Digital phenotyping uses data collected from digital devices, such as smartphones, wearables, and other connected devices, to measure and analyze human behaviors, physiological signals, and mental health. This data is typically gathered passively and in real-time, capturing aspects like movement patterns, social interactions, sleep habits, and digital media usage.

The purpose of digital phenotyping is to create detailed profiles or “phenotypes” of individuals’ health and behavior, which can be used to gain insights into their mental and physical well-being, detect early signs of disease, and personalize digital health interventions. It is an emerging field in digital health that bridges technology, psychology, and medicine, offering a new way to monitor and understand human health outside of traditional clinical settings. To this end, digital phenotyping can be used to prevent and manage disease. However, academics and clinicians are missing an overview of digital phenotyping technologies, especially regarding children and adolescents. To this end, and within our KIND project, we are eager to supervise a Master’s student who aims to identify relevant wearable technologies for digital phenotyping in children and adolescents.

Interested students should submit a brief statement of interest and their CV to Prof. Dr. Tobias Kowatsch (tobias.kowatsch@uzh.ch). We encourage applications from students with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Join us in exploring how wearable technology and EMAs can better serve young people affected by disease and their families. Your research could significantly impact the future design and implementation of these devices and EMAs!