Research Interests
My research sits at the intersection of AI, digital health, and human-computer interaction. I develop AI systems that use data from everyday technologies such as smartphone and wearables to understand and improve mental health in real-world settings. My work is highly interdisciplinary, and I collaborate with psychologists, clinicians, computer scientists, business professors, neuroscientists, and other researchers to tackle complex challenges in mental health and wellbeing.
Current Research Areas:
➊ AI-Driven Mental Health Detection: Developing novel approaches like depression detection through smartphone images and behavioral sensing
➋ Large-Scale Longitudinal Studies: Leading multi-year studies, including the longest mobile sensing study to date (5+ years tracking college students)
➌ AI-Based Adaptive Intervention Systems: Creating intelligent systems that learn from user behavior and adapt interventions in real-time, including LLM-powered platforms that deliver personalized mental health support based on behavioral context and user needs
My work addresses the growing mental health crisis by making support more accessible, objective, and timely. By leveraging everyday technology and adaptive AI, we can detect early warning signs and provide personalized interventions that evolve with each individual’s changing needs and circumstances. This research has the potential to improve mental health outcomes for millions and advance our fundamental understanding of human behavior, AI systems, and the complex relationship between technology and wellbeing.
News & Updates
→ Oct 2025: Happy to receive 30K seed grant from TYDE grand challenge. We are examining environmental mastery (the ability to manage and control one’s surroundings effectively to fit personal needs and values) among college students and how it supports well-being.
→ Oct 2025: Attended BHI conference at Atlanta, Georgia and had a great time giving an invited talk at Emory Nursing.
→ Oct 2025: College Experience Study has won Distinguished Paper Award (top 1%) at UbiComp 2025. Truly honored!
→ June 2025: Happy to share that I’ll be joining UVA as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science starting Fall 2025!
→ May 2025: Two recent papers acceptance/publications: survey paper on passive sensing in the workplace published at HCII and paper on AI-based productivity agent accepted at CSCW 2025.
About me
Asst. Professor, CS @ UVA.
Background:
▶ HAI Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University (2024-2025)
▶ PhD in Computer Science, Dartmouth College (2024)
Email: sknepal@virginia.edu
Office: Link Lab 257
Olsson Hall
85 Engineer’s Way
Charlottesville, VA