Koa Health Unveils Scientific Advisory Board Chaired by Tom Insel

London, Boston, Barcelona, September 15th 2021: Koa Health, a digital mental healthcare provider offering personalised mental health solutions backed by science, today announced the appointment of seven leaders from across the fields of mental health, psychiatry, psychology and technology to the company’s new scientific advisory board. The board’s range of expertise signals Koa Health’s ambitions to provide holistic solutions that meet the rapidly growing demand for digital mental health products and better serve individuals’ needs. The news comes shortly after Koa Health launched its Wellbeing at Work report, which exposed the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in businesses across the US and UK, and organisations' response to the crisis.

Koa Health, which spun out of Telefónica's moonshot factory last year with more than €30 million in funding in an oversubscribed Series A round, has a goal to provide access to a range of digital mental health solutions to help people flourish in a challenging and changing world. Its spin out followed five years of research and clinical trials to secure robust data and build out an industry-leading product roadmap.

The company’s debut product, Koa Foundations, is already available to a combined employee population of over three million from dozens of companies, including O2, Doctor Care Anywhere, and Education First. Koa Health is also closely collaborating with organisations including Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the top three US-ranked hospitals for both psychiatry and psychology, and the UCL-Max Planck Centre in the UK, to build tech-driven mental healthcare products backed by clinical research.

The members of the new scientific advisory board are:

• Tom Insel M.D., former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Scientific Advisory Board Chair, Koa Health and world-renowned expert in mental health research, policy and technology
• Patricia Areán PhD, Professor, University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
• Beth Rogozinski MBA, CEO of Oncoustics, an innovative AI solutions company. Past CPO at Pear Therapeutics
• Sabine Wilhelm PhD, Chief of Psychology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Professor, Harvard Medical School
• David Clark DPhil, CBE, FBA, FMedSci, FAcSS, HonFBPs, Professor and Chair of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
• Peter Fonagy PhD, FMedSci, FBA, FAcSS, OBE, University College London (UCL), Head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, and Chief Executive of the Anna Freud Centre
• Steve Pilling PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Head of the Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology at University College London (UCL)

Oliver Harrison, Chief Executive Officer, Koa Health, says, 'We are delighted to work with such experienced advisers who are supporting our efforts to bring mental wellbeing to everyone. It’s clear that digital technology has the potential to help close the growing demand gap for mental healthcare exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the technology has to be effective, engaging in real-world situations, and accessible at scale. Our Scientific Advisory Board help ensure we deliver against these key dimensions.'

Tom Insel, Scientific Advisory Board Chair, Koa Health and world-renowned expert in mental health research, policy and technology, says, 'There are many opportunities to apply technology to the global mental healthcare shortage, providing access to vital services which are in growing demand. However, access is just one piece of the puzzle. I’m excited to be joining Koa Health’s scientific advisory board as chair because the company is focused on addressing the issue of quality. Done correctly, the field of digital mental health could transform mental health treatment and diagnosis and improve people’s lives. I believe Koa Health’s approach to develop solutions, which are personalised and backed by science, can do just that.'

Contact Information

Press Office: koahealth@missive.co.uk

Notes to Editors

Additional quotes from scientific advisory board members

Patricia Arean, Professor, University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science 'Access to treatment for anxiety and depression has been a struggle for years. Digital mental healthcare has the potential to solve this issue and I am delighted to be joining Koa Health’s scientific advisory board to explore this field further.'

David Clark, Professor and Chair of Experimental Psychology, Oxford 'Providing treatment for mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, either on their own or in the context of a long term physical condition, can lead to better outcomes. Unfortunately, treatment isn’t always available, so it’s important to explore the possibilities of digital mental healthcare and I’m delighted to be advising Koa Health on this.'

Peter Fonagy, University College London (UCL), Head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences 'I’m excited to be joining the Koa Health advisory board. Koa Health is the only disease mechanism-oriented digital developer that I know. It is also the only digital developer with an ambition to work across the entire mental health care pathway. In other words, it is a developer with a 21st (rather than 20th) century vision for mental health.'

Steve Pilling, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Head of the Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology at University College London (UCL) 'It’s great to be joining Koa Health’s scientific advisory board. Having worked in the NHS for many years and led a number of mental health services, I will share with Koa Health my knowledge, links with the NHS and experience translating evidence into clinical practice.'

Beth Rogozinski, CEO of Oncoustics, an innovative AI solutions company. Past CPO at Pear Therapeutics 'Having focused on digital medicine and health tech innovations since 2008, I see and know the power of these new tools to address our current healthcare crisis. With fully regulated prescription digital therapeutics or direct to consumer products, we're looking to position Koa Health to deliver best in class health solutions to address the needs of patients, providers and payers.'

Sabine Wilhelm, Chief of Psychology, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Professor, Harvard Medical School 'Having worked with the team at Koa Health from the very beginning, I have always been appreciative of their commitment to technology, design and clinical evidence. Joining the SAB is a next step in this evolution.'

About Koa Health

Koa Health is the only digital mental healthcare provider that offers integrated mental health solutions, from improving wellbeing to supporting treatment for a range of common mental disorders. Koa Health’s solutions are personalised services with proven user outcomes. Backed by investors including Telefónica, Ancora Finance Group and Wellington Partners, Koa Health leverages technology and research to enable people to change their behaviors with effective and accessible support that adapts to their unique circumstances. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Koa Health has operations in Barcelona, the US and the UK. Koa Health partners with leading clinicians and academics including Massachusetts General Hospital, University College of London, the London School of Economics, and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

For more information, please visit www.koahealth.com