Western Kentucky University innovator Dr. Sungjin Im attended the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Annual Convention in Seattle, Washington with funding from the KCV GOAL Fund. Dr. Im attended the conference to conduct market research for his innovation, an automatic symptom checker for mental disorders. His innovation also received $10,000 in funding through the KCV 2024 IMPACT Competition.
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The GOAL Fund supports faculty, staff, and students from KCV partner institutions in attending conferences and events that promote innovation and commercialization. Participants can apply for funds to cover related expenses, with the expectation that they will gain valuable knowledge, establish networks, and enhance their commercialization skills.Â
Can you tell us about the APA Convention?
I attended the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Annual Convention, which is the largest gathering of psychologists from diverse fields, including clinical, counseling, industrial/organizational, and cognitive psychology. The convention also attracts a wide range of sponsors showcasing their products and services.
Why did you want to attend APA?
Our target sponsors—and potential customers—include companies that offer billing, scheduling, and electronic medical record (EMR) services to care providers. This event presents a unique opportunity to engage directly with companies such as Simply Practice and TherapyAppointment, who will be showcasing their services. By attending, we can connect with these companies, gain insight into their needs, and gather valuable data for market analysis. Additionally, the event provides an ideal setting to meet private practice therapists, learn how they assess client symptoms, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their current methods. This knowledge will complement our initial discovery interviews and further inform our product development strategy.
What did you learn from attending the convention?
The most valuable takeaway from this experience was the opportunity to network with potential customers and therapists from across the U.S. and gain insight into their needs and challenges. Additionally, we had the chance to introduce our product and receive initial feedback, which will help us refine and improve it moving forward.
Why was it important for you to have the opportunity to attend APA?
In recent months, our team has received training and conducted interviews to better understand customer needs. However, most of our interviews have been with local therapists and trainees in private practice. To gain a more comprehensive perspective, it is crucial to conduct deeper interviews with key stakeholders and decision-makers in clinical settings. This will provide us with valuable insights that can inform our work and contribute to the improvement of services at the local and state levels.
What's next for you after attending APA? What are you looking forward to?
We are currently developing symptom check measures and validating them in both clinical and non-clinical samples. Once this phase is complete, our next step will be to secure funding to develop an app and software that will enable remote symptom assessment and automatic report generation. We are excited to move forward with these innovations and further enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of our tools.
Do you have a professional opportunity you'd like to pursue?
Contact kcv@kstc.com to learn more about the GOAL Fund.