Professor Jacob Hooker has built his career on the concept that measuring neurochemistry in the living human brain can have a profound impact on human health and wellbeing. Through the development of new tools and techniques, Prof. Hooker is advancing our fundamental understanding of diseases and disorders like Alzheimer’s and autism. His work has led to many landmark firsts—first human neuroepigenetic imaging technology, first linkage between glial activation and chronic low back pain, first demonstration of dynamic neurochemical imaging (fPET)—and catalyzes others to achieve advances of their own. He has dramatically expanded the capabilities of PET imaging by pioneering new radiotracer synthesis methods, radiotracers and concepts. At the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital, he founded and directs a first-in-class imaging facility that merges functional MRI and positron emission tomography for neurochemical study.  Prof. Hooker is currently the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport MGH Research Scholar and an associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School.

To learn more about the work coming from his lab and his incredible collaborators, visit: https://hookerlab.martinos.org.

Professor Jacob Hooker has built his career on the concept that measuring neurochemistry in the living human brain can have a profound impact on human health and wellbeing. Through the development of new tools and techniques, Prof. Hooker is advancing our fundamental understanding of diseases and disorders like Alzheimer’s and autism. His work has led to many landmark firsts—first human neuroepigenetic imaging technology, first linkage between glial activation and chronic low back pain, first demonstration of dynamic neurochemical imaging (fPET)—and catalyzes others to achieve advances of their own. He has dramatically expanded the capabilities of PET imaging by pioneering new radiotracer synthesis methods, radiotracers and concepts. At the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital, he founded and directs a first-in-class imaging facility that merges functional MRI and positron emission tomography for neurochemical study.  Prof. Hooker is currently the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport MGH Research Scholar and an associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School.

To learn more about the work coming from his lab and his incredible collaborators, visit: https://hookerlab.martinos.org.

Andy Shin, JD, MPH is Chief Operating Officer for the AHA Center for Health Innovation a new endeavor by the American Hospital Association aiming to accelerate health system innovation through leadership development, national learning collaboratives, data analytics, market intelligence and strategic partnerships. As the commercial hub for the AHA, the Center for Health Innovation also engages stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem from startups to the Fortune 100 to help advance the field towards a society of healthy communities, where all individuals reach their highest potential for health. Previously, he was COO of the Health Research and Educational Trust, the non-profit research and education affiliate of the AHA.

Prior to the AHA, Andy led strategy and partnerships for an international non-profit focused on resiliency and organizational cultures of wellbeing, based at Massachusetts General Hospital. His experience also includes consulting for multinational manufacturers, industry trade groups and the biopharmaceutical sector in addition to roles in equity research, business development and policy. He has also served in the federal government including as an Energy and Commerce committee staffer during drafting of the Affordable Care Act and helping to launch a government startup from the ground up, the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI), where amongst other responsibilities he led stakeholder engagement.

Andy serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Population Health Management. He was a Reynolds Foundation Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship with the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School and is currently a MBA candidate in the MIT Sloan School of Management, Executive MBA Program.

Nancy is remodeling her years of business experience to support healthcare improvement ventures and economic development in underserved communities. A certified dance instructor, Nancy is particularly focused on dance as a means to empower young people and to foster cross-cultural appreciation and community health.

In January 2018, Nancy retired from Pfizer, a leading global healthcare company. In her 31 years at Pfizer, Nancy’s leadership roles included VP Corporate Strategy and senior positions in Business Development and Organization Development. Her contributions helped to expand the product portfolio, forging business development collaborations in digital health technologies. While at Pfizer, Nancy also founded and led a “company within a company”, Pfizer Health Solutions (PHS), a subsidiary delivering care management and clinical decision services to payers and providers.  

Prior to Pfizer, Nancy’s experience included clinical research in a psychiatric hospital, marketing of biomedical devices, leadership development at IBM, and behavioral psychology in a state mental health facility.

Leveraging her skills in corporate strategy, organization development and health outcomes, Nancy serves as an advisor in the MIT Catalyst program and previously supported the MIT Impact program. Nancy also works with start-ups at Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), an inclusive accelerator focused on economic development in underserved cities in Massachusetts.

Nancy holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the New School for Social Research and a master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University.

Ben Vakoc received a PhD in applied physics from Stanford University in 2001 where he researched the application of optical sensing devices for sonar applications. After his dissertation research, Dr. Vakoc participated in a venture funded start-up company, Novera Optics, which developed optical devices for the telecommunications marker. In 2002, Dr. Vakoc joined the Wellman Center for Photomedicine to participate in the development and translation of optical instrumentation to the clinic and biology laboratory.

Their laboratory focuses on the development and translation of optical technologies into either patient care or biological studies. In the clinic, they are developing coherent optical imaging platforms that can be deployed endoscopically to diagnosis and guide the treatment of disease. In the biological laboratory, they are developing these imaging technologies into tools that provide new insight into disease processes and therapeutic responses. The Lab’s methodology combines a core focus on optical technologies with broad-based engineering and cross-disciplinary collaboration.