About Data Design Lab
Research that starts with
community priorities.
Data Design Lab brings community wisdom and professional expertise together to co-create and share practical education, tools, and initiatives that advance disability health.
Community
wisdom.
Professional
expertise.
Bringing perspectives together
Our work connects physicians, people with diverse lived experience of disability, families and supporters, and policymakers around questions that matter to disability communities.
We educate across audiences, address misinformation, and support efforts to improve health and healthcare for people with disabilities across the lifespan.
Meet the team
The people behind
Data Design Lab.
Our team brings expertise in disability health, research, public health, medical education, program development, and program management.
Priya Chandan
MD, MPH, PhD
Founder & Chief Engagement Officer
Dr. Priya Chandan is a nationally recognized physician-scientist who leads innovative population health, health professional training, and disability community engagement efforts.
More about Priya
With 15+ years of leadership in disability health, she brings expertise in health services research, mixed methods data analysis, and community engaged scholarship.
Dr. Chandan is an autistic woman of color who has worked in the disability space for decades as an ally to her older brother with Down syndrome. She enjoys facilitating connection between community networks and professional networks to improve the health of people with disabilities and other populations experiencing health disparities.
Dr. Chandan is the Founder and Chief Engagement Officer of Data Design Lab, LLC.
Peyton Purcell
MPH
Chief Operating Officer
Peyton Purcell is an experienced public health leader with more than 11 years of work in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) field, specializing in health behavior, community engagement, curriculum development, and multi‑site program management.
More about Peyton
She previously served as Director of Medical Operations and Senior Manager for Health Promotion and MedFest at Special Olympics International, where she supported global program implementation, resource development, and clinical training across diverse regions.
She has led national disability health equity projects with Special Olympics International, the National Disability Institute, and American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, as well as global organizational and professional development training programs with U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau of Global Health. She currently serves as co‑Director of NICHE‑MED and coordinates national research, training, and resource development in disability‑inclusive health.
Peyton holds a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College and an MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
Peyton is the Chief Operating Officer for Data Design Lab, LLC.
Jamie Valis
PhD
Chief Program Officer
Jamie Valis is an experienced program design and training leader specializing in strengthening healthcare delivery and outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
More about Jamie
Prior experience includes roles at Special Olympics, where Jamie led Strong Minds, Healthy Hearing, and Fit Feet. She then moved on to a training role leading the online and in-person global training for Clinical Directors. After Special Olympics, she transitioned to Kramer Davis, contributing to clinical workforce training and systems‑level improvements for individuals with IDD.
Jamie holds a PhD in Human Development and Health Promotion and has a strong background in health education, training, program management, and wellness initiatives across various organizations and educational institutions.
Jamie is the Chief Program Officer for Data Design Lab, LLC.
Guiding principles
A bigger table.Co-creation.Meaningful action.
01
Invite people whose perspectives are often left out.
We have a responsibility to make room for people with diverse lived experience and others whose knowledge can shape the work.
02
Share decisions about data.
People involved in generating data should be involved in decisions using it.
03
Start with community priorities.
Research should answer community-prioritized questions and result in action.
See the work
Explore our projects
and initiatives.
See how our team works with partner organizations and disability communities.