AJ Safi Founder
CEO
AJ Safi is a research study coordinator at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Center for Innovative Care in Aging. He works with dementia patients and their families to help them adopt new sleep-enhancing practices. AJ earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and Economics at the Johns Hopkins University in 2012 and a Master of Health Science at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2013.
In the business world, AJ has worked as an Account Manager at EntreQuest, an award-winning management consulting firm. There, he connected companies in the Baltimore area with a network of potential recruits using talent management software.
With a background in medical research and business, AJ aims to establish an intersection between human research recruitment and technology. Studdy Buddy is doing just that: connecting researchers and the public through an easy-to-use interface to simplify study recruitment and participation.
Nora Douglas
CO-FOUNDER
Nora is a native Rochesterian. She attended Johns Hopkins for both her BA and MHS degrees. Her lab work with HIV studies led to her spending two years working with an LGBTQ+ community health center. This was followed by medical school at Howard University and subsequently residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where she is currently a first year psychiatry resident. Nora’s research interests include health disparities and improving access to research participation.
Marissa Kobayashi
CFO & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Marissa Kobayashi is currently a PhD student at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. After graduating from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a Master’s degree in Mental Health, she worked at the Center of Innovative Care in Aging helping to conduct a research study for older adults with dementia. Marissa’s deep understanding of the research process paired with her financial acumen make her a valuable part of the Studdy Buddy team.
Aaron Jacobowitz
WEB DEVELOPER
Aaron is currently a Full Stack Engineer at Fixt. He has designed several websites from inside out. He worked as a middle school teacher in Baltimore City for six years and has now officially forayed into the field of web design. He is excited to a part of the team!
Brian Sachetta
CTO & IOS DEVELOPER
Brian Sachetta is currently an IOS Developer at Intreprid Solutions. Brian has created and designed a number of smartphone applications as a freelancer. He honed his user interface and code troubleshooting skills at Paypal after attending Boston College. Brian’s knack for design and coding expertise has allowed Studdy Buddy to prosper. If you love the Studdy Buddy logo, you have Brian to thank!