AI tool to create standardized emotional pictures
MyAPS: Development and Validation of an AI Platform for Generating Emotional Pictures
This project will build an AI system that generates consistent emotional images to help research on conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11222023 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
They are developing an AI called MyAPS to generate high-quality pictures that reliably produce specific emotional responses. Researchers will have people view these images while recording behavioral reactions and brain activity to learn how images map onto feelings and neural signals. The team will create new ways to describe and organize images and will refine the AI using those brain and behavior results. Over time this loop aims to produce a large, standardized set of emotional images useful for research and clinical tools.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults with mood or anxiety disorders and healthy volunteers willing to view emotional images and possibly undergo behavioral testing or brain recordings.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate medical treatment or those with conditions not related to emotional processing are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to better tools for measuring emotional responses, improving diagnosis and tailoring treatments for mood and anxiety disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Existing image catalogs like the IAPS have been useful for decades, but using generative AI linked to brain responses is a newer and largely untested approach.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ding, Mingzhou — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Ding, Mingzhou
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.