2026 MeTRIC Agenda

Welcome remarks

Cathy Goldstein, MD, professor of Neurology, University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center, and faculty lead, Eisenberg Family Depression Center Mobile Technologies Core

Opening keynote

Metric-ULATE (Uniting Leadership and Linkages in the Adoption of Technology across Ecosystems): Building Robust Programs to Ensure Technology Works for All in Health Care

Azizi Seixas, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, director of the Media and Innovation Laboratory, and interim chair, Department of Informatics and Health Data Science, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine 

Join us for a visionary keynote session with Dr. Azizi Seixas, internationally recognized for his pioneering work at the intersection of health technology, behavioral science, and digital equity. Drawing on his acclaimed “Metric-ULATE” framework, Dr. Seixas will unpack how leadership and cross-sector collaboration can drive the successful adoption of mobile health technologies—ensuring solutions are scalable, sustainable, and inclusive.

This session will highlight practical pathways for U-M researchers leveraging mobile devices in health, behavioral, and human performance studies to maximize impact and minimize disparities. Dr. Seixas will present actionable strategies for designing robust research programs, forming meaningful interdisciplinary linkages, and addressing the unique challenges of real-world implementation—so that technology truly works for everyone, not just for some.

Expect a dynamic blend of case studies, methodological insights, and interactive discussion, empowering researchers to reimagine the role of mobile technologies in advancing equitable health outcomes. Whether you’re a seasoned investigator or just launching your first mobile study, you’ll walk away with concrete tools and fresh inspiration to transform research into sustainable, community-wide change.

Lightning talks 1

Enabling Infrastructure: Integration, Usability, and Implementation in Digital Health

Developing digital health tools that are scalable and user-centered requires robust infrastructure, standards, and mindful implementation. Panelists discuss practical aspects of data integration, regulatory standards, analytics platforms, and deploying mHealth solutions in complex care and research environments.

• Federal Regulations and HL7 FHIR for Mobile Health Data Integration, Rachel Richesson, MPH, PhD, clinical professor of learning health sciences, Medical School
• Self-service Analytics with Power Platform and AI, Nabil Raad, PhD, director, Enterprise Data Analytics, Michigan Medicine HITS
• Text-Based Support for Caregivers of Suicidal Youth, Shriya Anand, MA, clinical research assistant, Department of Psychiatry
• SensorKit Data for Mental Health Research, Yu Fang, MSE, statistician staff specialist, Michigan Neuroscience Institute

Research spotlight 

Temporal Variation in Psychosocial Factors and Physical Activity Levels Amongst Patients with Heart Failure

Jessica Golbus, MD, MS, assistant professor, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Michigan Medicine 

Dr. Golbus will share insights from her research on how psychosocial factors and physical activity levels change from day-to-day among heart failure patients, using data collected via mobile devices. This session will highlight real-time mobile monitoring as a tool for capturing meaningful fluctuations in patient behavior, offering ideas for the U-M research community on harnessing mobile technologies in short-term, actionable studies.

Research spotlight

Utilizing Just-in-Time Interventions to Improve Food Choices for Adolescents 

Susan Woolford, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, Medical School, and associate professor of health behavior and health equity, School of Public Health. 

Dr. Woolford’s groundbreaking research harnesses just-in-time interventions—timely, personalized support delivered via mobile technology—to empower adolescents to make healthier food choices in real-world settings. This talk will explore innovative strategies that leverage technology to prompt positive behavior change at key decision moments, highlighting promising approaches to combat poor nutrition and reduce obesity among youth.
 

APP-Solutely Supported LIVE! A Resource Showcase 

This Resource Showcase is a fast-paced, quick pitch session where campus units share their services, support and other resources relevant to researchers utilizing mobile technologies in health research. Presenters have only two minutes and one slide to get you inspired!  

Lunch, poster session & table discussions (90 minutes) 

View poster session abstracts 

Lightning talks 2

Sensing and Digital Biomarkers: From Wearables to Real-World Data

Explore how advanced sensing technologies and digital biomarkers—ranging from neurotoxicity detection to gait analysis and passive smartphone monitoring—are revolutionizing the way we measure, analyze, and understand health in real-life settings.

• Mobile App for Monitoring Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy (NeuroDetect), Daniel Hertz, PharmD, PhD, associate professor of pharmacy
• Challenges & Digital Biomarker Analytics, Irina Gaynanova, PhD, associate professor of biostatistics: Real-World CGM Data
• Gait Analysis Using IMUs as Digital Biomarkers, Lauro Ojeda, MS, research scientist, mechanical engineering, College of Engineering
• Passive Smartphone Sensing for Psychopathology, Aidan Wright, PhD, Phil F. Jenkins Research Professor of Depression, professor of psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Lightning talks 3

Personalized and Adaptive mHealth Interventions

See how artificial intelligence, behavior modeling, and adaptive feedback are making health interventions smarter and more personalized. This panel highlights innovations in just-in-time interventions, custom apps, and feedback platforms across diverse health domains.

• Deploying Learning Algorithms for Real-Time Health Optimization, Walter Dempsey, PhD, associate professor of biostatisics, School of Public Health
• Personalized Mood-Behavior Correlates and LLM-Based Feedback, Meng Wang, PhD, assistant professor of computational medicine and bioinformatics
• Custom Dating App & Wearables for Relationship and Connection Research, Emily Diamond, graduate student, social psychology
• Personalized Feedback Visualizations for Expectant Parents, Lizbeth (Libby) Benson, research assistant professor, Survey Research Center, Institute of Social Research

Closing keynote

Harnessing Technology for Human & Digital Intervention Delivery to Support Behavioral Health

Erin E. Bonar PhD, professor, Department of Psychiatry, and The Kathy Fant Brzoznowski Research Professor in Behavioral Health Technology Innovations

Maureen A. Walton, PhD, MPH, professor, Department of Psychiatry, and The Toby Brzoznowski Research Professor in Behavioral Health Technology Innovations

In this joint presenation, Drs. Bonar and Walton will share research harnessing human and/or digital technologies, including telehealth, web-based portal platforms, text messaging, and smartphone mobile health apps, to increase reach, engagement, and efficacy of behavioral health interventions focused on substance use and concomitant risk behaviors. Challenges to the field, as well as innovative solutions, will be described to catalyze ideas for future directions.