2026 mHTI Concludes at UCLA, Preparing the Next Generation of Mobile Health Innovators
The 2026 mHealth Training Institute (mHTI) concluded last week at UCLA’s Luskin Center, bringing together a diverse cohort of scholars, faculty mentors, and NIH program officers for an intensive week of transdisciplinary learning, collaboration, and innovation. As the flagship training program of the mDOT Center, mHTI continues its mission of preparing researchers to address complex health challenges through the development, evaluation, and implementation of mobile health technologies.
This year’s cohort included 25 scholars representing institutions and disciplines across the country. Organized into interdisciplinary teams, participants combined expertise from fields such as medicine, behavioral science, public health, engineering, computer science, and data science. Throughout the program, scholars worked closely with faculty mentors and NIH program officers to develop innovative project concepts that leverage emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, wearable sensors, and digital health methodologies to improve health outcomes.
The week culminated with team capstone presentations that showcased the collaborative spirit and scientific creativity fostered throughout the Institute. For many scholars, mHTI represented a unique opportunity to engage with colleagues outside their traditional disciplines, learn a common language across fields, and build professional relationships that often continue long after the program concludes. The experience reflects the core philosophy of mHTI – that transformative advances in mobile health require meaningful collaboration across diverse areas of expertise.
Faculty mentors included Vivek Shetty (UCLA), Bonnie Spring (Florida State), Nabil Alshurafa (Northwestern), Eric Hekler (UCSD), Santosh Kumar (Memphis), Jessilyn Dunn (Duke), Craig Fox (UCLA), Emre Ertin (Ohio State), Peter Kaufman (Glenair, Inc.), David Levin (Levine Bagade & Han LLP), Ben Marlin (UMASS), Vickie Mays (UCLA), Inbal Nahum-Shani (Michigan), Mark Newman (Michigan), Angela Pfammatter (Tennessee), Byron Powell (Washington U at STL), Rose Rocchio (UCLA), and Predrag Klasnja. The faculty provided guidance throughout the program. Scholars also benefited from the participation of NIH program officers Richard Conroy, Adam Haim, Dinesh John, Luke Stoeckel, David Clark, Audie Atienza, and Tiffani Bailey Lash, who offered valuable perspectives on research priorities, translation, and the future of digital health innovation.
Since its inception, mHTI has trained more than 300 scholars from over 50 institutions, creating a growing network of researchers committed to advancing the science and practice of mobile health. The 2026 cohort continued this tradition, demonstrating the enthusiasm, creativity, and transdisciplinary mindset needed to drive the next generation of digital health discoveries.
As mHTI 2026 comes to a close, the connections formed, ideas generated, and collaborations launched during the Institute will continue to shape the future of mobile health research and technology-enabled healthcare for years to come.