Texas Birth Defects Researchers

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Relevant Areas of Expertise and Interest
Relevant Areas of Expertise and Interest alphabetical order
John Belmont, M.D., Ph.D Heart Defect Working Group, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Clinical genetics and classification of cardiovascular birth defects Metabolic disorders	Director of Clinical Genetics Program and Associate Professor Baylor College of Medicine Dept. of Molecular Human Genetics & Pediatrics One Baylor Plaza Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713-798-4634
Molly S. Bray, Ph.D. Molecular and genetic basis of obesity Genetic analysis of complex traits Gene-environment interaction Physical activity/exercise physiology Adipogenesis Genetics of response to obesity interventions	Associate Professor of Pediatrics Children's Nutrition Research Center 1100 Bates, Suite 8070 Houston, TX 77030 Office: 713-798-9311
Jean Brender, Ph.D. Paternal and maternal occupation and birth defects Environmental exposures and birth defects	Associate Professor Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Mail Stop 1266 3000 Briarcrest Drive Bryan, TX 77802 Phone: 979-862-1573
Texas Co-Principal Investigator and Co-Chair, Neural Tube Defect Work Group, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Epidemiology of neural tube defects in Hispanics and in Texas Population-based risk factor surveys of women of childbearing age Folic acid and the prevention of birth defects Newborn screening disorders Outcomes of children with selected birth defects Descriptive studies and epidemiologic methods	Manager Birth Defects Epidemiology & Surveillance Branch Texas Department of State Health Services 1100 W. 49th Street Austin TX 78756 Phone: 512-458-7232 ext: 6158
Susan Carozza, Ph.D. Etiology of childhood cancers-focus on environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions Use of GIS methodology for environmental exposure assessment Management of storage and retrieval system for DSHS neonatal blood spots	Associate Professor Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics School of Rural Public Health TAMUS Health Science Center 3000 Briarcrest Dr., Suite 310 Bryan, TX 77802 Phone:979-845-2387 Fax: 979-458-1877
Folic acid knowledge and cereal consumption behavior Preconception care Public awareness of birth defects causes Linking birth defects data and service planning	Program Specialist Birth Defects Epidemiology & Surveillance Branch Texas Department of State Health Services 1100 W. 49th Street Austin TX 78756 Phone: 512-458-7232 ext: 2814
Kirby C. Donnelly, Ph.D. Exposure and Risk Assessment of Complex Environmental Mixtures	Professor & Department Head Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health Department of Environmental & Occupational Health TAMU Health Science Center Mail Stop 1266, Room 101, Bldg A College Station , TX 77843 Phone: 979-845-7956
James Dyer, Ph.D Texas Implementation Team Leader, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) Survey research and sampling methodology Tracking, tracing, locating, and enrolling study subjects Participation rate and statistical analysis	Study Director and Professor Texas A&M University Public Policy Research Institute Dulie Bell Bldg. Room 309-H College Station, TX 77843-4476 Toll-free: 1-800-338-0119 Phone: 979-845-1025
Maternal aclohol use during pregnancy Mortality of children with birth defects Epidemiology of birth dfects in Texas Surveillance of birth defects through prenatal diagnosis facilities	Epidemiology Birth Defects Epidemiology & Surveillance Branch Texas Department of State Health Services 1100 W. 49th Street Austin TX 78756 Phone: 512-458-7232 ext: 2052 Fax: 512-458-7330
Richard Finnell, Ph.D. Texas Molecular Geneticist and Member, Neural Tube Defects Work Group, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Genetic susceptibility to complex birth defects Candidate genes related to folic acid metabolism and transport Gene-environment interaction studies Medical genetics and genetic counsling Mouse models of human genetic disorders	Regents Professor and Director Institute of Biosciences and Technology Texas A&M University System Health Science Center 2121 West Holcombe Street Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713-677-7777
David Fixler, M.D. Pediatric cardiology Clustering of congenital heart defects in space/time Environmental causes of heart defects Outcome of congenital cardiac defects over the first 2-5 years of life, using the birth defects registry and state death registry.	Cardiologist Children's Medical Center 1935 Motor St. Dallas, TX 75235 Phone: 214-456-2339
Michael S. Gallaway, MPH Outcomes associated with maternal obesity Veteran population: CVD risk factors; and behavioral outcomes associated with PTSD	Research Assistant University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health 1200 Herman Pressler Street E-627 Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713-500-9166 Fax: 713-500-9149
Jacqueline Hecht, Ph.D Member, Orofacial Cleft Work Group, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Medical genetics and genetic counseling Natural history/outcome studies of skeletal dysplasia Genetics and epidemiology studies of orofacial clefts Epidemiology and genetic study of clubfoot	Professor of Pediatrics University of Texas Medical School at Houston 6431 Fannin Drive, MSB 3.136 Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713-500-5763
John C. Huber Jr., Ph.D. Genetic Epidemiology Longitudinal/Multilevel Data Analysis Categorical Data Analysis	Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health Texas A&M Health Science Center 218 SRPH Administration Bldg. College Station , TX 77843-1266 Phone: (979) 862-3432
Shawn Kruse Database Manager, National Birth Defects Prevention Study	Database Administrator Texas A&M University Public Policy Research Institute Dulie Bell Bldg. Room 309-H College Station, TX 77843-4476 Toll-free: 1-800-338-0119 Phone: 979-845-0233
Co-Principal Investigator, Texas Center Data Sharing Committee, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, Chair, Environmental/ Occupational Work Group Environmental epidemiology and birth defects Gene-environment interactions	Senior Epidemiologist Birth Defects Epidemiology & Surveillance Branch Texas Department of State Health Services 1100 W. 49th Street Austin TX 78756 512-458-7232 ext: 6183
Texas Study Grant Administrator, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Management of research projects, grants, and contracts Geographic investigation of birth defects Socio-cultural aspects of birth defects Spatial analysis	Research Specialist Texas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Texas Department of State Health Services 1100 W. 49th Street Austin TX 78756 Toll Free: 1-888-844-4633 Phone: 512-458-7111 ext: 2004
Holoprosencephaly and medication use	Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) Coordinator Office of Title V and Family Health Texas Department of State Health Service 1100 West 49th Street M-342 Austin , Texas 78756 Phone: 512-458-7111 ext.2935
Laura Mitchell, Ph.D. Genetic epidemiology of structural malformations Evaluation of maternal genetic effects as risk factors for human birth defects Genetic epidemiological methods	Associate Professor Texas A&M University Sytem Health Science Center, Institute of Biosciences & Technology, Center For Environmental and Genetic Medicine 2121 West Holcombe Street Houston, Texas 77030 Phone: 713-677-7582
Manju Monga, M.D. Maternal and fetal medicine Obstetrics & gynecology	Berel Held Professor & Director, Division of Maternal Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston 6431 Fannin, Suite 3.036 Houston , Texas 77030 Phone: (713) 500-6423
Alicia Novoa Texas Operations Manager, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Maintain all related personnel on tas. Act in the capacity of liaison between PPRI and DSHS personnel	Project Manager Public Policy Research Institute Dulie Bell Bldg. Room 309-H College Station, TX 77843-4476 Toll-free: 1-800-338-0119 Phone: 979-862-1891
J.R. Nuckols, Ph.D Exposure assessment for epidemiological studies Fate/transport modeling of contaminants Environmental engineering Hydrology	Director and Associate Professor Environmental Health Advanced Systems Laboratory Colorado State University Department of Environmental Health Ft. Collins, CO 80523-1676 Phone: 970-491-7295
Data Analyst, TCBDRP Data reliability and validity Statistical analysis principles and procedures Caffeine and dietary trends Medications	Epidemiologist Texas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Texas Department of State Health Services 1100 W. 49th Street Austin TX 78756 Toll Free: 1-888-844-4633 Phone: 512-458-7111 ext: 6381
Angela Scheuerle, M.D. Texas Clinical Geneticist, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Teratology and dysmorphology Consanguinity and birth defects Medical ethics	Clinical Reviewer Director, Tesserae Genetics 9702 Vinewood Drive Dallas, TX 75228 Phone: 214-327-1696 Fax: 972-566-2024
Andrea Sesock, B.S. Texas CATI Supervisor, National Birth Defects Prevention Study	Project Supervisor Texas A&M University Public Policy Research Institute 335 H.C. Dulie Bell Bldg. Room 309-H College Station, TX 77843-4476 Toll-free: 1-800-338-0119 Phone: 979-845-8800
Lucina Suarez, Ph.D. NTDs and nutritional risk factors in Mexican Americans Epidemiologic and statistical methods Survey methods	Manager Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit Texas Department of State Health Services 1100 W.49 th Street Mail Code 1964, T-711 Austin TX 78756 Phone: 512-458-7381 Fax: 512-458-7689
Field Surveillance Techniques and Systems Record Management Planning and Coordination of Field Activities Neural Tube Defects Environmental Exposures and NTD’s Direct intervention NTD recurrence activities Special investigations and case studies (i.e.NTD’s, intussusception, heart defects)	Regional Supervisor Birth Defects Epidemiology & Surveillance Branch Texas Department of State Health Services 601 W. Sesame Drive Harlingen , TX 78550 Phone: 956-444-3262
Jim Vanbeek, M.S. Texas Database Manager, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Database Management & web application development	Senior IT Manager Texas A&M University Public Policy Research Institute 335 H.C. Dulie Bell Bldg. Room 329 College Station, TX 77843-4476 Toll-free: 1-800-338-0119 Phone: 979-845-9377
Dorothy (Kim) Waller, Ph.D. Texas Epidemiologist and, Data Analyst, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Glycemic control and birth defects (obesity, diabetes, dieting behavior) Epidemiology of: malformations of the central nervous system, congenital diaphragmatic hernia & congenital hypothyroidism Prenatal diagnosis of birth defects	Associate Professor of Epidemiology University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health 1200 Herman Pressler Street Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713-500-9155
Benjamin Zhan, Ph.D. Geographic Information Science Spatial analysis Environment and human health Transportation	Professor and Director Texas Center for Geographic Information Science (TXGISc) Department of Geography Southwest Texas State University San Marcos, TX 78666 http://www.txstate.edu/~fz01
Huiping Zhu, Ph.D. Texas Coordinator for processing of biologic specimens, National Birth Defects Prevention Study Laboratory analyses of genetic markers and risk for selected birth defects	Assistant Research Scientist Center for Environmental and Genetic Medicine Institute of Biosciences and Technology Texas A&M University System Health Science Center 2121 West Holcombe Street Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713-677-7746

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Relevant Areas of Expertise and Interest