Research Symposium

BIO

Charlotte is a pre-medical undergraduate senior majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience and minoring in general chemistry at Florida State University. She is passionate about innovative lifestyle interventions, patient-centered care, and addressing global health disparities. Her global and clinical experience as a medical assistant has strengthened her commitment to compassionate care and to understanding the diverse factors that shape health outcomes. Guided by values of empathy, curiosity, and innovation, Charlotte aims to contribute to research that expands healthcare accessibility and improves care for underserved populations. She is excited to collaborate with a team focused on medical innovation and advancing clinical care. In the future, Charlotte plans to pursue a medical career that integrates research with clinical practice.

The SMARTer Trial: An Adaptive, Technology Assisted Approach to Behavioral Weight Loss

Abstract

Behavioral weight-loss programs such as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) are effective but resource-intensive and difficult to scale to meet population-level needs. Adaptive, stepped-care interventions offer a potential solution by using prespecified decision rules to increase treatment intensity only for individuals who do not achieve early weight-loss targets. The SMARTer Weight Loss Management study is a three-arm, randomized controlled non-inferiority trial designed to evaluate whether an adaptive, technology-assisted intervention can achieve weight loss comparable to DPP at lower cost.
Adults with a BMI ≥25 kg/m² are randomized to one of three conditions: (1) an adaptive SMARTer intervention that includes app-based self-monitoring, wearable devices, and brief remote coaching with meal replacements for early non-responders; (2): a fixed DPP intervention delivered through structured educational materials and remote coaching sessions; or (3) a self-guided control condition that provides health education resources without ongoing coaching. Body weight is assessed at baseline and at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow ups. The primary outcome is change in weight from baseline to 6 months. A micro-costing approach will compare cost and cost-effectiveness across study arms. Recruitment and data collection are ongoing.

Keywords: SMARTer, Behavioral Weight Loss