Research Team
Alex Chinnasami
Director of Innovation and Applied Social Science
Alex Chinnasami is the director of innovation and applied social science at Cancer GPS and is a social scientist with a focus in nutrition science from NC State University. He co-founded VRELAX, Cancer GPS’s nationally acclaimed virtual reality program for chemotherapy patients alongside his brother Adam. Alex is an architect in AI development specializing in the field of medicine where he uses his skills as a social scientist to blend the needs of engineers with the needs of healthcare professionals to ensure innovative and ethical AI implementation across healthcare systems. Alex co-leads Cancer GPS’s pioneering research team, alongside Adam and Hao. He currently leads the systems design and clinical integration of Cancer GPS’s AI-powered personalization research initiative, ensuring that emerging machine learning models align with the real-world needs of cancer patients and healthcare providers. As a social scientist and architect in applied AI, he designs frameworks that translate complex biosignal data and clinical workflows into patient-centered, ethical, and scalable interventions for cancer care. He enjoys cooking, playing tennis, and playing with his new puppy Hiccup.
Adam Chinnasami
Chief Data & Operations Officer
My work focuses on applying AI and data science to improve cancer care delivery. He holds a degree in quantitative biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with expertise in machine learning, genomic data analysis, and clinical informatics. Adam co-leads Cancer GPS’s pioneering research team, alongside Alex and Hao. Adam has led multiple applied research initiatives at Cancer GPS, including AskBernie, an AI-powered chatbot designed to assist oncology patients with real-time information; GPS Meds, a platform optimizing access to high-prevalence, low-cost cancer medications; and VRELAX, a virtual reality-based supportive care program for patients undergoing chemotherapy. His research integrates computational tools with patient-centered design to address gaps in cancer care. In addition to his scientific work, Adam enjoys reading, cooking, walking his German shepherd, and writing for Global Glam, a luxury lifestyle publication.
Hao Tong
Machine Learning Research Engineer — AI and VR in Oncology
Hao Tong is an experienced machine learning engineer with a strong focus on applying advanced AI techniques to oncology care and patient support. He is currently leading two interdisciplinary research initiatives: the development of a retrieval-augmented, emotion-aware AI chatbot that provides evidence-based responses to cancer-related patient questions, and the creation of a virtual reality-based biosignal modeling system that detects stress and personalizes immersive environments for chemotherapy patients. His expertise spans natural language processing (NLP), time-series analysis, biosignal modeling, and emotion detection, with a foundation in statistical modeling and algorithm development. He has successfully integrated large language models with clinical data for patient-facing applications and built machine learning pipelines to analyze multimodal physiological data (e.g., HRV, GSR, gaze tracking) from wearable and VR devices. Hao co-leads Cancer GPS’s pioneering research team, alongside Adam and Alex. His work supports human-subject research studies and contributes to the advancement of digital therapeutics, clinical decision support, and patient-centered AI systems in healthcare.
Our Team
Dr. Bernard Chinnasami
Founder and CEO
Dr. Bernard Chinnasami graduated from Madras Medical University and completed his oncology fellowship at Wake Forest University. He is currently the medical director of the Hayworth Cancer Center, as a board-certified oncologist. He founded Cancer GPS in order to address the need he saw in his patients to have accurate information on all-things-cancer. In his words: “The goal of Cancer GPS is to create the Google of cancer information.”
Forrest White
Head of Marketing and Caregiving
A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Forrest holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and earned his Master of Public Affairs from there as well. He brings with him a vast array of experience ranging from customer service to public relations to Cancer GPS. Forrest’s mother is a three-time cancer survivor as these experiences have shaped him into having a greater faith and focus on helping those with cancer and their families get through challenging times.
Ellen Winnett
Program Director
Ellen Winnett is the Program Director for Cancer GPS. She holds a masters degree in reading and elementary education and has 37 years experience as an educator. She is also a breast cancer survivor and knows first-hand the challenges patients face during and after treatment. These qualifications make her a good fit for planning educational and social events for survivors. Ellen challenges herself to plan creative, purposeful events that are enjoyable and fun for patients and caregivers. You most likely can recognize her by her many themed costumes she wears for special days and occasions. Ellen delights in providing joy and smiles to others.
Mike Jones
Director of Mentorship
Michael Jones is a 3 time cancer survivor and a paraplegic due to a gunshot wound. With a BS degree in psychology from Winston Salem State University and a strong spiritual background, he can recognize and relate to people who are struggling with life situations. He helped develop our mentor and volunteer program for Cancer GPS and now provides training for interested candidates.
Our Volunteers
Help Support Cancer GPS
Cancer GPS is a 501(c)(3) organization, and your donations allow us to keep providing services to cancer patients and their families. Thank you for your continued support.