Technology That Serves Science and People

We exist at the intersection of research excellence and human wellbeing. BrightOutcome provides researchers with platforms that accelerate meaningful discoveries, then brings those same evidence-based interventions to individuals navigating their own health journeys. Because groundbreaking research should reach everyone who needs it.

WHY BRIGHTOUTCOME

What Sets Us Apart

In a landscape crowded with digital health tools, three things make BrightOutcome different.

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Built by Researchers Who Understand You

We're not a software company that stumbled into healthcare. We're researchers and digital health experts who spent 20+ years in the trenches of NIH-funded studies, experiencing firsthand the friction points you face. We built BrightOutcome to solve the problems we lived ourselves.

Proven in the Real World, Not Just on Paper

Our platforms aren't theoretical. They're backed by $23M+ in federal funding and tested across 30+ NIH/CDC studies with thousands of participants. When we say "evidence-based," we mean our tools have been rigorously validated in peer-reviewed research — not just built on best guesses.

From Research Insights to Real-World Impact

We don't stop at helping researchers collect data. We translate research findings into accessible tools that reach the people who need them most. Our platforms serve both investigators conducting studies AND individuals seeking evidence-based wellness solutions — making research work for everyone.

ABOUT US

Our story

BrightOutcome started with a focus we've never abandoned: understanding what matters to patients.

We began developing patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments for HIV/AIDS research, tools that measured not just clinical markers, but how people actually felt and functioned in their daily lives. With guidance from our NIH Program Director and support from other SBIR grants, we developed computerized adaptive testing systems and item banks that made measuring patient experiences more precise and less burdensome.

But we realized something important: PRO instruments were just the beginning. Patients and their healthcare teams needed more than measurement — they needed tools to act on those insights.

That realization transformed us. We evolved from a PRO instrument company into a healthcare technology solutions company, building platforms that don't just collect patient perspectives but actively use them to inform care, empower self-management, and guide interventions.

We've received more than $23 million in federal funding from NIH and CDC, supporting over 30 research studies in partnership with leading institutions — Northwestern University, Washington University, Cambridge Health Alliance, University of Miami, City of Hope, and many others.

We'd always heard from study participants that they wished they could continue using our interventions after their research studies ended. We believed our research-based applications could work in the real world. The 2024 NPR Resilience Challenge with Dr. Judith Moskowitz at Northwestern University gave us proof at a scale we'd never seen before. For the first time, one of our platforms was used at remarkable scale — 11,000+ real people, not just research participants, using our positive psychology intervention to build resilience. The results were compelling: significant improvements in anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and overall wellbeing.

That experience crystallized our vision. We weren't just building research tools anymore. We were proving that research-validated interventions could reach and help everyday people. It solidified our resolve to pursue both paths: empowering researchers to conduct rigorous studies AND bringing those same evidence-based interventions directly to individuals seeking wellness.

Our foundation hasn't changed. We still believe that what people feel, experience, and need should be at the center of healthcare and wellbeing. We're building technology that ensures those perspectives are heard, valued, and acted upon—in both research and daily life.

That's been our journey: from measurement to impact, from research labs to real lives. And we're just getting started.

MEET THE TEAM

Led by Researchers, Built with Care

BrightOutcome is guided by two co-presidents who bring complementary expertise in research methodology and technical innovation — united by a shared commitment to making digital health research accessible and impactful.

Niina Haas, MA

Co-President

Niina brings extensive expertise in digital health research and qualitative methodology to her role as Principal Investigator on multiple NIH-funded grants. Her anthropological training and commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration enable her to bridge the gap between rigorous research and user-centered design, ensuring BrightOutcome's platforms serve both scientific rigor and human needs.

DerShung Yang, PhD

Co-President

DerShung's expertise in computer science and health informatics drives BrightOutcome's technical innovation. With a PhD in Computer Science and deep experience in digital health technology development, he ensures BrightOutcome's platforms maintain the highest standards of security, accessibility, and scientific validity while remaining flexible enough to meet diverse research needs.

OUR CULTURE

Values That Guide Everything We Build

Our approach to digital health technology is shaped by four core principles that inform every platform, every study, and every partnership.

Empathetic

We understand the needs and challenges of both researchers conducting studies and participants contributing their experiences. Our platforms are designed to reduce friction for everyone involved — because we believe technology should make research easier, not harder. We create solutions that resonate with human needs and forge genuine connections in the process.

Science-focused

Rigorous methodology shapes everything we do. Our platforms are designed, developed, and validated through competitive federally-funded studies with academic partnerships. We employ evidence-based approaches, follow human subject protection regulations, and adhere to accessibility standards commonly used in health science research because credible research requires credible tools.

Person-centered

Whether you're a researcher, clinician, or participant, we design for your unique needs. In healthcare, person-centered care goes beyond treating symptoms. It's holistic, collaborative, and empowering. In software development, user-centered design focuses on understanding and meeting real needs. We apply both philosophies to create platforms that work the way you do.

Trustworthy & Credible

Our track record speaks for itself. Decades of experience in digital health solutions, dozens of federally-funded studies, and long-term partnerships with leading academic institutions establish us as a dependable partner. Many of our collaborators return for multiple projects spanning years, earning their trust through the quality of our work and our commitment to their success.