Faculty

Learn from Brown University faculty in public health, medicine, engineering and entrepreneurship, alongside digital health experts who are shaping the future of healthcare.

The Digital Health Innovation Certificate convenes digital health experts from a cross-section of industries and disciplines. From world-class public health experts, engineers, and physicians to guest speakers who are pushing boundaries as digital health leaders, you will learn to collaboratively solve pressing healthcare challenges and improve well-being through the creation and development of digital health solutions.

Meet the Digital Health Faculty

  • Dr Ranney

    Megan Ranney, M.D., MPH

    Deputy Dean, School of Public Health, Director, Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health, Warren Alpert Foundation Professor of Emergency Medicine, Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Health Services, Policy, and Practice

    A practicing emergency physician and researcher, Dr. Megan Ranney's focus is on the intersection between digital health, violence prevention, and public health.  

    She is the Deputy Dean for the School of Public Health, as well as founding Director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health. She is also co-founder and Senior Strategic Advisor for the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine, the country's only non-profit committed to reducing firearm injury through the public health approach, and a founding partner of GetUsPPE.org, dedicated to matching donors to health systems in need of protective equipment. She is a Fellow of the fifth class of the Aspen Health Innovators Fellowship Program and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. 

    Read Dr. Ranney's full biography.

  • Jason Harry

    Jason Harry, PhD

    Hugh Pearson Professor of the Practice of Technology and Entrepreneurship, Professor of the Practice of Engineering

    Jason Harry, PhD is the Hugh W. Pearson '58 Professor of the Practice of Technology and Entrepreneurship and Director of Breakthrough Lab, an intensive, eight-week accelerator program for student entrepreneurial ventures. He is also the founder and CEO of Lucidux, an early-stage medical device company developing advanced imaging technologies for minimally invasive surgery. Previously, he founded and ran Afferent Corporation, which focused on neurostimulation technologies to treat chronic dysfunction stemming from stroke, aging, and diabetes. Prior to Afferent, he served as Vice President of Research Engineering at NMT Medical, Inc. in Boston, a company in the field of minimally invasive cardiovascular implants. He is among the top digital health faculty who will teach in the digital health innovation program.

  • Smit Patel

    Smit Patel, PharmD

    Smit Patel, PharmD serves on the Advisory Board for the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health and is the Clinical Innovation Lead for the Digital Medical Society. He is a founding member for IMPACT, Virtual-First Medical Practice Collaboration, and an external partner to health innovation hub (hih) of the German Federal Ministry of Health to advance innovation in evidence generation for broad acceptance of digital health applications. He brings his experience as a digital health expert to the Digital Health Innovation Certificate program.

     

  • Melissa Simon

    Melissa Simon, PhD

    Melissa Simon, PhD is Business Development Director of Brown Technology Innovations, which manages Brown’s patent portfolio. Prior to joining Brown, Melissa served as the Vice President of Life Sciences Business Development for Rhode Island Commerce, responsible for strategically growing Rhode Island’s life science ecosystem. She is one of the leading digital health experts who will be teaching in the digital health innovation program.

     

  • Kimani C. Toussaint

    Kimani C. Toussaint Jr., PhD

    Professor of Engineering

    Kimani Toussaint, Jr., PhD is a Professor and Senior Associate Dean in the School of Engineering who directs the laboratory for Photonics Research of Bio-nano Environments (PROBE Lab). Dr. Toussaint is a highly awarded teacher and researcher, renowned for his work with optical imaging techniques to monitor biological tissues. He serves on Science’s Board of Reviewing Editors and joins other Brown digital health experts as a lead faculty member in this program.

     

  • Tyler Wray

    Tyler Wray, PhD

    Edens Family Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

    Tyler Wray, PhD is among the digital health faculty who will headline the digital health innovation program. He heads the Brown School of Public Health’s academic programs in digital health and behavior. In his role as a public health faculty member, Dr. Wray has amassed expertise and research experience in leveraging digital technologies, such as mobile apps and virtual reality, to influence health behavior change, particularly in the areas of addiction and HIV prevention.