Meet Our Leadership

Hiroko Dodge, PhD

Founder and Principal Investigator

Dr. Hiroko Dodge has been a Principal Investigator for a series of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded projects over the past 25 years, including the I-CONECT project. (Note: The research project is spelled I-CONECT, whereas the foundation’s name is I-CONNECT).

She started examining the impact of enhancing social interactions on mood and thinking abilities through NIH-funded studies over ten years ago. Her past research provided strong evidence that enhancing social interactions through user-friendly video chats can assist older people in maintaining better emotional and cognitive functions. She is passionate about applying the approach used in her research to the communities to reduce social isolation and enhance the quality of life among older people.  

Before transferring to Harvard Medical School in October of 2022, she was a Professor of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, and an endowed Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. She currently holds a faculty position in the Department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and is the Director of Research Analytics in the Interdisciplinary Brain Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and serves as an editorial board member for many dementia-related journals.

Howard Fillit, MD

Howard Fillit, MD is a geriatrician, neuroscientist, and innovative philanthropy executive. He is the Founding Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). Dr. Fillit has held faculty positions at the Rockefeller University, the SUNY-Stony Brook School of Medicine and the Cornell University School of Medicine.

He has authored or co-authored more than 300 publications and is the senior editor of Brocklehurst's Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology.

Robert Morcos

Robert Morcos is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Social Mobile. Robert has been active in the technology industry since he was fifteen years old. He partners with some of the largest tech companies in the world.

Robert is active on several Boards of Directors, is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) Miami Chapter, and in 2020 was named as one of South Florida Business Journal’s 40 under 40. As part of his overall passion for reducing the digital divide, he is always looking for opportunities to provide digital access to disadvantaged communities.

Monica Parker, MD

Monica Parker, MD is Director of the Minority Engagement Core(MEC) for the Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center of Emory University. As an NIH funded investigator, she examines how to better engage Underrepresented Minorities (URM) in longitudinal, neurologic research and educates about brain health, aging and the importance of clinical research participation for health disparities elimination.  

One of Atlanta’s top Doctors for Family Medicine/Geriatrics (2009-2014), she was named a 2021 Yellow Rose Awardee from the Georgia Women’s Legislative Caucus and Atlanta Magazine’s “2016 Groundbreaker of the year” for her work.

Jiayu Zhou, Ph.D.

Vice President and Co-Founder

Dr. Jiayu Zhou is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Michigan State University. Dr. Zhou received his Ph.D. degree in computer science at Arizona State University in 2014, with a research focus on developing machine learning methodologies for modeling Alzheimer’s disease progression.

He currently leads the ILLIDAN Lab designing novel machine learning algorithms for the early detection of dementia. Dr. Zhou is developing conversational AI agents and behavior monitoring models for detecting early mild cognitive impairment. Dr. Zhou is passionate about disseminating technology to improve the quality of life and reduce social isolation.

Charlotte Chen

Strategy Lead

Charlotte Chen is a trained data scientist passionate about the healthcare industry. She hopes to raise awareness about social isolation and improve public health through the I-connect foundation. Charlotte leads the advanced analytics team at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, utilizing various data, such as RWE, to improve lives one data point at a time. Before that, she was a Management Consultant who helped biotech companies develop solutions to their challenges. She holds a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science & data science from
University of Michigan, a master’s degree in biostatistics from Boston University and currently working on her EMBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology, with a focus on strategy. She hopes that the protocols and materials developed in research studies, such as I-CONNECT, will be used as therapies for social isolation in the future.

Khoa Nguyen

IT Solutions Consultant

Khoa Nguyen has over a decade of experience working in the IT industry and as a data analyst before making the switch to healthcare research. He has a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Social Science from Portland State University.

He worked as a Senior Research Assistant at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center and the Oregon Center for Aging and Technology (ORCATECH) at OHSU where he supported the I-CONECT clinical trial by implementing hardware solutions, assisted in software development, supervised a team of intervention specialists, and lead a team technology coordinators. He currently works as a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator at the Department of Dermatology and Knight Cancer Institute Melanoma Research Program at OHSU. Khoa hopes to integrate his experience with technology and healthcare to provide better service and a healthier community.

Louis Weisberg

Consultant

Louis Weisberg brings expertise in volunteer recruitment. Previously, he worked at the Metropolitan Family Service in Portland, Oregon as a Community Resource Coordinator, where he coordinated volunteer recruitment efforts for an intergenerational AARP Experience Corps program. He also volunteered as a board member for the Beaverton Committee on Aging.

For the past three years, he worked the Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at OHSU as a Research Assistant, supporting the I-CONECT research study. He led conversations with socially-isolated seniors, developed conversational prompts, administered questionnaires and trained fellow employees.

Aimee Lynch

Director of Program Development

After being displaced by a historic wildfire, Aimee knows first-hand the impact social isolation has on our mental health. Despite this traumatizing setback, Aimee was determined to complete her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science at California State University, Chico. Her degree includes an emphasis in Gerontology and Health and Human Services.

Aimee’s deep passion for serving older adults began while working as a food server in a retirement home. She then moved into volunteering at the Alzheimer’s Association and later, working in memory care facilities. Aimee created long-lasting friendships within the older adult community while owning and operating her own yarn shop and tearoom.

Currently living in the Pacific Northwest, Aimee has spent nearly three years as a Research Assistant at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s disease center. For two of those years, she supported the I-Conect Research Project at OHSU as a conversationalist. Aimee is now utilizing her extensive experience to support the I-Connect Foundation and is dedicated to expanding the organization to meet the needs of the older population.

Dillon Banker

Associate Director of Program Development

Dillon Banker brings his combined experience working with non-profit organizations and research projects to the I-CONNECT foundation. He has a passion for interpersonal dynamics and holds a bachelor’s of science in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Portland State University.

Dillon spent nearly two years working at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center at OHSU as a Research Assistant. He is currently working towards a master’s degree in Transformative Learning Communities at Antioch University. Dillon is enthusiastic about bringing people together, and hopes to utilize his educational and professional background by creating social opportunities for people.