Research
GOIC

The Grand Open Innovation Challenge is a science and innovation program that fosters the development of evidence-based, cost-effective, and sustainable technological solutions to address some of the most pressing challenges in mental health.

Launched in 2023, the initiative was built around a co-creative and transdisciplinary approach, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, startups, non-profit organizations, and innovation-driven institutions to collaboratively design solutions to key mental health challenges. The program was created to accelerate innovation by supporting the development of bold ideas, facilitating access to funding opportunities, and promoting the formation of multidisciplinary teams committed to generating meaningful social impact.

The inaugural edition focused on promoting the mental health of young people aged 14 to 24 years through three strategic challenge areas, encouraging participants to develop innovative solutions with the potential for real-world implementation and lasting impact.

Neurobots

The Neurobots project is a randomized clinical trial evaluating a neurofeedback-assisted mindfulness training intervention designed to reduce workplace stress and improve cognitive and emotional functioning. Developed by the Center for Research and Innovation in Mental Health (CISM) in partnership with the Neurobots startup and Centro Universitário Max Planck (UniMAX), the project combines neuromeditation with a neurofeedback device as an innovative approach to promoting mental health and well-being.

By integrating traditional mindfulness practices with neuroscience-based technology, the program aims to increase engagement with and adherence to mindfulness training. Its key innovation is the provision of real-time feedback on participants’ brain activity, which may make meditation easier to learn and more engaging to practice.

The study is currently recruiting UniMAX employees. Participants complete the neuromeditation program in a quiet room at the university, attending four 15-minute mindfulness sessions per week over eight weeks. Emotional assessments and cognitive tests are conducted before, during, and after the intervention to evaluate the program’s effects.

Ego2Save

The Ego2Save project is developing a smartphone application that monitors users’ mental health and emotional well-being through the analysis of facial expressions. Its goal is to identify early signs associated with self-harm and suicide risk, enabling the screening results to be shared with healthcare professionals for timely intervention.

The technology is based on the recognition of seven basic emotions from facial expressions: happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise, fear, and contempt. The application analyzes subtle changes in facial expressions captured in photographs to monitor how and when mood changes occur during the treatment for depressive disorders. These patterns are presented in graphical dashboards that can be accessed by the user’s healthcare provider.

The solution is currently undergoing validation study involving patients with depressive disorders receiving care at the Centro de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS) and the Centro de Especialidades Médicas (CEM) at the Centro Universitário de Jaguariúna (UniFAJ), both located in Jaguariúna, São Paulo, in partnership with the city’s Municipal Health Department.