Habib Cognition Lab
Turning laboratory findings into real-world tools. Two active projects apply the lab's research on gambling disorder and behavioral assessment to practical interventions.
BetWell is a science-based mobile application designed to help people who are concerned about their gambling behavior. Unlike generic wellness apps, BetWell is grounded in the cognitive neuroscience of gambling disorder — drawing directly on the lab's research on near-miss effects, reward sensitivity, and impulsivity.
The app focuses on the moment of impulse — when the urge to gamble is strongest — and provides evidence-based tools for delay, reflection, and behavioral tracking. The goal is not abstinence-only but harm reduction: helping users understand their patterns and make better-informed decisions.
BetWell is currently in active development. The codebase is available on GitHub. Clinicians, researchers, or organizations interested in the project are welcome to reach out.
OpenEMA is an open-source ecological momentary assessment (EMA) platform designed for behavioral researchers. EMA — sometimes called experience sampling — involves collecting self-report data from participants multiple times a day in their natural environment via smartphone. It is increasingly used in addiction research, mental health, and behavioral science.
Existing EMA platforms are either expensive commercial products or technically demanding to deploy. OpenEMA aims to be genuinely open — free, documented, and accessible to researchers without deep programming expertise.
EMA methods should be as accessible as survey tools like Qualtrics. By releasing OpenEMA as open source, we aim to lower the barrier for researchers at smaller institutions and in lower-resource settings.
We welcome collaborators — especially researchers who regularly use EMA methods and can inform the feature roadmap. Developers with React Native or mobile experience are also encouraged to reach out.