The NPO oversaw a grant-making process, provided consultation and technical assistance to grantees, and served as a resource and communications center for information on interactive eHealth applications.

David K. Ahern, PhD
National Program Director

David K. Ahern, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology (Psychiatry) at Harvard Medical School. From 1992-2000, Dr. Ahern was the founder and director of the Behavioral Medicine Service at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) wherein he provided clinical care, mentoring of interns and residents, clinical research and consultative services. Dr. Ahern transferred his primary hospital appointment from MGH to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2000 to continue his collaborative research program with Arthur Barsky, MD within the Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Ahern has had a distinguished career in clinical research in behavioral medicine and the development of behaviorally based, eHealth applications for health promotion and chronic disease management. He has published over 75 original articles in the areas of chronic pain, psychosocial aspects of musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular behavioral medicine, and eHealth research. He has held investigator roles on numerous research grants and contracts funded by multiple agencies including the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, the National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Dr. Ahern holds the position of Senior Scientist Consultant for Abacus Management Technologies based in Rhode Island.

Judy Phalen, MPH
Deputy Director

Judy has over twenty years of experience in program planning, administration and research in non-profit, healthcare and higher education settings. She has created, marketed, implemented and evaluated health education and training on issues including substance use/abuse, HIV/AIDS and sexual assault prevention for various age groups and educational levels. Judy also has an extensive history of coalition and task force leadership, consortium development and network building. She has previously participated in research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the US Department of Education and the National Institute of Mental Health. Judy is a graduate of the University of Michigan's School of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education.

Valerie Thompson
Administrative Coordinator

Prior to joining the Health e-Technologies Initiative, Valerie worked as a Staff Assistant IIl in the Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research (CBAR) at Harvard School of Public Health. There, she provided administrative and technical support to a staff of biostatisticians, research analysts and computer programers. Prior to that, she supported the Director of Research, Connors Center for Women’s Health & Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.