Alik Widge Introduces Panel Discussion on Digital Diagnostics (TIPS 2017)

Recent advances in computing now allow us to measure aspects of behavior and physiology that would not have been feasible even a handful of years ago. This panel showcases some examples of cutting-edge tools for understanding the brain and behavior that are low cost and scalable toward a future of “digital diagnostics” that can be leveraged to increase the accessibility and impact of mental health services.

This panel discussion, Digital Diagnostics: Leveraging Technology to Enhance Mental Health Assessment, was part of the 2017 Technology in Psychiatry Summit, sponsored by the McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry on November 6-7, 2017, at the JB Martin Conference Center, Harvard Medical School.

Alik Widge, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he directs the Translational NeuroEngineering Lab. Dr. Widge completed his MD at the University of Pittsburgh, his PhD in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, and his psychiatry residency at the University of Washington. His research focuses on brain stimulation for severe and treatment-resistant mental illness, with particular emphasis on deep brain stimulation and related implantable technologies. Dr. Widge’s recent work has demonstrated new algorithms for closed-loop brain stimulation and stimulation methods for modifying connectivity in the distributed circuits of mental illness. His laboratory studies rodent models for prototyping these new technologies and human patients to identify biomarkers and targets for future intervention. He also leads or co-leads programs to design new neurostimulation technologies in the central and peripheral nervous systems, to evaluate technologies for safety and efficacy in humans, and to improve the quality of clinical biomarker research nationwide.

Please visit mclean.org/itp to learn more about the McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry.