Dr. Gavin Colquitt, executive director of App State’s Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and professor in the Beaver College of Health Sciences. Photo by Chase Reynolds
BOONE, N.C. — A project led by Dr. Gavin Colquitt at Appalachian State University has received $1.1 million in grant funding from NCInnovation to develop and scale an interactive digital tool capable of identifying and providing resources for delayed development of movement skills in young children — such as difficulty walking or grasping objects.
The two-year initiative, 3 Moves Ahead NC, is designed to tackle three core issues: One in six U.S. children experience developmental delays; a lack of suitable child care forces half of parents to lose work opportunities; and families of children with developmental delays lose an average of $18,000 in annual income.
“In North Carolina, 50% of parents have reduced work hours, or have switched to part-time roles or exited the workforce due to child care shortages,” said Colquitt, executive director of App State’s Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness (AppWell) and a professor in the Beaver College of Health Sciences. “The issue is most severe among families of children with movement-related delays — such as difficulty sitting, walking, feeding or toileting — who cannot obtain child care without specialized therapy and support.”
3 Moves Ahead NC confronts these challenges by creating a digital platform, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), that interactively coaches parents in early motor development and delivers a suite of other support resources. The platform provides best practices for caring for children ages birth to 3 with developmental delays, as well as home-based solutions, customized video content, progress tracking, a peer support network and other resources through a subscription-based online service — all of which have already shown effectiveness in a clinical trial.
“Dr. Colquitt’s medical evaluation tool holds promise for advancing early childhood mobility and development,” said Michelle Bolas, NCInnovation’s acting CEO. “NCInnovation helps universities advance research with just this kind of real-world application, strengthening the university-to-industry pipeline that’s central to American competitiveness.”
A nonprofit organization and public-private partnership, NCInnovation provides grant funding, mentorship and partnership development to support research and discoveries with practical and commercial potential at North Carolina’s public universities, with a goal to support economic growth and job creation across the state.
As one of seven regional NCInnovation hubs, App State assists researchers by connecting them with industry and business services, helping advance their research so it can become widely available and applicable for the marketplace.
Colquitt shared that the 3 Moves Ahead NC project aims to address a market failure in Western North Carolina to provide scalable child care solutions for children from birth through age 3 who have movement-related developmental delays.
“Dr. Colquitt’s biohealth innovation addresses a pressing regional and national need and fits into two areas of strategic innovation emphasized at App State — child care and health and wellness,” said Dr. Christine Hendren, vice chancellor of research and innovation at App State. “His work is a great example of how we can apply expertise to a critical challenge area and make a difference with public impact research translated to real-world outcomes.”
App State’s Levine Hall of Health Sciences will serve as a center for developing 3 Moves Ahead NC, a new initiative funded by NCInnovation and led by Dr. Gavin Colquitt, executive director of App State’s Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and a professor in the Beaver College of Health Sciences, to benefit children with developmental delays. Photo by Kyla Willoughby
Advancing child care and empowering WNC families
According to experts, it is critical to identify and mitigate developmental delays early to prevent disruptions to multiple elements of a child’s trajectory, including play, peer interaction and school activities.
With more than 60,000 children under the age of 6, Western North Carolina has a high percentage of families with inadequate access to developmental service support, Colquitt said. The AI engine at the heart of 3 Moves Ahead will put personalized, expert support at parents’ fingertips — rather than at the end of long drives and doctor visits — and will reduce strain on clinical staff. Colquitt plans to launch the platform in Western North Carolina, with a goal of expanding its availability across North Carolina and the U.S.
“Demand for inclusive child care far exceeds supply and, critically, no system currently bridges clinical therapy and early education access to solve this problem,” Colquitt said. “Unlike general parenting apps, this platform delivers targeted help to a high-need group, informed by real feedback from families.”
The grant funding will help foster partnerships with early childhood organizations across North Carolina. The multi-institutional project also includes collaboration with University of North Carolina Asheville, whose computer science program will enhance development of the platform. Regional community college partnerships with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Wilkes Community College and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College will offer paid student internships focused on family outreach, platform implementation, developmental screening and other support.
Additionally, 3 Moves Ahead NC aims to engage high school students with digital and pediatric health care pathways through such programs as Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) and Camp Med. Partners include military health systems, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the Mountain Area Health Education Center.
App State facilities supporting the initiative include the Levine Hall for Health Sciences, which houses dedicated research space, as well as AppWell’s interprofessional clinic facilities and Growing Well Developmental Clinic, where significant telehealth infrastructure, simulation labs, video technology and equipment for child development research are available to support many initiatives, including those geared toward implementing digital and hybrid care.
In addition to this latest grant, App State has received significant NCInnovation support for two other research initiatives:
- Dr. Zachary Russell, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was awarded a $2.3 million NCInnovation grant to develop an AI-enhanced robotic microscope that streamlines parasite identification — supporting North Carolina farmers and strengthening food production systems worldwide.
- Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, the Lowe’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science in App State’s Department of Computer Science, received an NCInnovation grant in excess of $640,000 to support commercializing parts of the Beemon Hive Monitoring System. The project aims to decrease honeybee die-off and increase hive production.
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The AI-enhanced robotic microscope will streamline parasite analysis in livestock, poultry
The monitoring system could help decrease honeybee die-off, improve hive production
About the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness
The Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness (App Well) connects Appalachian State University to the community by supporting health and wellness research, interprofessional clinics and community outreach programs. The institute partners with the community to better prepare students to become exceptional practitioners who will continue to address health issues and disparities throughout the region and beyond. Learn more at https://appwell.appstate.edu.
About the Beaver College of Health Sciences
Appalachian State University’s Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), opened in 2010, is transforming the health and quality of life for the communities it serves through interprofessional collaboration and innovation in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical outreach. The college enrolls more than 3,600 students and offers 10 undergraduate degree programs, nine graduate degree programs and four certificates across seven departments: Kinesiology, Nursing, Nutrition and Health Care Management, Public Health, Recreation Management and Physical Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Social Work. The college’s academic programs are located in the Holmes Convocation Center on App State’s main campus and the Levine Hall of Health Sciences, a state-of-the-art, 203,000-square-foot facility that is the cornerstone of Boone’s Wellness District. In addition, the college supports the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness and has collaborative partnerships with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program, UNC Health Appalachian and numerous other health agencies. Learn more at https://healthsciences.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
The AI-enhanced robotic microscope will streamline parasite analysis in livestock, poultry
The monitoring system could help decrease honeybee die-off, improve hive production
