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Our Leaders

We are dedicated to harnessing the transformative power of artificial intelligence to create a better world. Our mission is to drive social good through innovative AI solutions, professional networking, and mentorship programs.

AI4Purpose Leadership Team

Hey, Let's Meet Our Officers

Kelly H. Zou - Founder and CEO

Kelly H. Zou

Founder and CEO

Kelly H. Zou, PhD, PStat, is the Founder and CEO of AI4Purpose Inc. and NYC President of the American Statistical Association Caucus of Industry Representatives. A Fellow of the American Statistical Association and an Accredited Professional Statistician, she has held senior roles at Pfizer and Harvard Medical School, with over 150 professional articles and 5 books.

Dhaval L. Patel - Founder and CAIO

Dhaval L. Patel

Founder and CAIO

Dhaval is the Founder and CAIO of AI4Purpose and an Adjunct Professor at NYU, teaching Data Analytics, Data Science, and AI. With nearly 20 years of experience, he has led AI and data-driven initiatives at SAS, Novartis, ZS Associates, Pfizer, and Aetna. He specializes in leveraging data and AI to generate insights, guide strategy, and drive innovation across industries.

Fremiet Lara - CHO

Fremiet Lara

CHO

Chief Health Officer with 20+ years in healthcare technology innovation. Previously VP of Clinical Innovation at Decisio Health and a lead developer at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Lara is a published author in Nature with over 5,800 citations.

Jason Manuel - COO

Jason Manuel

COO

COO of AI4Purpose and former senior leader at Pfizer. With 15+ years of global operational strategy and transformation experience, Jason has led cross-functional teams across U.S., EMEA, LATAM, and APAC regions.

Richard Cunningham - CAO

Richard Cunningham

CAO

Analytical healthcare leader with experience at McKesson, Sanofi, and Pfizer. Richard specializes in pricing strategy, market access, and finance leadership, holding an MBA in Finance and multiple professional certifications.

Gabriel Jipa - VP & Head of AI Middle East, Senior Advisor

Gabriel Jipa

VP & Head of AI Middle East, Senior Advisor

IT Lead MENA Eurasia and Senior Director at Viatris Inc. with 24+ years of experience across IBM, HP, and Pfizer. Gabriel is an expert in AI, NLP, data science, and healthcare digitization.

Iryna Skrypnyk - VP, Head of AI US East Coast, Senior Advisor

Iryna Skrypnyk

VP, Head of AI US East Coast, Senior Advisor

AI leader with expertise in ethical AI, drug discovery, and healthcare innovation. Former Head of Enterprise Data Science at Clorox, Iryna has worked across biotech, pharma, and academia, driving cutting-edge AI solutions.

Smita Patel - VP, Head of Operations US East Coast

Smita Patel

VP, Head of Operations US East Coast

Data scientist with 12+ years of experience spanning Data Science, Data Analytics, and Dentistry. Smita transitioned from healthcare to data science, driven by a passion for predictive modeling and analytics.

Mina Riad - Director, Operations US East Coast

Mina Riad

Director, Operations US East Coast

Pharmacist with a decade of experience in pharmacy, clinical trials, and real-world evidence. Mina is also a medical writer and coauthor of a critically acclaimed RWE and digital health book.

Senior Advisors

Marc L. Berger - Senior Advisor

Marc L. Berger

Senior Advisor

Former VP of Real World Evidence at Pfizer with extensive experience in health economics and outcomes research. Marc is a recognized leader in developing methodologies for real-world evidence generation and regulatory acceptance.

Gary Cao - Senior Advisor

Gary Cao

Senior Advisor

Senior data science leader with expertise in machine learning applications in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Gary has led multiple AI initiatives focused on drug discovery and clinical trial optimization.

Seray Cicek - Senior Advisor

Seray Cicek

Senior Advisor

Healthcare technology innovator with experience in digital health platforms and AI-driven clinical decision support systems. Seray specializes in translating complex AI algorithms into user-friendly healthcare applications.

Michael Cicchetti - Senior Advisor

Michael Cicchetti

Senior Advisor

Pharmaceutical industry veteran with expertise in regulatory affairs and drug development. Michael has extensive experience in navigating complex regulatory landscapes for innovative healthcare technologies.

Arkin Gupta - Senior Advisor

Arkin Gupta

Senior Advisor

Technology entrepreneur and AI researcher with focus on ethical AI development and social impact applications. Arkin has founded multiple tech startups focused on using AI for social good.

Mitch DeKoven - Senior Advisor

Mitch DeKoven

Senior Advisor

Health economics and outcomes research expert with extensive experience in value-based healthcare and health technology assessment. Mitch specializes in demonstrating the economic value of innovative healthcare interventions.

Lisa DeTora - Senior Advisor

Lisa DeTora

Senior Advisor

Clinical research leader with expertise in biostatistics and clinical trial design. Lisa has extensive experience in pharmaceutical development and regulatory submissions for innovative therapies.

Patricia Dorling - Senior Advisor

Patricia Dorling

Senior Advisor

Healthcare data analytics expert with experience in population health management and healthcare quality improvement. Patricia specializes in using data analytics to improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery.

Jui Haker - Senior Advisor

Jui Haker

Senior Advisor

Data science leader with expertise in machine learning applications in healthcare and life sciences. Jui has extensive experience in developing predictive models for clinical and operational healthcare applications.

Patrick Keran - Senior Advisor

Patrick Keran

Senior Advisor

Healthcare technology executive with experience in digital health innovation and healthcare IT systems. Patrick has led multiple initiatives in healthcare digital transformation and AI implementation.

Sonali Shah - Senior Advisor

Sonali Shah

Senior Advisor

Pharmaceutical industry leader with expertise in drug development and regulatory strategy. Sonali has extensive experience in bringing innovative therapies from research to market.

Lesley G. Shane - Senior Advisor

Lesley G. Shane

Senior Advisor

Biopharma strategic leader with global healthcare research and data expertise, specializing in real-world evidence, health economics, patient outcomes, policy, HTA, and value frameworks to inform decision-making. Lesley advances therapies, diagnostics, AI-driven digital health, and devices from clinical and regulatory development to launch and market access.

Li Wang - Senior Advisor

Li Wang

Senior Advisor

Biostatistics and data science expert with extensive experience in clinical research and pharmaceutical development. Li specializes in statistical methodologies for complex healthcare data analysis.

Jennifer Whiteley - Senior Advisor

Jennifer Whiteley

Senior Advisor

Healthcare quality and safety expert with experience in healthcare improvement initiatives and patient safety programs. Jennifer specializes in using data and technology to enhance healthcare quality.

Qiuyi Wu - Senior Advisor

Qiuyi Wu

Senior Advisor

Machine learning researcher with expertise in AI applications in healthcare and biomedical research. Qiuyi has published extensively on AI methodologies for medical data analysis and clinical decision support.

Mei Yang - Senior Advisor

Mei Yang

Senior Advisor

Healthcare data scientist with expertise in predictive analytics and population health management. Mei specializes in developing AI models for healthcare risk prediction and intervention optimization.

Marcia Levenstein - Senior Advisor

Marcia Levenstein

Senior Advisor

Healthcare innovation leader with experience in digital health startups and healthcare technology commercialization. Marcia has extensive experience in bringing innovative healthcare technologies to market.

Kim Lee - Senior Advisor

Kim Lee

Senior Advisor

Clinical informatics expert with experience in electronic health records and clinical decision support systems. Kim specializes in integrating AI technologies into clinical workflows and healthcare information systems.

Zhanna Jumadilova - Senior Advisor

Zhanna Jumadilova

Senior Advisor

Healthcare analytics leader with expertise in real-world evidence generation and health outcomes research. Zhanna has extensive experience in using healthcare data to generate insights for improved patient care.

Digital Content Designers and Webmasters

Siddh Mandirwala - Web Developer (Volunteer)

Siddh Mandirwala

Web Developer (Volunteer)

Full-stack developer and graduate student at NYU with experience in web development and machine learning. Siddh contributes technical expertise to support AI4Purpose's mission of leveraging technology for social impact.

Yirun Wang - VP, Head of Digital Design Innovation

Yirun Wang

VP, Head of Digital Design Innovation

Digital solution developer with a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon. Yirun specializes in software engineering, product design, and healthcare AI tools, with leadership roles in tech and finance clubs.

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