Cincinnati Business Courier: App to help cope with COVID-19
UC, Cincinnati Children's experts create an app to help those experiencing pandemic-induced anxiety.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center announced the launch of a new smartphone app that uses artificial intelligence-powered chat bots to engage users in conversations about their mental health. The app was created in partnership with experts from the University of Cincinnati and Wysa, a digital behavioral health platform developer.
John, Pestian, PhD, a Cincinnati Children's expert in developing natural language processing and machine learning tools to address mental health concerns, helped create the app with Michael Sorter, MD, director of Cincinnati Children's Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Jeffrey Strawn, MD, an anxiety expert in the University of Cincinnati's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience.
Read the full Business Courier story.
This story was also covered by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Read more about the app on UC News.
Featured photo of Jeffrey Strawn, MD, by Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Stay up on all UC's COVID-19 stories, read more #UCtheGood content, or take a UC virtual visit and begin picturing yourself at an institution that inspires incredible stories.
Related Stories
The subtle changes in hearing you should never ignore
July 24, 2026
It’s easy to dismiss changes in hearing as minor. But as The Washington Post recently reported, these symptoms could also signal a medical emergency that many people don’t recognize — known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss, a rapid decline in hearing that occurs suddenly or over a few days.
UC experts say proper produce washing is key defense against Cyclospora
July 24, 2026
Hamilton County Public Health reports confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, as concerns persist. Cyclospora is a parasite that can cause a stomach illness lasting days — sometimes even weeks. University of Cincinnati medical experts say it is usually linked to contaminated water or food, often fresh produce.
What are the options for male birth control?
July 24, 2026
Despite major advances in contraception during the past several decades, responsibility for pregnancy prevention falls largely on women. As recently reported in Endocrinology Advisor, a new generation of male contraceptive candidates is advancing into early- and mid-stage clinical trials.