Faculty

Bernadette Cortese, Ph.D.

The Clinical Trials Unit is led by Dr. Bernadette Cortese, an Assistant Professor within the Sleep and Anxiety Treatment and Research Division of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Cortese is an academic investigator with expertise in conducting industry-sponsored clinical trials. Additionally, she has an NIH-funded R01 clinical trial for the treatment of smell loss and dysfunction in mood and cognition associated with Long COVID.

Jennifer Dahne, Ph.D.

The Innovation Sciences Unit is led by Dr. Jennifer Dahne, an Associate Professor within the Addiction Sciences Division of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Dahne is an academic entrepreneur who has received five small business grants from various NIH institutes (NIMH, NIDA, NCATS, NIMHD) totaling more than $3M. Dr. Dahne has co-founded two faculty-led spinout companies, both of which are in the digital health space. Dr. Dahne has led the development, evaluation, and commercialization of five commercially available digital health products to date. These products have been evaluated via rigorous randomized clinical trials which have accrued more than 1,000 patients. In addition to entrepreneurial ventures, Dr. Dahne directs a research laboratory within the Addiction Sciences Division that has received numerous traditional NIH grant awards including R01, R21, and K23 funding. Dr. Dahne is passionate about translating academic innovations into products that can be widely disseminated and commercialized in order to improve public health.