Dr. Emilia Molimpakis, CEO & Co-founder of Thymia, sat down with me to explain how the Thymia platform uses video games based on neuropsychology, alongside analyses of facial microexpressions and speech, to quickly, accurately, and objectively assess and monitor mental health conditions such as depression. We also discussed her experience as a woman in the male-dominated HealthTech industry, plus much more.
Here is a sneak peek of our conversation:
Q: We’re in a world of digital transformation and we’re hearing about the metaverse, AI, VR headsets, and everybody’s working on one. How does this impact potentially the way you start collecting your biometrics and the immersiveness, if you will, with what they’re playing in the video game experience?
A: I think it’s an interesting one. For us, essentially we’re starting with voice and video and the different video games. However, as I said earlier, basically, what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to find signals of a specific signature. This signature of cognitive kind of behavior and cognitive profile transcends all human behavior really. That includes how you interact with the Internet, how you interact with your phone; things like what websites are you accessing or do you use a wearable device, what kind of inputs can we get from that? It includes how many phone calls are you making. The more data one has on an individual, the more they’re able to build out that cognitive profile of the individual. Therefore, the more they’re able to understand them and understand whether they are or are not potentially suffering from some condition. If so, what treatment might actually work for them?
I think the more we move into this era of big data and the metaverse and digital transformation – it is scary in one way because it opens up this question about how private are people’s lives and what actually are they exposing to the Internet. I think that’s certainly something to think about but also at the same time, it offers so much opportunity for companies like Thymia to help people provided, it’s done in a completely secure way that respects people’s privacy and you do it with the highest security around you, which is something we’re really proud to have achieved thus far.
As long as it’s done ethically and securely, I think this is absolutely an amazing time to be building a company like this not just digital transformation in terms of the advancement of AI and everything but also post-COVID. We’ve seen over 20% increase in just pure digital startups since the beginning of COVID and that’s not looking at health at all, it’s just generally. I think we’re entering into this amazing new era which will impact how people assess their own health and how they can treat their own health, not just mentally but also physically, so I think it’s a really, really great time.
For more of our discussion, you can watch the whole Fireside Chat with Dr. Emilia Molimpakis, or listen to the podcast version, below.
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