The MEXA Generative AI for Mental Health Research Accelerator
The MEXA Generative AI for Mental Health Research Accelerator was a four-month flagship program designed to support interdisciplinary research teams in developing foundational research on the use of generative AI in mental health. Delivered by Neuromatch and funded by the Wellcome Trust, the Accelerator focused on applications related to anxiety, depression, and psychosis.
Launched in August 2025, the Accelerator brought together 40 interdisciplinary teams from 16 countries across six continents. Teams included AI researchers, clinicians, psychologists, ethicists, technologists, and lived-experience experts, reflecting MEXA’s commitment to scientific rigor, ethical responsibility, and global inclusion.
The Accelerator was designed to de-risk early-stage ideas, strengthen methodological and ethical foundations, and create a pipeline of high-quality proposals for an exclusive Wellcome Trust funding call of up to £3 million per award, open only to Accelerator participants.
Learn more about Wellcome's Funding Call here.
What the Accelerator Delivered
Participating teams received comprehensive, structured support, including:
- Expert-led workshops on pilot study design, ethics, lived-experience integration, and project, code, and data management
- Pilot seed funding to enable early experimentation, feasibility testing, and co-design activities
- Strategic mentorship and feedback, including an optional draft-proposal review process aligned with Wellcome’s assessment criteria
- Industry engagement, with technical guidance and collaboration opportunities from partners including Google and Gooey.AI
- Dedicated community infrastructure supporting collaboration, resource sharing, and peer learning
In-Person Forum at the Wellcome Trust
The Accelerator culminated in a two-day in-person forum at the Wellcome Trust in London (3–4 November 2025), bringing together approximately 100 participants, including Accelerator teams, mentors, partners, and funders.This event reinforced the strength of the global MEXA community and enabled deep exchange across disciplines and perspectives.
Outcomes and Impact
Beyond individual proposals, the Accelerator strengthened a durable, global research community equipped to shape the future of generative AI in mental health. Participant feedback highlighted the value of structured mentorship, interdisciplinary exchange, and early engagement with ethics, regulation, and lived experience.
Looking Ahead
Final proposals were submitted to Wellcome on 2 December 2025, formally concluding the Accelerator. Regardless of funding outcomes, the program has established a strong pipeline of interdisciplinary, ethically grounded research and lasting collaborations across the MEXA network.
MEXA will continue to build on this momentum through future research programs, community activities, and partnerships at the intersection of mental health and AI.
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