, unlike jet engines and buildings, humans have complex physiological, psychological and emotional responses that impact how they react to environments, like how one person may feel exhausted after a workout while another may feel energized. This complexity requires precise and controlled conditions to develop a human digital twin.
The Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute within The Innovation Foundation at OSU, has launched the Human Digital Twin Consortium at OSU to leverage expertise to develop digital replicas of human systems and create unique approaches to advancing human performance.
“There are many consortiums out there that seek to leverage the expertise of national and international experts to solve various problems,” said Dr. Ali Boolani, HPNRI associate director of research and strategic initiatives. “Our consortium is unique in the sense that we have people from fields that are unrelated to human performance as we see that leveraging different ways of thinking might help us solve these challenges.”
Lead by Boolani, the objectives of the consortium are to develop methods for creating human digital twins, create adaptable algorithms for human digital twin creation across various fields, and to identify factors that enable the design of customized exercise programs.
These models replicate a person’s physiological and psychological responses to various environments which can help improve health outcomes by personalizing treatment options based on individual characteristics and responses.
Through this consortium, HPNRI researchers aim to revolutionize fields such as medicine, athletic performance, and chronic disease management by studying and refining these models to enhance decision-making for clinicians and patients alike.
“Developing a human digital twin comes with many challenges, which can often make it difficult for individuals or individual teams to tackle,” Boolani said. “This is why we have decided to work with individuals from all over the world who have expertise in various fields to help us develop these human digital twins. This is a multidisciplinary team with expertise in fields from physiology to psychology, to computer science. We are hoping that this diversity of thought and expertise can be leveraged to solve this challenge.”
With a growing need for personalized health care, human digital twins have the potential to revolutionize medicine and human performance.
Successful human digital twin models could enhance medical interventions by tailoring them to individual needs, reducing side effects, and optimizing outcomes across drug discovery, mental health, nutrition, exercise, and chronic disease management.
This effort aligns with OSU's land-grant mission to improve the well-being of all Oklahomans by advancing accessible, impactful solutions in health and wellness for diverse communities across the state.
“Our goal is to develop a research methodology and a statistical methodology that can be used by people seeking to develop their own digital twins,” Boolani said. “If we are successful, we will make a paradigm shift in this space.”