Chantal Kerssens, PhD
Scientific Research
A trained behavioral scientist with a background in digital health and therapeutics, Chantal Kerssens is Winston Center’s Chief Scientific Advisor. In this critical role, she develops and executes scientific studies to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proprietary Winston Protocol — our cutting-edge approach to treating ADHD. She identified the significance and opportunity of digital health early on and is committed to supporting healthcare entrepreneurs on the frontier of medical research.
Dr. Kerssens’ impressive background in academia and at healthcare-focused startups is invaluable to Winston Center. She is the Executive Director at the Georgia Institute of Technology, recruited specifically for the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation. The Center is devoted to accessibility and universal design of technology solutions, and she is responsible for merging separate organizational units into one sustainable service and research center. Moreover, she’s a principal investigator and computer science undergraduate research instructor.
In addition to her academic work, Dr. Kerssens is the Founder of eyiapp, LLC, which helps startups and academic faculty entrepreneurs win highly competitive innovation and commercialization grants. She is also a standing reviewer of SBIR/STTR grant applications to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As a reviewer, Dr. Kerssens is responsible for coordinating, critiquing and delivering multi-million-dollar research and development proposals for hybrid and dispersed teams on tight timelines.
Prior to serving in these roles, Dr. Kerssens was the Vice President of Research and Clinical Innovation at SimpleC, LLC, where she oversaw product development, research and clinical innovation of a mobile health solution for patients with dementia and their caregivers. She published the first peer-reviewed papers in academic journals on behalf of the company.
Additionally, Dr. Kerssens served as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the Emory University School for Medicine. She was also a lecturer teaching undergraduate core curriculum and advanced seminar electives on the physiological underpinnings of consciousness and memory.
Dr. Kerssens is an active industry leader, frequently presenting and publishing. For example, she was the Chair of the Gerontological Society of America’s Symposium on Aging and Gaming. She has written and presented for more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and industry organizations. Dr. Kerssens is the Chair of the Parent Organization Community Group on Learning Disabilities. In addition, she is a member of the American Psychological Association (including Division 21, Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology), the Gerontological Society of America and the International Society of Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment.
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Chantal earned a master’s degree in experimental psychology from the University of Amsterdam, as well as a doctorate in medical/cognitive psychology from Erasmus University Rotterdam.