L2M – Development of a user-driven, evidence-informed, AI-powered post-pregnancy support application

The first year after pregnancy is a critical but often overlooked by healthcare systems globally. Many people face physical, emotional, and social changes, yet there is very little formal support. In Canada, most people receive only one six-week follow-up appointment, and support varies depending on who their care provider was. As a result, people with lived experiences of pregnancy turn to online sources, family, or friends for advice. This fragmentation in care leads to missed warning signs, preventable complications, and increased strain on emergency services. To help address this gap, this project will support the development of Hey Aunty!, a novel digital tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide personalized, culturally sensitive, evidence-based support to people during the first year after pregnancy. It is designed to work alongside medical professionals and not replace them. As a first step, this internship will focus on designing and testing the feasibility of the app’s core feature: an AI-powered conversational companion for tech-savvy, English-speaking individuals who have experienced a healthy, full-term birth. To achieve this, the intern will conduct interviews with end-users and experts. These will also help curate and train a domain-specific AI model that underpins the conversational companion.

Faculty Supervisor:

Rohan D'Souza

Student:

Partner:

DMZ Ventures Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

McMaster University

Program: