Leaders at UNMC and HIPPO T&C – a South Korean company that has developed ADHD diagnostic and therapeutic tools – signed a memorandum of understanding on Oct. 21 at UNMC.
The memorandum is a commitment between the two parties to continue collaborating on clinical research involving the use of virtual reality tools and artificial intelligence technology in assessing and treating various behavioral health issues.
It was signed by UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD; Tai Chung, PhD, founder and CEO of HIPPO T&C; Howard Liu, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry; and Jane Meza, PhD, interim UNMC vice chancellor of academic affairs.
The collaboration began in 2023 when Soonjo Hwang, MD, research division director for the UNMC Department of Psychiatry, traveled to South Korea to visit HIPPO T&C.
Dr. Hwang and his research team are working on a clinical study in which children and adolescents use VR tools to provide a wide array of cognitive and behavioral patterns, which were analyzed by AI technology to supplement clinical assessment.
Dr. Chung said his goals for the project are to continue research on patients struggling with various mental health disorders and anxiety-related issues, as well as to expand into other chronic neurological and medical conditions.
“I believe this collaboration with UNMC will help us reach these goals,” Dr. Chung said. “The goals are very difficult, but I believe if everyone works hard, we can realize these dreams.”
Dr. Davies said this collaboration fits within UNMC’s mission of transforming lives with extraordinary patient care and research.
“As we look at what we can do to help patients with psychological disorders and find ways for patients to better live in their communities, I believe this collaboration will play a big role,” Dr. Davies said. “It’s a unique opportunity, and we’re very excited.”
Dr. Davies said there are also opportunities to exchange faculty, students and staff between the two companies and countries. The ongoing partnership also includes SungKyunKwan University and Samsung Medical Center in South Korea.
I’d love to be a part of this exciting project! Let me know if there is a role for someone with my experience and background. This is so exciting!
Proud of Dr. Soonjo Hwang, Minjoo Kang, Dr. Harim Jeong, and our UNMC psychiatry research team for forging this exciting new partnership! And I appreciate the outstanding support from Dr. Davies, Dr. Meza, Dr. Markin, Dr. Dixon, Dr. Kratochvil, Dr. Bayles, Ben Stobbe, and so many other colleagues who are fostering innovation at UNMC.