Meet the Experts Powering the Future of Independent Living
At Index HealthTech, innovation begins with our people. Our multidisciplinary team brings together leaders in geriatrics, sensor engineering, public health, machine learning, and regulatory strategy—guided by deep clinical partnerships and NIH-funded research. Together, we are redefining what’s possible in AgeTech and AbilityTech.
From ambient radar sensing to behavioral health scoring, from guided hygiene to proactive fall detection, we design intelligent technologies that empower independence, protect dignity, and transform everyday routines into opportunities for care. Whether supporting aging-in-place or enabling those with mobility and cognitive challenges, our team is building the future of in-home wellness—one smart decision at a time.
Our Experts
Steve Waddell
Founder, President & CEO | Contact PI, NIH / NSF SBIR Programs
Steve brings 30+ years of engineering and product leadership. He leads Index's product development (HHI, Sense & Drift Atlas) and serves as PI on all SBIR grants.
Hamid Okhravi, MD
Advisor – Alzheimer's Research & Cognitive Health, Subcontract PI
Board member of the Alzheimer's Association and Alfred E. Abiouness Professor in Geriatrics. Subcontract PI for Index's NIA grant work and advisor on the Healthy Habits Index.
Lisa Koperna, PhD
Advisor, Rehabilitation & Clinical Trials, Subcontract PI
Board-certified Sports Clinical Specialist and Director of the Faschini Wallach Center at Old Dominion University. Dr. Koperna serves as Index's subcontract PI, advising on rehabilitation pathways and clinical trial design.
Anna Jeng, PhD
Advisor, Environmental & SCI Health, Subcontract PI
Professor of Public Health at Old Dominion University and a leading expert in environmental health risk. She serves as subcontract PI on Index's NICHD grant and advises our work with spinal cord injury populations.
John Reinhart
Advisor, Strategic Finance & Commercialization
Entrepreneur-in-Resident at the National Institute on Aging and expert in AgeTech and the Longevity Economy. John advises Index on strategic finance, commercialization, and investor readiness.
Alexander Colton
Advisor, Regulatory Strategy & RTM Compliance
Founder & CEO of Cosmos, Alexander brings expertise in RTM devices and medication adherence. His systems-driven approach supports Index's regulatory and compliance strategy, with a focus on behavioral health and reimbursement.
Mike Estler
Chief Technology Officer Smart Sensing & Connected Health
Mike leads Index’s systems architecture, translating requirements into reliable, secure, & scalable engineering solutions. He manages the technical integration of sensing hardware, communications and analysis software
Aubrey Knight, MD
Advisor - Geriatrics
Section Chief of Geriatrics and Medical Director of Medical Ethics at Carilion Clinic. Dr. Knight brings four decades of geriatric practice to Index HealthTech, supporting the Sense grant program and advising on the Healthy Habits Index.
Bill Gaussa
Advisor, Corporate Strategy & Capital Formation
Former head of Advanced Innovation at Phillips Sleep and Respiratory Care and a two-time exited founder (McKesson, Phillips acquisitions), Bill advises Index HealthTech on strategy, investor readiness, and capital formation.
Syam Anand, PhD
Combinatorial IP & Patent Strategy
Founder of Mainline Intellectual Property, Syam leads Index' combinatorial patent strategy, securing IP across hardware, software, and health behavior analytics. He brings deep expertise in U.S. and international patent law, biotech, and connected health.
Maya Nixon
Director, Clinical Trials
Maya has led three completed NIH-funded clinical studies for Index HealthTech, with a fourth now underway across aging and functional-decline populations. Maya bridges engineering and clinical research, managing study design, site coordination, and data integrity to turn platform innovation into clinically validated evidence.
Dr. Nilanjan Banerjee
Chief Science Officer (CSO) / UMBC
Nilanjan brings deep expertise in machine learning, embedded AI, and high-performance computing to the Index HealthTech platform. As a faculty researcher at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, he leads the synthetic data generation and HPC-based modeling work that powers the platform's behavioral intelligence engine.
Clinical Trials in Progress
Backed by over $5M in NIH grants, our products are being validated in Alzheimer’s and spinal cord injury trials. We partner with top institutions to bring rigor and real-world results to aging-in-place innovation.
For Care Teams & Responders
Backed by over $5M in NIH grants, our products are being validated in Alzheimer’s and spinal cord injury trials. We partner with top institutions to bring rigor and real-world results to aging-in-place innovation.
Join the Mission
Help us empower 1 million lives. Whether you're a caregiver, innovator, or sponsor, your support drives smarter, more dignified living.
Free Guide: Empowering Independence - A Caregiver’s Guide to Supporting Aging Loved Ones at Home
Emailed to you free when you sign up
