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Meet Our Team

Program Leadership and Faculty

Cindy Powell, MD
Program Director

Dr. Powell is a Professor of Pediatrics with expertise in hearing loss, newborn genetic screenings and rare diseases. Her research interests include:

  • The ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genomics research as new technologies emerge and the field expands.
  • Improvement and implementation of advanced newborn screenings to identify rare diseases.
  • Easing disease burden for patients and families with rare disease, including hearing loss, Angelman syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome.
Muge Calikoglu, MD
Associate Program Director

Dr. Calikolgu’s clinical interests include metabolic disorders, medical genetics, dysmorphology, epidemiology, and mitochondrial disorders.

Joseph Muenzer, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics 

Dr. Muenzer has a special interest in congenital metabolic disorders such as Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS). His research includes:

  • Progressive brain disease in children with severe MPS II, also known as Hunter Syndrome.
  • Developing new avenues of treatment in children with MPS, including clinical trials to test new forms of intravenous enzyme replacement therapy as well as alternative therapies, such as gene therapy and intrathecal drug delivery devices.
Arti Pandya, MD, MBA
Chief, Division of Genetics and Metabolism

Dr. Pandya’s clinical interests include hearing loss, birth defects, and inborn errors of metabolism.

J. Edward Spence, MD
Professor of Pediatrics 

In his 30 years of work in Clinical Genetics, Dr. Spence has provided diagnosis and care for children and adults with all types of genetic disorders. It is his goal to provide useful information and education so these individuals can get the most appropriate medical services and care management relevant to their diagnosis.

Current Residents

Elizabeth Jalazo, MD
Second Year in Program

Pediatric Residency and Chief Residency: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Medical School: Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Undergraduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BS Biology)

Michael Adams, MD
Second Year in Program

Internal Medicine Residency: The Ohio State University – Wexner Medical Center
Medical School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Graduate School: Duke University (MS Biomedical Engineering)
Undergraduate School: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BS Physics)