LifeBio secures $2.9M SBIR grant to advance the LifeBio Memory app's capabilities and multi-language support

Phase IIB grant will develop personalized multimedia playback and novel life story and reminiscence therapy tools for further meaningful engagement

MARYSVILLE, OH, OH, UNITED STATES, October 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- LifeBio, Inc. announced today that it has secured a $2.9 million, three-year Phase IIB Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to expand its in-market HIPAA-compliant LifeBio Memory app. The grant will support new life story capabilities, commercialization, and validation of a multi-language, AI-powered reminiscence therapy platform for older adults living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or at risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD).

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are increasing at an alarming rate, creating an urgent demand for scalable, affordable, and evidence-based non-pharmacological interventions. Reminiscence therapy (RT)—the process of sharing and reflecting on meaningful life experiences—has been shown to improve cognition, reduce depressive symptoms, and enhance quality of life in older adults.

Building on the success of its previous NIA-funded $2.5M SBIR Phase II project (which found a reduction in depressive symptoms for residents in nursing homes, assisted living, and memory care when the LifeBio Memory app and LifeBio story materials were employed), LifeBio's evidence-informed solution will now expand its reach to community-dwelling older adults and their caregivers.

Key features of the next-generation LifeBio Memory app will include:
• Multi-language AI story capture, editing, and digital Life Story Book creation
• Multimedia playback of the person’s voice and story, powered by AI
• Novel reminiscence therapy tools added, including engaging videos, games, and activities for brain exercise

"This project advances the science and practice of reminiscence therapy," said Lisbeth Sanders, Founder & CEO of LifeBio. "Story belongs in care; knowing the whole person makes a difference. By offering LifeBio Memory in multiple languages with seamless AI processing, we're empowering older adults to share their unique life experiences and memories in their own voices. The goal is to strengthen relationships and improve quality of life while potentially slowing cognitive decline through reduced loneliness and social isolation," said Sanders.

The Phase IIB study will be led in collaboration with Dr. Kyeung Mi Oh, professor and nurse scientist with gerontology experience at George Mason University. The comprehensive study will include usability testing and a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with caregiver–care recipient pairs (dyads). Dr. Oh will test the outcomes of the LifeBio Memory app intervention in facilitating reminiscence activities and its effects on cognitive performance, quality of life, depression, loneliness, and relationship closeness. She is particularly excited to explore the mechanisms underlying the mediating and moderating effects of psychosocial factors, such as depression, loneliness, and dyadic relationship closeness on cognitive performance and quality of life.

“Partnering with LifeBio on this research represents an important advancement in non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive health,” said Dr. Kyeung Mi Oh. “The literature demonstrates that reminiscence activities can yield measurable improvements in cognitive function and quality of life among older adults. This multilingual, technology-enabled platform will allow us to reach community-dwelling populations and generate robust evidence regarding intervention effectiveness in real-world community settings,” said Oh.

The LifeBio Memory platform will provide an affordable, widely-scalable, and clinically-validated intervention for individuals living with MCI or those at risk of MCI or ADRD—supporting both older adults and the caregivers who love them. LifeBio's workflows lead to digital and printed Life Story Books and 1-page Snapshot and Action Plan summaries using in engagement and care planning. The app may also be integrated into cognitive speech therapy and occupational therapy to enhance communication and cognitive skills. LifeBio will expand commercialization into senior living, health systems, nursing homes, and home care with new capabilities deployed.

This Phase IIB grant is provided by the National Institute On Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R44AG069566.

For more information about LifeBio Memory and its ongoing research, visit https://www.LifeBio.com.

Lisbeth Sanders
LifeBio, Inc.
+1 937-303-4574
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