The intersection of artificial intelligence and behavioral health carries transformative potential for the future of care, requiring expertise from clinicians, engineers and data scientists alike. The Future of AI and Behavioral Health Workshop, a joint effort of Rice University and UTHealth Houston held Sept. 25, took up the challenge of staging a forum for engagement and collaboration in this emerging field, bringing together students, faculty and researchers to explore technology’s role in advancing care. The event also served to spotlight the launch of UTHealth Houston’s new School of Behavioral Health Sciences.
Co-hosted by Rice’s Office for Educational and Research Initiatives for Collaborative Health (ENRICH) and UTHealth Houston’s School of Behavioral Health Sciences, the workshop was part of the Ken Kennedy Institute’s annual AI in Health Conference, which draws hundreds of participants from academia, medicine and industry to Rice each fall. The conference examines AI applications ranging from therapeutics to clinical research, while workshops like this one provide opportunities for focused collaboration.
Sharon Pepper, ENRICH executive director, and Michelle Patriquin, assistant dean for digital health and innovation at the UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences, spearheaded the initiative. The workshop convened faculty, researchers and students to explore the transformative potential of AI in behavioral health from clinical simulations and virtual care to data-driven insights and personalized treatment. It served as both a research forum and a networking opportunity, designed to spark future collaborations and showcase student-led innovation in digital mental health.
Students contributed through poster sessions and an idea-a-thon that encouraged creative approaches to digital mental health. Among the standout participants was Ana Cristina Ruiz, a master’s student in the cognitive and behavioral sciences program at UTHealth Houston. Her project, AI-Driven Clinical Simulations for Mental Health: A Trauma-Informed Approach, was named Idea of the Year in the poster session. Ruiz’s concept proposes the use of AI-powered, trauma-informed simulations to enhance clinical training, tailoring scenarios to reflect real-world complexity and improve preparedness for future health professionals.
The workshop highlighted the promise of the newly launched UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences, which is dedicated to advancing behavioral health through interdisciplinary education and innovation. It also underscored how institutional partnerships can accelerate progress in both research and training.
“Rice has long been committed to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and ENRICH was designed with that mission in mind,” Pepper said. “Partnering with UTHealth Houston on this workshop is a tangible example of how we can work together to advance both technology and behavioral health.”