Gida Health
We are an early-stage diagnostics company developing a novel point-of-care platform that delivers lab-accurate results anywhere, even in settings without reliable infrastructure.
Transforming Health with Data
Gida Health was founded on the belief that better data—available immediately—leads to better questions, and better questions lead to better health outcomes. We are moving allostatic load from a research concept to a clinical tool, providing doctors a way to quantify this risk and objectively track the impact of their interventions over time.
Our universal, low-power reader and microfluidic platform, protected under a filed provisional patent, is designed from the start to be expanded into a suite of tests for both advanced clinical biomarkers (like stress) and critical environmental pathogens (like water contaminants). This technology will be a powerful practice differentiator for Direct Primary Care (DPC) doctors, providing deep, scientific validation for addressing stress and allowing them to demonstrate tangible value to their patients by targeting the root cause of many modern diseases.
Where It Started
Gida Health was founded on a belief that better data—available immediately—leads to better questions, and better questions lead to better health outcomes.
The inspiration came from a personal health journey. After routine bloodwork with my direct primary care doctor showed a rapid decline in key biomarkers over an eight-month period—a time of significant external stress—it raised clinical concerns that led to a referral for specialist care.
The process was fraught with delay. Even in my best-case scenario—receiving results the next day—I experienced the anxiety of waiting. For most people, the process is even slower, requiring an appointment at an outside lab with delays of days or weeks for results. This is not just an inconvenience; it’s a significant barrier. People are busy. Requiring a separate appointment, taking more time off work, and managing other responsibilities often causes patients to delay or even skip crucial follow-up care altogether. It was after this waiting period that I calculated my allostatic load. Quantifying the physiological impact of my stress provided me with a crucial framework for understanding my situation. It armed me with the knowledge and confidence to ask more informed questions and to collaboratively explore the potential connections between my stressors and my declining health with my care team. This proactive engagement helped guide the pursuit of additional testing, which ultimately identified the root cause.
This experience illuminated a critical gap: the healthcare system is built on delays. The lag between sample collection and insight creates anxiety, slows down critical decision-making, and creates logistical barriers that prevent people from completing their care. Gida Health exists to bridge that gap. We are building tools to provide answers during the same clinical visit, eliminating the wait, the anxiety, and the need for a separate trip. We translate complex science into clear, actionable insights, empowering individuals to engage in their health proactively and enabling doctors to practice truly preventative, precision medicine.
Empowering Health
Our Services
We are currently in the research and development phase, building a universal diagnostic platform. Our first product addresses a critical gap in preventative medicine: the lack of objective measurement for chronic stress. We are creating the first point-of-care test that quantifies allostatic load—the body’s physiological burden of chronic stress.
Allostatic Load Testing Service
Designed to provide physicians with an in-office tool to objectively quantify a patient’s physiological stress burden from a finger-prick blood sample.
On-Site Water Safety Testing
A potential application of our platform would allow for the rapid detection of pathogenic contaminants—such as E. coli—directly at the water source, designed for use in remote and low-resource settings.
About Us
Amirah Ellis-Gilliam, MPH
CEO/Founder
Amirah, is a PhD Candidate in Bioinformatics and Data Science, leveraging over 15 years of experience in public health and epidemiology to bridge the gap between complex biomarker research and practical, patient-centered care.
Her expertise is rooted in a unique combination of advanced computational research and frontline public health response. As an epidemiologist for the Delaware Division of Public Health, she led COVID-19 response efforts in long-term care facilities and developed data visualizations to guide state-level policy. This on-the-ground experience provided a deep understanding of the critical need for accessible, real-time diagnostic data.
Her doctoral research at the University of Delaware is at the forefront of biomedical data science, involving the analysis of large-scale national Electronic Health Records (EHR) databases, including All of Us and the N3C Enclave, to identify biomarker patterns that predict complex conditions. Her research has been supported by competitive fellowships, including the University Graduate Scholars Award for her first two years and a prestigious NIH T32 Predoctoral Training Grant for her third year.
Amirah’s career is dedicated to translating data into action. She is applying her deep knowledge of population health and biomarker analysis to build Gida Health, LLC transforming her research vision into tools that empower both individuals and clinicians to understand and manage health proactively.
Key Qualifications & Highlights
- PhD Candidate, Bioinformatics & Data Science (Ant. 2026), University of Delaware
- Master of Public Health (MPH), Epidemiology, Virginia Commonwealth University
- NIH T32 Predoctoral Fellow (2024-2025)
- University Graduate Scholars Award (2022-2024)
- AIM Ahead NCATS Training Program Awardee (2025)
- Proficient in: R, Power BI, EHR analysis, and bioinformatics tools (DAVID, STRING).
- Published Author in peer-reviewed journals and public health reports.
Amirah Ellis-Gilliam, MPH: Founder & CEO
Expertise: Bioinformatics | Public Health Epidemiology | Health Data Science
Dr. Herman M. Ellis, MD, MPH, FACPM, AOAAM
Medical Advisor
Dr. Ellis is a board-certified physician in General Preventive Medicine, Public Health, and Addiction Medicine with over 40 years of leadership in public health, occupational medicine, and behavioral health. His career spans government, academia, corporate health, and correctional health systems, where he has led initiatives to improve population health, workplace safety, and substance use disorder treatment.
He has served as State Epidemiologist in New Jersey, Medical Director for the State of Delaware, and Chief Medical Officer for major corporations including Rohm and Haas, IBM, and Monsanto. Dr. Ellis also served as Chief Epidemiologist for the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet and directed the Clinical Services Division at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing healthcare services for more than one million federal employees. His work continues to focus on advancing preventive medicine and expanding access to evidence-based addiction care.
Key Qualifications and Highlights.
- Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine, Public Health & Addiction Medicine
- Medical Director & CEO, Ramazzini Occupational Health Associates, LLC
- Former State Epidemiologist, New Jersey
- Former Medical Director, State of Delaware
- Held Chief Medical Officer roles at Rohm and Haas, IBM, and Monsanto
- Served as Chief Epidemiologist, U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet
- Former Director, Clinical Services Division, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Herman M. Ellis, MD, MPH, FACPM, AOAAM: Medical Advisor
Expertise: Preventive Medicine | Addiction Medicine | Occupational Health | Public Health Epidemiology
What Sets Us Apart
We are not just building a single-use device. We are developing a universal, low-power reader and microfluidic platform, protected under a filed provisional patent, and designed from the start to be expanded into a suite of tests for both advanced clinical biomarkers (like stress) and critical environmental pathogens (like water contaminants).
From Abstract to Actionable
We are moving allostatic load from a research concept to a clinical tool.
A Platform for Precision and Access
We are developing a universal, low-power reader and microfluidic platform.
A New Standard for Preventative Care
For direct primary care doctors, this technology will be a powerful practice differentiator.
Contact Us!
As we are currently in the research and development phase we do not have set business hours. Please contact us via email for any inquiries.
Email: agilliam@gidahealth.com