In this week's episode, I chat with Cameron Higgins, founder of Resonait. Resonait is out to change the face of mental healthcare, by mapping and triggering our symphony of brainwaves. Sound far-fetched? Have a listen, and Cameron's drive and experiences might just change your mind.
We speak about mental health versus mental illness, Cameron's neuroscience research at Oxford, his life leading disaster response for the UN, how both led to founding Resonait, and the drive to tackle a crisis of mental healthcare.
If this cause resonates with you, Cameron is looking to build out a broad team - tune in at the 34 minute mark to hear what skills he’s looking for. If you’re interested to get in touch with Cameron, you can email cam[@]resonait.com.
If you feel in need of help, please reach out to your local helpline. Australian resources can be found here.
Otherwise, please enjoy my discussion with Cameron Higgins.
Links
Cameron’s research area at Oxford and associated published articles
Microsoft’s study on taking breaks between video calls, displaying the “brainwave symphony” Cameron describes
The Default Mode Network, or our brain’s activity when we’re not engaged in any particular task
Cognitive Behavior Therapy, a common psychotherapy method based on the premise that actions/behavior can influence thoughts/feelings
The Black Dog Institute that Resonait has been partnering with
Finally, a reminder of how and where Australians can access mental health resources should you need them.
Show notes
[00:01:54] - [First question] – How Cameron describes himself, as well as what Resonait is trying to do
[00:03:48] - The distinction between mental health and mental illness
[00:05:50] - Cameron’s PhD and post-doc research topics
[00:08:34] - Striking a balance between tangible engineering outcomes and intangible research outcomes
[00:10:31] - Cameron’s start and journey with the UN
[00:13:28] - Mental healthcare in disaster response settings
[00:15:22] - Burning out of the all-action UN work to relax with a PhD
[00:16:39] - “The brainwave symphony”
[00:18:12] - The tragedy with mental healthcare as it is
[00:20:20] - Creating a wearable device that aims to solve systemic issues
[00:22:57] - The real-world research done to understand where the device fits in
[00:24:48] - How patients might interact and use this device
[00:28:12] - The behavior change required by both psychologists and patients for best effectiveness
[00:30:06] - Cameron’s strategy to grow recognition of Resonait
[00:31:31] - The next steps in Resonait’s development
[00:33:08] - Dream partners and the need to grow the team
[00:35:58] - The 10-15 year vision of mental healthcare
[00:37:29] - The razor sharp focus required
[00:38:47] - Contact info
Episode 10 - Mental healthcare: Shaping the symphony of our brainwaves