Interocept Labs
The Science of Engagement: Using Brain Research To Build Apps and Health Tools
Date
October 16 2025
Duration
30 mins
Guest
Bethany Ranes, PhD
Bethany Ranes, PhD, is the Founder and Chief Research Scientist at Interocept Labs, where she translates neuroscience insights into practical, real-world solutions. With prior leadership roles at UnitedHealth Group, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and the US Army, she has decades of experience in cognitive neuroscience, behavior change, and health systems integration. Bethany also writes the Firing and Wiring blog, which shares accessible neuroscience insights for individuals and organizations.
About The Episode
From understanding how the brain predicts pain to designing technology that keeps users engaged, the line between science and experience has become increasingly blurred. How can innovators harness this knowledge to build tools that change behavior and improve well-being?
According to cognitive neuroscientist Bethany Ranes, translating brain science into real-world solutions begins with understanding human adaptation. She encourages entrepreneurs to design products that work with the mind’s natural patterns, not against them. By applying neuroscience principles — such as gamification, behavior prediction, and user rapport — creators can boost engagement, empathy, and impact in their digital tools.
In this episode of Lessons From The Leap, Ghazenfer Mansoor talks with Bethany Ranes, PhD, Founder and Chief Research Scientist at Interocept Labs, about applying neuroscience to innovation. She discusses using brain science to improve digital health engagement, how AI can simulate rapport in therapy, and what entrepreneurs can learn from the brain’s adaptive design.
What You Will Learn
- [0:58] Bethany Ranes’ journey from traditional lab research to real-world neuroscience applications
- [4:10] What Bethany learned from leading R&D and innovation at UnitedHealth Group
- [7:56] How Bethany transitioned from scientist to entrepreneur and founded Interocept Labs
- [10:55] The role of neuroscience principles in enhancing app design and user engagement
- [16:31] Collaborating with developers to translate neuroscience into digital products
- [18:25] How AI and large language models enhance user rapport and digital therapy
- [26:36] The brain mechanisms behind chronic pain
- [30:02] Interocept Labs’ mission to apply neuroscience to individuals, organizations, and communities
Quotable Moments:
- I'm a much better scientist than I am a businesswoman, but I really enjoyed learning.
- Messy is the exact word I regularly use to describe what I do — very messy.
- If you can design something in line with how we know the mind works, engagement follows.
- My problem with AI for years was that the delivery method didn’t have a personality.
- Once you unlock a mechanism, it’s really helpful — especially with human behavior, where patterns matter.
Action Steps:
- Design with the brain in mind: Building products that align with how people naturally think enhances engagement and usability. When tools feel intuitive, users stay motivated and connected to the experience.
- Start from the user’s current behavior: Instead of forcing change, observe what drives users now and adapt from there. This empathy-based approach leads to more sustainable behavior change and stronger adoption.
- Incorporate neuroscience-informed gamification: Using frameworks like Yu-kai Chou’s Octalysis creates emotionally rewarding and habit-forming digital experiences. Strategic engagement keeps users invested while maintaining ethical design principles.
- Leverage AI for meaningful interaction: Large language models can simulate rapport, making digital therapies and learning tools more human-like. This connection fosters trust and improves engagement outcomes in tech-based solutions.
- Seek patterns beneath the surface: Look for underlying mechanisms driving user behavior rather than surface metrics. Understanding these root causes helps refine products and interventions for real, lasting impact.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
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