2024 PATHS-UP
Digital Health Workshop
August 27-28
Rice University
BioScience Research Collaborative
Agenda
Tuesday, Aug 27 8:00am – 7:00pm
8:00 – 8:30am: Continental Breakfast
8:30-8:45am: Practitioner & Provider needs for Digital Health Solutions
8:45-10:00am: PATHS-UP Research Presentations
10:00-10:15am: Break
10:15-11:40pm: Clinical Needs toward Digital Health for Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, & Mental Health
11:40-12:00pm: Panel Discussions
12:00-2:00pm: Lunch & Poster Session
2:00-3:00pm: Innovation in Digital Health Systems – 5 Minute Lightning Talks
3:00-3:15pm: Break
3:15-4:15pm: Research Toward Enabling Digital Health Solutions
4:15-4:40pm: Pitch Presentations
4:40-5:00pm: Closing Remarks
5:00-7:00pm: Collaboration and networking with Dinner & Drinks
Wednesday, Aug 28 8:00am – 12:00pm
Workshop Context
As part of the broader healthcare transformation aimed at enhancing healthcare and health outcomes for patients dealing with Chronic Diseases such as Cardiovascular conditions, Diabetes, Cancer, and Mental Health issues among both adults and pediatric populations, efforts to increase efficiency and reduce costs have become paramount. The application of digital health technologies and tools is now exerting a more significant influence on patients, providers, and payers than ever before. To further expedite progress in this critical domain, a workshop focused on Digital Health for Chronic Diseases (Cardiovascular, Diabetes, Cancer) and Mental Health (both adult and pediatric cases) is being organized. The workshop aims to convene experts from diverse backgrounds, including clinicians, engineers, industry professionals, and government agencies. Together, they will collaborate to address pressing issues in healthcare delivery through the utilization of digital health technologies.
Goals of the Workshop
- Significantly expand the “network connectivity.” The workshop will connect digital health needs with digital health innovators. It is well-recognized that every part of the healthcare system could benefit from digital transformation but we will need to invent the pathways by forming many new teams around new collaborative research projects, that will be seeded through multi-sources of funding.
- Sow the seeds for larger efforts. By increasing the network size, through seed funding, our goal is to prepare teams to ultimately successfully seek larger funding from NIH, NSF, ARPA-H, AHA, foundations etc.
- Accelerate translation: It is crucial to move research results into clinical application that can be scaled, and hence we will engage entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in the overall effort.
Digital Workshop Co-Chairs

Gerard Cote, PhD
- Director, PATHS-UP
- Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Biosensors, Wearables, Chronic & Infectious Diseases
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Ashutosh Sabharwal, PhD
- Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Data Science for Diabetes and Health
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Jayer Chung, M.D., M.Sc.
- Associate Professor of Surgery
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US - Baylor College of Medicine Profile

Alok Madan, PhD, MPH
- Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Academic Institute Full Clinical Member, Research Institute
- John S. Dunn Foundation Distinguished Centennial Chair in Behavioral Health, Houston Methodist
- Weill Cornell Medical College
- Houston Methodist Profile
August 27th
Welcome & Agenda Review
Practitioner and Provider needs for Digital Health Solutions

Ashutosh Sabharwal, PhD
- Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Data Science for Diabetes and Health
- Wireless networks, information theory, multiple antenna systems, coding and computing, Data Science and Systems
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Jayer Chung, M.D., M.Sc.
- Associate Professor of Surgery
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US - Baylor College of Medicine Profile

Alok Madan, PhD, MPH
- Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Academic Institute Full Clinical Member, Research Institute
- John S. Dunn Foundation Distinguished Centennial Chair in Behavioral Health, Houston Methodist
- Weill Cornell Medical College
- Houston Methodist Profile

Gerard L. Coté, PhD
- Director, PATHS-UP
- Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Director, Center for Remote Health Technologies and Systems
- Texas A&M University
- Gerard L. Coté, PhD Profile
PATHS-UP Research Presentations

Gerard Cote, PhD
- Director, PATHS-UP
- Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Biosensors, Wearables, Chronic & Infectious Diseases
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Jessica Ramella-Roman, PhD
- Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Photonics Laboratory
- Biophotonics
- Florida International University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Dino Di Carlo, PhD
- Deputy Director, PATHS-UP
- Professor, Bioengineering
- Microfluidics, Microfabrication, Nanotechnologies
- University of California, Los Angeles Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Aydogan Ozcan, PhD
- Chancellor’s Professor and HHMI Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Deep Learning Optics & Optical Computing, Computational Imaging and Microscopy, Bio-Sensing and Mobile Health
- University of Los Angeles, Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Ashutosh Sabharwal, PhD
- Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Data Science for Diabetes and Health
- Wireless networks, information theory, multiple antenna systems, coding and computing, Data Science and Systems
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile
Clinical Needs toward Digital Health for Diabetes, CVD, Cancer, and Mental Health

Archana Sadhu, MD
- Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Academic Institute
- Houston Methodist Academic Associates – Endocrinology
- Weill Cornel Medical College
- Houston Methodist Profile

Trisha Roy, BASc, MD, PhD, FRCSC
-
- Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, Academic Institute
- Jerold B. Katz Investigator, Academic Institute
- Assistant Member, Research Institute
- Clinical Scholar, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
- Houston Methodist Cardiovascular Surgery Associates
- Weill Cornell Medical College
- Houston Methodist Profile

Behrouz Zand, MD
- Gynecologic Oncology
- Houston Methodist Gynecologic Oncology Associates
- Houston Methodist Profile

Alok Madan, PhD, MPH
- Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Academic Institute Full Clinical Member, Research Institute
- John S. Dunn Foundation Distinguished Centennial Chair in Behavioral Health, Houston Methodist
- Weill Cornell Medical College
- Houston Methodist Profile

Tyler B Moran, MD, PhD
-
- Assistant Professor
- Medicine – Cardiology
- Baylor College of Medicine Profile

Nora Vanegas Arroyave, MD
-
- Associate Professor
- Neurology
- Baylor College of Medicine Profile

Ruchi Gaba, MD, FACE, FEAA
-
- Associate Professor
- Medicine – Endocrinology
- Baylor College of Medicine Profile

Nidal Moukaddam, MD, PhD
-
- Professor
- Psychiatry & Behavior Science
- Baylor College of Medicine Profile
Innovation in Digital Health Systems

Samuel Mabbott, PhD
- Assistant Professor Biomedical Engineering
- Nanoparticles for Biomedical Sensors and Point-of-Care Technologies
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Dino Di Carlo, PhD
- Deputy Director, PATHS-UP
- Professor, Bioengineering
- Microfluidics, Microfabrication, Nanotechnologies
- University of California, Los Angeles Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Hatice Ceylan Koydemir, PhD
- Thrust 2 Co-Lead, PATHS-UP
- Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Biosensors, Microfabrication, Lab-On-a-Chip, BioMEMs, Non-Invasive Diagnostics
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Aydogan Ozcan, PhD
- Chancellor’s Professor and HHMI Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Deep Learning Optics & Optical Computing, Computational Imaging and Microscopy, Bio-Sensing and Mobile Health
- University of Los Angeles, Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Soaram Kim, PhD
- Assistant Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Wearable Electronics and Remote Sensing
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Amir Tofighi Zavareh, PhD
- Research Assistant Professor
- Electronic Systems Engineering Technology
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Nezih Pala, PhD
- Professor, Electrical Engineering
- Terahertz (THz) Devices and Applications, Nanoscale Materials & Devices for Sensing and Detection
- Florida International University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Gerard Cote, PhD
- Director, PATHS-UP
- Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Biosensors, Wearables, Chronic & Infectious Diseases
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Limei Tian, PhD
- Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Flexible/Wearable Biomaterials, Biosensors, Medical Devices, Micro & Nanotechnology Devices
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Juliane Sempionatto, PhD
- Assistant Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Wearables, Electrochemical biosensors, Energy Harvested Devices, Epidermal biosensors
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Vanessa Sanchez, PhD
- Assistant Professor Mechanical Engineering
- Materials, Manufacturing, Robotics, Textiles, Polymers, Wearables
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Mike McShane, PhD
- Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Department Head, Biomedical Engineering
- Computational imaging and computational sensing
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile
Research Toward Enabling Digital Health Solutions

Jaime Grunlan, PhD
- Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- Leland T. Jordan ’29 Chair Professor
- Polymer nanocomposites, Polyelectrolyte, Nanoparticle dispersion
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Joshua Hutcheson, PhD
- Associate Professor | Graduate Program Director Biomedical Engineering
- Cardiovascular disease and mechanobiology, Cell-cell and cell-matrix
- Florida International University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Jessica Ramella-Roman, PhD
- Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Photonics Laboratory
- Biophotonics
- Florida International University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

César A. Uribe, PhD
- Louis Owen Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Analysis of algorithms for distributed inference and social learning
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Bishal Lamichhane, PhD
- Assistant Research Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Machine Learning/Deep Learning, Statistical signal processing
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Bobak Mortazavi, PhD
- Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Engineering
- End-to-End Smart Systems to Improve Patient Care
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile


Sherecce Fields, PhD
- Professor, Psychological & Brain Sciences
- Director of Clinical Training, APS Fellow
- Clinical Psychology, Child Clinical, Pediatric Psychology, Behavior Health
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Raudel Avila, PhD
-
- Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- Modeling, Electromagnetic, Bioelectronic
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Meng Li, PhD
- Associate Professor, Statistics
- Statistical Modeling, Machine Learning, Variable Selection
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile
Pitch Presentations

Timothy Vernon
-
- Pitch Presentation: Continuous Glucose Monitoring “Taking glucose into your hands”. Minimally invasive continuous glucose monitoring offering ease of use and improved quality of life for glucose monitoring both at home and on the go.”
- PhD Candidate, UCLA
- LinkedIn Profile

Artem Goncharov
-
- Pitch Presentation: Point-of-care sensor for rapid diagnostics of myocardial infarction.
- PhD Candidate, UCLA
- LinkedIn Profile

Barath Palanisamy
-
- Pitch Presentation: Transforming Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis with a Cost-Effective Multiplexed Point-of-Care Vertical Flow Assay
- PhD Candidate, UCLA
- LinkedIn Profile

Justin McMurray
-
-
- Pitch Presentation: Continuous Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring
- PhD Candidate, TAMU
- LinkedIn Profile
- 2024 PATHS-UP NSF Perfect Pitch Winner
-
August, 28th
Welcome & Agenda Review
Funding, Entrepreneurship, and IP for Digital Health Startups

Paul Cherukuri
-
- Vice President of Innovation and Chief Innovation Officer
- Adjunct Professor, Management and Entrepreneurship
- Rice University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Pete O’Neill
- Chief Innovation Officer
- Associate Vice Chancellor
- Texas A&M University Profile
- LinkedIn Profile


Maria Fernanda Levis, MPH, MPA, PCMH-CCE, CFRE Founder and CEO
-
- Founder and CEO IMPACTIVO
- IMPACTIVO Profile
- LinkedIn Profile

Steve Saslar, MD, PhD
-
- Chief Operating Officer at Dopl Technologies, Inc.
- Dopl Technologies Profile
- LinkedIn Profile





