Queen’s Association of Health Technology (QAHT) is working on two apps they hope will support student mental health and academic balance.
The organization is bringing together a cross-disciplinary team to work on the apps, according to club Co-Chairs Deo Narayan, HealthSci ’25, and Liam Jugoon, HealthSci ’25.
“We want to just improve the quality of life of the Queen’s community and beyond. Our three core pillars are innovation, education, and outreach,” Narayan said in an interview with The Journal.
An online project focusing on high school and university students is in the works. The hope is to act as a screening service for students so they can be guided to other mental health and community-based resources.
Learning about study tips, listening to Lo-fi music, and having study timers all in one place is a goal for the second app the team is developing.
“There’s a lot of misinformation on how to study effectively, how to navigate the waters, and suddenly the workload ramping up,” Jugoon said in an interview with The Journal.
“Having a central resource with proven study techniques, like Pomodoro, timers, spaced repetition with flashcards, Lo-fi music, to release endorphins and like that correlation between mood and academic performance are all beneficial.”
QAHT is composed of students from many different faculties. Narayan and Jugoon said positions are no experience necessary, with anyone being able to learn how to code and develop the products.
Currently, the organisation is composed of project managers who oversee the simultaneous development of the two apps, which are not yet ready for launch. Consultations are a big part of the development timeline.
“I’m definitely consulting with practitioners in the area. Sifting through pre-existing resources that have already been vetted in the Kingston community is also important. Queen’s already has many vetted resources for students,” Narayan said.
Currently, Jugoon is working on a LinkedIn article series where he interviews professionals in the medical technology industry.
“Gaining insights from other people who have walked a similar path and learning from industry experts has been super helpful,” Jugoon said.
The club is meant to act as a resource for all. Narayan and Jugoon are excited to see how the organization grows.
Tags
app development, Health technology, Mental health
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