Falling is a significant health risk for many Americans, especially older adults. It can lead to reduced mobility, loss of independence, and even death. Jeannette R. Mahoney, a professor of neurology at Stony Brook University, has developed an app that assesses fall risk using a smartphone.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that nearly 30% of Americans over the age of 65 experience falls annually. More than three million require emergency room visits due to fall-related injuries each year.
Mahoney's app, CatchU …Before You Fall, is gaining attention from healthcare professionals and the National Institute on Aging (NIA). It was selected as one of 21 finalists in the NIA’s 2025 Start-Up Challenge from nearly 300 competitors nationwide.
Mahoney emphasizes the need for this app because current fall assessments are subjective and heavily reliant on self-reports. These can be limited when cognitive impairments are present. As populations age globally, the risks associated with falling increase alongside diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
CatchU was designed following discussions with geriatrician Claudene George about clinical findings linking impaired multisensory integration to poor motor outcomes. The app was developed through Mahoney's start-up company, JET Worldwide Enterprises Inc., which holds an exclusive license to patent-pending intellectual property from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dedicated to her grandmother Jean Sisinni who passed away after a fall in 2021, CatchU is described as a “multisensory digital health app” that quantitatively assesses fall risk and preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.
“Essentially, we have a 10-minute digital health app that monitors simple reaction time,” said Mahoney. “The science behind the app is that when we receive concurrent information from multiple sensory signals, the brain has a facilitative advantage.”
Research by Mahoney and colleagues shows older adults with poor sensory integration on this test face greater risks for falls and issues with gait and balance. Their findings have been published in journals such as the Journal of Gerontology and Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
In addition to assessing fall risk, Mahoney will explore CatchU’s potential to detect preclinical Alzheimer’s disease based on recent research published in Alzheimer's & Dementia.
The NIA challenge features multidisciplinary researchers developing technologies aimed at aging-related fields. Finalists receive entrepreneurial training sessions, mentorships, conference attendance sponsorships, and cash prizes.
All Stage 1 finalists get $10,000 for their company while seven semi-finalists will receive $65,000 each. The top finalists will be announced in early 2026.