Utilizing Innovative Technology to Improve Behavioral Health Outcomes at 3C Institute - with Page Tsirigotis

Hello! My name is Page Tsirigotis, and I am a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill. I’m pursuing a B.S. in Psychology, a minor in Neuroscience, and a certificate in Health Marketing and Communications. I’ve always been passionate about understanding human behavior, particularly how psychological principles can be applied to improve people’s lives. Outside of the Gil Internship, I am a Senior Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Sklerov Lab, studying transcranial magnetic stimulation as a potential treatment for apathy in Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, I am a marketing assistant at Lepage Associates Psychological and Psychiatric Services, a multi-specialty mental health practice. Finally, I serve as a Founding Representative Member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Youth Advisory Council (NEYAC), advising the Administrator on the intersection of psychology and the environment.  

Since my first month at UNC-Chapel Hill, I’ve always worked in a research laboratory. Whether in a wet lab studying the health effects of pollution or a clinical setting looking at the benefits of brain stimulation, I’ve always been fascinated by how research can drive real-world applications. Having worked in a variety of labs for the past three years, I’ve seen firsthand the inefficiencies in many of the programs and practices researchers are forced to use. I remember learning how to use REDCap for the first time during the summer of my sophomore year and being baffled at how user-unfriendly it was. It took me months to fully grasp how to use each feature or even attempt to make a survey on my own. The process felt cumbersome, and although there weren't many direct competitors to REDCap, the few available alternatives lacked many of the essential features needed for complex research. Seeing these inefficiencies up close made me realize how much room there was for improvement in research technology.  

So, when I got accepted into the Gil Internship Program and came across the opportunity to work at the 3C Institute, a company creating user-friendly, innovative tools for behavioral health research, I was immediately intrigued. They’ve created their own data-collection and data-analysis software called QUEST. Now, they are using that software to build tools designed to improve the assessment and treatment of mental health conditions in children and youth. Given my research background and growing interest in the intersection of technology and mental health, this opportunity felt like a perfect fit.  

At the 3C Institute, I work closely with Dr. Deb Childress, the Chief of Research and Learning Content, and Kate Melillo, a Research and Technology Strategist. I’m primarily involved in two of 3C’s projects: SHARE, a school mental health provider assessment tool, and Assist-MH, a complementary treatment tool that is just starting to be developed. These tools are created using their proprietary software, QUEST, which is designed to be a more user-friendly alternative to tools like REDCap. SHARE just started Phase 1 of commercialization, with the ultimate goal of getting it on the market for independent use by school mental health providers, counselors, and educators. 

It’s been incredible to see the backend and development of these programs that I, and countless researchers, use daily. I’ve loved thinking through the complexities of formatting the online resources and ensuring they are user-friendly for a diverse range of users. The challenge of making the interface both child-friendly and adult-friendly has been particularly interesting, as it requires balancing the needs of different groups, such as researchers, mental health providers, school counselors, and students. I've also enjoyed creating the actual mental health resources, ensuring that the activities are intuitive, effective, and clearly communicated. It’s been fascinating to see how these resources are designed to engage users while remaining accessible to everyone involved. As I continue working on this project, I’m learning how to balance the needs of professional clinicians with those of younger students, ensuring that the software delivers a seamless experience for all users. 

All in all, I’ve loved interning at 3C so far! Thank you so much to Dr. Steven Buzinski and Emily Dolegowski for providing me with this amazing opportunity. And thank you to Dr. Deb Childress and Kate Melillo for their continued mentorship and guidance. I can’t wait to see how my work at 3C evolves over the rest of the semester!