Mr. Joseph Kerwin is the Director of the AIDS Institute. Prior to serving as Director, Mr. Kerwin was a Deputy Director within the AIDS Institute for four years. His portfolio as a Deputy Director progressively expanded over the past four years to include oversight of the AIDS Institute’s Health Care Programs, Uninsured Care Program, Medicaid Programs and Health Care Financing. Mr. Kerwin has been with the AIDS Institute for more than ten years. Prior to joining the AIDS Institute, Joseph was the Executive Director of AIDS Services at Catholic Charities and the Program Administrator of the AIDS Program and Division of HIV Medicine at Albany Medical Center. Mr. Kerwin is responsible for the day-to-day decision making and operations of the AIDS Institute and has represented the AIDS Institute within the DOH, across state agencies and New York State. Priority efforts have focused on the integration of health equity principles to advance ending the epidemics of HIV, Hepatitis C, Congenital Syphilis, and opioid overdose, advancing LGBTQ+ health and wellness, and leading in many areas of the state’s outbreak responses including COVID-19 and Mpox.

Dr. Julie Cakici is a registered nurse with a PhD in Public Health. Her research emphasizes the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of emerging technologies and incorporates Dissemination and Implementation Science to assess contextual factors that impact the implementation of research and interventions. Her areas of expertise include precision health research, digital health technologies, privacy, artificial intelligence (AI), secondary research, and research ethics. Most recently, she worked as a contractor for the NIH’s All of Us Research Program as a Health Science Policy Analyst in the ELSI division of the Policy Office. In this role, she informed program policies, guidance, and educational materials to promote ethical research using data from nearly 850K participants. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, Julie was the Manager of Genomics Research at Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine and a faculty member for the Children’s Mercy Bioethics Center’s Certificate in Pediatric Bioethics.

Dr. Kelly Merrill Jr. (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Health Communication and Technology in the School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies at the University of Cincinnati. His primary research investigates the use of communication technologies, such as artificial intelligence, social media, and video games for social, physical, and mental health benefits. His research also seeks to address health disparities experienced by Black and queer individuals. He has published more than 20 articles in various journals, including Journal of Medical Internet Research, Computers in Human Behavior, Telematics and Informatics, and Communication Research Reports, and he has published two book chapters on the use of AI for health-related outcomes. He has also received several grants to support community-based research that seeks to address (digital) health disparities among minority communities.

Nicholas J. Pratt, MD, RN is a recognized voice at the intersection of digital technology, healthcare, education and wellness. Dr. Pratt's work regarding artificial intelligence has been featured in JAMA Pediatrics, JAMA Internal Medicine, and Psychiatric Times. As one of the nation's few graduates of both nursing and medical school, Dr. Pratt brings a unique clinical perspective to his practice. He currently serves patients as a resident physician in the Yale School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and is the rising Chief Resident of Digital Psychiatry.

Meetali Jain serves as TJLP’s executive director. Over the course of her career, Meetali has worked as a lawyer, policy advocate, campaigner and educator. She started her career by representing detainees post-9/11 accused of terrorism, including at Guantanamo Bay, and by organizing in South Asian and Muslim communities impacted by surveillance and racial profiling. She's also litigated cases involving human rights, immigrant justice, and challenging corporate power. Meetali worked at the Morrison & Foerster and Goldstein Demchak law firms, taught human rights and constitutional law in law clinics at American University, Seton Hall, and in law schools across South Africa. In 2021, she joined Reset Tech where she focused primarily on issues of tech law and policy in the US. She sits on the board of the Integrity Institute, Type Media Center, and is an advisor to the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED) and Design It For Us (DIFU), a youth-led movement to build better tech spaces for young people.

Dorian Johnson is a Master Health Coach, MPH student, and public health educator dedicated to making health communication more relatable, understandable, and systems-aware to drive meaningful behavior change. As The PHuncle and creator of The Productive Disruptive newsletter, Dorian blends storytelling, education, and humor to help people connect the dots between personal choices and systemic barriers. He creates digital campaigns, teaches teens and adults across communities, and leverages digital platforms to reframe conversations around health equity, behavior change, and what effective skills-based health education could look like—starting with what people actually have access to. Dorian invites audiences to think differently, act intentionally, and use communication as a tool for both connection and change. His ultimate goal? To empower people—from children to elders—to make informed decisions and take meaningful steps toward better health now, even as we work to dismantle the systems that make it harder.

Tori DaCosta is a recent graduate of Wesleyan University, where she earned a double major in English Literature and American Studies. A dedicated student-athlete, she was a four-year starter on the varsity basketball team, balancing academic rigor with competitive athletics. Beyond the court, Tori served as a peer advocate across multiple campus spaces—within athletics and throughout the broader Wesleyan community—demonstrating a deep commitment to student well-being and inclusion.

Passionate about digital health and equitable access to education, Tori is particularly interested in the intersection of technology, health literacy, and community empowerment. At 21, she continues to pursue knowledge with curiosity and purpose—often through her love of reading.

Lilly Martinez (She/Her) is a transgender incoming college freshman at Wheaton College (MA) with an interest in how young adults interact with chatbots in different contexts of situations.

Zaquanese “Quanese” Moore is a 24-year-old is a  student nurse & teacher assistant for children with  health and developmental needs.  She’s passionate about creating more connected, accessible  care through telehealth & integrating digital tools that reduce barriers and bring personalized support to communities that are often overlooked. Quanese aims to become a CNA and be part of a new generation of nurses who bridge clinical care with innovation, making health systems more responsive, inclusive, and human on every level.

Mr. Michael Crawford, MBA, MHL, is the Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Innovation at Howard University’s Office of Health Affairs, and Founder and Executive Director of Howard University’s 1867 Health Innovations Project. Mr. Crawford serves as a strategic advisor to the Senior Vice President of Health Affairs and CEO of Howard University Hospital Corporation and collaborates with medical science, health, academic, and HU Board leadership to advance Howard University’s academic, health, and innovation mission. Michael serves on numerous national and local committees, including the Consumer Technology Association AI Health Planning Council, the Robert Wood Johnson National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems, the America’s Essential Hospitals Innovation Committee, and the Advisory Board of National Minority Quality Forum.

Dr. Komal Bajaj is an agency-building healthcare leader, catalyzing transformation across all facets of healthcare delivery. Dr. Bajaj’s work sits at the nexus of quality, technology, and environmental sustainability. She serves as chief quality officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi/North Central Bronx and Medical Director for Sustainability for NYC Health + Hospitals. Dr. Bajaj is an advisor to a variety of public and private entities including the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality – she was appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the National Advisory Council in 2022. Dr. Bajaj is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and was named as one of Becker’s Hospital Review Top Patient Safety Experts in 2024. She was an inaugural National Academy of Medicine Diagnostic Excellence Scholar. Dr. Bajaj’s work is regularly featured in media outlets such as New York Times, NPR, Modern Healthcare, Becker's Hospital Review as well as the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA Health Forum. She is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.

Ghylian Bell, introduced to meditation and yoga by Bunny Wailer of Bob Marley and The Wailers at 19, is the founder of The Urban Yoga Foundation (UYF). Established in 2007 as a 501c3 non-profit, UYF pioneers yoga and mindfulness initiatives tailored to the needs of students and teachers in underserved communities. Guided by service-based yoga principles, UYF fosters social awareness, collective responsibility, and the reclaiming of indigenous connections to ancient practices. Having impacted over 500,000 individuals, Ghylian collaborated with icons like James Mtume and Cicely Tyson, providing them with personalized practices. Partnering with Beverly Bond of Black Girls Rock, she extended mindfulness programs globally at Barnard College. Her work with Columbia University School of Social Justice reached social workers, frontline personnel, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Corporate clients include 3M and Ford Foundation, with expansions to Citi College of New York, Hostos College, UCLA, and Fordham University. As a NYC vendor, The Urban Yoga Foundation spearheads in-school and outreach programs for the Dept of Ed of NY, solidifying its commitment to holistic wellness. For more details, explore www.urbanyogafoundation.

Greg Olsen is Director of the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), where he oversees the agency’s day-to-day operations and the administration of federal and state-funded programs designed to assist the more than 4.8 million older adult residents in the state, as well as programs that assist family members and others involved with helping older adults needing greater levels of assistance. He previously served as chief of staff and legislative and policy director for Assemblyman Steve Englebright, who is the former chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Aging, as well as leadership roles at the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans and New York State Coalition for the Aging.

Ipsit Vahia, MD, is the Corrigan-Minehan Endowed Chair in Psychiatry and Chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at McLean Hospital. He is also the Medical Director of the Institute for Technology in Psychiatry and the Director of the Technology and Aging Laboratory at McLean. His research focuses on the use of technology, including AI in the assessment and management of older adults. He has published extensively in major international journals and textbooks and is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.

Nima Roohi is the CEO and Co-founder of Blooming Health, a platform transforming access to social care through automation. A technologist and entrepreneur, Nima brings over a decade of leadership experience in AI, data science, and predictive analytics, applying technology to drive efficiency in healthcare, social services, and infrastructure. His personal experience as a first caregiver fuels his mission to build scalable solutions that make social care more accessible, equitable, and impactful. 

Deborah A. Levine, LCSW, ACSW is Director of the Harlem Health Initiative at CUNY SPH. She leads efforts to improve health and reduce disparities in Harlem by expanding access to vital services. Deborah holds a bachelor’s in social work from Fairleigh Dickinson and a master’s from NYU, where she also studied family therapy. She completed advanced training at Hunter College and Columbia University in nonprofit leadership and supervision. For over 25 years, she has helped community groups, faith-based programs, and national nonprofits strengthen their services through health promotion and prevention strategies. Deborah is a founding board member and national secretary of the National Black Women’s HIV/AIDS Network. She has also served as co-chair of New York Knows and chaired the NYC Department of Health’s Women’s Advisory Board.

Myles Hollingsworth is a junior pre-law student at Howard University and a Gen-Z organizer and social activist from New York. Inspired by his parents’ survival of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, Myles leads on social, juvenile, and education justice. He has mobilized national support for DEI expansion, CRT and Black studies in schools, green space preservation, and gun violence prevention laws. Myles serves as President of the NAACP New York State Youth & College Division and has organized major actions with March For Our Lives, Ben & Jerry’s, and other national coalitions. His work has been featured by BET, VICE, CBS, and The CRISIS Magazine, and earned honors including the NYS Senate Youth Leadership Award. As a mentee of Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, Myles continues to build Black political power, turn pain into purpose, and uplift the legacy of justice through youth-led advocacy and community organizing.

Charles Johnson Esq is a licensed attorney for over 10 years with an employment law and statutory background. Mainly involving collective bargaining negotiations, administrative trials, arbitrations, and labor relations. Charles was also a law clerk at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission headquarters in DC under the Obama administration. Currently, Charles works for Cornell University’s ILR school in their Labor and Employment Law Program as an educator building curriculum and teaching courses regarding the various NYS labor and employment laws.  Charles served as 1st Vice Chair of Manhattan’s Community Board 10 (Central Harlem) and currently chairs the Civic Engagement committee for the NAACP’s Mid-Manhattan branch. Charles also serves as an executive committee member for the NAACP New York State Conference.

Jerome Ernst, MD, MS, is an experienced physician, health plan leader, and researcher. He helped found Amida Care (HIV/AIDS Special Needs Plan) in 2001, first as Medical Director and now as Chief Population Health Officer. His career has been spent working with underserved populations. He started and directed the HIV program at Bronx Lebanon Hospital before coming to Amida Care.

He has served as Associate Director of Medicine, Chief of Pulmonary Diseases and Interim Director of Infectious Diseases at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, Medical Director of ACRIA and Acting Medical Director of the Harlem United AIDS Day Care Program. Dr. Ernst was appointed Associate Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and the American College of Chest Physicians. He received his medical degree Magna Cum Laude in 1969 from Tel Aviv University. He is a Linda Laubenstein awardee.