"Currently, I'm at Amazon working on a project that has significant impact on customer experience by helping them with product selections," he said. "My long-term goal is to work in a research and development lab with a focus on health."
Hee Jeong Han: Postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health (CTBH) at Dartmouth
Han earned a bachelor's degree in computer science and engineering from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, in 2017; a master's degree in computer science with a focus on stress monitoring using wearable sensors from the University of California, Irvine in 2019; and her doctoral degree in informatics from Penn State in 2025.
"I chose my field because I wanted to bring together computer science, artificial intelligence (AI) and human-centered design to make a real impact on people's mental health and well-being," Han said. "I was fascinated by how technology -- like wearable sensors and AI -- could go beyond theory and directly support individuals in their daily lives."
That led her to focus her research on designing and evaluating digital health interventions, such as conversational agents for PTSD, multimodal AI tools for automatic dementia classification and collaborative financial technology solutions for care partners of individuals with bipolar disorder.
"My goal has always been to pursue a research career where I can continue developing and refining technology-enabled interventions that are both evidence-based and grounded in real-world needs," Han said. "I see myself collaborating across disciplines to ensure scalable, inclusive and ethically designed digital therapeutics reach and benefit diverse communities."
Han chose the College of IST for its interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI, mental health and human-centered design.
"The informatics program gave me the opportunity to work in the WHI Lab with Dr. Abdullah, whose expertise in digital health and AI-driven interventions aligned perfectly with my research interests," she said. "IST's collaborative culture and emphasis on applying technology to real-world challenges provided the resources, mentorship and flexibility I needed to design and evaluate digital health tools that support mental health and well-being."
As a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth CTBH, Han is focused on projects that leverage AI, behavioral sensing and data analytics to better understand, predict and support student mental health on college campuses. Following her postdoc, Han hopes to transition into a research institute position where she can lead interdisciplinary projects and build collaborations that advance digital mental health.
"My long-term goal is to develop scalable, ethically grounded and evidence-based interventions that make mental health care more accessible and personalized, particularly for underserved or high-need populations," she said. "My advice for students considering a Ph.D. in informatics to think about the kind of impact you want your research to have because it's such an interdisciplinary field. It's important to find an adviser and a program that not only align with your technical interests but also give you the freedom to collaborate across areas."