Research Spotlight

Research Spotlight

Sharing ideas. Learning together. Building collaborations.
Research Spotlight is an informal series where teams from the Wellcome-funded cohort share what they're working on, what they've learned so far, and the questions and challenges emerging from their projects.
Whether you're in the early stages of your Wellcome-funded project or already generating results, this is a space to exchange perspectives, get constructive feedback, learn from one another's experiences, and discover opportunities for collaboration across the cohort.
Bring your research, your questions, and your curiosity.

Sparkles Why join?

  • Share your progress: Introduce your project's objectives, approach, methods, and progress so far.
  • Get fresh perspectives: Exchange ideas and receive feedback from fellow Wellcome-funded teams.
  • Discuss challenges: Bring questions, uncertainties, and lessons learned from your ongoing work.
  • Find opportunities to collaborate: Discover shared interests, complementary expertise, and potential synergies across projects.
  • Learn across the cohort: Get inspired by the diverse approaches and experiences of teams working at the intersection of generative AI and mental health.

Calendar Upcoming sessions




Session 02 · 5 November 2026

 ⁠⁠STELLAR⁠  – Steering-Vector Enhanced LLM Agents for Realistic Digital Twins in Mental Health
Presenter: Joao Sedoc (NYU) and team
Join us to learn about  STELLAR⁠ , a project developing clinically realistic AI-simulated patients for mental health training and AI evaluation.
Join the conversation to exchange ideas, ask questions, and explore connections with your own research.
  • Date: 5 November, 2026
  • Time: 16:00–17:00 UTC · 11:00 AM–12:00 PM US Eastern time (EST)
  • Link Join on Zoom:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9696650815?pwd=YqxasdgNcC1lGiAo8A9aslmPWn6bf0.1&omn=89184833360 
  • Calendar Add to calendar:  https://calendar.google.com/calendar/event?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=OHVvZWFxbmZubDgzNnI2NjVianFwNG11dGcgam9hbmEuZ3VlZGVzQG5ldXJvbWF0Y2guaW8&tmsrc=joana.guedes%40neuromatch.io 


Session 03 · 17 December 2026

 ⁠⁠AURORA⁠  – Adaptive Understanding through Real-time Observation, Reporting, and Assistance
Presenter: Eric Storch (Baylor College of Medicine) and team
Join us to learn about  ⁠⁠AURORA⁠ , an innovative project exploring how AI and passive sensing can help us better understand and respond to changes in depression in real time. AURORA combines conversational genAI with multimodal sensing to capture both changes in depressive symptoms and the lived experiences behind them. The goal is to move beyond traditional, periodic assessments toward more responsive, personalized, and equitable mental health care.
Join the conversation to discover the project’s approach, exchange ideas, ask questions, and explore potential connections with your own work.
  • Date: 17 December 2026
  • Time: 14:00–15:00 UTC · 8:00 AM–9:00 AM US Central time (CST)
  • Link Join on Zoom:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9696650815?pwd=YqxasdgNcC1lGiAo8A9aslmPWn6bf0.1&omn=89614015402 
  • Calendar Add to calendar:  https://calendar.google.com/calendar/event?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=Y25qN3Btajh2cjR0YTRscnVmYzFnNTBnbHMgam9hbmEuZ3VlZGVzQG5ldXJvbWF0Y2guaW8&tmsrc=joana.guedes%40neuromatch.io 


Stopwatch What to expect

Each session lasts one hour and is designed to leave plenty of room for discussion.
  • 5 minutes: Welcome and introductions
  • 20–30 minutes: Research presentation or project walkthrough
  • 20–30 minutes: Q&A, feedback, and group discussion
  • 5 minutes: Key takeaways and wrap-up
Presenters can share their project's objectives, research approach, progress to date, preliminary findings, lessons learned, or challenges they'd like input on. The format is intentionally informal and interactive: the goal is to learn from one another's Wellcome-funded work, rather than deliver a formal seminar. The format is flexible. Presenters can share slides, demonstrate a tool, discuss preliminary findings, or bring questions to explore with the group.

Speech Balloon Who can join?

All members of the Wellcome-funded cohort are welcome, regardless of their research area or stage of project development.
You don't need to prepare anything in advance. Come ready to listen, share your perspective, ask questions, and learn from the experiences of other teams.

Seedling Present your project

We'd love to hear from teams across the cohort! Research Spotlight is an opportunity to share and discuss your ongoing Wellcome-funded project, including:
  • Your project's objectives, research questions, and approach
  • Progress to date, including preliminary findings or emerging insights
  • Methods, tools, or technical approaches you're developing or using
  • Challenges, uncertainties, or lessons learned along the way
  • Questions where feedback from other cohort teams could be helpful
  • Opportunities for synergies, knowledge exchange, or collaboration with other funded projects
Interested in presenting? Contact the  organizers  with a few dates that work for your team.


Books Past sessions & resources

After each session, we'll share key takeaways, presentation materials where available, useful links, and potential collaboration opportunities.
Let's learn from one another and strengthen connections across the cohort.

Session 01 · 20 October, 2026

Bridging the Treatment Gap with AI-Enhanced Supervision ( ⁠⁠BRIDGE-AI⁠ )
Presenters: Julia R. Pozuelo (Harvard), Anuja Lahiri (Sangath), and Ryan Christopher Louie (Stanford)
Learn about  BRIDGE-AI⁠ , an initiative using AI to support counselors and improve access to evidence-based psychological treatments in India.