We are pleased to announce that Nicholas Jacobson, Director of CTBH’s Treatment Development & Evaluation Core, has received the Breakthrough Research in AI and Wellbeing Award from the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), presented in collaboration with Frontiers in Psychology at IPPA’s global AI & Wellbeing Summit (March 23–27, 2026).
This award recognizes research advancing the responsible application of AI to human wellbeing, with particular emphasis on methodological rigor, strong theoretical grounding, and real-world impact. Selected from a large and highly competitive, multidisciplinary pool of submissions, Dr. Jacobson’s work stood out for its innovation and translational significance.
The selection committee highlighted his research program on generative AI for mental health care, including the first randomized controlled trial of a generative AI therapeutic (published in NEJM AI, March 2025), which demonstrated clinically meaningful reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.