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This workshop is SOLD OUT. 

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​Note about Parking: Parking will be free but limited for this workshop in the BRC Garage. If you are able to park in the BRC Garage, you will be given a validation. If parking fills up in the designated BRC Garage, find more details about parking here. 

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Workshop 4: The Future of AI and Behavioral Health | Invite Only (Limited to 130 registrants)

Thursday, September 25, 2025 | Exhibit Hall 

12:30 pm – 4:30 pm

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The Future of AI and Behavioral Health is a collaborative research and networking event hosted by the UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences and Rice University's Office for Educational Research Initiatives for Collaborative Health (ENRICH). This gathering aims to bring together faculty and researchers from both institutions to explore the evolving role of artificial intelligence in advancing the behavioral health field. The event will serve as a platform to highlight the newly established School of Behavioral Health Sciences and its role within the Rice-TMC health research ecosystem. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in AI-driven approaches to behavioral health, exchange ideas, and build meaningful connections that can spark future research partnerships.   

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Call for Ideas: This workshop will feature Student IDEA-a-Thon presentations. If you have an idea for utilizing AI to solve a problem in behavioral health, submit your idea to be selected for IDEA OF THE YEAR. This call is open to students of all levels from Texas Medical Center schools/universities, including TAMU, UH and UTMB. Click here to explore criteria, submission deadline, and information on the awards.

 

Check-in

12:30pm – 1:00pm

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This event will be moderated by Michelle Patriquin, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Dean, Digital Health & Innovation, UTHealth School of Behavioral Health Sciences; Co-Director of Research, UTHealth John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center; Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UTHealth McGovern Medical School.

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Opening Remarks 

1:00pm – 1:10pm ​

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• Eduardo Salas, PhD, Associate Vice President for Research, Collaborative Engagement and Team Science; Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor of Psychological Sciences, Rice University

• Jair C. Soares, MD, PhD, Vice President for Behavioral Sciences, and Executive Director at the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center, UTHealth Houston; Founding Dean, UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences; Professor and Pat Rutherford Chair, Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UTHealth McGovern Medical School.

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Research and Clinician Presentations*

1:10pm – 2:10pm 

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• ​Ashu Sabharwal, PhD, Co-Director of the Rice-Houston Methodist Digital Health Institute; Director, Rice Digital Health Initiative; Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University​

  • From Sensors to Deployed Health Programs: The talk will present the ongoing journey from innovation to adoption in deployed clinical workflows, through case studies in pulmonology, diabetes care, and mental health, highlighting the fundamental importance of paying attention to human behavior.

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• Scott D. Lane, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School; Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs, UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences; Director of Research, UTHealth Houston Dunn Behavioral Sciences Campus; Associate Director, Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction

  • AI in Behavioral Health: Promise, Pragmatism, and Potential Paths: This presentation will explore both the promise and the limitations of AI in this complex field. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into behavioral health, offering new opportunities to enhance care delivery and system performance. While AI can support more efficient workflows, improve access to services, and enable better use of data, it cannot currently substitute for clinical judgment or provide solutions to the most challenging psychiatric conditions. For example, behavioral health diagnoses are based on interpretive frameworks rather than objective biological markers, which limits the role of AI in diagnostic precision. By focusing on realistic applications—such as virtual care, data-driven insights, and personalized treatment support—AI can contribute meaningfully without overpromising outcomes to persons and families dealing with behavioral health problems. The presentation will conclude with a brief overview of opportunities for the application of AI tools to behavioral health at the new UTHealth-Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences.

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• Akane Sano, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University​

  • Multimodal Modeling and Human-AI Interaction for Behavioral Health: This talk presents multimodal approaches that combine clinical data, wearable sensors, and human-AI interaction to monitor behavior and physiology and support behavioral health, including affective states, cognitive function, sleep, and treatment impact. Drawing from studies across clinical and general health populations, I highlight advances, challenges, and future directions in adaptive, interpretable AI systems that analyze complex data streams and deliver real-time adaptive and personalized feedback and scalable interventions.

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• Katherine A. Loveland, PhD, Landmark Charities Professor of Autism Research and Treatment, Louis A. Faillace, MD Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School; Training Director, UTHealth Doctoral Psychology Internship Program; Director, UTHealth Houston C.L.A.S.S. Clinic/Lifespan Autism Center

  • AI and Psychotherapy: Promise and Challenges: Since the days of Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA (1966), AI has had an uneasy relationship with mental health professions. Based on current findings, this presentation will review possible benefits as well as challenges for the role of AI in psychotherapy and suggest directions for mental health professionals seeking to shape the conversation.

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• Vanessa Sanchez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rice University​​​​​​

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• Lokesh Shahani MD, PhD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, UTHealth Houston Behavioral Sciences Campus

  • AI and Mental Health Care Delivery: This presentation explores the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental health care delivery. It highlights how AI technologies—such as natural language processing, facial and voice analysis—enable early screening and detection of mental health conditions. The talk emphasizes the personalization of treatment through AI-driven insights into risk factors and social determinants of health. It also showcases virtual care innovations like AI-powered chatbots and virtual therapists, along with continuous monitoring tools including smart devices and behavioral tracking apps. Finally, the presentation discusses AI’s impact on clinical workflows, improving documentation, decision-making, and resource allocation, ultimately enhancing provider satisfaction and care quality.

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Panel Discussion

2:10pm – 2:30pm

The panel discussion will be moderated by Angela Wilkins, PhD, Entrepreneur & Advisor

 

Poster Session

2:30pm – 3:00pm

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Student IDEA-a-Thon Presentations

3:00pm – 4:00pm

 

"IDEA OF THE YEAR" Prizes and Awards 

4:00pm

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*Featured speakers are part of Rice University's Digital Health Initiative and Digital Health Institute, which connect experts across disciplines and institutions to advance digital health through collaboration and next-generation technology.

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About the Organizers

• ENRICH (Educational and Research Initiatives for Collaborative Health) serves the Rice University community to foster research collaborations and educational partnerships with health-related institutions of the Texas Medical Center (TMC), to position Rice as a leader in advancing healthcare.

• The newly established UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences will address the critical workforce shortage by developing and educating the next generation of mental health professionals to meet the needs of Texans.

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