Sarah Ostadabbas, an associate professor in the electrical and computer engineering department, is leading a National Science Foundation grant with the University of Pittsburgh to develop technology that’ll use augmented reality (AR) to help treat teens with anxiety and depression. The proposed system would use hardware — specifically AR goggles — and machine learning software to create an immersive 3D environment to help patients confront their fears in a more realistic way while an EEG cap monitoring their brain activities would allow therapists to track patients’ brain signals, its responses to the fear stimuli, and their progress after a course of prescribed treatment. “Depression and anxiety have been “Depression and anxiety have been on the rise dramatically, and unfortunately a lot of these teens do not respond well to the therapy that is prescribed to them,” Osradabbas said.