We are proud to share an extraordinary accomplishment from one of our team members. Katelyn Carlsen, a first-year undergraduate research assistant, has earned Grand Champion recognition at the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College Grand Challenge Competition. Katelyn works on the USF HBOT for TBI Study (PI Dr. Harry van Loveren), contributing to the project’s anthropology sub-study led by Emergency Medicine’s AQUASS Lab Director, Dr. Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo.
Together with her project partner, Sarah Ismail, Katelyn developed NeuroMUSE—a proposed mobile app designed to help individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related cognitive impairments access and enjoy art museums. The award-winning proposal leverages AI and interdisciplinary social science frameworks to address a critical gap in community reintegration for TBI survivors.
What is NeuroMUSE?
NeuroMUSE is a proposed iOS-based app (designed for iPads) that creates AI-powered, adaptable guided tours for TBI survivors visiting art museums. Using The Ringling Museum as a case study, the app is designed to scale across museums in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all experience, NeuroMUSE learns from the user in real time. Visitors can select preferences (exhibits, sensory levels, route lengths) or allow the app to adapt automatically. The system continuously updates the tour based on user feedback and interaction.
As Katelyn explains, “Viewing art can support emotional regulation and help rebuild neural pathways, both key components of TBI recovery.” Combined with the benefits of community reintegration, accessible museum experiences are a valuable resource. Yet many community spaces still lack options that work for and alongside TBI survivors, creating barriers to participation.
How NeuroMUSE Addresses TBI-Related Challenges
Grounded in a biopsychosocial-ecological framework aligned with AQUASS Lab’s mission, the app targets three major areas:
1. Executive Functioning
Barrier: Museum visits can require sustained planning, sequencing, and decision-making, which may become overwhelming after TBI.
Support: NeuroMUSE allows users to utilize AI- powered guided tours in two modes: preference-guided, in which users define interests, preferences, or goals upfront – incorporating Goal Management Training (GMT) techniques – or discovery-guided, where a tour is generated without any initial input. In both modes, the tours dynamically adapt pacing and routing based on user-feedback, helping users break the visit into manageable steps.
2. Sensory Processing
Barrier: Lighting, noise, crowd density, and other environmental factors can create sensory strain that limits access and enjoyment.
Support: A live-updating map identifies sensory conditions across museum spaces. Users can choose environments that align with their preferences, while the system dynamically adjusts routes based on real-time conditions.
3. Emotional & Social Impacts
Barrier: Visitors may experience reduced engagement, difficulty retaining information, or a sense of disconnection in public spaces, reflecting the “invisible” nature of TBI.
Support: Adaptive prompts encourage reflection and connection across artworks, supporting meaning-making and memory. A virtual bulletin board, drawing on photovoice methodology, creates space for users to share experiences and engage with others.
Additional features include an Augmented Reality art viewer for accessible learning and a virtual art journal, supporting creative expression, both shown to aid TBI rehabilitation.
The Competition & Why It Matters
The USF Honors Grand Challenge Competition invited students to design AI-driven solutions to expand accessibility and inclusion in Tampa Bay art museums. Grand Champion recognition positions NeuroMUSE for potential pilot implementation in a local museum.
In addition, Katelyn received 500 dollars in summer research funding, a fully-funded conference trip to present the work. She also earned an experiential learning credit, which comes with a 600-dollar scholarship.
From HBOT to Innovation
Katelyn credits her work on the HBOT Study and the AQUASS Lab with shaping the project:
“Working on the HBOT project aided in my understanding of the lived experiences of TBI survivors; knowledge much further beyond a list of symptoms online. ... [I learned] the role and importance of social support in TBI recovery [and] how important engaging with community spaces and social integration are after injury, as opposed to isolation.”
What’s Next
While the app is not yet built, Katelyn and Sarah developed a fully interactive prototype:
- Demo Video: Watch NeuroMUSE in action
Future development will include building the app in Swift for iPadOS and training AI models on museum-specific databases to ensure quality performance.
Looking Ahead
Katelyn plans to pursue an MD/PhD, with interests in neurology and bioinformatics:
“The application of artificial intelligence and computational techniques in medicine to enhance quality of life and/or diagnosis for individuals with neurological conditions closely aligns with my future career goals.”
Final Thoughts
“My project partner and I are very eager to move this project into a pilot stage and really bring it to life!”
Please join us in congratulating Katelyn on this remarkable achievement. We are excited to see where NeuroMUSE goes next and to continue supporting undergraduate research that bridges social science, healthcare, and applied innovation.
— The AQUASS Research Lab Team