Northeastern University Toronto Students Tackle Mental Health Research at Inaugural AI in Life Sciences Hackathon

March 13, 2026

More than 90 graduate students from Northeastern University's Toronto campus gathered February 24–26 for the inaugural AI in Life Sciences Hackathon — a 48-hour competition exploring how artificial intelligence can advance mental health research. Ontario Brain Institute was proud to partner on the event, bringing together a shared commitment to advancing brain health research through innovation and collaboration.

The hackathon brought together students from master's programs in bioinformatics, biotechnology, data analytics, regulatory affairs, and project management to develop AI-powered solutions focused on anxiety and its biological, social, and behavioural drivers. The event was co-organized with CanPath - Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow's Health, Lifebit, and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.

As a partner, OBI contributed data from the CAN-BIND Depression Network — a national research initiative focused on treatment outcomes for depression and mood disorders — giving student teams access to meaningful mental health data alongside CanPath's synthetic dataset. All datasets were made available through Lifebit's secure cloud environment, allowing participants to work with sensitive health data responsibly and at scale.

The projects produced over the three days reflected both technical depth and a strong understanding of real-world research needs. Teams applied a range of analytical approaches, integrating population health data with biological and behavioural factors to build evidence-informed solutions.

Following the competition, the two winning teams visited OBI's office for a conversation about their hackathon experience and the research underway across OBI's programs. The visit offered a firsthand look at how datasets like CAN-BIND fit into a broader ecosystem of brain health research — and how findings are translated into impact for people living with brain disorders.

Congratulations to the winning teams, and thank you to all participants for bringing their skills and curiosity to this challenge. As the OBI team, we are looking forward to continued collaboration with Northeastern University Toronto and its partners.