interdisciplinary workshop on Human-centered AI Research for Mental Health Pittsburgh August 6, 2026 In conjunction with IEEE/ACM CHASE 2026 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Yixue Zhao Yi Ding Amir Ghasemian Rafal Kocielnik General Chair Co-General Chair Program Chair Program Chair Yixue Research Institute Purdue University University of California, Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Brian Hyeongseok Kim Publicity Chair University of Southern California
give rise to the HARMONY initiative. Computing Community Consortium — where the spark started Weisong Shi — IEEE/ACM CHASE founder, who told me to just do it
question at the CCC Future Computing Symposium. I asked how to launch a conference on AI and mental health. HIS ANSWER Just run it as a workshop at CHASE. I'm taking the picture! Yi Ding With Weisong Shi, IEEE/ACM CHASE founder CHASE covers healthcare broadly. I wanted something smaller, and focused.
in the same room. Amir Ghasemian & Rafal Kocielnik Brian Hyeongseok Kim Program Chairs · UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Publicity Chair · University of Southern California
deal was made. A workshop built around mental health — interdisciplinary in both research and practice. THE ASK Reach beyond our own community. CHASE is mostly computing people. Healthcare needs more diverse talents to tackle the BIG, HARD problems. With Weisong Shi and Kewei Sha, IEEE/ACM CHASE Workshop Chair — at IEEE/ACM CHASE 2025, New York City
No single field can solve it. So HARMONY is built to break the silos, not to represent one of them. Computer Science Electrical Engineering Psychology Psychiatry Behavioral Science Neuroscience Anthropology Philosophy Social Science and more
problem. EXPERTISE ACROSS Mental health & clinical practice AI & computing Psychiatry & behavioral science Neuroscience & mindfulness 4 members from industry
history. This is the very first HARMONY. Our goal is ambitious and we are getting there step by step. We need help, and every kind counts. in Follow HARMONY on LinkedIn 01 02 03 04 Tell us what to improve Spread the word Bring submissions Help run the next one Honest feedback, today or after. We will share a short feedback survey at the end — and on our LinkedIn page. Your connections matter more than you think. A share from someone people trust is what brought HARMONY to life. Ideas for papers, topics, visibility, impact. Join our HARMONY team to co-create the next experience together. Come talk to me.
not just a workshop. No labels, no silos A platform for you Beyond the workshop day If you care about AI and mental health , you belong here. The label on paper does not matter — your passion, ideas, and expertise do. Meet like-minded people who are hard to run into at your usual conferences. Solve the problems you care about, together. We keep the community engaged between in-person events — more on that later.
Everyone here volunteered their time and energy. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Yixue Zhao General Chair Yi Ding Co-General Chair Amir Ghasemian Program Chair Rafal Kocielnik Program Chair Brian Hyeongseok Kim Publicity Chair & Discussion Leader SPEAKERS, SESSION CHAIRS & DISCUSSION LEADERS David Creswell Keynote & Panelist PROGRAM COMMITTEE Rayid Ghani Panelist Josh Oltmanns Andrew Begel Panelist & Discussion Panelist & Discussion Leader Leader Xipeng Shen Session Chair & Discussion Leader Ping Wang Session Chair & Discussion Leader Corey E. Baker Discussion Leader
so the day is untraditional. MORNING LUNCH Talks are people-centered. You already know who to sit with. Beyond your paper, share your vision, other lab projects, skills you bring and expertise you are looking for. That is the whole point of doing the talks first. AFTERNOON CLOSING We go outside our own field. You don't want to miss this. A fantastic keynote & deliberately diverse panel , then reserved time to mingle and join small round tables. We'll hold an award ceremony (nobody here knows the secret, so you'll have to come find out 😉). We'll also announce exciting next steps for HARMONY.
so the day is untraditional. MORNING LUNCH Talks are people-centered. You already know who to sit with. Beyond your paper, share your vision, other lab projects, skills you bring and expertise you are looking for. That is the whole point of doing the talks first. AFTERNOON CLOSING We go outside our own field. You don't want to miss this. A fantastic keynote & deliberately diverse panel , then reserved time to mingle and join small round tables. We'll hold an award ceremony (nobody here knows the secret, so you'll have to come find out 😉). We'll also announce exciting next steps for HARMONY.
so the day is untraditional. MORNING LUNCH Talks are people-centered. You already know who to sit with. Beyond your paper, share your vision, other lab projects, skills you bring and expertise you are looking for. That is the whole point of doing the talks first. AFTERNOON CLOSING We go outside our own field. You don't want to miss this. A fantastic keynote & deliberately diverse panel , then reserved time to mingle and join small round tables. We'll hold an award ceremony (nobody here knows the secret, so you'll have to come find out 😉). We'll also announce exciting next steps for HARMONY.
so the day is untraditional. MORNING LUNCH Talks are people-centered. You already know who to sit with. Beyond your paper, share your vision, other lab projects, skills you bring and expertise you are looking for. That is the whole point of doing the talks first. AFTERNOON CLOSING We go outside our own field. You don't want to miss this. A fantastic keynote & deliberately diverse panel , then reserved time to mingle and join small round tables. We'll hold an award ceremony (nobody here knows the secret, so you'll have to come find out 😉). We'll also announce exciting next steps for HARMONY.
ONE. One question only 1 What is your intention here? 2 What do you want out of HARMONY? 3 A happiness tip to share. 4 What topic are you most excited to discuss? biggest challenge you see in AI and 5 The mental health? a magic wand , which problem would 6 With you solve? 🪄
sit with. A question for the panel? Submit it here — anonymously, if you would rather not ask out loud. 12:30 – 2pm Lunch and open conversation. Sit with someone whose talk sparked something. Please be back by 2:00 pm the afternoon is the part you will not want to miss.
meditation training, respiration tracking AI , and health David Creswell William S. Dietrich II Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Carnegie Mellon University · CEO, Equa Health David Creswell is the William S. Dietrich II Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University and the CEO of Equa Health . His research explores how people adapt and thrive under stress, with a focus on the mind-body connection and pathways to resilience . He conducts community-based intervention trials, laboratory experiments, and neuroimaging studies to uncover how different stress management strategies, such as mindfulness meditation, self-affirmation, and cognitive reappraisal, can enhance coping, reduce stress, and improve health outcomes.
Ghani Josh Oltmanns Andrew Begel William S. Dietrich II Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Carnegie Mellon University; CEO, Equa Health Distinguished Career Professor, Joint Appointment in Machine Learning Department and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis; Licensed Clinical Psychologist Associate Professor, Software and Societal Systems, Carnegie Mellon University; Affiliate Professor, Information School, University of Washington; Previously Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research conf.researchr.org/home/harmony-2026#Speakers
16:45 · Carnegie Room 1 01 Pick a discussion leader. 40 minutes of small-group discussion. 02 At 4:25 pm , come back and share your table's summary with the other groups. 03 Your discussion feeds the HARMONY white paper and recap. Participants are invited as co-authors. Stay tuned. We highly recommend picking a note-taker for your table. We will share white paper updates and the recap on LinkedIn. Follow for updates
Shen 3 Josh Oltmanns 5 Ping Wang Prediction & Intervention of Mental Health Clinical AI and Mental Health Mental Health Data Collection, Privacy & Ethics Want to lead your own topic? Raise your hand. 2 Andrew Begel 4 Brian Hyeongseok Kim 6 Corey E. Baker Emotional Support for Learning and Achieving with AI AI Anxiety & Literacy Bring Research to Real World
community, so you can shape what it becomes. This is what we know will happen. 01 02 A recap and white paper Your feedback, acted on Built from today's discussions, with participants invited as co-authors. How to make HARMONY better, and how to reach into more disciplines and communities — bringing diverse expertise and reaching policy, industry, and practice, not only academia. Feedback survey
and how you can help. WHEN IT HAPPENS WHERE IT LIVES WHO WE REACH A vision, not an annual sprint. HARMONY may travel. How to grow community. Modeled on the CCC Future Computing Symposium. In between, we focus on community building, visibility, and impact — through the white paper and your feedback. The full in-person workshop may return every 2 years. Rotating across conferences would let us grow roots in different communities. We may also hold HARMONY seminars for more intensive, focused discussions, such as Dagstuhl Seminars and NII Shonan Meetings. Funding is tight everywhere. Reaching the right people is the hard part. HARMONY brings unique value. Your words matter more than you think. The next HARMONY can be shaped by you. Want to co-create the next HARMONY? Fill out the survey with your information.
HARMONY. SHARE FEEDBACK & HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE FOLLOW HARMONY JOIN THE TEAM Tell us what to improve See latest updates Feel free to reach out! forms.gle/Z6WUqgi1AmeZKjaB6 linkedin.com/company/harmony-con Yixue Zhao, General Chair
mental health. Thank you for spending the first HARMONY with us. Yixue Zhao, PhD Yixue Research Institute 💌 [email protected] 🌐 yixuezhao.com Washington, DC CONNECT LinkedIn
Everyone here volunteered their time and energy. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Yixue Zhao General Chair Yi Ding Co-General Chair Amir Ghasemian Program Chair Rafal Kocielnik Program Chair Brian Hyeongseok Kim Publicity Chair & Discussion Leader SPEAKERS, SESSION CHAIRS & DISCUSSION LEADERS David Creswell Keynote & Panelist PROGRAM COMMITTEE Rayid Ghani Panelist Josh Oltmanns Andrew Begel Panelist & Discussion Panelist & Discussion Leader Leader Xipeng Shen Session Chair & Discussion Leader Ping Wang Session Chair & Discussion Leader Corey E. Baker Discussion Leader
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