Agentic System for Coherent and Interpretable ParkInson's Disease REsearch (ASPIRE)

The Current Challenge in Medical Research

Research in data-rich medical fields often operates in silos, leading to fragmented efforts and heterogeneous findings. This slows the path from discovery to clinical application. A structured framework is urgently needed to enable a more cohesive and integrated science. The search for reliable neuroimaging biomarkers in Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a clear use case, hampered by these exact challenges.

The ASPIRE Solution

ASPIRE is an AI-powered, interactive decision-support system designed to be this new framework. It empowers researchers by providing two synergistic outputs:

Core AI Assets

A foundation of reusable knowledge, including human-curated Knowledge Graphs and pre-trained Foundation Models.

Interactive Agentic System

A modular system of specialized AI agents that act as collaborative partners, helping researchers design and execute transparent, evidence-based analyses.

The Future Vision & Broader Impact

With ASPIRE, researchers will start from a systematic synthesis of prior knowledge. By fostering a more coherent and cumulative research process, ASPIRE will accelerate the discovery of reliable biomarkers in PD. This transformation will establish a powerful and transferable blueprint for other data-rich medical fields facing similar translational challenges.

Key Challenges Addressed

Fragmented Research Landscape

Finding Heterogeneity

The scientific literature contains heterogeneous, and often contradictory findings, making it difficult to synthesize a coherent evidence base.

Small Sample Sizes

Most clinical studies are small and isolated, limiting the generalizability of their findings and hindering a cumulative approach.

The Credibility Gap in Medical AI

The "Black Box" Problem

The internal workings of complex AI models are often opaque, creating a major barrier to clinical trust and interpretability.

Lack of Domain Knowledge

General-purpose AI models lack the specialized scientific knowledge required for nuanced and reliable medical analysis.