March 15, 2021

Dan Adler is a doctoral student in information science from Yardley, Pennsylvania. After attending Johns Hopkins University as an undergraduate, he chose to pursue further study at Cornell Tech due to the interdisciplinary nature of information science at Cornell.

What is your area of research and why is it important?

My work focuses on creating novel technologies that improve mental and behavioral health outcomes. I work on everything from creating technologies to remotely monitor serious mental illness to designing interventions for individuals who may be experiencing mental health symptoms but because of situational and environmental constraints feel they cannot access support. 

What are the larger implications of this research?

The technologies we research are only important if we can figure out how to implement them in clinical settings and improve mental health. We collaborate with psychologists, psychiatrists, and industry experts to close the research to practice gap and improve health outcomes.

With the option to study in Ithaca or New York City, why did you choose Cornell Tech?

My advisor, Dr. Tanzeem Choudhury, is based at Cornell Tech in NYC, so this became my primary campus.

What is it like to study on a brand new campus in the middle of NYC?

The campus, when we’re on campus, brings together multiple departments into one building. It’s great to walk to the other side of the room and talk to Ph.D. students who have completely different perspectives than my own. There’s also a great network in NYC. Particularly for my research, there are many leading health systems in the area, and it’s easy to collaborate with researchers at these health systems.

What are your hobbies or interests outside of your research or scholarship?

I run, and am a staunch believer that biking around NYC is a great experience, if you can deal with the car traffic. I also play jazz piano, and occasionally (currently rarely) blog on my website. If I can get out for a weekend, I enjoy hiking.

Why did you choose Cornell to pursue your degree?

The field of information science at Cornell cuts across disciplines, and I was excited to not just be challenged as a technologist, but be forced to think about the societal implications of the technology I design. In addition, there are many researchers in the department who also focus on the intersection of health and technology.