Biography

Professor John Torous is director of the digital psychiatry division in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), a Harvard Medical School-affiliated teaching hospital, where he also serves as a staff psychiatrist and associate professor. He has a background in electrical engineering and computer sciences and received an undergraduate degree in the field from UC Berkeley before attending medical school at UC San Diego. He completed his psychiatry residency, fellowship in clinical informatics, and master's degree in biomedical informatics at Harvard.

Professor Torous is active in investigating the potential of mobile mental health technologies for psychiatry and has published over 300 peer reviewed articles and 5 book chapters on the topic. He directs the Digital Psychiatry Clinic at BIDMC which seeks to improve access to and quality of mental health care through augmenting treatment with digital innovations. Dr. Torous serves as editor-in-chief for the journal JMIR Mental Health, web editor for JAMA Psychiatry, and is a member of the FDA Digital Health Advisory Committee.

Abstract

A more thorough understanding of the potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in automating aspects of mental health care and supporting families is urgently needed, particularly as the demand increases for real-world implementation in clinical settings and homes. Dr. Torous will present on psychiatrists’ and family members' experiences and opinions of generative AI in mental health care. This session aims to facilitate dialogue on the latest advancements, persistent challenges, and prospective directions in the AI field and look how they will be used to empower families and patients.