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
Pediatric visits can encourage parents to quit smoking
March 18, 2026
Medscape turns to UC human services Professor Ashley Merianos for expert opinion about using pediatric visits to encourage parents to quit smoking.
UC summer program gives high school students hands-on research experience
March 18, 2026
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine is expanding its Medical Sciences Summer Institute (MSSI) this year with a new medical informatics track.
Coding without code: How vibe coding rewrites the rules
March 17, 2026
Vibe coding allows beginners to build sophisticated web applications with zero coding skills. Discover how vibe coding can simplify workflows and drastically boost productivity.