Jess Lake

Research & Operations Lead

Jess Lake is a Research and Operations Lead at AscendRural, where she leads research, program evaluation, and business operations in support of community-driven technology pilots and accelerator programs. Her work focuses on defining success metrics, designing practical evaluation frameworks, and generating actionable evidence to inform scaling and sustainability decisions. She partners with rural community organizations, technology companies, and partners to assess pilot outcomes, guide program design, and translate findings into shared learnings and impact.

Prior to AscendRural, Jess held senior research and scientific leadership roles at early- and growth-stage digital health companies as Chief Science Officer at Limbix and Director of Medical Affairs at Big Health. In these roles, she led clinical and real-world evidence generation, supported product development and regulatory strategy, and worked cross-functionally to translate research and analytics into strategic insights to drive internal business decisions and into clear value narratives for health systems, payers, and partners.

Jess earned her PhD in Psychology & Neuroscience from Duke University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA in translational psychology. Across her career, she has focused on bridging rigorous science, early-stage innovation, and real-world implementation.