CIRWH Fellows
Directory of Expertise in Women's Health

CIRWH Fellows A-C

• Mahmoud S. Ahmed, PhD
  

  Mahmoud S. Ahmed, PhD

  Professor, Maternal-Fetal Pharmacology and Biodevelopment Laboratories
  Director, Maternal-Fetal Pharmacology and Biodevelopment Research

  Research Interests: Fetal exposure to medications used during pregnancy in two therapeutic domains namely, opiate agonists used for treatment of the opiate addict; hypoglycemic drugs used in treatment of gestational diabetes; and developing new drugs for the treatment of HIV infections and antibodies for treatment of nicotine addiction during pregnancy.

  RESEARCH

• Jack Alperin, MD
  

  Jack Alperin, MD

  Clinical Professor, Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology

  Research Interests: Disorders of blood clotting and transfusion medicine.

• Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD
  

  Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD

  Director, Master of Science in Health Professions
  Director, Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Program, School of Public and Population Health (SPPH)
  Assistant Dean for Doctorate Foundational Curriculum, SPPH
  Professor, Population Health and Health Disparities, SPPH
  Professor, Rehabilitation Sciences
  Professor, Nutrition and Metabolism
  Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, Geriatrics

  Research Interests: Obesity, muscle strength, health outcomes, and disability among older Mexican Americans

  RESEARCH

• Beth A. Auslander, PhD
  

  Beth A. Auslander, PhD, MS

  Director, Mental Health for School-Based Clinics
  Professor, Pediatrics, Adolescent and Behavioral Health

  Research Interests: Adolescent sexual health issues and eating disorders.

  RESEARCH

• Alan Barrett, MD
  

  Alan Barrett, MD

  Director, Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences
  Professor, Pathology
  Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
  Professor, Pediatric Vaccinology Research

  Research Interests: The molecular basis of pathogenesis and vaccine development focusing on tick-borne encephalitis, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, and yellow fever.

  RESEARCH

• Abbey B. Berenson, MD, PhD
  

  Abbey Berenson MD, PhD

  Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
  Director, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Division
  Director, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health

  Research Interests: Women's health; human papillomavirus (HPV), birth control efficacy and side effects; and physiology and sexual abuse.

  RESEARCH

• Paul Boor, MD
  

  Paul Boor, MD

  Clinical Professor, Pathology

  Research Interests: Oxidative stress in early atherosclerosis; fetal basis of dissecting aortic aneurysm; and the role of the connective tissue enzyme, SSAO, in human burn wound healing.

• Nigel Bourne, PhD
  

  Nigel Bourne, PhD

  Professor, Pediatric Vaccinology Research
  Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
  Senior Scientist, Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences

  Research Interests: Herpes simplex; and vaccine and other preventive measures against genital infection.

  RESEARCH

• Tonya Callender, DNP, FNP
  

  Tonya Callender, DNP, FNP

  Women's Healthcare Specialist, Obstetrics and Gynecology

  Research Interests: The impact of routine HbA1c testing on patients with a BMI of 30 or greater or early recognition of diabetes or pre-diabetes.

• Shannon Clark, MD, MMS
  

  Shannon Clark, MD, MMS

  Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  Associate Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program

  Research Interests: Medical complication of pregnancy and morning sickness.

  RESEARCH

• Sharon Croisant, MS, PhD
  

  Sharon Croisant, MS, PhD

  Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Director, Community-based Research Facility
  Director, Community Outreach and Education Core
  Co-director, Community Research Coordinating Center

  Research Interests: Translational or integrative research, i.e., building interfaces between and among environmental research, education, and community health.

  RESEARCH

• Kathryn Cunningham, PhD
  

  Kathryn Cunningham, PhD

  Director, Center for Addiction Research
  Professor and Vice Chairman, Pharmacology and Toxicology
  Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

  Research Interests: Neural mechanisms underlying the effects of abused drugs; serotonin; etiology of psychotic (e.g., schizophrenia) and affective disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression); behavioral neuropharmacology of cocaine and MDMA ("ecstasy"); and modulation of stimulant-induced behaviors by female sex hormones.

  RESEARCH

CIRWH Fellows D-K

• Jianli Dong, MD, PhD, MMS
  

  Jianli Dong, MD, PhD, MMS

  Director, Molecular Diagnostics Division, Pathology
  Professor, Pathology
  Adjunct Professor, Clinical Laboratory Sciences

  Research Interests: Research and development of molecular assays as diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic markers for various diseases.

  RESEARCH

• Lisa A. Elferink, PhD
  

  Lisa A. Elferink, PhD

  Professor, Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy
  Assistant Dean, Educational Affairs, School of Medicine
  Director, Instruction Management Office

  Research Interests: Biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genomic analyses, and mechanisms of disease.

  RESEARCH

• Miriam Falzon, PhD
  

  Miriam Falzon, PhD

  Associate Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology

  Research Interests: Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP); human cancers, including breast, prostate, lung, and renal carcinomas; and Vitamin D.

  RESEARCH

• Roberto Garofalo, MD

  

  Roberto Garofalo, MD

  Director, Clinical and Experimental Immunology and Infectious Diseases (CEIID)
  Vice Chair for Research, Pediatrics
  Professor, Pediatrics
  Professor, Microbiology and Immunology

  Research Interests: Dr. Garofalo’s lab is generally focused on the macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1a), a chemokine produced by virally infected lungs. MIP-1a has potent activities on natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that may function as a bridge between innate and adaptive immune responses to RSV infection. His lab seeks to 1) understand the contribution of MIP-1a in RSV-induced lung infection, 2) the role of MIP-1a in the migration and activation of NK cell-driven CTL responses in RSV infection, 3) to identify candidate proteins associated with the virus-induced airway pathology controlled by MIP-1, and 4) to determine with the use of high resolution proteomics whether and how mucosal protein patterns discriminate infants with different forms of illness.

  RESEARCH

• Cara Geary, MD, PhD
  

  Cara Geary, MD, PhD

  Professor, Pediatric Neonatology
  Director, Perinatal Hospice and Palliative Care Program

  Research Interests: Investigating the role of gentle ventilation on neonatal outcomes; updating current Neonatology Clinical Database with an interface to the upcoming electronic medical record; and investigating approaches to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

  RESEARCH

• Maria Giraldo Giraldo, BSc, MSc, PhD
  

  Maria Giraldo Giraldo, BSc, MSc, PhD

  Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology

  Research Interests: Immunity to virus infection; pattern recognition receptor signaling; mechanisms of viral infection and replication; role of Ubiquitin and E3- ubiquitin ligases replication of different viruses (ZIKV, DENV, WNV, Influenza, SARS-CoV-2); role of ubiquitination of ZIKV on reproductive biology (reproductive tissues tropism).

  RESEARCH

• Bin Gong, MD, PhD
  

  Bin Gong, MD, PhD

  Associate Professor, Pathology

  Research Interests: Fetal basis of dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm; hyperthermia-induced upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor in cardiac tissue; and cardiac preconditioning with infrared laser irradiation heating.

  RESEARCH

• James Goodwin, MD
  

  James Goodwin, MD

  Professor, Internal Medicine, Geriatrics
  Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing PhD Program
  Adjunct Professor, Nutrition and Metabolism
  George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Geriatric Medicine

  Research Interests: Patterns of cancer care in the elderly; barriers to health care delivery in the elderly; and predictors of physical functioning and health in older populations.

  RESEARCH

• Fangjian Guo, MD, PhD
  

  Fangjian Guo, MD, PhD

  Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology

  Research Interests: Cancer screening, cancer prevention, HPV epidemiology, HPV vaccination, nutrition, obesity and related comorbidities, and racial and socioeconomic health disparities.

  RESEARCH

• Gabriela E. Halder, MD, MPH

  Gabriela E. Halder, MD, MPH

  Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
  Division of Urogynecology and Pelvic Health

  Research Interests: Women’s health, patient centered care, and preoperative preparedness.

  RESEARCH

• Adrian Juarez, PhD, RN

  Adrian Juarez, PhD, RN

  Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

  Research Interests: Transgender health, HIV health disparities, Texas-Mexico border health, philosophy of nursing science, and applied phenomenology.

  RESEARCH

• Ananth Kumar Kammala, MPharm, PhD

  Ananth Kumar Kammala, MPharm, PhD

  Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology

  Research Interests: My research focuses on application of pharmaceutical sciences to women's health research.  I utilize the organ on chip devices and artificial intelligence to predict pharmacokinetics of chemical drugs during pregnancy.  Also, I am exploring the drug transport mechanism at maternal and fetal interface considering fetal membrane as alternate route of transport mechanism other than placenta.  Additionally, investigating the role of fetal microchimerism in progression of maternal allergic disorders.

  RESEARCH

• Rakez Kayed, PhD
  

  Rakez Kayed, PhD

  Professor, Neurology
  Professor, Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy

  Research Interests: Neurodegenerative disease pathology and mechanisms [Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and other tauopathies); mechanisms of protein folding and aggregation; molecular mechanisms behind tau oligomer toxicity, propagation, and role in neurodegeneration; immunotherapeutic approaches targeting amyloid and tau oligomers; diagnostics and biomarkers using CSF and other biological samples; amyloid oligomers in amyloidosis, cancer, and diabetes; and tau aggregation in traumatic brain injury (TBI).

  RESEARCH

• Sami Gokhan Kilic, MD, FACOG, FACS

  Sami Gokhan Kilic, MD, FACOG, FACS

  Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
  Director, Urogynecology and Pelvic Health

  Research Interests: Combined effects of LUTS, age, and comorbid burden on fall risk among women seeking treatment for urogynecologic conditions; and compliance with the initial treatment of overactive bladder.

  RESEARCH

• Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD
  

  Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD

  Director, Office of Biostatistics
  Chair, Department of Biostatistics and Data Science
  Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Professor, Internal Medicine, Geriatrics
  Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing PhD Program

  Research Interests: Cancer surveillance and screening with Medicare claims data; ethnic differences in use of health care; patterns and outcomes of hospitalist care; and effectiveness of nurse practitioner care.

  RESEARCH

CIRWH Fellows L-O

• Emily Lantz, PhD

  

  Emily Lantz, PhD

  Assistant Professor, Nutrition, Metabolism, and Rehabilitation Science

  Research Interests: The sex-specific change in skeletal muscle in response to disuse and rehabilitation that may occur as well as addressing specific nutritional needs of women as they age.

  RESEARCH
• Ruth Levine, MD
  

  Ruth Levine, MD

  Associate Dean, Admission and Student Affairs, School of Medicine
  Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

  Research Interests: Identification and management of anxiety disorders and major depression; prevalence of major depressive symptoms in medical students; anxiety disorders in women who are pregnant and postpartum; efficacy of various medications in patients with panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and dysthymia; educational program evaluation; and methods of assessment and remediation in psychiatry clerkships.

  RESEARCH

• Elizabeth Lorenzo, PhD, RN

  Elizabeth Lorenzo, PhD, RN

  Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

  Research Interests: Hispanic women, physical activity, behavior change, cardiovascular risk factors, and perimenopause.

  RESEARCH

• Leejane Lu, PhD
  

  LeeJane Lu, PhD

  Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Adjunct Professor, Nutrition and Metabolism

  Research Interests: Phytoestrogens, estrogen receptors, and breast cancer.

  RESEARCH

• Elizabeth Lyons, PhD
  

  Elizabeth Lyons, PhD

  Associate Professor and Interim Chair, Nutrition, Metabolism, and Rehabilitation Sciences
  Assistant Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health

  Research Interests: Use of technology for health promotion and cancer control.

  RESEARCH

• Kyriakos Markides, PhD
  

  Kyriakos Markides, PhD

  Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Professor, Internal Medicine, Administration
  Adjunct Professor, Nutrition and Metabolism

  Research Interests: Longitudinal studies of Mexican-American elderly health care; depression; aging; social epidemiology; medical sociology; behavioral/social factors; demography; and Hispanics.

  RESEARCH

• Ramkumar Menon, PhD
  

  Ramkumar Menon, PhD

  Division Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Basic and Clinical Translational Research
  Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research

  Research Interests: Preterm birth.

  RESEARCH

• Maria Micci, PhD
  

  Maria Micci, PhD

  Associate Professor, Anesthesiology

  Research Interests: Development of stem cell therapy for the treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by loss or malfunction of enteric neurons.

  RESEARCH

• Terumi Midoro-Horiuti, MD, PhD
  

  Terumi Midoro-Horiuti, MD, PhD

  Associate Professor, Pediatrics

  Research Interests: Structural basis for allergenicity and environmental induction of plant allergens.

  RESEARCH

• Sadaf Milani, PhD, MPH
  

  Sadaf Milani, PhD, MPH

  Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, Geriatrics

  Research Interests: Epidemiology of aging; cognition and dementia; health disparities, minority health, and gender disparities; pain and prescription opioid use.

  RESEARCH

• Gregg Milligan, PhD, MS
  

  Gregg Milligan, PhD, MS

  Professor, Pediatric Vaccinology Research
  Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
  Senior Scientist, Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences

  Research Interests: Herpes simplex; and vaccine and other preventive measures against genital infection.

  RESEARCH

• Tatiana Nanovskaya, DDS, PhD
  

  Tatiana Nanovskaya, DDS, PhD

  Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Pharmacology and Biodevelopment Laboratories

  Research Interests: Pharmacokinetics of medications during pregnancy; identification and characterization of placental metabolizing enzymes and transporters; development of an animal model to study drug disposition during pregnancy; development of an in vitro model of trophoblast cultures to study the barrier and protective functions of human placenta; and development of LC-MS methods for separation and extraction of drugs from biological fluids and tissue.

  RESEARCH

• Gayle Olson, MD

  

  Gayle Olson, MD

  Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship
  Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine

  Research Interests: Maternal fetal medicine.

  RESEARCH

CIRWH Fellows P-R2

• Luis Pacheco, MD
  

  Luis Pacheco, MD

  Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  Professor, Anesthesiology

  Research Interests: Maternal-fetal medicine, maternal hypo/hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus.

  RESEARCH

• M. Kristen Peek, PhD
  

  M. Kristen Peek, PhD

  Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Chair ad interim, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Dean ad interim, School of Public and Population Health
  Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
  Adjunct Professor, Nutrition and Metabolism

  Research Interests: Aging and health disparities; mental and physical health in late life; and marriage and health in late life.

  RESEARCH

• Carolyn Phillips, RN, PhD
  

  Carolyn Phillips, RN, PhD

  Associate Professor, School of Nursing

  Research Interests: Feminine/maternal adaptation, family development, female body image, maternal depression; maternal identity development; maternal role change; and adoptive mothers.

  RESEARCH

• Richard Pyles, PhD
  

  Richard Pyles, PhD

  Professor, Pediatric Vaccinology Research
  Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
  Scientist, Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences

  Research Interests: Evaluation of toll-like receptor responses against sexually-transmitted diseases and utilization of TLR agonists as potential microbicides to protect against STDs. For this work my lab focuses on study of the interaction of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and 2) and Chlamydia trachomatis with the genital tract of the human host.

  RESEARCH

• Enkhtuya Radnaa, MS, PhD

  Enkhtuya Radnaa, MS, PhD

  Assistant Professor, Basic Science and Translational Research
  Obstetrics and Gynecology

  Research Interests: My research primarily focuses on extracellular vesicles (EVs) role on feto-maternal communications associated with maintenance of pregnancy and parturition.  I utilize cellular and animal models to study the fetal and maternal responses to various endogenous and exogenous factors.  I study mechanisms feto-maternal cell signaling using gene-manipulated cells and organ-on-chip technology.  In addition, I study intercellular communication of EVs to understand the pathobiology of preterm birth.

  RESEARCH

• Ricardo Rajsbaum, PhD
  

  Ricardo Rajsbaum, PhD

  Adjunct Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology

  Research Interests: Host-pathogen interactions and innate immune responses to viruses, with a focus on the host ubiquitin system; Zika-related pregnancy issues, specifically the role of the host ubiquitin system in Zika virus tissue tropism and how it manipulates the host ubiquitin system to preferentially target placenta and reproductive tissues.

• Blake Rasmussen, PhD
  

  Blake Rasmussen, PhD

  Professor and Chair, Nutrition and Metabolism
  Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

  Research Interests: Muscle biology, exercise physiology, nutrition, sarcopenia, amino acid, and protein metabolism.

  RESEARCH

• Vincente Resto, MD, PhD, FACS

  

  Vicente Resto, MD, PhD, FACS

  Professor and Chair, Otolaryngology
  Professor, Neurosurgery
  Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  Senior Vice President
  Chief Physician Executive

  Research Interests: Facial plastics, reconstructive surgery, skull base surgery, and molecular mechanisms important for lymphatic metastasis and tumor tolerance.

  RESEARCH

• Gwyn Richardson, MD
  

  Gwyn Richardson, MD

  Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
  Assistant Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program

  Research Interests: Gynecologic oncology.

  RESEARCH

• Lauren Richardson, PhD

  Lauren Richardson, PhD 

  Assistant Professor
  The Menon Laboratory
  Division of Basic and Translational Research
  Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

  Research Interests: My research focuses on bridging the gap between bench-to-bedside research by merging advanced engineering and biology concepts.  The goal of my research is twofold.  One, to utilize microfluidic devices to collect underutilized biological fluids for biomarker screening, and two, to develop novel organ-on-chip devices that physiologically recreate in utero organs and organ systems.  These devices are primed to replace traditional research approaches, limit animal models for research, and speed up preclinical experiments to get the drugs to clinical trials at a much faster pace.

  RESEARCH

• Ana Rodriguez, MD, MPH, FACOG

  Ana Rodriguez, MD, MPH, FACOG

  Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology

  Research Interests: Gynecologic cancer prevention, particularly cervical and endometrial cancer prevention; HPV infection; HPV vaccine; and public health and health disparities.

  RESEARCH

• Richard Rupp, MD
  

  Richard Rupp, MD

  Professor, Pediatrics
  Director, Adolescent Medicine
  Director, Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences Clinical Trials Program

  Research Interests: Adolescent medicine and mental health, improving immunization rates, and vaccine clinical trials.

  RESEARCH

• Erik Rytting, PhD
  

  Erik Rytting, PhD

  Associate Professor, Maternal-Fetal Pharmacology and Biodevelopment Laboratories
  Associate Professor, Pharmacology

  Research Interests: Maternal-fetal pharmacology, placental drug transport and permeation, and nanoparticle surface modifications to improve drug targeting.

  RESEARCH

CIRWH Fellows S-Z

• George Saade, MD
  

  George Saade, MD

  Division Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  Director, Perinatal Research
  Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine

  Research Interests: Pre-eclampsia and labor.

  RESEARCH

• Stacy Sell, PhD
  

  Stacy Sell, PhD

  Research Scientist, Neurology

  Research Interests: Ovarian hormone actions in the brain, specifically their interactions with the molecular, cellular and behavioral responses to psychoactive drugs; and developing and employing animal models to study the role of steroid hormones and the reproductive cycle in the etiology of addiction and affective disorders such as anxiety and depression.

• Pei-Yong Shi, PhD
  

  Pei-Yong Shi, PhD

  Director, Institute for Drug Discovery
  Vice President for Research Innovation
  Associate Chief Research Officer
  Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

  Research Interests: Viruses that cause significant human diseases, such as dengue, Zika, West Nile, and SARS-CoV-2.

  RESEARCH

• Victor Sierpina, MD
  

  Victor Sierpina, MD

  Professor, Family Medicine
  Adjunct Professor, Nutrition and Metabolism
  Adjunct Professor, Physical Therapy

  Research Interests: Procedures training; acupuncture; mind-body medicine; herbal therapies; dietary supplements and nutritional therapies; the therapeutic relationship; and spirituality in healthcare.

  RESEARCH

• Lawrence Sowers, PhD
  

  Lawrence Sowers, PhD

  Professor and Chair, Pharmacology and Toxicology
  Director, Cancer Center Research Programs
  Professor, Internal Medicine

  Research Interests: The chemistry and biology of aberrant DNA; the role of DNA damage in human disease; and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of breast cancer.

  RESEARCH

• Brandie DePaoli Taylor, PhD, MPH

  Brandie DePaoli Taylor, PhD, MPH

  Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
  Associate Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Division of Basic Science and Translational Research

  Research Interests: Perinatal epidemiology, sexually transmitted infections, preterm birth, preeclampsia, and maternal immunology.

  RESEARCH

• Randall Urban, MD
  

  Randall Urban, MD

  Vice President and Chief Research Officer, Academic Enterprise
  Vice Dean, Clinical Research, School of Medicine
  Professor, Internal Medicine
  Director, Institute for Translational Sciences

  Research Interests: Effects of growth factors on steroidogenesis; the physiological and molecular benefits of androgen therapy in older men and women; effects of thiazolidinediones on reproductive function and growth of cancer cells; neuroendocrine dysfunction in people after closed-head injury; reproductive endocrinology; diabetes; and thyroid disease.

  RESEARCH

• Kathleen Vincent, MD
  

  Kathleen Vincent, MD

  Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology

  Research Interests: Applying biomedical technologies to women’s health research; medications to prevent HIV and STD; and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics studies of vaginally applied drugs.

  RESEARCH

• Elena Volpi, MD, PhD
  

  Elena Volpi, MD, PhD

  Director, Sealy Center on Aging
  Director, UTMB Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center
  Associate Director, Institute for Translational Sciences
  Professor, Internal Medicine
  Professor, Neurology
  Professor, Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy
  Adjunct Professor, Nutrition and Metabolism

  Research Interests: Physical functioning and sarcopenia in older adults; protein metabolism; muscle metabolism in type 2 diabetes; exercise and nutritional regulation of muscle growth; sex/gender disparities in metabolism; and ethnic/racial disparities in metabolism.

  RESEARCH

• Karen Wagner, MD, PhD
  

  Karen Wagner, MD, PhD

  Professor and Chair, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  Professor, Pediatrics

  Research Interests: Child and adolescent psychiatric disorders, psychotherapy, and psychopharmacology.

  RESEARCH

• Tian Wang, PhD
  

  Tian Wang, PhD

  Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
  Professor, Pathology

  Research Interests: My laboratory research has mainly focused on vaccine development and understanding of the disease mechanisms of emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses, such as West Nile virus, Zika virus, Powassan virus, Chikungunya virus, and Sars-COV-2.

  RESEARCH

• Scott Weaver, PhD, MS
  

  Scott Weaver, PhD, MS

  Professor and Chair, Microbiology and Immunology
  Director, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity
  Scientific Director, Galveston National Laboratory, Institute for Human Infections
  Professor, Pathology

  Research Interests: Genetics, ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis of arboviruses, virus-mosquito interactions, and vaccine development.

  RESEARCH

• Susan Weller, PhD
  

  Susan Weller, PhD

  Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Director, Family Medicine, Research Program

  Research Interests: Cross-cultural health service research; and cognition and methodology.

  RESEARCH

• Rebeca Wong, PhD
  

  Rebeca Wong, PhD

  Professor and Vice Chair, Preventive Medicine and Population Health
  Associate Director, Sealy Center on Aging
  Professor, Internal Medicine

  Research Interests: Health and lifestyle transitions; use of preventive and curative health care; and migration and old age well-being, including wealth, disability, and health behaviors.

  RESEARCH

• Xiaoying Yu, MD, PhD
  

  Xiaoying Yu, MD, PhD

  Assistant Professor, Preventive Medicine and Population Health

  Research Interests: Longitudinal data analysis; epidemiology studies and outcome research; HIV.

  RESEARCH