ORCATECH - Key Persons
Adriana Hughes, PhD, is neuropsychologist and clinical investigator at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. She holds joint appointments as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University. She's also a Co-Investigator with ORCATECH; she is currently leading two research studies, PRIA and Aging-WELL, both of which use the ORCATECH technology platform to assess home-based activity of aging older adults. Her research interests include early detection of cognitive decline - especially for older adults living in rural communities - telemedicine, dementia, and neuropsychology.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President of Institutional Affairs and General Counsel
- General Counsel for Oregon Health
Biography
Alice Cuprill Comas serves as general counsel for Oregon Health and Science University. In that role she serves as the University's chief legal counsel to the University's Board, President and other senior executives and advises on the legal implications of a wide variety of issues facing an academic medical center.
Prior to joining OHSU, Cuprill Comas spent 17 years in private practice, as a partner at Ater Wynne, LLP in Portland, and at Vinson and Elkins, LLP, in Austin, Texas. She also served as general counsel of a public, energy-sector company based in Seattle.
Cuprill Comas, originally from Puerto Rico, holds a B.A. from The University of Texas-Austin and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School. Cuprill Comas is a member of the Oregon State Bar, the State Bar of Texas, the Washington State Bar, the National Hispanic Bar Association and the National Bar Association. She is a Trustee of the Meyer Memorial Trust, serves as President of the Port of Portland Commission, and is a member of the International Women's Forum.
Allison Lindauer, ND, PhD is an investigator for the STELLA and Tele-STELLA studies. Dr. Lindauer is a nationally-certified gerontological nurse practitioner and scientist. As an assistant professor at OHSU's Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, she cares for persons with dementia and their caregivers. With over 20 years' experience in aging care, Dr. Lindauer conducts research on dementia caregiving and telehealth. As the leader of Outreach, Recruitment and Enrollment at the Layton Center, Dr. Lindauer oversees community-based activities and study recruitment.
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Amanda Mar, BS, is a research coordinator with ORCATECH and the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center. She is a research coordinator on multiple projects that involve recruitment, on-site visits, neuropsychological tests and data integrity. Amanda is a graduate from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor of Science degrees in Biochemistry/Cell Biology and Public Health.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor / Physics
Job Titles:
- Instructor, Provost Office
Antoine Piau, MD, PhD, is a Medical Doctor within the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Toulouse University Hospital in France. He's also a Medical Journalist, working with France Televisions, and is also an expert consultant for the European Commission and the French National Health Authority. Between 2018 and 2019, Antoine was a visiting researcher at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center and ORCATECH; he collaborated on a variety of projects and publications, including studying how in-home technologies, like sensors, can help predict falls that take place at home. He's continued collaborating with ORCATECH since returning back to France. His research interests include digital biomarkers, artificial intelligence, and developing and evaluating technologies that support healthy aging.
Ariella Brenner was a Technical Research Assistant for ORCATECH and helped maintain the in-home ORCATECH platform installations. Ms. Brenner has an undergraduate degree in biology from Northwestern University and has an MS in Bioinformatics from OHSU.
Job Titles:
- Medical Director / Department of Radiation Medicine Medical Physics Faculty / Physics
Benny Kuang, AM, is a Technical Research Assistant with ORCATECH. Benny is responsible with installing and maintaining ORCATECH's in-home platform equipment in collaboration with the ORCATECH team. Prior to joining ORCATECH, Benny earned his Master's in Social Work at the University of Chicago where he discovered his interest in working with older adults and advancing research on aging and dementia care.
Research in Rooney's group is focused on the development and application of quantitative magnetic resonance techniques to characterize tissue structure and function, specifically to phenotype brain blood vessels using dynamic MRI acquisitions combined with pharmaco-kinetic modeling.
Highlights of Dr. O'Roak's past research successes include: developing a chromosomal outlier approach to identify candidate genes for Tourette's syndrome and autism, pioneering trio-based sequencing in simplex autism, and developing new technologies for rapid and economical targeted resequencing.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel at Powin Energy
Chad Paulson is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law and holds an undergraduate degree from Oregon State University. He has more than twenty years of legal experience, starting as a commercial litigation Associate at Miller Nash in 1998 and practicing in-house for PacifiCorp, a public utility and Blount International, Inc., a global manufacturing company.
Chad is currently the General Counsel at Powin Energy. Chad has managed domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, acted as corporate secretary for a publicly traded company, actively engaged and advised regarding strategic planning, and has developed and implemented compliance and governance programs.
Chao-Yi Wu Ph.D., OT, is a Postdoctoral Researcher with ORCATECH, focusing on developing interventions for delaying aging-related disability. She received her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences from University of Pittsburgh and has three years of clinical experience as an occupational therapist. Her research interest is to bridge healthcare and innovative digital biomarkers. Her current project is trying to identify the optimal design and timing of clinical trials to help prevent health decline later in life.
The long-term goal of the Allen Lab is to understand the functional properties of SCN neurons and how the circadian clock regulates these properties.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Computer Science at the University of Bordeaux
Charles Consel is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Bordeaux in France and is the Head Manager of PHOENIX Research Group at INRIA (the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation in France). His research interests include software engineering, assistive computer technology and assisted living. With PHOENIX, he leads a group that designs and develops software engineering tools that are used within networked devices and services and assesses how well these devices and services perform in smart spaces, such as assisted living facilities. He's collaborated with ORCATECH on a variety of projects and publications.
Charlie Quinn, BS was a software developer with ORCATECH. He designed and contributed to ORCATECH's data collection platform that allows Tech RAs to install, configure, and monitor a variety of in-home sensors that make up the ORCATECH network. His focus is on backend development, ensuring the platform maintains a stable infrastructure. He was responsible for integrating new sensors into the platform and debugging any unanticipated behavior displayed by the currently supported inventory.
Christie Kesserwani, D.O. (she/her), is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and board-certified psychiatrist at the OHSU Resident and Faculty Wellness Program. She completed her B.A. at the University of Southern California and obtained her medical degree at Midwestern University prior to completing her psychiatric residency at the Valleywise Behavioral Health Center in Mesa, AZ. Dr. Kesserwani has a special interest in resident physician mental health and founded an inter-departmental therapy group at her training hospital during her final year of residency. Dr. Kesserwani understands the unique challenges faced by physicians in health care today, and utilizes an integrative approach which incorporates therapy, coaching, and/or medication management to help address these challenges.
Job Titles:
- Medical Director
- Transgender Health Program Founders
Christina Reynolds, PhD., was a Data Scientist with ORCATECH with a focus on developing algorithms for the analysis of ORCATECH's large and diverse data set. She received her Ph.D. in astrophysics from University College London and a Master's degree in software engineering from Harvard University. Much of her research career has involved developing software algorithms used to fabricate and test the optics for the European Extremely Large Telescope and the IRIS space telescope. At ORCATECH, she focused on designing a wide variety of algorithms for deriving information about life and health patterns from ORCATECH's sensor data, including characterizing activity and sleep behaviors.
Job Titles:
- Research in the Kroenke Lab Utilizes Magnetic Resonance Imaging ( MRI ) Techniques to Characterize Cellular - Scale Anatomy
Research in the Kroenke lab utilizes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to characterize cellular-scale anatomy.
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant With the Layton Aging
Cierra M. Leon Guerrero, BS is a research assistant with the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center and ORCATECH. She administers in-home neuropsychological testing for ORCATECH study participants. She is interested in how using technology with older adults can develop a thorough understanding of how our brains age and inform early detection of cognitive decline. Ms. Leon Guerrero graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology.
Colette Duncan was a Research Assistant with ORCATECH who administered neuropsychological testing for ORCATECH research study participants. Ms. Duncan holds a B.S. degree in business administration.
Job Titles:
- Chief Administrative Officer
- Chief of Staff
- Executive Vice President
Job Titles:
- President
- President, OHSU / Ex Officio
Danny Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., was named the fifth president of OHSU on May 8, 2018. He succeeded Joe Robertson, M.D., M.B.A., effective August 1, 2018.
Before joining OHSU, Jacobs was the executive vice president, provost and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. At UTMB, Jacobs was the chief academic officer, responsible for approximately 3,800 employees and trainees for its schools of Medicine, Nursing, Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences.
A surgeon by training, Jacobs oversaw the institution's research programs, served as the head of the faculty group practice and was a principal partner in the UTMB health care system.
Jacobs grew up in rural Arkansas and is an avid cyclist who enjoys fly fishing and hiking. He is married to Nancy Jacobs, a nutritionist and Oregon State University graduate, with three grown children and three grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President and Dean of the School of Medicine
The Hurtado Lab is committed to evaluating and impacting social determinants of health within the workplace.
Job Titles:
- Neurologist, Is One of Hundreds of Doctors and Researchers at the OHSU Brain Institute.
Dr. Delaram Safarpour, a neurologist, is one of hundreds of doctors and researchers at the OHSU Brain Institute.
Dr. Neil Thomas is a cognitive neurologist at the Bruyère Memory Program and an investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute (a partnership between Bruyère, a Canadian research hospital, and the University of Ottawa). Prior to returning to Ottawa, Neil was a Research Fellow at the Layton Center and supported various ORCATECH research studies. At the BRI, he specializes in home-based assessments of individuals with cognitive impairment. He collaborates with ORCATECH by managing the Bruyère Life Lab, an extension of the ORCATECH Life Lab. It includes several homes outfitted with the ORCATECH technology platform.
Edline Francois, BA was the study coordinator for the SHARP study. Edline graduated with a bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences in 2017. Her education and life experience have fostered a passion for public health. This passion has led her to work in health promotion, maternal-child health, and health disparities research, specifically Alzheimer's disease. Her research interests include healthy aging of older Black women.
Elena Goodrich, BA, MDiv, was a Senior Research Associate at OHSU and the first Study Coordinator for the Internet-based Conversational Engagement Clinical Trial (I-CONECT), one of several ORCATECH research studies. As the study coordinator, she helped launch the study by establishing recruitment procedures, developing protocols and interventions, training research assistants and coordinating how study-specific technology would be used. She has a BA degree in Psychology from Portland State University and left the ORCATECH team to pursue a research role at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Job Titles:
- Technical Research Assistant
Emily Lehman is a Technical Research Assistant at ORCATECH. Her roles include maintaining and installing the technology platform in collaboration with her team members. Emily graduated from Oregon State University, where she gained previous experience in healthcare research and focused on studies in Public Health and Biomedical Ethics.
Emily Lore was a Technical Research Assistant with ORCATECH and helped maintain the in-home ORCATECH platform installations. Ms. Lore has an undergraduate degree in Public Health and pre-law from the University of Washington. She is interested in how new technologies and data analysis can optimize how the medical community can best serve aging populations. She left the team to pursue a post-bac in Chemical Engineering at Oregon State University.
Job Titles:
- Director of Admissions and Recruitment
Job Titles:
- Senior Media Relations Specialist
Job Titles:
- Education
- Senior Media Relations Specialist
Gillian Lashen, Psy.D. (she/her), is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & licensed psychologist in the Resident & Faculty Wellness Program (RFWP). Dr. Lashen earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at The University of Denver & completed her internship at Denver Health Medical Center. Prior to joining RFWP she served as behavioral medicine faculty in an internal medicine residency program, with an emphasis on wellness & resilience. Dr. Lashen has also previously conducted research with family medicine residents & worked on an inpatient medical unit providing treatment to adults with severe eating & feeding disorders. Her interests include cultivating wellbeing at work, relationship issues, weight bias & body image, & antiracism. She utilizes an integrative approach with a focus on Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Relational-Cultural theory, & cognitive behavioral intervention.
Hannah Bernard, M.A, was a senior research assistant with ORCATECH and the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center. She conducted in-home visits with research participants administering neuropsychological testing. Working with a veteran cohort, she is interested in how technology can be used to identify changes in daily activities for veterans living in rural areas to promote independent living. She received her master's in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology.
Heather Schiffke, MATCM is the administrator for the Oregon Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (OADRC). She coordinates the operations and resources of the OADRC, working with researchers, staff and collaborators to implement and support research. Heather has over 20 years of experience in research and academic administration, including clinical trial coordination, pre and post-award grant administration. She received her Master's degree in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine from Yo San University in Marina Del Rey, California.
Hiroko Dodge, PhD was a Professor of Neurology and led the Biostatistics and Data Management Core at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at OHSU. Over more than ten years, Dr. Dodge was the Principal Investigator for a series of NIA-funded research projects that study if social interactions through video-chats can improve cognitive function. Besides these intervention trials, she analyzed digital biomarker data generated by ORCATECH, focusing on its use in enriching clinical trials. She served as the founding chair of the Professional Interest Area (PIA) entitled "Clinical Trials Advancements and Outcomes" in the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research (ISTAART) and was a member of the ISTAART advisory council. She is a Fellow at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA).
Jacob Lindsley, MA was a Senior Research Assistant and lead coordinator for the I-CONECT study at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center and ORCATECH. Jacob has 10+ years of non-profit leadership experience, degrees in psychology and Buddhist studies, and a fascination for complex research questions. He assisted Dr. Hiroko Dodge in her work to uncover the impact of social isolation on the development of dementia.
James Carlson, who served as CEO of OHCA since 1997, retired from this position at the end 2020. He continues to be engaged with OHCA as a strategic advisor. With over 30 years of experience in health policy and association management, Jim is widely recognized as one of the leading long-term care and health policy resources in Oregon.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Jeffrey Kaye, M.D., is the Layton Endowed Professor of Neurology and Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University. He is the director of ORCATECH and director of the NIA - Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center. Dr. Kaye's research has focused over the past two decades on understanding healthy aging using a variety of approaches ranging across the fields of genetics, neuroimaging, physiology and continuous activity monitoring. Dr. Kaye has received the Charles Dolan Hatfield Research Award for his work. He is listed in Best Doctors in America. He serves on many national and international panels and review boards in the fields of geriatrics, neurology and technology including as a commissioner for the Center for Aging Services and Technology (CAST), Chair of the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART), a member of the Advisory Board of AgeTech West, and on the Leadership Council of the Network on Environment, Services and Technologies for the American Society on Aging. He is an author of over 300 scientific publications and holds several major grant awards from federal agencies, national foundations and industrial sponsors.
Jennifer Marcoe, MA, is a research associate with ORCATECH and the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center. She is a project coordinator on multiple projects providing oversight, management, as well as completing home visits and neuropsychological testing for study participants. She is interested in subject recruitment, engagement, and retention and enjoys working with people. She has a background in health coaching and wellness and is a MINT trainer in Motivational Interviewing (MI). Jennifer values learning and growing from subjects and being a part of programs that will help older adults live independently and maintain their quality of life.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
Joanne Chan, Psy.D. (she/her), is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and licensed psychologist in the Resident and Faculty Wellness Program. Prior to joining OHSU, Dr. Chan was a staff psychologist at Portland Psychotherapy specializing in ACT-informed exposure therapy for anxiety, obsessive-compulsive (OC) and related disorders. She also provided training in evidence-based approaches for anxiety and OC related disorders (including perfectionism) to postdoctoral fellows and practicum students. Dr. Chan earned her B.A. from the University of California, San Diego, and her Psy.D. from the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. After becoming licensed in 2009, she ran a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area for several years, conducted clinical research on the effectiveness of various evidence-based approaches for hoarding disorder and provided instruction to masters' level counseling students as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco. In addition to her work with anxiety related issues, Dr. Chan enjoys working with clients who are experiencing issues related to culture, including cultural identity development or anxiety related to discrimination and marginalization. She supports all clients in developing skills to live a life based on values in a high-pressure, fast-paced culture.
Johanna Austin, PhD was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Neurology. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in 2015 for her work developing models and algorithms to assess in-home activities associated with loneliness and related behaviors. Her research interests included unobtrusive, longitudinal measurement of in-home behavior with applications to healthcare. During her time at ORCATECH, she was especially interested in developing techniques to assess the loneliness and depression levels of informal dementia caregivers, which will require the development and testing of devices and algorithms to distinguish the activities of multiple individuals living in the same home.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of OHSU Health
Jonathan Lee is a Research Associate with ORCATECH that designs and develops ORCATECH user interfaces with a craftsman's touch. Before bringing his talents to ORCATECH, Jonathan spent more than 10 years as a web developer.
Job Titles:
- Co - Director of Clinical Education
Judith Kornfeld, M.B.A. was the Chief Business and Operations Officer of ORCATECH. Through building worldwide strategic collaborations and alliances while positioning Intellectual Property assets and leveraging products in development, Ms. Kornfeld specialized in bringing innovative medical technologies to prosper in the medical industry. Prior to joining ORCATECH she assumed executive business development positions of emerging medical technological companies in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Ms. Kornfeld also held the position of VP of Business Development of TransPharma Medical, a company focused on developing pharmaceutical products using transdermal drug-delivery technology. Ms. Kornfeld holds a bachelor's degree in life sciences and an M.B.A..
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Doernbecher Gender Clinic Director
Katherine Wild, Ph.D., was an ORCATECH investigator with a research focus on elder care and healthcare utilization transitions. Dr. Wild was an associate professor in the OHSU Department of Neurology with special interests is in cognitive impairment and dementia. She received her doctorate from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology - Yeshiva University, New York. She was collaborating with other members of ORCATECH in research on the use of in-home technology to prolong safe and independent living. Other research interests include computer-based assessment to detect early changes in cognition, and impaired insight as it relates to decision making in persons with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
Kirsten Wright, ND, MS is a Naturopath and an Associate Professor with the Department of Neurology at OHSU. She is a clinician-scientist with a history of working in biomedical and cognition research as well as in the health care industry. She obtained a Master's in Clinical Research from OHSU and a Master's in Integrative Medicine Research from the National University of Natural Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Executive Vice President
Dr. Hammer's research is focused on improving the physical and mental well-being of workers through interventions designed to increase employee-supportive behaviors at all leadership levels.
Job Titles:
- Director of Academic Education
Lyndsey Miller, PhD, RN, is an ORCATECH investigator and an Assistant Professor in the OHSU School of Nursing, with a research focus on improving dementia care and care planning. She is an investigator on three studies, each using behavioral biomarkers derived from ORCATECH's in-home technology platform. These studies seek to: understand stress and health of family caregivers of persons with dementia [K01AG059839]; develop early detection of agitation among persons with dementia in memory care facilities [the MODERATE study]; and refine a care planning intervention [the SHARE-sense study]. Dr. Miller's other research interests include topics related to family care dyads in the context of chronic illness, including behavioral interdependence in couples and joint decision-making involvement.
Mahtab Brar is currently a fourth-year medical student at OHSU.
Prior to medical school, he attended Oregon State University where he studied biology and served on various committees, such as the Relay for Life Committee and Sport Club Committee.
After graduation, he worked as a ReConnect Fellow in Southern Oregon and continues to advocate for rural healthcare with the Area Health Education Centers around Oregon during medical school.
He is involved on campus and in the community through running free health screenings around the state, managing the OHSU Asylum Clinic, and as a founding member of the Sikh Youth of Oregon. Mahtab has professional interests in the management of healthcare systems, global health, and immigrant health policy.
Dr. Sammi is currently working on MR spectroscopic measurements of energy metabolism in the human brain.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Program Director, Clinical Education
Marie Soller, M.D. (she/her), Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, OHSU School of Medicine, completed her undergraduate and medical education at Stanford University, and her psychiatric residency at San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. Dr. Soller has a strong interest in resilience, life work balance, and the role of self-care and social support. Dr. Soller is pleased to be a part the Resident and Faculty Wellness Program and working with physicians who might be having personal or professional difficulties. Dr. Soller uses medication evaluation and management, and psychotherapy (cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, and supportive therapies) to address these issues.
Dr. Pike's research is focused on studying the pathophysiology of brain diseases (malignant glioma, stroke) using MRI/MRS in tandem with other approaches.
Mary Moffit, Ph.D. (she/her), Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, is director of the OHSU Resident and Faculty Wellness Program and the Peer Support Program. A clinical psychologist who received her Ph.D. from the Wright Institute and completed a fellowship in Medical Psychology, Dr. Moffit was the first psychologist embedded in the OHSU Department of Internal Medicine. In 2004, she joined Graduate Medical Education leadership to design and develop a comprehensive wellness program that is now a national model for academic medical centers. Dr. Moffit and her team provide free, highly confidential coaching, counseling and medical consultation for all School of Medicine residents, fellows and faculty. In addition, she presents educational workshops directed at building a sustainable medical practice, preventing burnout and early intervention to prevent impairment. In 2016, Dr Moffit and her team developed the OHSU School of Medicine's Peer Support Program, modeled on Brigham and Women's innovative program, providing triage after an adverse event, referrals to trained physician peer supporters and resources directed at recovery from professional distress.
Mary Alice Siqueland, BS was a research assistant with ORCATECH. She primarily worked as an assessor for the CART study, where she visited participants and administered neuropsychological testing. She is interested in aging in place, and the potential uses that technology has in this process. She graduated from Pacific University with a Bachelor of Science in biology.
Job Titles:
- Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator
The goals of the Butler Clock Physiology Lab are the understand how endogenous clocks in the body are synchronized, and how uncoupling clocks from the environment or from each other can compromise health.
Mattie MacDonald, MS, CCRP was a project manager for the I-CONECT trial with ORCATECH and the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center. She has a master's degree in Clinical Research Organization & Management. Her research experience is primarily in neurodegenerative disease, as well as immunology and rare musculoskeletal disease. She has a background in psychology and technology education, and is interested in digital biomarkers and computerized cognitive assessments as improved clinical trial outcome measures.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Education Coordinator
Mike Duncan, Psy.D. (he/him), is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and a licensed psychologist in the OHSU Resident and Faculty Wellness Program. He earned his B.A. in psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder and his M.S. and Psy.D. in clinical psychology at Pacific University. Dr. Duncan has conducted research on risk and protective factors in LGB youth and on the relation between internalized sexual prejudice and sense of belonging in LGB graduate students. His clinical interests include mitigating stress and burnout, work-life balance, identity development and authenticity, navigating major life transitions, and improving intimate relationships. He also has a special interest in issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and ethical nonmonogamy, including experience providing letters of support for gender-affirming surgeries. His therapeutic approach is primarily existential, which means exploring questions of existence, identity and meaning to help his patients move toward more fulfilling and authentic lives lived with vulnerability, responsibility and inner consent. He also integrates cognitive-behavioral interventions and has an interest in mindfulness practices.
Miranda Lim, PhD is a study coordinator for the TWLITE pilot study at ORCATECH (Tunable white light therapy in elders to improve sleep.) Dr. Lim is also an Associate Professor of Neurology at OHSU and directs the Computational Sleep Laboratory. That lab laboratory studies the neurobiological cascade of events following mild TBI, with the goal of identifying mechanisms underlying sleep/wake disturbances and potential therapies for intervention.
The Turker lab is interested in the mechanisms of abnormal gene activation.
Job Titles:
- Field Tech Lead
- Lead Field Technician
Nathaniel Rodrigues is the Lead Field Technician at ORCATECH, collaborating with a great team to install and maintain the technology platform. He also assists in testing new equipment, creating new technology guides and developing training materials for satellite sites based in other cities across North America. Nathaniel is a graduate of Portland State University with a degree in Organismal Biology.
Nicole Bouranis, MA was the coordinator for several ORCATECH and NIA-Layton Center studies. She also managed the ACTNOW registry, the ORCATECH and NIA-Layton Center's site for community members who are interested in ongoing research and participation opportunities. She was a Health Systems and Policy PhD Candidate at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, where she focused on factors affecting recruitment in dementia studies. In addition to study recruitment, her research interests include working with community members to design studies and materials that best fit their interests and needs.
Nicole Fleming, B.S., was a research associate with the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center and ORCATECH. She oversaw the clinical assessment team within the center and also trained assessment teams at remote sites. She designed training requirements to ensure high quality data. Through training and education, only quality clinical data is gathered by the team. She is passionate about honest research and mentorship.
Job Titles:
- Senior Media Relations Specialist
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Nicole Sharma, BA, is the OHSU Aging & Alzheimer's Executive Director and the ORCATECH Manager. She has worked with ORCATECH for over 14 years and has an interest in the scalability of deployment of the ORCATECH Platform across new Life Lab cohorts around the world. Ms. Sharma graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Cognitive Science where she also conducted memory research and learned about research data analysis while interning at the UCSD Alzheimer's Disease Data Core.
Nora Mattek, MPH, is a Research Statistician at ORCATECH. Her primary focus is analyzing the in-home sensor activity data and clinical data collected from our NIH-funded longitudinal aging and technology studies. She assists with preparing datasets, performing statistical analyses and generating manuscripts. She also works with collaborators to initiate new projects and to ensure their success.
Olivia Lotito is a Research Assistant with ORCATECH. She installs and maintains the in-home ORCATECH platform equipment. Olivia graduated from Marylhurst University in 2017 with a degree in Business Leadership. She has many years of customer service and assisting people with team building and project development.
Job Titles:
- Neuroradiology
- Research Center
The Barnes Lab focuses on the fundamental cellular mechanisms that control the development of the cerebral cortex prior to and following birth.
Dr. Hogarth's research interests have focused on deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease and the natural history of Huntington's disease.
Job Titles:
- Chief Research Officer
- Executive Vice President
Peter Barr-Gillespie, Ph.D., is OHSU's chief research officer and executive vice president. Dr. Barr-Gillespie leads and manages OHSU's research enterprise - comprising dozens of internationally and nationally acclaimed basic, translational, clinical and public health research programs - and serves on the president's executive leadership team. He is principal adviser to OHSU President Danny Jacobs on research strategy and research resource allocation.
Dr. Barr-Gillespie leads OHSU Research & Innovation, which provides services and support to OHSU investigators; leads strategic initiatives in research; fosters collaboration; and moves our discoveries into the world. The office is home to OHSU's university-wide research administration, including OHSU Research Development, the Office of Proposal and Award Management, Research Integrity, Comparative Medicine, University Shared Resources, and Technology Transfer and Business Development.
Phelps Witter was a Programmer with ORCATECH. Mr. Witter was involved in the development of several ORCATECH projects and also supported the technical research assistants, as needed, with ORCATECH technology platform issues.
Dr. Copenhaver's research is focused on the role of disease-associated genes in the control of cell migration, with an emphasis on the developing nervous system.
Rachel Wall, MS, CCRP, is the VA site Research Coordinator for a nationwide project looking at how technology can be used to study the aging process. This VA and NIH funded project is called CART, or Collaborative Aging Research using Technology. Rachel also works with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data for various projects within the Neuroimaging Core for the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center
Raina Croff, PhD, is an ORCATECH investigator who leads the SHARP (Sharing History through Active Reminiscence and Photo-Imagery) study. Additionally, Dr. Croff is Assistant Professor of Neurology at OHSU since 2015. Born and raised in Portland, OR, she received her PhD in anthropology from Yale University in 2009, with a focus on the African Diaspora. Dr. Croff's work focuses on how culture impacts health and acts as a lens through which people interpret health literature, messaging, programming, and research participation. Her research seeks to increase physical activity and social engagement among older African Americans in ways that celebrate culture, history, and community memory.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairwoman
- Chairman of the Board of Regents of the OSU Honors College
Ruth A. Beyer, J.D. has been Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Precision Castparts Corp. since April 1, 2013. Prior to that, she was Principal in the Portland office at Stoel Rives LLP, and served as the Managing Partner from 1995 to 2005.
Beyer serves as chair of the Board of Regents of the OSU Honors College and is the co-founder of the OSU Women's Giving Circle. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of Morrison Center since 2006. Beyer is a recipient of the Award of Merit from the Multnomah Bar Association.
Dr. Olson's research is focused on safety and health interventions for lone workers, and on behavioral self-management methods.
Sam Harbison, MS, was a Senior Data Analyst with ORCATECH. He has a Master's Degree in Statistics from Indiana University. His main focus was algorithm development, data structuring, platform development, and building new data streams for researchers. He also worked with our technology and development team helping build new technologies for researchers. He worked with the data team to create, clean, and process sensor data from participant homes.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Media Relations
Sara Walker, Ph.D. (she/her), is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, core faculty member in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program at OHSU, and licensed psychologist in the Resident and Faculty Wellness Program. Dr. Walker grew up in Portland, earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon, a Master's in Counseling Psychology and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Michigan School of Medicine. She returned to Portland to join the faculty at OHSU in 2011 and has been excited to join the RFWP team in 2021. Dr. Walker has also been active in disaster mental health preparedness and response, as well as sustainability efforts at OHSU, regionally, and nationally. She values acknowledging and addressing normal, healthy stress responses, as well as using a multicultural, existential lens to identify, navigate, and potentially grow from other challenges or experiences.
Job Titles:
- Data Integration Specialist
Sarah Gothard is the Data Integration Specialist at ORCATECH. She manages the life-cycle of the clinical data that is received for most ORCATECH projects and collaborations. Her key responsibilities include creating data capturing tools, creating and implementing data integrity strategies, along with data processing and data set creation. In additional to this role, she also functions as the RITE study coordinator and provides support to the ORCATECH data manager.
Job Titles:
- Division Head
- Program Director
The Soo Lee Lab's goal is to develop a comprehensive map of the complex gene regulatory networks that direct cell-fate specification and assembly of neuro-circuits.
Job Titles:
- Co - Director of Clinical Education
Job Titles:
- Technical Research Assistant With
Steph Irish is a Technical Research Assistant with ORCATECH. She installs and maintains the in-home ORCATECH platform equipment. Ms. Irish attended Fairhaven College in Bellingham, WA. She has 15 years of experience in behavioral & health research, including having worked with the UW's Social Development Research Group and the Oregon Research Institute.
The Back Lab focuses on the development of novel strategies to promote regeneration and repair of injury to the developing brain.
The focus of Dr. Shea's research is to understand the biological basis behind the changes in disease severity across day and night; for instance, are they caused by the body clock or attributable to behaviors that occur on a regular basis.
Steven Zika is the CEO of Hampton Lumber, a family-owned forest products business headquartered in Portland, Oregon, employing about 1,600 people primarily in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia.
The Hayflick group studies a group of rare, single gene disorders called Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA).
Susan is lifelong resident of Portland, Oregon. She has invested in both a professional nursing career as a clinician, administrator, lobbyist, health policy advisor and advocate - as well as a community activist on civic issues such as housing, neighborhood preservation and development, and election of leaders at the city, local, state and national level.
She is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Nursing and holds a Masters degree in Nursing from OHSU. In 2011, she was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing for her work on authority for Nurse Practitioners.
Her career in nursing has included delivering care to patients and families, and help shaping health care delivery and policy at the state and national level. She has experience holding regulatory and policy positions within Oregon as well as nationally.
From 1989 to 2017, she led the Oregon Nurses Association focused on the nursing workforce, promoting authority for Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists, addressing standards for hospital staffing and improving access to care for all.
Sylvia White, ND, is a research clinician with the Layton Center and ORCATECH. She assesses research participants in both clinical and home settings and provides clinical support and education to research subjects and their families. Dr. White received her Bachelor's degree from Montana State University before attending the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, where she earned her degree in naturopathic medicine. She has been a part of ORCATECH since 2007 when she started to work directly with the aging population. She initially recruited participants and administered assessments for the Bioengineering Research Partnership (BRP); she later expanded her role as research clinician to bring support to more studies and clinical trials.
Job Titles:
- Oregon National Primate Research Center
- Senior Director, Strategic Communications
Tamara Hayes, PhD, was one of the founding members of ORCATECH. After several years at OHSU, Informix and IBM, she became an Associate Professor in the newly formed Biomedical Engineering Department at OHSU in 2002. Her research focused on developing "aging in place" technologies, to enable the elderly to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. Dr. Hayes obtained a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh. She passed away in 2013 but remains in our team's spirits. A memorial scholarship fund was set up in her honor to support graduate students with a passion for biomedical engineering.
Thomas Riley is ORCATECH's Technical Lead, managing both frontend and backend development, testing of new sensors and implementing quality assurance protocols for collected data. He uses experience implementing these sensors and subject interactions to continue improving ORCATECH's sensor suite. Mr. Riley is a graduate of the University of Portland with a degree in physics.
Timothy Beecher, Ph.D. (he/him/his), is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and licensed psychologist in the OHSU Resident Faculty Wellness Program. He completed his BS at Loyola University Chicago, earned his M.Ed. at Washington State University and received a Ph.D. at the University of North Dakota. He has extensive experience working in higher education and is excited to join the OHSU Resident Faculty Wellness team. His areas of expertise include working with men in therapy, crisis work, and addressing substance abuse from a harm reduction and motivational interviewing perspective. Dr. Beecher incorporates a variety of treatment approaches in his work, including interpersonal process therapy, feminist therapy, and psychodynamic principles. He is committed to social justice and works diligently to provide culturally responsive treatment.
Tracy Zitzelberger, M.P.H., was a Senior Research Associate and served as the Administrative Director for the Layton Center and ORCATECH. She worked closely with faculty and collaborators to develop research proposals that leveraged the tremendous resources and infrastructure made available by these research centers. Given over 20 years of experience at OHSU in various research roles, Ms. Zitzelberger supported faculty and staff as they implemented, conducted, and concluded community-based research and clinical trials. She received her Master of Public Health in Health Administration and Policy from Portland State University in 2003.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor / Anatomical Sciences Education Center
The Anger Lab's behavioral science research implements computer-based training based on behavioral education principles for safety or hazard prevention, skills acquisition, and well-being.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Neurology
Walt Dawson, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at OHSU. Dr. Dawson studies the public policy implications of dementia, including its financial impact on families. His research interests include global health policy and financing long-term support. Dr. Dawson is also a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health with the Global Brain Health Institute at the University of California, San Francisco and faculty at PSU's Institute on Aging.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Senior Vice President, Global Tax at Visa
Wayne Monfries is Senior Vice President, Global Tax at Visa. Wayne joined Visa in April 2020. He previously was VP, Global Tax at TransUnion in Chicago, and prior to that served as VP & Chief Tax Officer for Nike in Portland, Oregon. A graduate of Georgetown University, he began his career in public accounting with PwC in Washington DC before moving on to work for food manufacturer, Mars, Incorporated in New Jersey and London, England, where he held various roles in tax and finance.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Data Director
Zach Beattie, Ph.D., is lead data scientist and data manager at ORCATECH. As a biomedical engineer, his passion lies at the intersection of technology and health. He has spent several years in academia and the health and biotech industry where he has worked to help people live happier and healthier lives through technology. Specifically, he developed a new technology with the ability to detect sleep apnea using non-contact sensors, and then innovated new features for Fitbit wearables that help individuals live healthier, more informed lives. Currently Dr. Beattie is focused on ensuring data integrity during a significant overhaul to the ORCATECH platform and is specifically tasked with overseeing data transfer, algorithm development, and algorithm validation during this process.