Prof’s app can detect depression by the way you type
dubai — Do you know that depression can be gauged by the way you type?
A professor has designed an app that can detect depressive disorders by recording data calculated on the pressure applied on the keys and the time taken to switch between keys while typing.
Leontios Hadjilentiadis, professor at the Khalifa University, won the Applied Sciences Research Award at the Dubai Healthcare City Authority’s (DHCA) Excellence Awards 2019 on Wednesday.
Leontios’s innovative app called Type of Mood, currently available for free on Android, detects depressive disorders by recording four parameters related to keystroke dynamics while the user interacts with the phone’s keyboard.
Since the app has been operational over the past year, 33 cases of depression have been recorded. “We have now linked the app to the American Neurology Centre,” he told Khaleej Times.
“The app screens and records the pressure you apply on keys and the time taken to shift between keys,” he explained, adding that these indicators define a person’s mood. It also connects to doctors and encourages those found at risk to consult with doctors, if necessary.
Compounds that treat cancer
The Basic Sciences Research Cat egory award, on the other hand, was presented to Taleb H. Al Tel, a professor at Sharjah University, with seed grant from Al Jalila Foundation, for his research in the development of a unique 3D chemical molecule that has a significant role in developing lead drug candidates targeting cancer, hyperlipidemia, and acting against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
“We have three patents on new compounds that can treat cancer and infectious diseases,” he said. The compounds have been tried on mice in laboratories, but more funds are needed to start human trials.
“When the trials are started, it will take at least five years before a drug to treat cancer can be licensed to pharmaceutical firms,” he said.
Both the winners were among 30 awardees, which comprised healthcare organisations and professionals.