Studies
Active and completed research across the Shepherd Research Lab’s three focus areas — cancer detection, body composition, and AI for health. Each study below links to a detailed page with aims, team, funding, and key publications.
Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Hawaiʻi and the USAPI
U54 Grant #5U54CA143727. A UH Cancer Center / University of Guam partnership studying cancer health disparities among Pacific Islanders since 2003.
Makawalu Study
Portable handheld ultrasound paired with AI detection algorithms for breast-cancer screening in the Pacific — addressing advanced-stage cancer rates in areas without mammography access.
TBDXA.I. — Deep Learning on Total-Body DXA
Self-supervised deep learning applied to Health ABC Study DXA scans to predict cardiovascular disease, mortality, cancer, hip fracture, and metabolic outcomes.
Three-Compartment Breast (3CB)
Dual-energy compositional breast imaging using lipid-protein-water signatures to distinguish malignant from benign lesions and reduce unnecessary biopsies.
SMART — Melanoma Assessment
Deep-learning computer-vision methods to triage skin lesions for biopsy, increasing diagnostic vigilance for benign lesions across multiethnic populations.
Astro3DO
Space-feasible body-composition and body-shape analysis for long-duration space missions — quantifying astronaut fragility and fracture risk via 3D optical scans.
Accessible Breast Cancer Screening in the Pacific (iBE)
Pre-pilot study of the iBreastExam, a hand-held electronic palpation device, as an early-detection tool for women of Pacific Islander ancestry. Completed.
Samsung Bioimpedance System Evaluation
Validation of novel Samsung wrist-worn smartwatch bioimpedance devices against DXA and reference BIA systems. Completed.
Da Kine Body Composition
How hydration status and total body water vary across athletes and age groups — developing correction factors for the four-compartment model. Completed.