UC Davis Launches AggieBrain AI Neuropathology Initiative with $420,500 Donation

In a press release, UC Davis announced that it has received a $420,500 donation from the Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation, with major support from William Ballhaus and Darrin Mollett, to fund AggieBrain, a research initiative that applies artificial intelligence to digital neuropathology.

AggieBrain combines expertise from the UC Davis School of Medicine and College of Engineering to improve understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and support precision medicine for dementia. The project uses machine learning tools to analyze large volumes of brain autopsy data from whole slide imaging systems, reducing the time required for manual evaluation.

The initiative is led by Professors Chen-Nee Chuah and Brittany Dugger. Chuah emphasized the creation of a centralized collection of labeled brain tissue data to serve as a shared resource for scientists and AI researchers. Dugger stated that the goal is to make the tools and datasets freely available to researchers worldwide to improve diagnosis and treatment of dementia.

Chuck Berghoff, co-founder of the foundation, noted that AggieBrain aims to enhance the impact of neuropathology by improving identification of disease co-pathologies. Ballhaus highlighted the importance of combining AI and neuropathology expertise to accelerate dementia research.