The Path forms scientific advisory board for AI mental health research

The Path has created a six-member Scientific Advisory Board to guide its clinical research program in AI mental health, with a focus on study design, methodology, and interpreting findings. The move signals a push to build clinical evidence and oversight around AI therapy tools as the company expands its platform and research agenda.

Why it matters: - The Path is trying to strengthen the scientific credibility of AI mental health tools. - The advisory board is designed to improve study quality, research oversight, and how results are evaluated. - The board also adds expertise in AI ethics, health equity, and digital health implementation to the company’s research process.

What happened: - The Path announced a Scientific Advisory Board made up of six researchers and clinicians. - Dr. Jennifer Huberty chairs the board. - The board will advise The Path’s clinical research program, including study design, research methodology, and interpretation of findings. - The company said the board supports its goal of building AI for mental health on a rigorous research foundation. - Dr. Anson Whitmer, CEO and co-founder, said the board is intended to help the company ask better questions, design stronger studies, and communicate findings responsibly.

The details: - Dr. Jennifer Huberty is founder and CEO of Fit Minded, Inc. and chief science officer at The Path. - Huberty is a behavioral research scientist with more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and previously served as head of science at Calm. - Dr. Stephen Schueller is a professor of psychology and informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and a licensed clinical psychologist. - Schueller’s work focuses on the development, evaluation, and implementation of digital mental health interventions. - Dr. Chad Stecher is an associate professor and director of industry engagement at Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions. - Stecher’s research uses behavioral economics, randomized trials, and population-level analytics to drive long-term health behavior change. - Dr. Adrian Aguilera is a Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare and holds a psychiatry appointment at the University of California, San Francisco. - Aguilera directs the Digital Health Equity and Access Lab, or dHEAL, where he studies how technology can expand access to evidence-based mental health care. - Dr. Risa Weisberg is a professor of psychiatry at Boston University and head of clinical research at Deliberate AI. - Weisberg’s work spans clinical validation, digital therapeutics, user safety, and regulatory science. - Dr. Darja Djordjevic is a psychiatrist and medical anthropologist at Harlem Hospital and Columbia University. - Djordjevic is also a member of Brainstorm: The Stanford Lab for Mental Health Innovation. - Djordjevic focuses on psychiatry, global mental health, and responsible use of artificial intelligence in care. - The advisory board will help guide research questions about how AI mental health tools should be evaluated scientifically. - The board will also examine the role of independent advisors in AI mental health research. - Another focus is how AI therapy platforms can build credible clinical evidence. - The Path says the board actively supports its clinical research program. - The company said its research work is built around rigorous evidence and responsible evaluation. - The Path is an AI therapy and coaching app co-founded by Dr. Anson Whitmer, entrepreneur Tyler Sheaffer, and Tony Robbins. - The app uses approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, and motivational interviewing. - The platform is designed to help people manage stress, low mood, burnout, relationship challenges, and life transitions. - The Path says the platform learns patterns across conversations, supports session-to-session progress, and routes users to human support when elevated risk is detected. - The company says the app is meant to complement licensed mental health care, not replace it. - The Path says it has more than 50,000 members and has supported more than 2.5 million sessions. - More information is available in the company’s announcement.

Between the lines: - The board gives The Path outside credibility at a time when AI mental health products face growing scrutiny over safety, evidence, and claims. - The mix of psychiatry, behavioral science, implementation research, and AI ethics suggests The Path wants a research program that goes beyond product development. - Putting clinical evidence front and center may help the company differentiate itself in a crowded and highly regulated category.

What’s next: - The Path will use the board to guide future studies and refine how it evaluates its AI mental health tools. - The company is likely to lean on the board as it develops and communicates new clinical findings. - The advisory group may also shape how The Path positions its platform around evidence, safety, and responsible AI use.

The bottom line: - The Path is building a formal scientific layer around its AI therapy platform as it seeks stronger evidence and more trust in mental health technology.