HARTFORD–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced that Playbl, based in New Haven, has been named May’s “Innovator of the Month.” Playbl, a spin-out company from the play2PREVENT (p2P) Lab at the Yale Center for Health and Learning Games, produces evidence-informed digital health games to promote wellness and risk prevention for young people. Supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, their work provides scalable research-based digital solutions to help schools tackle education on critical health topics for their students, including mental health, substance use, and sexual health.

“It’s tough being a kid these days, and we need to think creatively about ways to tackle the mental health crisis among our young people. Playbl’s digital games help teach kids lifelong skills to take care of their physical and mental health, and I’m proud to recognize their innovative work,” said Murphy.

“We have both lived and worked in New Haven for many years and are so excited to see the growth of innovation in the state. Playbl is poised to significantly contribute to that growth as we focus on helping teens live healthier and happier lives and we are deeply honored by Senator Murphy’s recognition,” said Playbl’s principals Lynn E. Fiellin, MD and Anusha Raja, MD, MBA.

Murphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are the building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies—the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.

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