Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control

Faculty

Amick, Benjamin C., PhD
Professor

Research interests: Work organization and health; social epidemiology and health disparities; work stress, labor markets, disability; epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries; ergonomics and organizational change

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E1009
Email: benjamin.c.amick@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Benjamin C. Amick
Phone: (713) 500-9496

Aragaki, Corinne C., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Epidemiologic/statistical methods for gene-environment interaction risk estimation; use of gene expression analysis in molecular epidemiology; hierarchical/ multilevel modeling; cancer epidemiology; genetic epidemiology

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E511
Email: corinne.c.aragaki@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Corinne C. Aragaki
Phone: (713) 500-9915

Beasley, R. Palmer, MD
Ashbel Smith Professor

Research interests: Hepatitis B; hepatocellular carcinoma; AIDS; infectious disease epidemiology

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E743
Email: r.p.beasley@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of R. Palmer Beasley
Phone: (713) 500-9014

Belkind-Gerson, Jaime, MD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology NTR
Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W704
Email: jaime.belkind-gerson@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9374

Boerwinkle, Eric , PhD
Professor & Director, Division of Epidemiology and Kozmetsky Family Chair in Human Genetics

Research interests: Human genetics; bioinformatics; DNA variation; coronary heart disease; hypertension

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E447
Email: eric.boerwinkle@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Eric  Boerwinkle
Phone: (713) 500-9816

Bressler, Jan, PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Disease control, epidemiology, molecular genetics, genetic epidemiology

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E503
Email: jan.bressler@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9919

Brown, Eric, PhD
Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease

Research interests: Immunology; infectious disease; mechanisms of immune evasion; vaccine development

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E719
Email: eric.l.brown@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Eric Brown
Phone: (713) 500-9355

Caetano, Raul , MD
Professor & Regional Dean, Dallas Regional Campus

Research interests: Epidemiology of substance abuse; violence; drinking and alcohol-related problems among US ethnic minority groups; diagnostic procedures in alcohol abuse and dependence

Campus: Dallas — Office: 00V V8.112C
Email: raul.caetano@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Raul  Caetano
Phone: (214) 648-1080

Cardenas, Victor , MD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Public health surveillance and field epidemiology; epidemiology of cancer; infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and injuries

Campus: El Paso — Office: 097 110F
Email: victor.cardenas@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Victor  Cardenas
Phone: (915) 747-8503

Cech, Irina M., PhD
Professor

Research interests: Environmental health, policy and regulatory process; GIS, water quality, contamination and hazardous waste management; chemical and biological factors related to birth defects; international health

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E1005
Email: irina.cech@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Irina M. Cech
Phone: (713) 500-9227

Chappell, Cynthia L., PhD
Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Research interests: Parasitology; gastrointestinal parasites; immune response to parasites

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W118A
Email: cynthia.l.chappell@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Cynthia L. Chappell
Phone: (713) 500-9026

Cooper, Sharon P., PhD
Professor and Regional Dean, San Antonio Region Campus

Research interests: Occupational injury, surveillance of injury and illnesses in farm workers, working adolescents

Campus: San Antonio — Office: SPH 208
Email: sharon.p.cooper@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Sharon P. Cooper
Phone: (210) 562-5508

Daiger, Stephen P., PhD
Thomas Stull Matney, PhD Professor in Environmental and Genetics Sciences

Research interests: Human molecular genetics; human population genetics; medical genetics; human gene cloning; linkage mapping; retinitis pigmentosa; macular degeneration; inherited retinal diseases in humans; mutation detection; retinal disease genes RP1 and IMPDH1.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W522
Web: www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/RetNet/sdaiger.htm
Email: stephen.p.daiger@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Stephen P. Daiger
Phone: (713) 500-9829

Dallo, Florence, PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Screening and prevention of diabetes, health disparities in chronic illnesses, Arab-American health

Campus: Dallas — Office: 00V V8.300
Email: florence.j.dallo@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Florence Dallo
Phone: (214) 648-1070

Day, R. Sue , PhD
Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Research

Research interests: Epidemiology; nutrition; dietary assessment methodology; obesity, cardiovascular disease; cancer; chronic disease; dietary interventions and health promotion; physical activity; Hispanic populations; children

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W916
Email: rena.s.day@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of R. Sue  Day
Phone: (713) 500-9317

Delclos, George P., MD
Professor

Research interests: Occupational hazards of healthcare workers; occupational and environmental respiratory disease; international aspects of occupational health

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W1018
Email: george.delclos@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of George P. Delclos
Phone: (713) 500-9459

Douglas, Tommy C., PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Antibody; apolipoprotein; gene expression; genetics; immunogenetics; immunoglobulin; immunology

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W632
Email: tommy.c.douglas@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Tommy C. Douglas
Phone: (713) 500-9830

Du, Xianglin L., PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Clinical Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and cancer; health services and outcomes research; claims-based healthcare studies

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E631
Email: xianglin.l.du@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Xianglin L. Du
Phone: (713) 500-9956

DuPont, Herbert L., MD
Professor of Infectious Diseases & Director, Center for Infectious Diseases

Research interests: Worldwide study of the epidemiology; microbiology; genetic susceptibility, treatment and prevention of acute diarrhea

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E729
Email: herbert.l.dupont@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Herbert L. DuPont
Phone: (713) 500-9366

Fisher-Hoch, Susan P., MD
Professor of Epidemiology

Research interests: Virology; Lassa and Ebola hemorrhagic fevers; tuberculosis; human Papilloma virus; biocontainment; microbiology; molecular epidemiology

Campus: Brownsville — Office: RAC N2.202E
Email: susan.p.fisher-hoch@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Susan P. Fisher-Hoch
Phone: (956) 882-5167

Fu, Yun-Xin , PhD
Betty Wheless Trotter Professor

Research interests: Biostatistics; bioinformatics; molecular evolution; population genetics and computational biology

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E541
Email: yunxin.fu@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Yun-Xin  Fu
Phone: (713) 500-9813

Hallman, D. Michael, PhD
Assistant Professor of Human Genetics

Research interests: Genetic epidemiology of chronic disease, especially atherosclerotic disease and diabetes; genetic analysis of longitudinal data.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E431
Email: d.michael.hallman@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9893

Hanis, Craig L., PhD
Professor

Research interests: Genetic epidemiology; genetics of type 2 diabetes and its complications; genomic approaches to identifying genes for common diseases.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E423
Email: craig.l.hanis@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Craig L. Hanis
Phone: (713) 500-9807

Hardy, Robert J., PhD
Allan King Professor in Public Health and Director, Division of Biostatistics

Research interests: Biometrical methods; statistical epidemiology; clinical trials

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E833
Email: robert.j.hardy@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Robert J. Hardy
Phone: (713) 500-9524

Herbold, John R., PhD
Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Director, Center for Biosecurity & Public Health Preparedness

Research interests: Epidemiology; environmental health; infectious disease; animal-human issues; military medicine.

Campus: San Antonio — Office: SPH 215
Email: john.r.herbold@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of John R. Herbold
Phone: (713) 500-9420

Hewett-Emmett, David , PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Molecular evolution; human genetic variation; gene families.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E517
Email: david.hewett-emmett@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of David  Hewett-Emmett
Phone: (713) 500-9835

Hixson, James E., PhD
Professor

Research interests: Molecular genetics of common diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes; SNP discovery and analysis in population-based studies of common diseases; allelic effects on gene expression and protein function related to common diseases and measured risk factors.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W422
Email: james.e.hixson@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of James E. Hixson
Phone: (713) 500-9834

Hoelscher, Deanna M., PhD
Professor & Director, Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living

Research interests: Design, implementation and evaluation of nutrition and physical activity programs for children, school foodservice personnel, and minority populations, prevention of chronic diseases; evaluation of legislative policies; development and evaluation of dietary and physical activity assessment methods; epidemiologic studies of child nutrition, physical activity and behavioral risk factors; diet-gene interactions

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 211
Email: deanna.m.hoelscher@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Deanna M. Hoelscher
Phone: (512) 482-6168

Hwang, Lu-Yu , MD
Professor

Research interests: Pediatrics; infectious disease; perinatal transmission; viral epidemiology; cancer epidemiology; hepatitis virus/liver cancer; HIV/AIDS, HTLV/leukemia; EBV/nasopharyngeal cancer; viral oncology.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E717
Email: lu-yu.hwang@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Lu-Yu  Hwang
Phone: (713) 500-9382

Jiang, Zhi-Dong , MD
Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases

Research interests: Epidemiology of travelers’ diarrhea; genetic factors for acute diarrhea; enteric pathogens

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E741
Email: zhi-dong.jiang@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Zhi-Dong  Jiang
Phone: (713) 500-9371

Kelder, Steven H., PhD
Beth Toby Grossman Professor

Research interests: Epidemiology of child and adolescent health, design and evaluation of school health promotion programs, particular emphasis on obesity, diet, physical activity, and substance use

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 212
Email: steven.h.kelder@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Steven H. Kelder
Phone: (512) 482-6169

Klos, Kathy, PhD
Assistant Professor of Human Genetics

Research interests: Genetics of complex traits, gene-environment interaction, gene-gene interaction, gene networks.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E403
Email: kathy.klos@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Kathy Klos
Phone: (713) 500-9914

Kohl III, Harold, PhD
Professor

Research interests: Epidemiology of physical activity, development of physical activity national guidelines; physical activity for chronic disease prevention

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 209
Email: harold.w.kohl@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Harold Kohl III
Phone: (512) 482-6167

Liu, Xiaoming, PhD
Asst Prof of Human Genetics
Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E529
Email: xiaoming.liu@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9820

Maxwell, Taylor J., PhD
Assistant Professor
Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E531
Email: taylor.j.maxwell@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Taylor J. Maxwell
Phone: (713) 500-9896

McCormick, Joseph B., MD
James H. Steele Professor and Regional Dean, Brownsville Regional Campus

Research interests: Infectious Diseases (particularly viral such as Ebola; Lassa fever: HIV/AIDS), Health issues in international settings; vaccines; epidemiology and bioterrorism.

Campus: Brownsville — Office: RAC N2.202B
Email: joseph.b.mccormick@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Joseph B. McCormick
Phone: (956) 882-5166

Morrison, Alanna C., PhD
Assistant Professor of Human Genetics

Research interests: Elucidation of genes involved in complex diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke. Identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms influencing inter-individual disease risk, linkage analyses and association studies, and development and application of novel statistical methods to evaluate genetic data

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E419
Email: alanna.c.morrison@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Alanna C. Morrison
Phone: (713) 500-9913

Mubasher, Mohamed E., PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Statistical methods in design, conduct and analyses of clinical trials; sequential and survival data analyses

Campus: Dallas — Office:
Email: mohamed.e.mubasher@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Mohamed E. Mubasher
Phone: (214) 648-1041

Murray, Kristy O., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: West Nile Virus, arboviruses, rabies virus, unexplained encephalitis, emerging infectious diseases, zoonoses.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W334
Email: kristy.o.murray@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Kristy O. Murray
Phone: (713) 500-9358

Nettleton, Jennifer, PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Nutrition and cardiovascular disease epidemiology; Food/nutrient synergy and dietary patterns; Environmental and genetic modification of diet effects; Clinical dietary interventions for cardiovascular/chronic disease prevention; Dietary assessment methodology

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E641
Email: jennifer.a.nettleton@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Jennifer Nettleton
Phone: (713) 500-9367

Peskin, Melissa Fleschler, PhD
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research interests: Child and adolescent health, specifically in HIV, STD, and pregnancy prevention, violence, bullying, cyberbullying; intervention development and program evaluation

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2658
Email: melissa.f.peskin@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9759

Piller, Linda B., MD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

Research interests: Hypertension; ischemic heart disease; coronary heart disease; clinical trials; cardiovascular clinical trials; endpoint reporting in clinical trials; safety in clinical trials; congestive heart failure; cardiovascular pathology; cervical pathology; breast pathology.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E819
Email: linda.b.piller@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Linda B. Piller
Phone: (713) 500-9507

Pompeii, Lisa, PhD
Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

Research interests: Occupational epidemiology, injury epidemiology, pregnancy health and work, health disparities

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS W1020
Email: lisa.pompeii@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Lisa Pompeii
Phone: (713) 500-9474

Rahbar, Mohammad Hossein, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Research interests: Statistical and Study Design Issues in Epidemiology; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Developmental Disabilities; Global Health; Environmental Health with a focus on Toxic and Heavy Metals; Gene-Environment Interactions in relation to Autism; Medical Informatics; Analytic Issues in Multicenter Studies; Data Mining; Sequential Procedures; Clinical Trials; Cost-Effectiveness Analysis; Survival Analysis

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E627
Email: mohammad.h.rahbar@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Mohammad Hossein Rahbar
Phone: (713) 500-9166

Ramisetty-Mikler, Suhasini , PhD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

Research interests: Alcohol epidemiology, intimate partner violence among ethnic groups; drinking patterns, attitudes, and alcohol related problems of all Hispanic subgroups; adolescent drinking, drug use and HIV-risk behaviors, influence of parental and social/contextual risk factors including poverty on child growth and development, particularly among ethnic minority groups.

Campus: Dallas — Office: 00V V8.106A
Email: suhasini.ramisetty-mikler@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Suhasini  Ramisetty-Mikler
Phone: (214) 648-1345

Restrepo, Blanca I., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Tuberculosis; pathogenesis, early disease detection, host immune response, dynamics of transmission in the Texas-Mexico border. Neurocysticercosis: host-parasite interactions, immune response, granuloma formation.

Campus: Brownsville — Office: RAC N2.202D
Email: blanca.i.restrepo@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Blanca I. Restrepo
Phone: (956) 882-5172

Risser, Jan M.H., PhD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

Research interests: Sexually transmitted disease surveillance; syphilis; prevention of HIV; social determinants of health; stroke and hypertension.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E607
Email: jan.m.risser@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Jan M.H. Risser
Phone: (713) 500-9386

Rodin, Andrei S., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Genetic epidemiology; computational biology; bioinformatics; data mining; artificial intelligence; machine learning; molecular evolution and phylogenetics

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E523
Email: andrei.s.rodin@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Andrei S. Rodin
Phone: (713) 500-9845

Ross, Michael W., PhD
Professor

Research interests: STDs; HIV/AIDS; drug abuse; community level and correctional STD/HIV prevention cross-cultural aspects of public health; internet sexuality

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2622
Email: michael.w.ross@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Michael W. Ross
Phone: (713) 500-9652

Sayyar Roudsari, Bahman, PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Epidemiology of alcoholism, health care, injury, trauma.

Campus: Dallas — Office: 00V V8.112
Email: bahman.sayyar.roudsari@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Bahman Sayyar Roudsari
Phone: (214) 648-1054

Schabath, Matthew, PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Gene-environmental interactions; molecular epidemiology; lung and bladder cancer; COPD; lung function; inflammation; occupational exposures; dietary factors; hormonal factors.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E617
Email: matthew.b.schabath@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9216

Selwyn, Beatrice J., ScD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Perinatal and pediatric epidemiology; international health; health survey methodology; rapid epidemiologic assessment methods; studies of the future of public health

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E913
Email: beatrice.j.selwyn@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Beatrice J. Selwyn
Phone: (713) 500-9272

Sharma, Shreela V., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Health promotion and health education focused towards primary prevention of chronic diseases; Nutritional and physical activity epidemiology; Design and evaluation of measurement and psychometric tools such as Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to accurately measure dietary intake and physical activity behavior as well as their psychosocial correlates; Development of statistical analysis techniques for analysis of group-randomized trials.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E603
Email: shreela.v.sharma@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Shreela V. Sharma
Phone: (713) 500-9344

Shipp, Eva M., PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Occupational injury / illness among agricultural and adolescent workers, back injury, vulnerable populations

Campus: San Antonio — Office: SPH 211
Email: eva.m.shipp@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (210) 562-5524

Stigler, Melissa, PhD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Child and adolescent health, global/international health, with special emphasis on India; tobacco prevention and cessation; obesity prevention; behavioral epidemiology

Campus: Austin — Office: TCB 214
Email: melissa.h.stigler@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Melissa Stigler
Phone: (512) 482-6173

Symanski, Elaine , PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Development of quantitative methods for modeling occupational and environmental exposures; retrospective exposure assessment for workplace contaminants; investigation of health effects related to occupational and environmental exposures

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E643
Email: elaine.symanski@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Elaine  Symanski
Phone: (713) 500-9238

Tortolero, Susan R., PhD
Associate Professor & Director CHPPR

Research interests: Adolescence; children; sexual risk taking, STDs, pregnancy, substance use, violence mental health; depression; Hispanics; prevention research

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2080
Email: susan.tortolero@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Susan R. Tortolero
Phone: (713) 500-9634

Vela Acosta, Martha S., MD
Assistant Professor

Research interests: Occupational health and safety; migrant and seasonal farmworkers; border health; hearing loss; training evaluation; industrial hygiene and risk assessment

Campus: Brownsville — Office: RAC N1.202H
Email: martha.s.vela.acosta@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Martha S. Vela Acosta
Phone: (956) 882-5163

Vernon, Sally W., PhD
Blair Justice, PhD Professorship in Mind-Body Medicine & Pub Hlth & Dir, Div of Hlth Promo & Beh Sci

Research interests: Cancer prevention and control for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers; informed decision making for prostate cancer testing; psychosocial issues in cancer genetic testing; measurement of psychosocial constructs; reliability and validity of self-report cancer screening behaviors

Campus: Houston — Office: UCT 2560
Email: sally.w.vernon@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Sally W. Vernon
Phone: (713) 500-9760

Volcik, Kelly, PhD
Assistant Professor of Human Genetics

Research interests: Human genetics; genetics of common diseases; gene-environment interaction; cardiovascular disease.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E407
Email: kelly.a.volcik@uth.tmc.edu


Phone: (713) 500-9891

Waller, Kim , PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Preventable risk factors for birth defects; low birth weight; fetal death; birth defects; screening programs; association of serum biomarkers (measured early in pregnancy) and pregnancy outcome.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E619
Email: kim.waller@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Kim  Waller
Phone: (713) 500-9155

Waring, Stephen C., PhD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

Research interests: Neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS/PDC of Guam); zoonotic diseases (emerging zoonoses and agents of bioterrorism); Public Health preparedness; epidemiologic methods.

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E629
Email: stephen.c.waring@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Stephen C. Waring
Phone: (713) 500-9241

Xiong, Momiao , PhD
Associate Professor

Research interests: Computational systems biology; functional genomics; bioinformatics; genetic epidemiology; statistical genetics; pharmacogenetics; population genetics

Campus: Houston — Office: RAS E439
Email: momiao.xiong@uth.tmc.edu

Photo of Momiao  Xiong
Phone: (713) 500-9894