CGAIMH Summit Elevates Innovation in AI Mental Healthcare

By Office of the President | Sep 9, 2025

The Global Center for AI in Mental Health (GCAIMH), founded by Downstate Health Sciences University, UAlbany, and the Health Innovation Exchange (HiEX), will host its 2025 Annual Summit on Friday, September 19, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the SUNY Global Center in New York City. This year’s theme is: “Resilient Innovation in Mental Health Through AI and Global Partnerships.”

The Summit will bring together leaders from UNESCO, IBM, Google, UNICEF, and the McKinsey Health Institute to explore how artificial intelligence can expand access to care and strengthen mental health services worldwide. The program includes keynote addresses, research posters, technology demonstrations, and opportunities for networking and collaboration.

We are proud to share that Salvador Dura-Bernal, Ph.D., GCAIMH’s Director at Downstate and Assistant Professor in Physiology and Pharmacology, together with his colleague at UAlbany, Amy Nitza, Ph.D., have led the development of two AI prototype tools for mental health that will be unveiled at the Summit. The first is Aurora-PFA, an AI-driven tool for psychological first aid for disaster survivors, developed in partnership with IBM. The second prototype is Ther-Assist, an AI tool to help psychotherapists provide personalized, evidence-based therapy for depression and anxiety, developed in collaboration with Google. This underscores Downstate’s leadership in developing innovative tools that address global mental health challenges in underserved communities while advancing health equity.

The GCAIMH received seed funding from SUNY’s STRIVE Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan, which positioned the Center as a member of the Innovative Network for SUNY’s Pioneering AI Research and Excellence (INSPIRE) Center. Through INSPIRE, SUNY campuses, including Downstate and UAlbany, are working to expand AI research, training, and collaboration to improve health outcomes across New York and beyond.

For more information about Downstate’s role in the GCAIMH and its partnership with UAlbany and other institutions, visit www.gcaimh.org and www.downstate.edu.