Rudra Nagalia's journey into healthcare technology strengthened her passion for improving healthcare outcomes through technology. Nagaria, who was studying for a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering at the Birla Institute of Technology in Pilani, India, was guided by her entrepreneurial spirit in 2019 during her undergraduate days and co-founded a startup to develop products. and gained valuable insight into product development. Entrepreneurship.
But it was Nagaria's experience as an exchange student at George Mason University that changed her path. During this time, he actively contributed to the development of the initial prototype of the Remind-H app during his 2021 internship at Mason. This pivotal experience ultimately influenced his decision to return to Mason to pursue his degree and delve deeper into this research focus.
“Enrolling in the medical informatics master's program was truly life-changing for me,” Nagaria said.
During his studies, he served as a Pathways and Partnerships Assistant in the Faculty of Science and later as a Graduate Research Assistant in the College of Public Health (formerly the College of Health and Human Services), where he contributed significantly to the development of the Remind-H app. —A biological behavioral monitoring and recovery system led by Professor Padu Seshayer of Mathematical Sciences and Professor Holly Matteau of Social Work.top of form
“What inspired me to take on this project was the novelty of the idea of creating a personalized mental health experience, supported by physiological data processed by machine learning models. I decided to extend my existing skills in mobile app and backend systems development and apply them to the healthcare data domain from an engineering background to a medical research-oriented environment, as exemplified by the Remind-H project. Despite the obstacles I faced in transitioning, I remained determined to pursue this path,” Nagaria said.
His background in product development and entrepreneurship, combined with his proactive approach, helped him secure a position on the app development team. His first role on the project included his detailed UI/UX (user interface/user experience) design process, where he meticulously created the first version of the app for Android. Did. As Mr. Nagalia learned more about the Remind-H project, he recognized its potential to address specific medical challenges, particularly those in mental health.
“The Remind-H hypothesis is driven by the concept of 'prevention, not treatment',” Nagaria said, “for addiction, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.”
In addition to researching Remind-H, Mr. Nagaria is also immersed in other research projects such as game-based biofeedback for stress in students, and his dedication to leveraging technology for holistic healthcare solutions. I emphasized my posture even more.
Looking to the future, Nagaria, who will graduate in spring 2024, is poised to make a meaningful impact on the healthcare industry upon graduation.
“With a Master's degree in Healthcare Informatics, I aim to bridge the gap between diverse healthcare needs and technological solutions, with an emphasis on healthcare research and analysis. Product Engineering and Business I have a background in analytics, and my research experience in digital health sparked my interest. Additionally, I had the opportunity to combine scientific insight and creativity through product development, which strengthened my expertise in medical data. and deepened my understanding of the industry,” said Nagaria.
His track record of navigating the entire product development lifecycle, combined with his passion for innovation, positions him as a formidable force driving real-world change through technology.
Innovate for Good is an ongoing series examining how Mason faculty in the College of Public Health are leveraging technology to improve health outcomes. If you have a story you would like to share as part of the Innovate for Good series, please email Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.
