We're conducting a month-long research study at Edge City Patagonia to explore intrinsic health—a paradigm shift from measuring what's wrong (disease) to measuring what's right (biological capacity for self-maintenance and resilience).
Curious about your physiology? This project is for you.
Optionally, you can conduct your own "experiments" and receive research insights.
Contact: Christine Kuryla
Sign Up to Learn More: Google Form Link
Where budget allows, we will provide the wearables. If you would like, you can get your own Fitbit Inspire 3 and Polar H10. We'll provide all other equipment. This is optional and not required for participation in the study.
These are the wearables to purchase: Fitbit Inspire 3 (~$80 USD) and Polar H10 chest strap (~$105 USD). They are also available on Amazon here: Fitbit Inspire 3 and Polar H10.
Traditional medicine focuses on disease—what's broken. But health isn't just the absence of illness. Intrinsic health represents your body's fundamental capacity to maintain itself, adapt to challenges, and return to balance.
A recent Science Advances paper (Cohen et al., 2025) that I coauthored makes the case: intrinsic health is objective, measurable, and distinct from disease diagnosis. We can quantify it through:
The rich variability in your physiological signals (heart rate, movement, respiration rate, skin conductance) that reflects adaptive capacity
How well your system responds to and recovers from stressors
The coordinated dance between your nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and other systems
Read our foundational paper: Intrinsic health as a foundation for a science of health
My personal website: clkuryla.github.io
Overall: Your data will help us discover both expected and unexpected patterns that expand our understanding of what it means to be healthy. The experiments many of you are already doing (ice baths, breathwork, meditation protocols, sound healing) might reveal signatures in your physiology.
This study is not medical care and focuses on research measurements.
IRB Protocol: IRB-ACYY0292
Study Contact: Christine Kuryla
Principal Investigator: Alan Cohen
What to expect: One private in-person session (~60–90 minutes) with non-invasive sensors and brief tasks (e.g., hand in cool water up to 1 minute, sit-to-stand, a short computer task). A brief free-living wear period with a wrist device (Fitbit). You can stop any activity at any time. Optional: longer home wear and additional seated listening sessions if you’re interested. How to join: Please complete our short Qualtrics form (info + eligibility + contact). We’ll follow up to schedule if eligible. Privacy & data: We collect non-diagnostic measurements (heart activity, breathing, sweat response) and short questionnaires. Data are coded with a study ID and stored on Columbia-approved systems. We do not collect passwords or access your personal accounts. Risks: Temporary discomfort from cold water, brief lightheadedness or skin irritation from sensors, and mild fatigue from seated tasks are possible. Staff are present throughout; you may stop at any time. Voluntary: Taking part is your choice. You may skip any question or task without penalty. Study contacts: Primary Contact: Christine Kuryla PI: Alan Cohen Columbia University IRB: 212-305-5883 (irboffice@columbia.edu) Note: If you already own a Fitbit or Polar chest strap, you may use your own; this is optional and not required to participate. This study is exploratory research, not medical care. We'll measure your baseline state, then observe how your system responds to challenges: Reach out via the the signup form!
Scalable Continuous Monitoring
Gold-Standard Physiological Data
Stressor Protocols (In-Person, 1-2 sessions)
Context & Meaning
Your Experiments (Optional but encouraged!)
Questions?