Bengisu Tulu

Bengisu Tulu is a Professor at The Business School of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Her research focuses on leveraging health information technologies to transform healthcare delivery, with particular expertise in patient-facing systems like personal health records (PHR), mobile health applications, and telehealth. She holds a PhD in Information Systems and Technology from Claremont Graduate University and has a multidisciplinary background in mathematics and management. Her work emphasizes both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, addressing challenges in healthcare IT adoption, usability, and equity.

Education:

• BS Mathematics, Middle East Technical University (1997)
• MS Information Systems, Middle East Technical University (2000)
• MS Management Information Systems, Claremont Graduate University (2003)
• PhD Information Systems and Technology, Claremont Graduate University (2006)

Research Interests:

Tulu investigates mobile health (mHealth) innovations, telemedicine, and the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs). She pioneers solutions like smartphone-based wound assessment systems and digital tools for perinatal mental health. Her lab develops apps such as Lifeline4Moms to support OB-GYN care and PARCA to assist justice-involved individuals in reentry programs.

Grants & Patents:

She co-invented a patent for the Sugar: A Revolutionary Diabetes Application and secured funding for projects like the ReachCare mobile app for suicidality intervention. Her work aligns with WPI’s emphasis on theory-practice integration.

Labs & Teams:

Her research group collaborates on interdisciplinary projects combining design science, AI, and healthcare usability. Recent initiatives include AI-driven wound classification systems and eye-tracking studies to optimize decision aids for surrogate caregivers.