Graduate Student LaChiara Landrum Co-Authors Blockchain-Based Healthcare Solution Accepted at IEEE SoutheastCon 2025

LaChiara Landrum, a graduate student and rising researcher in cybersecurity, is making waves with her most recent collaborative research paper, “Blockchain-Enabled Communication Framework for Secure and Scalable Healthcare Data Processing,” which has been officially accepted for presentation at IEEE SoutheastCon 2025. The prestigious conference, known for showcasing innovation in computing and communications systems, will take place virtually from March 22–24 and in person from March 27–30 in Concord (Charlotte), North Carolina.

Working under the supervision of Dr. Uttam Ghosh, associate professor of cybersecurity, Landrum played a key role in developing a blockchain-based framework aimed at tackling major challenges in healthcare data processing. The research addresses the pressing need for secure, transparent, and scalable solutions in managing sensitive medical data in an increasingly digital healthcare landscape.

“We’ve designed this framework to be powerful but easy to implement,” Landrum explains. “It can scale as healthcare data grows while ensuring the system remains secure and efficient.” She emphasizes the adaptability of the solution, noting that it could benefit a range of healthcare environments—from hospitals to academic research centers—without requiring major infrastructure changes.

The paper’s selection by IEEE SoutheastCon, a flagship regional conference themed “Industry and Academia in Partnership” for 2025, highlights the growing recognition of graduate-led research in critical areas like healthcare cybersecurity. Landrum’s contributions helped shape a system that not only addresses current vulnerabilities but also anticipates future needs.

 “The healthcare sector is evolving rapidly, and security is a major concern,” Landrum said. “Our goal was to create something both future-proof and accessible. We wanted a framework that healthcare organizations can start using now—but also one that grows with them.”

Dr. Ghosh, who supervised the project, praised Landrum’s innovation and leadership in the research process. “Landrum brought a practical lens to our work,” he noted. “Their focus on usability and scalability helped shape a solution that’s not just theoretically sound, but implementable in real-world healthcare systems.”

 Co-author Dr. Das added that the framework addresses the fragmented nature of current healthcare data management by offering a unified, secure approach. “This blockchain-based model ensures only authorized users can access sensitive data while keeping the process transparent and streamlined,” he said.

With SoutheastCon 2025 on the horizon, the research is already attracting attention for its real-world applications. The team plans to test the framework in healthcare settings and explore integration with AI-powered systems to further enhance patient data security and care delivery.

Landrum looks forward to continuing this line of research. “We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible,” they said. “There’s a lot of potential to blend blockchain with other technologies to build safer, smarter healthcare systems.”