Congratulations to PhD student Akshaye Shenoi who started his research stay at Dartmouth. Please enjoy reading his personal report:

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to spend the summer at Dartmouth as a Visiting Scholar. I will be hosted by Professor Nicholas Jacobson at the Centre of Technology and Behavioral Health (CTBH), where we will investigate how physiological data captured from wearables can be used to predict behaviour in individuals with psychiatric disorders.

Psychiatric disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affect millions of people around the world, inflicting costly damages socially and economically. Wearables like smartwatches can unobtrusively capture a wealth of information about an individual’s phenotype, potentially offering a low-cost and accessible approach to monitor the manifestation of symptoms.

The outcome of this research is twofold. First, it enables precise assessment of the condition allowing for the delivery of just-in-time personalized interventions. Second, a longitudinal analysis of symptom dynamics—as predicted by digital phenotyping—can further deepen our understanding of the condition itself by revealing temporal patterns within individuals. Professor Jacobson and his team bring extensive expertise in digital phenotyping and computational modeling for mental health, making CTBH an ideal environment for this research.

Beyond the academic setting, I’ve been struck by the natural beauty surrounding Dartmouth. The campus is nestled within New Hampshire’s stunning landscape: dense forests, mountains, and lakes. The warm summer days have made biking and running along the Northern Rail Trail an unforgettable experience!

I am grateful to Prof. Elgar Fleisch, Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Mair, Prof. Tobias Kowatsch, and many others at the Singapore-ETH Centre and CDHI for supporting this visit.”