When Behavioral Science Meets Technology Innovation, Lives Change
“At dfusion, science doesn’t just live in academia or (metaphorically) dusty journals. I love that every day I get to actively apply research and science and fuse it with technology to build products that are impacting people’s health.”
This philosophy has guided Tamara Kuhn’s groundbreaking work for over two decades. As CEO of dfusion and leading research scientist in behavioral health technology, Tamara represents a rare combination: someone who understands rigorous behavioral science research and possesses the technical expertise to translate that research into evidence-based digital health solutions.
The Research Scientist Who Codes: An Unconventional Path to Health Technology Leadership
Tamara’s journey to becoming a thought leader in translational research and health technology innovation began with a simple observation during her undergraduate studies in sociology.
She enrolled in psychology and sociology classes taught by the same professor. Psychology didn’t resonate. But sociology clicked, setting her on a path that would transform how behavioral health interventions are delivered.
“I don’t think I knew it until later but even as a kid for me it was always show me the logic, show me the evidence, show me the science, and that’s still where I come from. I want to do research and see where the science is with the ultimate goal of understanding why people do what they do.”
The turning point came during graduate studies at Stanford University. As she took on programming and systems management tasks in her sociology department, she recognized a critical gap: not everyone in social science had the technical skills to build digital solutions that could extend research impact.
“So right then that bridge between sociology and technology was made and it has served me well for decades.”
Building Evidence-Based Health Technology: A Research-Driven Approach
What sets Tamara apart in health technology is her foundation in rigorous scientific research. Her approach asks a fundamental question: Can technology-delivered interventions maintain the effectiveness of evidence-based programs while making them more accessible and scalable?
Research Leadership: The Credentials
- Principal Investigator or Co-PI on 30+ NIH-funded studies using technology to improve health outcomes
- Director or lead programmer for 35+ federally funded SBIR projects from NIH, CDC, and NSF
- Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating technology-delivered intervention effectiveness
- NIH grant reviewer and research panel member since 2009
- Patent holder for innovative health education technology
- Published researcher in behavioral health intervention delivery and translational research
Through rigorous RCTs, Tamara has demonstrated that technology-delivered interventions can achieve effect sizes equal to or exceeding traditional in-person programs—a finding with significant implications for scaling evidence-based interventions.
Pioneering Digital Health Solutions for Underserved Populations
Tamara’s most significant contribution to health technology is her unwavering focus on health equity. Her portfolio of evidence-based digital health interventions includes:
HIV Prevention and Sexual Health:
- Mobile HIV prevention interventions for Black men who have sex with men
- Health promotion programs for transgender women
- STI prevention resources for Latinas (English and Spanish)
- Sexual health education for older adults
Behavioral Health and Education:
- Communication and relationship skills training for autistic young adults
- Substance use prevention for Native American adolescents
- Video-based microskills training for sexual health educators
- Harm reduction training for pharmacists
STEM Learning:
- Serious games for environmental health literacy
- Mobile games teaching math and physics
- Game-based learning through dfusion’s STEMPlay Labs
What Makes Effective Digital Health Interventions
Tamara’s research has established key principles. Effective interventions must be:
- Grounded in behavioral science theory and evidence-based practices
- Designed with end-users involved from conception through implementation
- Culturally tailored for specific populations, not just translated
- Rigorously tested through controlled trials
- Built by teams that understand both science and technology
Technical Expertise Meets Research Methodology
Tamara doesn’t just design studies—she builds the interventions herself. Her technical expertise spans mobile app development, responsive web design, database architecture, clinical systems, multimedia production, and user experience design.
This hands-on capability shapes her research approach. She understands what’s feasible to build, what users will tolerate, and how to iterate based on data while maintaining scientific rigor.
The Power of Mentorship in STEM
Despite her achievements, Tamara is candid about mentorship’s role in her journey.
“Without the two professors who told me I was smart and could go on to a graduate program—it never would have occurred to me. No one had said anything like that to me before.”
Now she emphasizes encouraging young people, especially those who might not see themselves in STEM.
“Take a bit of time and tell that little kid that they are smart and good at science or technology because it makes a big difference.”
As someone with lived experience with autism and substance use disorder, Tamara brings both professional expertise and personal understanding to her work.
Translational Research: The dfusion Approach
At dfusion, translational research isn’t jargon—it’s the fundamental business model. It means taking evidence-based interventions, adapting them for technology delivery, testing rigorously, and disseminating proven solutions to communities that need them.
The dfusion Difference: Science-First Health Technology
While many health tech companies prioritize innovation over evidence, dfusion reverses the process:
- Start with evidence-based interventions that work
- Apply user-centered design for technology delivery
- Build with scientific and technical expertise in-house
- Test rigorously through controlled trials
- Refine based on data
- Disseminate proven solutions
This approach produces digital health solutions backed by evidence, tested through research, and proven to create measurable impact.
Thought Leadership: Key Principles for Digital Health
As an NIH grant reviewer, Tamara helps shape the field of digital health. Her work has established best practices:
- Evidence Must Drive Technology
Start with interventions that work, then adapt for technology—not the reverse.
- Cultural Tailoring Is Essential
Translation is not tailoring. Effective interventions require deep community engagement and cultural adaptation.
- Rigorous Evaluation Is Critical
RCTs, validated measures, and honest assessment of successes and failures advance the field.
- Technology Can Match In-Person Outcomes
Well-designed technology interventions can achieve comparable or superior effect sizes.
- Underserved Populations Deserve Innovation
Design specifically for populations facing the greatest healthcare barriers.
A Vision for Science in Service of Health
“Show me the logic, show me the evidence, show me the science.”
As a research scientist, technology innovator, and CEO, she applies this daily—not just conducting research, but translating it into digital health products that impact lives.
Her journey—from sociology student to Stanford graduate to research scientist bridging both worlds—illustrates something essential about health technology innovation: the most impactful solutions come from people who understand both the science and the technology.
At dfusion, science doesn’t live in dusty journals. It lives in mobile apps that prevent disease, in training systems that improve healthcare, in platforms that teach life skills, and in interventions that reach underserved communities.
That’s translational research. That’s evidence-based health technology. That’s how science should work.
About Tamara Kuhn
Tamara Kuhn is CEO of dfusion and a research scientist specializing in translational research and technology-delivered behavioral health interventions. With a Masters in Sociology from Stanford University, she has served as PI or Co-PI on 30+ NIH-funded studies and directed or programmed 35+ federally funded SBIR projects. Her research focuses on evidence-based digital health solutions for underserved populations, with expertise in HIV prevention, sexual health education, substance use prevention, and STEM learning. She is a patent holder, NIH grant reviewer, and published researcher in health technology innovation.
Ready to learn more about dfusion’s research-driven approach to health technology? Explore our projects or connect with our team.