A new partnership pairs brain health science with digital innovation, giving people personalized insight into one of the most common and most misunderstood influences on brain health.

TORONTO, July 22, 2026 /CNW/ -- In recognition of World Brain Day, the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) and Mobio Interactive are inviting Canadians to rethink their relationship with stress through the TruSelf Dawn DTx 5-Day Brain Health Challenge.

The free public initiative invites participants to spend five days, July 22 to 26, checking in with their stress through the Dawn DTx app. Daily self-assessments and app-based facial biometric readings combine to generate a personalized stress report that helps each participant understand their own stress signals.

Stress is often treated as something to avoid. OBI and Mobio Interactive are reframing it: understanding stress is a meaningful first step toward better brain health. The challenge gives people a simple, science-informed way to recognize the patterns that can affect concentration, sleep, mood, productivity, and overall well-being.

"Stress touches every one of us, yet many people don't have the tools to understand how it's affecting their brain health," said Dr. Tom Mikkelsen, CEO and Scientific Director of OBI. "Through our partnership with Mobio Interactive, we're putting innovative brain health tools into people's hands and giving them personalized insights they can use in everyday life."

The initiative reflects OBI's focus on translating neuroscience research into practical tools that improve lives. By pairing scientific expertise with digital innovation, the partnership makes brain health more understandable, measurable, and actionable.

"Ontario researchers are protecting and improving brain health so our loved ones can live longer, healthier lives," said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. "On World Brain Day, our government is proud to support the Ontario Brain Institute and applaud their partnership with Mobio Interactive that will advance our understanding of stress on the brain and inform groundbreaking, made-in-Ontario solutions."

Over the five days, participants complete brief daily check-ins and app-based readings before receiving a personalized report that shows their stress patterns and how these compare over time and across the wider challenge community.

"Stress is a real brain and body signal," said Dr. Bechara Saab, Co-Founder and CEO of Mobio Interactive. "Dawn DTx was designed to help people move beyond simply feeling stressed to actually understanding their stress. By making those signals visible, we help people make more informed decisions about their well-being."

Beyond individual participation, OBI and Mobio Interactive are inviting employers, community organizations, and other partners to share the challenge with their employees, members, and audiences. As conversations about workplace well-being and brain health continue to grow, the challenge offers an accessible way to turn interest into action.

The campaign is built around a simple message: "Stress isn't the problem. Misunderstanding it is." Through personalized insight and daily reflection, the challenge turns an invisible experience into something people can understand and act on.

Take the Challenge. Become a Partner.

This World Brain Day, OBI and Mobio Interactive invite everyone to be part of a new conversation about brain health.

Individuals can register for the free TruSelf Dawn DTx 5-Day Brain Health Challenge to gain personalized insight into their stress and take a practical first step toward better understanding their brain health.

Organizations can join as partners by promoting the challenge to their employees, members, or communities, helping more people reach science-backed tools while showing a commitment to health and well-being.

Whether you want to understand your own stress or help build healthier workplaces and communities, the challenge starts with just five days.

Learn more, register, or become a partner at braininstitute.ca.

About the Ontario Brain Institute

The Ontario Brain Institute is a provincially funded, not-for-profit organization that accelerates discovery and innovation, benefiting both patients and the economy. Our collaborative 'team science' approach promotes brain research, commercialization, and care by connecting researchers, clinicians, industry, patients, and their advocates to improve the lives of those living with brain disorders.

About Mobio Interactive

To address the exploding demand for efficacious mental healthcare globally, Mobio Interactive has developed and commercialized an AI-native mobile digital diagnostic and psychotherapy platform containing technology that no one else has. The platform serves as a superb stopgap for patients on a waitlist for healthcare services, and contains convenient, scalable remote monitoring tools facilitating clinical decisions and the personalization of therapy according to real time objective measures of efficacy.

SOURCE Ontario Brain Institute