Aligning machine learning with clinician knowledge to understand and prevent suicide
Official title: Aligning Machine Learning Models with Clinician Knowledge for Understanding, Prediction, and Prevention of Suicide
Funded at Wellesley College · NIH-11291684 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project at Wellesley College will use smartphones and wearables to study suicidal thoughts and behaviors and develop smarter, more reliable computer models to help predict and prevent risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wellesley College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Wellesley, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $707,584 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MH139486-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11291684 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals who experience suicidal thoughts or behaviors and are willing to provide real-time data via smartphone apps and wearables.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use smartphones or wearables, or who are not comfortable sharing mental-health data.
What this research studies
This project will collect real-time data from participants through phone apps and wearable sensors to understand how suicidal thoughts appear in daily life. It will combine clinical insights with advanced learning methods to handle small data sizes, randomness in triggers, and theory testing. The team aims to create models that are both accurate and interpretable for clinicians, improving timely identification of those at risk. The work seeks to overcome current bottlenecks that limit the value of EMA studies for suicide prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to better prediction and earlier intervention for people at risk of suicide.
How similar studies have gone: Previous EMA studies have shown promise but faced data and modeling challenges; this project aims to advance beyond those limitations.
Where this research is happening
-
Wellesley College
Wellesley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yacoby, Yaniv — Wellesley College
- Study coordinator: Yacoby, Yaniv
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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.