In 2016, McLean Hospital established the Institute for Technology in Psychiatry (ITP), becoming one of the first institutions of its kind to make a major investment in digital health care and research. Leveraging academic and industry partners, along with patients willing to evaluate technology-based tools, McLean is at the forefront of tech-enhanced care.
“Strategically, this makes sense,” said Chief Scientific Officer Kerry J. Ressler, MD, PhD. “Technology fits into our mission of delivering best-in-class clinical care, teaching the next generation of clinicians and researchers, and discovering, implementing, and translating innovative ideas into new treatments and preventions. Our ability to scale these activities will depend on advances we make in technology.”
All Systems Go
“Technology” is a broad term and its applications at McLean are diverse. According to Ipsit Vahia, MD, chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and director of the Technology and Aging Laboratory, dozens of McLean faculty members are undertaking projects ranging from developing tech-based interventions and care approaches to working with engineers at partner institutions to test their devices and other tools.
“We have tested and helped develop everything from mobile devices and wearable sensors that gather data, virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), and more,” said Vahia.
“We are also interested in understanding how various streams of digital data—motion, voice, or sound data—can help us develop more personalized approaches to care. The goal is to translate digital tools directly into clinical practice through precision medicine rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.”
McLean is also impacting the use of technology in the field by developing ethical frameworks, regulating technologies, and participating in thought leadership through worldwide forums, including the annual Technology in Psychiatry Summit sponsored by ITP. About the 2024 Summit, held in Phoenix, Arizona, Ressler said, “We had a tremendous audience of scientists and technologists from leading universities and corporations, all eagerly learning about new directions in technology—especially AI, which is a hot topic now.”
The Beir Factor
New initiatives require philanthropic support; thus, technological innovation is a key pillar of The Way Forward Campaign for McLean. For Sarah and Jeffrey Beir, making a leadership gift of $500,000 to this area was a merger of mutual interests.
“I believe that technology can be an enabler to solve problems, and I’m enthused about its potential to expand access to mental health care,” said Jeffrey. Sarah added that she’s been passionate about mental health awareness and advocacy since she was young. “As with so many others,” she said, “my family has been touched by mental health crises, so I understand the vital importance of being able to access care.”
Sarah and Jeffrey Beir
Over the past ten years, the Beirs have made many gifts to McLean—some supporting women’s mental health; others to the hospital’s new child and adolescent campus.
“We wanted to focus on things that we are passionate about,” said Jeffrey. “When we learned about the tech initiatives at McLean, we realized that was something we wanted to commit to, both financially and by leveraging our experience and relationships.”
“If technology can improve access and scale—so more people can get the care they need—that would be huge for us,” Sarah said. “In fact, this area of work is so compelling to us that this is the single largest philanthropic gift we’ve ever made. We want our gift to enhance the visionary work that Drs. Vahia and Ressler are doing at McLean.”
Full STEM Ahead
Expressing their appreciation for the Beirs’ generosity, Vahia and Ressler noted that they will work together to direct this gift.
“It is likely that we will use some funds to support early-stage ideas that often have trouble launching because they are too new and innovative to receive federal funding,” said Vahia.
“Possible uses include supporting faculty in their work and expanding and integrating research into clinical care through AI and digital phenotyping, where we can quantify people’s behavior, sleep patterns, and responses to treatment,” added Ressler.
Jeffrey is confident that McLean is well-positioned to improve the quality of care through technological solutions. “Our goal is to reach others who are interested in this area and motivate them to think about technology as a philanthropic priority,” added Sarah.
The Beirs hope their gift will lead to increased support for this area, as the potential for applying technology in psychiatric care and research is virtually limitless. “It’s been nearly a decade since we decided to make major investments in technology,” said President and Psychiatrist in Chief Scott L. Rauch, MD.
“Our faculty is excited about the breadth of opportunities available, and our patients are interested in being involved in research as a way to give back and give meaning to their struggles.”
