SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ginger, the leader in on-demand mental healthcare, today announced the formation of the Ginger Advisory Board, further investing in its commitment to mental health research and innovation. The Advisory Board consists of world-renowned researchers, data scientists and employee benefits experts from the nation’s leading academic institutions and clinical organizations. This multidisciplinary group will advise Ginger on research and evidence initiatives, support the Company’s work with employers, and help to drive industry-wide collaboration -- all in alignment with Ginger’s vision to create a world where mental health is never an obstacle.
The Ginger Advisory Board includes:
- Dr. Patricia Areán - Dr. Areán is a professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a licensed clinical psychologist. Over the past 25 years, her research has focused on behavioral interventions for depression in non-mental health settings, such as with digital platforms. She has been awarded for her research and implementation work with safety net clinics and underserved communities.
- Dr. Andy Nierenberg - Dr. Nierenberg is the Thomas P. Hackett MD Endowed Chair in Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the founder and director of the Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation, and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. With a primary interest in innovative treatments for bipolar disorder, Dr. Nierenberg serves as a lecturer, teacher, supervisor and consultant to researchers and students around the world. He maintains an active clinical practice in his work at MGH, serves as a peer reviewer for over 35 psychiatric journals, and is a member of the editorial boards of over 15 journals.
- Dr. Alex “Sandy” Pentland - Dr. Pentland is the Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT. He directs MIT Connection Science, an MIT-wide initiative to revolutionize the future of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Big Data, and also serves as the Entrepreneurship Program Director for the MIT Media Lab, which he helped create. Dr. Pentland is a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded more than a dozen companies, including Ginger. He was recently named one of the “7 most powerful data scientists in the world” by Forbes.
- Judith Verhave - Judith Verhave is founder and CEO of Next Chapter Solutions, an independent advisory and consulting practice. She is a seasoned human resources executive with over thirty years of experience leading global compensation and benefits at leading financial institutions such as BNY Mellon and Fidelity Investments; she served as CHRO at DDS, a digital healthcare startup company. Most recently, she served as Board Chair at the Business Group on Health (BGH), and currently advises a variety of companies in the health technology industry, including Castlight Health (NYSE:CSLT), where she serves on their board of directors.
Since its inception, Ginger has been deeply focused on advancing research efforts to improve mental healthcare. Ginger has built one of the world’s largest mental health data sets through its Mood Matters study, conducting research with eight of the top ten academic medical centers in the U.S., and partnering with over 40 medical institutions nationwide. These programs, as well as Ginger’s internal studies and data-driven quality assurance program, continually inform the development of Ginger’s on-demand mental health system.
Most recently, Ginger published the results of an observational study in the Journal of Medical and Internet Research (JMIR), highlighting the effectiveness of an on-demand approach in reducing depression symptoms over an 8-12 week period. Later this year, the Company plans to publish additional research on the effectiveness of this approach on anxiety outcomes. Ginger will continue to study the association between intervention features and health outcomes, and evaluate the impact with employers and health plans.
“Mental health has historically suffered from a lack of meaningful measurement, which is critical to driving better health outcomes Since 2010, Ginger has been a pioneer in leveraging data science to better understand the mental health of people around the world,” said Sandy Pentland, Advisor and Ginger co-founder. “Today, Ginger is a leader in not only understanding mental health trends, but in leveraging that data to improve care delivery, transforming an industry that desperately needs change.”
"Ginger was founded on the belief that data and technology could improve mental healthcare for millions of people around the world," said Karan Singh, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ginger. "Over the past decade, we've worked tirelessly to create the world's first on-demand mental health system that enables us to collect unprecedented data, build meaningful context and personalize care. Together with our team of world-class advisors, we will continue to advance this evidence-based approach as we strive toward our vision of a world where mental health is never an obstacle."
About Ginger
At Ginger, we believe that everyone deserves access to incredible mental healthcare. Our on-demand system brings together behavioral health coaches, therapists, and psychiatrists, who work as a team to deliver personalized care, right through your smartphone. The Ginger app provides members with access to the support they need within seconds, 24/7, 365 days a year. Millions of people have access to Ginger through leading employers, health plans and partners. Ginger is recognized by The World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer and by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare. Learn more about our vision to build a world where mental health is never an obstacle at ginger.io.
