Hot Flashes Can Be Reliably Predicted by an AI-driven Algorithm Developed by UMass Amherst and Embr Labs

The algorithm will be incorporated into the next generation of Embr Labs' wearable device to mitigate symptoms and provide meaningful relief

AMHERST, Mass., Sept. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers and scientists at Embr Labs, a Boston-based start-up, have developed an AI-driven algorithm that can accurately predict nearly 70% of hot flashes before they're perceived. The work, featured in the journal Psychophysiology, will be incorporated into the Embr Wave, a wearable wrist device clinically proven to manage hot flashes.

In the U.S. alone, an estimated 1.3 million women transition into menopause annually, and 80% of women experience hot flashes: the sudden feelings of intense heat.. Most hot flashes occur during this transition, and half of women will experience hot flashes for 7 years or more. For decades, hot flashes have been considered more of a nuisance by medical professionals than a serious condition worthy of investigation and treatment. However, recent research has linked hot flash severity and related sleep disturbances to risk of cardiovascular disease: the leading cause of death in women.

"Hot flashes have been dramatically overlooked," says Matt Smith, co-founder and CTO of Embr Labs. "Even 50 years ago, hot flashes were still considered to be psychosomatic. To our knowledge, our work is the first attempt to undertake a rigorous effort to achieve the prediction of hot flashes. This breakthrough discovery and the publication of our findings are the result of incredibly deep data science that answers the question: "Is it possible to accurately predict a hot flash before a woman feels it?"

The answer is "yes," and presents the opportunity to incorporate this science into the next version of the Embr Wave that already provides relief for women in menopause. Adding the predictive feature into its next-generation device means that hot flashes can be mitigated in real time.

"This study opens this door for real-time, closed-loop digital therapeutics to exist," saysMike Busa, clinical professor and director of the Center for Human Health & Performance at the UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences, and corresponding author on the paper. "Not every target has to be druggable. If we can detect hot flashes early, Embr has a wearable solution that might be able to mitigate symptoms and provide meaningful relief."

About the University of Massachusetts Amherst

The flagship of the commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university. Through our 10-year Strategic Plan, we seek to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, share and use its knowledge, and steward our resources for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued--and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors.

About Embr Labs, Inc.

Embr Labs is the leading healthtech company addressing health conditions through the use of temperature. The company's technology delivers a new category of natural solutions to manage hot flashes, sleep issues, stress, and thermal discomfort. The company was founded at MIT and is backed by Bose Ventures, DigiTx Partners, Safar Partners, Esplanade Ventures, and Ghost Tree Partners. Embr Labs has won numerous awards, including the AARP Innovation in Aging Award, Time Magazine's Best Inventions, the iF Design Award and was named to CB Insights' Digital Health 150 and Fast Company's Annual List Next Big Thing in Tech.

Contacts:
Julia Westbrook, jwestbrook@umass.edu
Matt Smith, matt@embrlabs.com

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SOURCE Embr Labs