Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD

Dr. Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD Assistant Professor
Rehabilitation Sciences Division/School of Allied Health Sciences
Fellow, Sealy Center on Aging

Contact Information:
The University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas 77555-0460
Phone: (409) 747-3580
FAX:     (409) 772-8931
E-mail: soalsnih@utmb.edu

Medical School: Universidad Central de Venezuela, "Luis Razetti" School of Medicine, University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela, 1986
Internship: Internship at the University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela, 1987-1988
Residency: Internal Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, "Luis Razetti" School of Medicine, University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela, 1989-1991
Fellowship: Rheumatology, Universidad Central de Venezuela, "Luis Razetti" School of Medicine, University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela 1992-1993
Master of Science, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, May, 2001
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX May, 2005

Board Certification:

MD - Internal Medicine with subspeciality in Rheumatology issued by the Ministerio de Sanidad y Asistencia Social, license No. 25.569. 1986.

PROFESSIONAL AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

1971 to 1972 Intern, Harbor General Hospital, Torrance, CA
1998-2005 Visiting Scientist, Department of Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
1994-1998 Faculty, Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Rheumatology. School of Medicine "Luis Razetti". Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas, Venezuela.
1994-1998 Head of epidemiology section. Centro Nacional de Enfermedades Reumáticas, University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela.
1996-1998 Director of the second-year rheumatology fellows, University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela.
1992-1993 Fellow in the Rheumatology Program at the University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela.
1989-1991 Resident in the Internal Medicine Program at the University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela
1987-1988 Intern-ship at the University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES:

A. Area of research

  1. Disablement process in older Mexican Americans and elders from Latin America.
  2. Comparison of anthropometric measures and its association with disability and mortality among older Mexican Americans and elders from Latin America.
  3. Association between weight change and disability, cardiovascular disease and mortality in older Mexican Americans.
  4. Association between BMI and disability, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in older Mexican Americans.
  5. Predictors of decline in hand grip muscle strength in older Mexican Americans.
  6. Upper and lower muscle strength as predictors of disability in older Mexican Americans.
  7. Anthropometric measures and incidence of diabetes mellitus and glycemia control in older Mexican Americans.
  8. Predictor factors of movement limitation of shoulder and knee-hip among older Americans using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994).
  9. Association of knee pain and physical performance test in older Americans using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994).
  10. Interaction between arthritis and diabetes on ADL and IADL disability in older Americans using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994).

B. Completed Research Support

Previous funding

(Ostir-PI)                                                                  09/01/03 - 08/31/04
Pan American Health Organization
World Health Organization
Examining correlates of functional ability for older adults in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean

The goal of this proposal is to examine cross-national factors associated with functional ability in older Mexican Americans, older Puerto Ricans, and older people from various Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Role: Research Scientist

Pending:

Obesity and incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and glycemic control in older Mexican Americans. Soham Al Snih, M.D., Ph.D. PI, 60% time, 07/01/06-06/30/08: $415,250 (total cost), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases/NIH/DHHS, R21 DK075997-01.

COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES:

1997-1998 Administrative committee of the National Center of Rheumatic Diseases. Caracas-Venezuela.
1992-1993 Fellow representative of the rheumatology fellows. Caracas, Venezuela

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES (UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA- RHEUMATOLOGY PROGRAM):

1994 - 1998 Critical Appraisal of the Literature, course director
1994 - 1998 Lectures of Rheumatic Diseases

MEMBERSHIP IN SCIENTIC SOCIETIES:

1994 - present Member of the Venezuelan Society of Rheumatology.
1994 - present Member of the Pan American League Against Rheumatism (PANLAR).
1997 - present Member of the Venezuelan Society of Internal Medicine.
2000 - present Member of the Gerontological Society of America.
2004 - present Member of the American Geriatrics Society.
2005 - present Member of the American College of Rheumatology.

HONORS/AWARDS:

1988 Public recognition as a Renowned Employer of the Institution - University Hospital, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas-Venezuela.

1999 Best Student Poster at the Forum on Aging

2000 Best Student Poster at the Forum on Aging

2001 Sealy Center on Aging Graduate Student Award

2001 Best Student Poster at the Forum on Aging

2002 Best Student Poster at the Forum on Aging

2003 Best Student Poster at the Forum on Aging

2003 Pan American Health Organization award to present work entitled "Prevalence of self-reported arthritis among elders in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Mexican Americans from the Southwestern United States, in San Juan Puerto Rico" (December 2003).

2004 Don W. Micks Scholarship in Preventive Medicine and Community Health

2004 Rose and Harry Walk Research Award

2004 Presidential Poster Award at the American Geriatric Society (AGS) Annual Meeting for the best poster in the Geriatric Syndromes Category

2005 Best Student Poster at the Forum on Aging

2006 Who's Who in America - 2006

1. REVIEWER OF MANUSCRIPT FOR:

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Journal of Aging and Health.
Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
Annals of Epidemiology Journal.
Archives of Physical Medical and Rehabilitation Journal.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
Cancer Detection and Prevention Journal.
Ethnicity & Disease.

2. Thesis tutorships:

1997. Anna Mildred Bonura, MD. Observer variation of the left fourth sound and presystolic apical impulse. Thesis for degree of Specialty in Cardiology. "Luis Razetti" School of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas, Venezuela.

1997. Mariela Castro, MD. Quality of life (AIMS) evaluation in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Thesis for degree of Specialty in Rheumatology. "Luis Razetti" School of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas, Venezuela.

3. Thesis advice:

1994. Yajaira Monteiro, MD. Correlation between high resolution chest computer tomography and bronchoalveolar lavage to evaluate pulmonary parenchimal involvement in collagen diseases. Division of Lung Diseases. University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela.

1995. Isora Arias, MD. Correlation of prolactin serum levels and disease activity in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Division of Internal Medicine. University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela.

1996. Carlos Fragachán, MD, Wadi Alaeddine, MD, Luis Dávalos, MD. Predictive value of electrocardiogram in congenital cardiopathy. Division of Cardiology. University Hospital. Caracas, Venezuela.

4. Research advice (Geriatric Fellows):

2003. Michelle Fisher, M.D. Positive affect and disability among older Mexican Americans with arthritis.

2003. Norman Egger, M.D. Is protein-energy intake related to muscle strength in the elderly?

2004. Sam Peng, M.D.

2004. Belal Sheraf, M.D. Weight change and incidence of cardiovascular disease among older Mexican Americans.

2004. Hina Mahmoud, M.D. Weight change and its association with lower body disability among older Mexican Americans.

2005. Kuashik VP, M.D. Factors associated with seven-year incidence of diabetic complications among older Mexican Americans.

2005. Kuashik VP, M.D. Impact of diabetes on arthritis associated ADLs and IADLs disability in elderly Americans: Findings from NHANES III data (1988 - 1994).

2005. Rotkiewicz AM, M.D. Predictors of cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans with diabetes mellitus.

2005. Syed I, M.D. Factors associated with the stress component of Stress and Arousal Checklist (SACL).

2005. Eksinar S, M.D. Factors associated with perforated appendicitis in younger and older patients. Is there a difference?

5. Research advice (Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Center Visiting Scholar in Aging Sealy Center on Aging):

2005. Duarte Y. Ph.D. Health care utilization in Brazilian elders.

2005. Alfaro-Acha A. M.D. Handgrip strength and cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans.

2005. Alfara-Acha A. M.D. Walking sped and cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans.

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS:

  1. 1. Al Snih S, Markides KS, Ray LA, Goodwin, JS. Prevalence of arthritis in older Mexican Americans. Arthritis Care Res.13:409-416; 2000.
  2. 2. Al Snih S, Markides KS, Ostir GV, Goodwin JS. Impact of arthritis on disability among older Mexican Americans. Ethnicity Dis.11:19-23; 2001.
  3. 3. Al Snih S, Markides KS, Ray LA, Goodwin, J.S. Impact of pain on weight-bearing on disability among older Mexican Americans. (See comments). (Journal article). J Gerontol. Med Sci. 56A:M400-M404; 2001.
  4. 4. Al Snih S, Markides KS, Ray LA, Glenn V Ostir, Goodwin, J.S. Hand grip strength and mortality in older Mexican Americans. J Am Geriatr Soc. 50:1250-1256; 2002.
  5. 5. Al Snih S, Markides KS, Ray LA, Ostir GV, Goodwin JS. Predictors of recovery in activities of daily living among older Mexican Americans. Aging Clin Exp Res.15: 315-320; 2003.
  6. 6. Pons-Estel BA, Catoggio LJ, Cardiel MH, Soriano ER, Gentiletti S, Villa AR, Abadi I, Caeiro F, Alvarellos A, Alarcón-Segovia D, on behalf of the grupo Latinoamericano de tudio del lupus. The GLADEL Multinational Latin American prospective inception cohort of 1,214 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Ethnic and disease heterogeneity among “Hispanics”. Medicine. 83:1-17; 2004.
  7. 7. Fisher MN, Al Snih S, Ostir GV, Goodwin JS. Positive affect and disability among older Mexican American with arthritis. Arthritis Care Res. 51:34-39; 2004.
  8. 8. Raji M, Al Snih S, Ray LA, Patel KV, Markides KS. Cognitive status and incident disability in older Mexican Americans. Ethn Dis. 14:26-31; 2004.
  9. 9. Raji MA, Al Snih S, Ray LA, Patel KV, Markides KS. Early mental ability may predict future ability to live independently.Ethn Dis.14:158-159; 2004.
  10. 10. Reyes-Ortiz CA, Al Snih S, Ray LA, Loera J, Markides KS. Risk factors for falling in older Mexican Americans. Ethn Dis. 14:417-422; 2004.
  11. 11. Al Snih S, Kyriakos S. Markides, Ottenbacher KJ, Raji MA. Hand grip strength and incident ADL disability in elderly Mexican Americans over seven-years. Aging Clin Exp Res. 16:481-486; 2004.
  12. 12. Raji MA, Young-Fang K, Al Snih S, Sharaf BM, Loera JA. Herbs, Minerals and Vitamins: Prevalence and pattern of use in adults aged 77 and older. Ann Pharmacother; 39:1019-1023; 2005.
  13. 13. Donato Alarcón-Segovia, Marta E. Alarcón-Riquelme, Mario H. Cardiel, Francisco Caeiro, Loreto Massardo, Antonio R. Villa, Bernardo A. Pons-Estel, on behalf of the Grupo Latinoamericano de Estudio del Lupus Eritematoso (GLADEL). Familial aggregation of systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases in 1,177 lupus patients from the GLADEL cohort. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 52:1138-1147;2005.
  14. 14. Reyes-Ortiz C, Al Snih S, Markides KS. Risk factors for falls among elders in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Mexican Americans from the Southwestern United States. Pan Am J Public Health. 17(5/6):362-369;2005.
  15. 15. Al Snih S, Raji MA, Peek KM, Ottenbacher KJ. Pain, lower extremity muscle strength and physical function among older Mexican Americans. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 86:1394-1400;2005.
  16. 16. Raji MA, Kuo YF, Al Snih S, Markides KS, Peek MK, Ottenbacher KJ. Cognitive status, muscle strength, and subsequent disability in older Mexican Americans J Am Geriatr Soc. 53:1462-1468;2005.
  17. 17. Ottenbacher KJ, Ostir GV, Peek MK, Al Snih S, Raji MA, Markides KS. Frailty in older Mexican Americans. J Am Geriatr Soc. 53:1524-1532;2005.
  18. 18. Al Snih S, Fisher MN, Raji M, Markides KS, Ostir GV, Goodwin JS. Diabetes and incidence of lower body disability among older Mexican Americans. J Gerontol. Med Sci. 60:1152-1156; 2005.
  19. 19. Al Snih S, Raji MA, Markides KS, Ottenbacher KJ, Goodwin JS. Weight change and lower body disability among older Mexican Americans.J Am Geriatr Soc. 53:1730-1737;2005.
  20. 20. Garcia MA, Marcos JC, Marcos AI, Pons-Estel BA, Wojdyla D, Arturi A, Babini JC, Catoggio LJ, Alarcon-Segovia D. Male systemic lupus erythematosus in a Latin-American inception cohort of 1214 patients. Lupus. 14:938-946; 2005.
  21. 21. Al Snih S, Ray LA, Markides KS. Prevalence of self-reported arthritis among elders in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Mexican Americans from the Southwestern United States. J Aging Health. 18:207-223; 2006.

IN PRESS:

  1. 1. Al Snih S, Markides KS, Ray LA, Jean L Freeman, Ostir GV, Goodwin JS. Predictores of health care utilization among older Mexican Americans in the Ethnicity and Disease Journal.
  2. 2. Al Snih S, Markides KS, Ray LA, Jean L Freeman, Ostir GV, Goodwin JS. Health care use in older Mexican Americans in the Ethnicity and Disease Journal.
  3. 3. Amador LF, Al Snih S, Markides KS, Goodwin JS. Weight change and mortality among older Mexican Americans in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research journal.
  4. 4. Amador LF, Al Snih S, Markides KS, Goodwin JS. Body mass index and change in blood pressure over a 7-year period among older Mexican Americans in Clinical Interventions Aging Journal.
  5. 5. Alfaro-Acha A, Al Snih S, Raji A. Mukalla, Marikides KS, Ottenbacher KJ. Handgrip strength and cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

Book Chapter

  1. 1. Al Snih S. "Arthritis and other Rheumatic diseases" for the SAGE Reference project Encyclopedia of Health and Aging.

SUBMITTED:

  1. 1. Rotkiewicz AM, Al Snih S, Kuo J, Raji MA, Markides KS, Goodwin JS. Cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans with and without diabetes in the Ethnicity and Disease Journal.
  2. 2. Kuashik VP, Al Snih S, Ray LA, Raji MA, Markides KS, Goodwin JS. Factors associated with seven-year incidence of diabetic complications among older Mexican Americans in American Journal of Diabetes.
  3. 3. Al Snih S, Markides KS, Kuo Y, Ottenbacher KJ, Goodwin JS. Different impact of obesity on functional independence versus mortality in Older Americans in the New England Journal of Medicine.
  4. 4. Sánchez G, Castro JS, Al Snih S, Pérez-Blanco L, Esteva MH, García MacGregor E, González M, Granados Y, Marín F, Rosas A, Tristano A, Chirinos E, Mundaraín L, Sanoja G, Zambrano-Marín G, Martín A. Rodríguez. Survival of treatment with methotrexate in Venezuelan patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the Rheumatology International Journal.
  5. 5. Alfaro-Acha A, Al Snih S, Raji A. Mukalla, Marikides KS, Ottenbacher KJ. Does gait speed predict cognitive decline in older Mexican Americans in the Journal of American Geriatric Society.

THESIS AND DISSERTATION:

  1. 1. Al Snih S. Splenomegaly. Observer variation in semiologic maneuvers. Internal Medicine Specialty. Department of Internal Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela, 1992.
  2. 2. Al Snih S. Operative characteristics of the Jones Criteria for the diagnosis of Rheumatic Fever. Rheumatology Specialty. Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Rheumatology, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela, 1994.
    3. Al Snih, S. Impact of arthritis on disability among older Mexican Americans. MS thesis. Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 2001.
    4. Al Snih, S. The Disablement Process in Older Mexican Americans with Arthritis. Ph.D. Dissertation. Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 2005.