UNC BIRCWH Scholars
The goal of the UNC BIRCWH Program is to create a training program that will prepare promising junior investigators to conduct innovative research in women’s health and sex/gender influences in health and disease. The following scholars have been selected because, along with mentorship and interdisciplinary training, they are ideally positioned to make important new observations and then translate them into advancements that will improve the health of women throughout the community. Scholars are listed according to their date of admission to the program and include the title of their research project.
Alumni
UNC BIRCWH has supported a total of 33 junior faculty members who exhibit broad diversity in terms of discipline, academic home, gender, ethnicity, and type of research. Their success is overwhelming: 90% of our graduates have independent federal or industry-sponsored funding, totaling over $35 million in support. Furthermore, BIRCWH graduates also hold many leadership positions, including Program Director, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, and Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Scientist Development. The success of our graduates best exemplifies the impact of the UNC BIRCWH Program on the women’s health research community. Alumni are listed in order of their participation in the program along with their research project, and current position and institution.
| BIRCWH Scholar | Research Project/Title | Current Position/Institution |
| Claire Dees, MD 2000-2001 |
P450 Phenotype and Chemotherapy Toxicity in the Elderly | Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology
School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Kim Boggess, MD 2000-2003 |
Effect of Chronic Infection on Placental Development | Professor, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Angela D. M. Kashuba, BScPhm, PharmD, DABCP 2000-2003 |
Antiretroviral Pharmacology in the Genital Tract | John A. and Deborah S. McNeill Jr. Distinguished Professor, Vice Department Chair, Vice Chair for Research and Graduate Education, Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics
Eshelman School of Pharmacy, UNC-CH Adjunct Professor School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Katherine Hartmann, MD, PhD 2000-2002 |
Consequences and Course of Uterine Fibroids in Pregnancy | Vice Chair for Research in Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Faculty; Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Scientist Development; Deputy Director for the Institute of Medicine and Public Health; Lucas E. Burch Chair of Reproductive Physiology and Family Planning; Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University |
| Rolf Craven, PhD 2001-2003 |
Phosphatase Inhibitor of Telomere Signaling | Assistant Professor,Pharmacologyand Nutritional Sciences
College of Medicine, University of Kentucky |
| Stephan Moll, MD 2001-2003 |
Thrombosis & Hemostasis Centers Research and Prevention Network | Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine; Cofounder of the UNC Blood Clot Education Program
School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Joan Taylor, PhD 2002-2003 |
Adhesion Signaling in Vascular Growth and Development | Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Associate Director of the McAllister Heart Institute
School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Beverly Levine, PhD 2002-2003 |
Determining Accuracy of Risk Models for Breast Cancer | Research Associate, Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy
School of Medicine, Wake Forest University |
| Sue Brown, MD 2002-2004 |
Bone Accrual and Hormones in Response to Lactation | Assistant Professor of Research, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine
University of Virginia |
| Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD 2002-2003 |
Obesity and the Environment: The Transition to Adulthood | Professor, Department of Nutrition,
Gillings School of Public Health, UNC-CH Carolina Population Center, UNC-CH |
| Eliana Perrin, MD, MPH 2002-2005 |
Learning How to Keep TABS (Talking about BMI) | Associate Professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics,
School of Medicine, UNC-CH Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research; Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the Office of Research Development, UNC Research, UNC-CH |
| Denniz Zolnoun, MD, MPH 2003-2006 |
Refining Dx Criteria of a Pain Disorder: Vulvar Vestibulitis | Associate Professor, Division of Advanced Laparoscopy and Pelvic Pain, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Nancy DeMore, MD 2003-2004 |
Genetic Regulation of Human Breast Cancer Dormancy | BMW Endowed Chair of Cancer Research; Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology; Medical Director of MUSC Breast Center
Medical University of South Carolina |
| Alisa Wolberg, PhD 2003-2004 |
Cellular Determinants of Fibrin Structure and Stability | Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Karen Grewen, PhD 2003-2006 |
Prenatal Cocaine, Smoking and Oxytocin in Humans | Professor, Department of Psychiatry
School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Guadalupe Ayala, PhD 2004-2005 |
Marketing Health to Latinos Through Tiendas | Professor, Division of Health Promotion, Graduate School of Public Health
San Diego State University Co-Director, San Diego Prevention Research Center; Visiting Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Monash University |
| Kristine Patterson, MD 2004-2007 |
Sex, Aging and Antiretroviral Pharmacology | Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Anissa Vines, MS, PhD 2005-2009 |
Psychosocial Stress and the Risk of Uterine Fibroids | Research Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology; Associate Director for the Program on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health Outcomes
Gillings School of Public Health, UNC-CH |
| Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD 2006-2008 |
HPA Stress Reactivity and Genetic Influences in PPD | Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry; Associate Chair for Faculty Development, Department of Psychiatry; Associate Chair for Faculty Development, Department of Pediatrics; Director, Perinatal Psychiatry Program; Director, UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders
School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Caterina Gallippi, PhD 2006-2009 |
ARFI Ultrasound for Noninvasive, Diagnostic | Associate Professor; Director of Graduate Studies
UNC/NC State Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering |
| Teresa Tarrant, MD 2006 |
G Protein Coupled Receptor Regulatory Mechanisms in Arthritis | Vice Chief of Translational Research for RheumatologyImmunonoly; Associate Professor of Medicine
Duke University Health System |
| Julia Brittain, PhD 2006-2010 |
A novel mechanism of coagulation in sickle cell disease | Professor, Vascular Biology Center,
Georgia Regents University |
| Beth Black, PhD, RN 2006-2009 |
End of Life Care After Severe Fetal Diagnosis | Associate Professor
UNC School of Nursing, UNC-CH |
| Anna Beeber, PhD, RN 2009-2012 |
Improving Dementia Care – Developing Best Nursing Practices in Assisted Living | Associate Professor and Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar UNC School of Nursing, UNC-CH |
| Sarah (Betsy) Bledsoe-Mansori, PhD 2009-2012 |
Group Therapy for Depressed Pregnant Teens – University-Agency Partnerships for Evidence-Based Practice | Associate Professor
UNC School of Social Work, UNC-CH |
| Wendy Foulds Mathes, PhD 2009-2012 |
Genetics of Eating | Staff Counselor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro;
Assistant Research Professor, Department of Psychiatry; UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Maya Styner, MD 2010-2012 |
Role of C/EBPbeta in mechanical regulation of MSC potential | Assistant Professor, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Asheley Skinner, PhD 2009-2015 |
Sex/Gender Differences in Pediatric Obesity | Adjunct Assistant Professor, Division of Health Policy and Management Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Stephanie Zerwas, PhD 2011-2015 |
Sex/Gender Influences on Childhood Anxiety Trajectories and Adolescent Disordered Eating | Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Katie Reeder-Hayes, MD 2012-2015 |
Molecular Basis of Biologic Differences in Breast Cancer Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Women | Clinical Instructor, Breast Cancer, UNC Breast Center School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Valerie Flax, MPH, PhD 2013-2015 |
Effect of Lactation on Antiretroviral Therapy and Nutritional Status in HIV Infected Mothers and Infants | Research Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition School of Medicine, UNC-CH International Nutrition Researcher RTI International’s Food and Nutrition Policy Research Program |
| Crystal Schiller, PhD 2013-2015 |
Female Hormone Effects in Mood Behavior and Brain Function in Perimenopausal Women | Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Stacie Dusetzina, PhD 2013-2016 |
Payer Level Differences in Response to Regulatory Actions Regarding Cancer Pharmacotherapy in Men and Women | Assistant Professor, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy Gillings School of Public Health, UNC-CH |
| Neeta Vora, MD 2015-2017 |
A New Era of Genomics for Fetal Diagnosis | Assistant Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Director of the Maternal Serum Screening Laboratory School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Michelle Meyer, PhD, MPH 2016-2019 |
Androgens, renal function, and cardiovascular disease risk in reproductive-aged Hispanic/Latina women in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) | Research Assistant Professor and Associate Chair of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Matt Mauck, MD, PhD 2017-2019 |
The prevention of chronic pain following Major Thermal Burn Injury | Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Mark Shen, PhD 2017-2020 |
Validating a sex-specific biomarker for autism in infancy | Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry School of Medicine, UNC-CH |
| Zev Nakamura, MD 2019-2021 |
Use of memantine to mitigate cognitive decline in patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy | Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry School of Medicine, UNC-CH |