PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
This project advances momenTUM, an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) platform used in research and clinical settings, primarily in chronobiology. The goal is to improve how researchers design studies and how participants complete time-scheduled mobile tasks. Depending on interest and skills, work may focus on (1) mobile UX and notifications, (2) backend APIs and data quality, (3) the React-based Study Designer, or (4) analytics/visualisations for monitoring study activity and collected data. The aim is to deliver practical features that make EMA studies easier to set up, run, and analyze.
STUDENT TASKS
The student will work on a defined sub-project within the platform. Tasks may include:
– Mobile (Ionic/Capacitor): improve the participant experience (UI/UX, notifications, task flow) and introduce capabilities for behavioural data collection.
– Backend (FastAPI + MongoDB): extend API endpoints, strengthen validation/schema checks, add logging/metrics and integration helpers, integrate NLP for automating study generation.
– Study Designer (React/TypeScript): refine form/graph editing, add client-side validation, and build lightweight previews (e.g., schedules or task timelines).
– Data & analytics: add dashboard summaries/plots of adherence and completion, exploratory data views, and a minimal two-way communication feature connecting researchers (via the dashboard) and participants (via the app).
– Write unit tests, update documentation, and prepare a short demo of implemented features.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
By the end of the 8-week program, the student will:
– Deliver one or two feature increments merged into the codebase.
– Provide tests, brief technical documentation, and a short demo (screenshots or screencast).
– Gain hands-on experience building end-to-end functionality across a cross-platform EMA stack (mobile app, web app, API, database).
– Contribute practical improvements that help researchers deploy and monitor EMA studies more reliably.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Preferred skills: JavaScript/TypeScript, React, Python (FastAPI), basic MongoDB, Git/GitHub, and REST/JSON.
Nice to have: Docker basics.
Knowledge of German is not required.
ABOUT THE PROFESSORSHIP OF CHRONOBIOLOGY & HEALTH
The Professorship of Chronobiology & Health (Prof. Dr. Manuel Spitschan) at the Technical University of Munich studies how biological rhythms, light exposure, and visual environments interact with human health and behaviour. The team combines methods from neuroscience, psychology, ophthalmology, and data science to build science-based tools for research and public health.
