Josh Bostick designs behavioral science-informed digital health and AI governance systems for organizations operating in complex implementation environments. His work focuses on the structural conditions that determine whether technology is adopted, governed, and sustained, particularly where healthcare, institutional accountability, and human behavior intersect.

As Co-Founder of Bostick Global Strategies, Josh works across healthcare, public-sector, and emerging technology environments to align behavioral evidence, information systems architecture, governance requirements, and operational realities. He concentrates on the failure points that frequently undermine digital initiatives, including workflow misalignment, distorted incentives, unclear accountability, governance gaps, and adoption breakdowns. His work is particularly relevant when programs must withstand regulatory, institutional, and board-level scrutiny.

Josh’s foundation is in applied behavioral research, information systems, technology solution design, and systems thinking. At Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, he served as Social Science Research Coordinator and Protocol Director for research examining embodiment, empathy, learning, and behavior in immersive environments. He co-authored peer-reviewed studies published in PLOS ONE and the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication examining how immersive perspective-taking and virtual embodiment affect empathy, identification, and engagement with social and environmental issues.

He later brought this research and systems perspective into enterprise product environments. At SAP, he led cross-functional initiatives that helped scale cloud and mobile platforms from approximately 20,000 to 70,000 monthly active users. Across subsequent engagements, he has focused on ensuring that digital health and AI-enabled systems can withstand behavioral, regulatory, ethical, and organizational constraints, not simply satisfy technical requirements.

Josh’s approach combines implementation science, information systems methodologies, rigorous research protocols, business ethics, AI governance frameworks, and scalable delivery practices. He applies these disciplines to initiatives that require responsible innovation, institutional durability, and clear executive accountability. His Executive Coaching Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, completed through an ICF-accredited program, further informs his work in leadership alignment, ethical decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and organizational change.

Josh has also developed early-stage prototypes involving augmented reality and AI-enabled mental health technologies. These projects received competitive recognition through the George Washington University Pitch George and New Venture competitions and were featured in Stanford University’s Big Idea Festival.

He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University, as well as an MBA and an MS in Information Systems Technology from The George Washington University. He is pursuing a Doctor of Social Work at the University of Southern California, where his research examines behavioral science, mental health, and systems-level intervention design. He is also pursuing an MHS at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with graduate work focused on implementation science, health equity, and digital health systems. He completed executive education in artificial intelligence through MIT Professional Education.

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Areas of Focus

• Digital Health Implementation and AI Governance

• Behavioral Adoption, Risk Assessment, and Evaluation

• Information Systems and Enterprise Alignment

• Health Technology Modernization and Regulatory Navigation

• Implementation Science and Health Equity

His work is guided by a core principle: digital health initiatives are rarely constrained by technology alone. Their durability depends on aligned incentives, accountable governance, workflow fit, and a realistic understanding of human behavior.

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Selected Publications

1. van Loon, A., Bailenson, J., Zaki, J., Bostick, J., & Willer, R. (2018). Virtual reality perspective-taking increases cognitive empathy for specific others. PLOS ONE, 13(8), e0202442. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202442

2. Ahn, S. J., Bostick, J., Ogle, E., Nowak, K., McGillicuddy, K., & Bailenson, J. N. (2016). Experiencing nature: Embodying animals in immersive virtual environments increases inclusion of nature in self and involvement with nature. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 21(6), 399–419. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12173