Deborah Tate, PhD

Faculty Director

Faculty Director Dr. Deborah Tate is a leading expert in digital health solutions, continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2000. Deb brings her zeal and expertise in applying behavioral theory and evidence to help other researchers translate their ideas into effective behavioral interventions on web and mobile platforms.

Jennifer Wills Gallagher RD, MPPA

Administrative Director

Jennifer brings enthusiasm and decades of administrative experience to support CHAI’s mission. She has a background in clinical nutrition and public policy administration. She is passionate about the intersection of health care and applied research as it relates to public health for citizens in our communities.

Regina McCoy

Graphics Director

Regina is an experienced professional in designing graphics for print, web, and mobile since 1992. Passionate about user experience and fresh design, her endless enthusiasm for the latest trends and proven approaches in design and technology help clients effectively reach their users.

Brittany Frew, MPH

Digital Research Project Manager

Brittany is an experienced public health project manager who has worked with state agencies and non-profit organizations on implementing digital health solutions that improve access to care and resources for families. A natural problem solver, Brittany enjoys partnering with clients to create innovative tools that support patients, providers, and researchers.

Jessica Carda-Auten, MPH

Qualitative Analyst

Bringing expertise in qualitative research methods across a variety of settings, Jessica collects and synthesizes data in innovative and relatable ways for diverse audiences. With a knack for putting people at ease, she makes participants feel they are part of a casual conversation, rather than a research study.

Maihan Vu, DrPh, MPH

Qualitative Analyst

As a public health researcher and practitioner since 1997, Dr. Vu’s expertise is in qualitative research methods and program evaluation. She is a seasoned rapport-builder and champion of analytic skills. Her focus is partnering with researchers and communities to engage participants and bring their voices to the research table.

Alison Hilton, MPH

Qualitative Analyst

Alison has used qualitative methods in academic, community, public health, and healthcare settings. Alison strives to listen deeply to the people who share their stories with her and to effectively communicate these lived experiences to our partner investigators through thoughtful analysis.

Jessica Zahurak

UX Architect, Software Developer

Jess has been active in software development since 1997. She excels at designing and developing web apps that are tailored to user requirements. With strong analytic skills and a dedication to user experience, she is grounded in a sense of service and commitment to producing quality software.

Michael Heist

Software Applications Developer

Michael has over 23 years of computer science experience. He is a full stack developer with a focus on native mobile applications for iOS and Android. He has a keen eye for trouble shooting sticky problems in existing codebases and has expertise in SDK and API connections to third-party applications. His skills and prior experience in geo-mapping for mission critical in-flight navigation supports CHAI’s work in health behavior interventions.

Chris Griffies

Software Applications Developer

Chris is a seasoned web developer with over two decades’ expertise in data center and hosting solutions. He is driven to understand the full scope of projects, bring database and development methodologies to best fit application needs and deliver a complete, versatile solution for primary investigators.

Jay Ballenger

Web Applications Developer

Jay stumbled into a coding career from the advertising world. He has since become an experienced and creative user interface specialist. His passion is to produce modern web applications that keep the user engaged. Jay enjoys applying his attention to detail to making clients’ ideas a reality.

Nivan Morgan, MPH

Software Applications Developer

Morgan brings her background in medicine and degree in computer science to CHAI. She is an expert in the Laravel platform and works with research teams to build applications efficiently and with a functionality that meets the needs of complex research digital intervention.

Tamim Nezami

Digital Research Project Manager

Tamim Nezami comes to CHAI Core with more than 17 years of digital product management experience in the life science and financial technology industries. He brings a unique understanding in digital engagement and user-centered design in developing innovative solutions.

Robert Trawick, MSCS

Software Applications Developer

Robert is a full-stack web developer who enjoys designing and building software. He comes from a career in software development for large corporations and likes the challenge of adapting industry practices to CHAI’s special requirements for small-scale high-quality projects.