In line with the AI-AGE project’s commitment to open science and transparency, the dataset associated with our newly published BMJ Open paper has been made publicly available on Zenodo.
The dataset includes anonymised primary care data on frailty indicators, chronic diseases, and demographic variables among adults aged 40–69 in Montenegro. It provides a valuable resource for researchers working on biological ageing, frailty, multimorbidity, and AI-driven risk modelling, particularly in middle-income and transitional health systems.
By sharing this dataset, AI-AGE aims to support international collaboration, reproducibility, and secondary analyses that can further advance non-invasive ageing research.
We are pleased to announce the publication of the AI-AGE project’s first peer-reviewed paper in BMJ Open: “Frailty and multimorbidity among adults aged 40–69 years in Montenegro: a cross-sectional pilot study.”
This is the first study to provide population-based evidence on frailty, prefrailty, and multimorbidity in middle-aged adults in Montenegro. The key finding with direct relevance for Montenegro is that more than half of adults aged 40–69 already show signs of prefrailty or frailty, with a sharp increase in chronic disease burden observed from the age of 55 onwards. This highlights a critical window for early prevention and intervention within primary healthcare, well before old age.
The study also demonstrates that frailty screening is feasible in routine primary care settings, providing a strong foundation for scaling up AI-supported, non-invasive biomarkers of ageing within the Montenegrin healthcare system.
🔗 Read the full open-access paper at the following [link].
AI-Age project is featured in promo videos created by the Ministry for Education, Science and Innovation. Our PhD students dr Isidora Rubezic-Lukic and mr Dejan Babic presentd the progress on the project and current results (MPNI on Instagram link).
Developing different AI tools to support identification of new biomarkers of aging
The team successfully established all core foundations for research, including launching the official project website, extending UK Biobank data access to both partner institutions, and deploying new HPC/AI infrastructure needed for biomedical image analysis. Young researchers received extensive training through EUROCC, TRACEWINDU, HPC4S3ME, and AIFusion programs, while interdisciplinary cooperation between UDG and the Faculty of Medicine was strengthened. The project also achieved early scientific dissemination through a poster presentation at EAsDEC 2024 in Milan and participation at IT2024 in Žabljak.
mr Dejan Babic (PhD candidate) in the AI lab at the Faculty for information systems and technologies
In parallel, significant progress was made on doctoral research activities: one initial PhD proposal was submitted and defended, and research questions for two doctoral theses were defined in alignment with AI-AGE goals. WP1 and WP2 outputs were fully completed, while WP3 research—focused on AI/ML models for retinal biomarkers of aging—was initiated ahead of schedule. These accomplishments provide a strong foundation for validating hypotheses, developing advanced AI models, and expanding international collaboration in the second project year.
Promo video on AI-AGE created and posted by the Ministry (MPNI)
AI-AGE researchers will take part in the national conference “AI DIRECTLY: Montenegro in the Age of AI Challenges” — organised by the Association of Managers of Montenegro (AMM) and the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro. The event brings together leading experts from academia, industry, and the public sector to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping competitiveness, business models, and the innovation landscape in Montenegro.
Our team will participate in the panel “A New Era of Business – How AI Is Changing the Rules of the Game”. Through this engagement, AI-AGE will contribute perspectives on cutting-edge AI research, including the project’s work on discovering non-invasive biomarkers of aging. Participation in this national event strengthens our collaboration with Montenegro’s AI and business community and reinforces our commitment to advancing responsible and impactful AI research.
AI-AGE team members to participate in the AI DIRECTLY conference organised by AMM
