mDOT Center: smarter, timely health help from your phone
Official title: The mHealth Center for Discovery, Optimization, and Translation of Temporally-Precise Interventions (the mDOT Center)
Funded at University of Memphis · NIH-11336101 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A national center will create and share mobile health tools that help people manage chronic diseases by delivering personalized tips exactly when they’re most needed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Memphis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2020 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,716,816 |
| NIH project number | 2P41EB028242-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11336101 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with chronic diseases who use mobile devices and are willing to participate in app-based health support activities.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use or access mobile health tools or who prefer non-digital forms of support may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
The mDOT Center aims to make self-care easier by using mobile sensors and apps to detect when a person could benefit from guidance. Researchers will develop wearables, smartphone apps, and online services that can personalize messages and interventions in real time based on a person’s current context. This is designed as a national resource to discover, optimize, and deploy temporally-precise health interventions for real patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with chronic diseases could receive better-timed support that helps them follow healthier routines and potentially reduce healthcare costs.
How similar studies have gone: Past mobile health work shows promise, and this program aims to advance timing and personalization beyond existing efforts.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Memphis
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kumar, Santosh — University of Memphis
- Study coordinator: Kumar, Santosh
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.