Anne Donovan, MD, Wins NIDUS Pilot Award – Will Develop Algorithm to Predict Postoperative Delirium

John Elliott, caregiver, runs through cognitive test with Joel Kramer, PsyD at UCSF Mission Bay. Photo by Steve Babuljak

Postoperative delirium is a serious and debilitating condition affecting millions of older adults in the US every year, yet it is poorly understood. Recognizing this sobering fact, the Network for Investigation of Delirium across the U.S. (NIDUS) was established in 2016, with the hope of building “an interdisciplinary collaborative network of delirium researchers nationally and internationally.” As part of the NIDUS initiative, the “Pilots and Innovation Task Force” was created to help “encourage innovative research into new areas of study” by providing yearly pilot grants. We are pleased to announce that Assistant Professor Anne Donovan, MD, has been awarded a NIDUS pilot award for the “Development of a machine learning algorithm for the automated prediction of postoperative delirium.” At UCSF Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, we are working hard to improve the lives of patients and populations by creating and implementing urgently needed new practices, policies, therapies and cures.