News and Announcements
Medical Student Chris Chae Published First First-Author Paper
Congratulations to Chris Chae, University of Pittsburgh medical student, for publishing his first first-author paper! Chae's paper explores the association between cybervictimization and sleep, and the mediating effect of in-person and social media-based emotional support. This paper uses data from our ongoing Momentum project. Read the full paper here: s12887-026-06751-4_reference.pdf
Dr. Escobar-Viera Receives Funding from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry
Dr. Escobar-Viera received $25,000 from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry to develop the technology for PROXIMO, a generative AI chatbot and online peer support program designed to connect teens to mental health services. Co-investigators on the project include Dr. Candice Biernesser (Psychiatry), Dr.
Dr. Escobar-Viera Participates in Digital Mental Health & LGBTQ+ Youth Panel
Dr. Escobar-Viera was a panelist on the Digital Mental Health & LGBTQ+ Youth panel hosted by UVA's Thriving Youth in a Digital Environment.
PRIDE iM Team Receives Awards at PRISM 2025
Research Coordinator Tylar Schmitt and medical student Chris Chae presented findings from our ongoing Momentum research study at the annual Promoting Research in Social Media and Health Symposium (PRISM) at the University of California San Francisco. Tylar took home a Best Poster Presentation award while Chris snagged a Best Rapid Fire Presentation award. Congratulations, Tylar and Chris, and thank you to the PRISM Steering Committee for hosting us!
Dr. Escobar-Viera Receives Funding from the Pitt Un-Challenge
Dr. Escobar-Viera is the Principal Investigator of a $25,000 research project funded by Phase I of the Pitt Un-Challenge. The project will explore stakeholder attitudes of a generative AI chatbot and online peer support program for teen mental health. Co-investigators on the project include Dr. Candice Biernesser (Psychiatry), Dr.
Dr. César Escobar-Viera Featured in the Pittsburgh Courier
Dr. César Escobar-Viera was recently interviewed for a Pittsburgh Courier article titled, "Thoughtful tech and community connection help heal loneliness and isolation epidemic." Dr. César discusses the recent rise in reports of loneliness and social isolation and how digital tools, when developed in partnership with community members, can help boost connection and social support. Read the full article here.
Research Coordinator Tylar Schmitt Wins Two Awards at Pitt Psychiatry Research Day
Every year, the Pitt Psychiatry Department hosts Research Day, where staff members come together to share their work, connect with colleagues, and celebrate their accomplishments. Our research coordinator, Tylar Schmitt, won two awards at this year's Research Day. First, she won the "Emerging Research Staff Member of the Year Award," which is given to staff members who exhibit exemplary administrative, teamwork, and research skills.
Research Coordinator Tylar Schmitt Wins Student Poster Award at #SDMH2025
Research Coordinator Tylar Schmitt won a Student Poster Award for her poster, "Establishing a Youth Research Collaborative to Validate Machine-Learning Classifiers of Social Media Content: Leveraging human-centered design and youth research partnership," presented at the Society for Digital Mental Health's 2025 Annual Conference. All presenting authors who identified as undergraduate students, graduate students, or postbaccalaureate researchers were eligible to receive the award, and Tylar was among five awardees out of over 40 eligible posters.
Dr. César Escobar-Viera Serves as a Panelist at #SDMH2025
Dr. César Escobar-Viera served a panelist on the "Challenges and Opportunities to Address the Needs of Youth Using Digital Mental Health" panel at the Society for Digital Mental Health's 2025 Annual Conference. SDMH brings together leaders from academia, industry, and clinical practice to advance the use of evidence-based digital mental health treatments. You can watch Dr. César speak on the panel by clicking here.
Dr. César Escobar-Viera Serves as a Panelist at NYU's "Health And..." Conference
On May 5, 2025, Dr. César Escobar-Viera spoke on the "Using Social Media for Population Health Improvements" panel at the ninth annual Health And... Conference, hosted by NYU's Department of Population Health. This year, the Health And... conference brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss social media and well-being. You can watch Dr.
Dr. César Escobar Viera Presents at the 2024 National LGBTQ Health Conference
This week, Dr. César Escobar Viera will speak at the 2024 National LGBTQ Heath Conference in Atlanta, GA. The National LGBTQ Health Conference brings together scientists, public health professionals, and healthcare providers to discuss issues affecting the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community. Dr. César will present results of a study recently completed by our lab. We surveyed almost 600 LGBTQ people ages 18-30 on their experiences on social media and their mental health over a year.
Research Assistant Tylar Schmitt Promoted to Research Coordinator
Congratulations to our research assistant, Tylar Schmitt, who has been promoted to Research Coordinator of our lab. Tylar worked as a research assistant for one year before her well-deserved promotion. As Research Coordinator, she will manage the day-to-day responsibilities of our studies, from grant submission to final data analysis.
Dr. César Escobar-Viera Featured in the Pittsburgh Courier
Our lab director, Dr. César Escobar-Viera, was featured in an article published by the Pittsburgh Courier. The article, titled "Effects of social media on LGBTQ+ health," discusses key takeaways that we've learned through our work on how social media use affects the mental health of LGBTQ+ folks. Read the full article here.
Research Assistant Tylar Schmitt Presents at the 2024 University of Pittsburgh Psychiatry Research Day
Research Assistant Tylar Schmitt presented a poster at the 2024 University of Pittsburgh Psychiatry Research Day. Her poster detailed the human-centered design (HCD) work that our lab is doing with Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ teens from two Pittsburgh community-based organizations, the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation and Casa San José.
Dr. César Escobar-Viera Presents at NIMH's 75th Anniversary Symposium Series
Our lab director, Dr. César Escobar-Viera, was the key speaker for a health equity panel at NIMH'S 75th Anniversary Symposium Series, "Amplifying Voices and Building Bridges: Towards a More Inclusive Future." This symposium took place on March 18, 2024, at the National Archives Buidling in Washington, D.C. Dr. Escobar-Viera's talk was titled "Towards Inclusion: A Health Equity Scientist’s Journey in a Biomedical Research Enriched Psychiatry Department," and he spoke about how he is navigated conducting research in biomedically-focused psychiatry lab as a health equity scientist.