VCCBH Directory

Center Leadership Team

Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc.

Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Division Department of Medicine • Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine University Scholar

Mary.Cushman@uvm.edu

Mark Nelson, Ph.D.

Chair of The Department of Pharmacology • University Distinguished Professor

Mark.Nelson@med.uvm.edu

Core Directors

Neil Zakai, M.D., M.Sc.

Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Division, Department of Medicine • Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Neil.Zakai@uvm.edu (802) 656-3154

Peter Durda, Ph.D.

Faculty Scientist • Co-director of the Study Design and Molecular Epidemiology Core for the Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health

Peter.Durda@med.uvm.edu (802) 656-8968

Todd Clason, M.Sc.

Research Assistant Professor • Director - Customized Physiology and Imaging Core

Todd.Clason@uvm.edu (802) 578-9876

Current Project Directors

David Punihaole

Assistant Professor - Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biophysical Chemistry

David.Punihaole@uvm.edu (802) 656-2329

Diego Adrianzen Herrera, M.D., M.S.

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology • Associate Director of Inclusive Excellence, University of Vermont Cancer Center

dadrianz@med.uvm.edu

FIRE Grant Recipients

James Stafford, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor • University of Vermont Cancer Center Member

James.Stafford@uvm.edu

Administrative Team

Owen Nadeau, Ph.D.

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Title: Operations Administrator

Phone Number: (802) 656-4392

Email: Owen.Nadeau@med.uvm.edu 

Sierra Rose

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Title: Business Generalist

Email: Sierra.Rose@med.uvm.edu 

Study Design and Molecular Epidemiology Core

Peter Callas, Ph.D.

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Title: Co-Investigator, Research Associate Professor 

Phone Number: (802) 656-3195    

Email: Peter.Callas@uvm.edu 

Andrew Sparks

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Title: Statistician

Phone Number: (802) 656-2526  

Email: Andrew.Sparks@uvm.edu 

Ryan Packer

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Title: Researcher/Analyst, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine    

Email: rtpacker@med.uvm.edu 

Rebekah Lynn Boyle

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Title: Researcher/Analyst, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 

Phone Number: (802) 656-8938

Email: Rebekah.Boyle@med.uvm.edu 

Katherine Wilkinson

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Title: Researcher/Analyst, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 

Phone Number: (802) 656-8984

Email: Katherine.Wilkinson@med.uvm.edu 

Customized Physiology and Imaging Core (CPIC)

Thomas J. Heppner, Ph.D.

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Title: Research Assistant Professor 

Phone Number: (802) 656-3889

Email: thomas.heppner@med.uvm.edu 

Gerald Herrera, Ph.D.

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Title: Research Assistant Professor 

Phone Number: (802) 656-5840

Email: Gerald.herrera@med.uvm.edu 

Grant W. Hennig, Ph.D.

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Title: Research Assistant Professor 

Phone Number: (802) 656-0859

Email: Grant.Hennig@med.uvm.edu 

Senior Mentors

Ira Bernstein, MD

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Title: Chair and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences    

Phone Number: (802) 847-5112

Email: ira.bernstein@uvm.edu 

Marilyn Cipolla, PhD

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Title: Professor & Chair, Bioengineering, Professor, Neurological Sciences UVM; CVRI Board Member 

Phone Number: (802) 656-8436

Email: Marilyn.cipolla@med.uvm.edu 

Mark Nelson, Ph.D.

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Title: Chair and University Distinguished Professor, Department of Pharmacology    

Phone Number: (802) 656-2500

Email: Mark.Nelson@med.uvm.edu 

Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc.

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Title: Professor and Vice Chair for Emerging Researchers, Department of Medicine

Phone Number: (802) 656-8968

Email: mary.cushman@med.uvm.edu 

Neil Zakai, M.D., M.Sc.

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Title: Core Director, Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology 

Phone Number: (802) 656-3154

Email: Neil.Zakai@uvm.edu 

Taylor Ricketts, Ph.D.

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Title: Gund Professor and Director of the Gund Institute for Environment

Phone Number: (802) 656-7796

Email: taylor.ricketts@uvm.edu 

Peer Mentors

Nels Olson, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine  

Phone Number:  (802) 656-8968

Email: nels.olson@med.uvm.edu 

Nimrat Chatterjee, Ph.D.

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Title: Associate Professor, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics    

Phone Number: (802) 656-1714   

Email: Nimrat.Chatterjee@uvm.edu 

Osama Harraz, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor, Pharmacology  

Phone Number: (802) 656-0782

Email: oharraz@uvm.edu 

External Mentors

Jennifer Lee, Ph.D.

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Title: NIH / NHLBI Sr. Investigator, NIH Campus   

Email: leej4@mail.nih.gov 

Leslie A. McClure, Ph.D.

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Title: Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dean, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University

Email: leslie.mcclure@slu.edu 

Pamela Lutsey, Ph.D., MPH

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Title: Professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health    

Email: lutsey@umn.edu 

Internal Advisory Board

Charles G. Irvin, Ph.D.

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Title: Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine

Email: charles.irvin@med.uvm.edu 

David Warshaw, Ph.D.

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Title: Chair and Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics    

Email: David.Warshaw@med.uvm.edu 

Stephen T. Higgins, Ph.D.

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Title: Director, Vermont Center on Behavioral Health/COBRE PI    

Email: stephen.higgins@med.uvm.edu 

External Advisory Board

Manuel Navedo, PhD, FAHA

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Institution: University of California, Davis

Email: mfnavedo@ucdavis.edu 

Scott Earley, PhD

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Institution: University of Rochester, Rochester   

Email: Scott_Earley@URMC.rochester.edu 

Sharon Rounds, MD

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Institution: Brown University, RI    

Email: sharon_rounds@brown.edu 

Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., MPH, FAHA

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Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham    

Email: sejudd@uab.edu 

Pipeline Investigators

Adam Sprouse-Blum, M.D., Ph.D.

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Title: Neurologist, Clinical Instructor, and Assistant Professor

Department: Neurological Science    

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: adam.sprouse-blum@uvmhealth.org 

Brandon Bensel

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Title: Postdoctoral Fellow 

Department: Molecular Physiology & Biophysics    

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: brandon.bensel@med.uvm.edu 

Carissa Wengrovius PT, DPT, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Rehab and Movement Science

Institution: College of Nursing and Health Science

Email: Carissa.Wengrovius@uvm.edu 

Chris Skinner, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Nutrition / Food Science    

Institution: College of Agriculture and Health Sciences    

Email: Chris.Skinner@uvm.edu 

David Coggin-Carr, M.D., Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division

Department: Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: David.Coggin-Carr@uvm.edu

Daniela Zambrano, M.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Neurological Sciences    

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: Daniela.Zambrano@uvm.edu

Emily Belarmino, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Nutrition/ Food Science

Institution: College of Agriculture and Health Sciences

Email: Emily.Belarmino@uvm.edu 

James Stafford, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Neurological Sciences

Institution: Larner College of Medicine

Email: James.Stafford@uvm.edu

Karlyn Martin, M.D.

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Title: Associate Professor (COM)

Department: Medicine – Hematology

Institution: Larner College of Medicine 

Email: Karlyn.Martin@uvm.edu 

Kathryn Morelli, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Neurological Sciences

Institution: Larner College of Medicine

Email: kmorelli@uvm.edu 

Kyle Thomas McKay

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Title: Post Doctoral Associate, Professional Exempt Temp, Research Affiliate

Department: Pharmacology, Chemistry

Institution: Larner College of Medicine      

Email: Kyle.McKay@uvm.edu 

Mansour Gergi, M.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor of Hematology & Oncology

Department: Medicine –Hematology

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: Mansour.Gergi@uvmhealth.org 

Maria Bravo, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor (COM)

Department: Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: mbravo@med.uvm.edu 

Maria Noterman Soulinthavong, Ph.D.

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Title: Post Doct Fellow/Trainee

Department: Pharmacology 

College: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: Maria.Noterman@uvm.edu 

Minaz Mawani, Ph.D., MPH, BScN

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Title: Postdoctoral Associate    

Department: Hematology and Oncology 

Institution: Larner College of Medicine

Email: Minaz.Mawani@uvm.edu 

Nicole Habel, M.D., Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor (COM)

Department: Medicine – Cardiology

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: Nicole.Habel@uvm.edu 

Paige Brochu, M.S., Ph.D.

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Title: Research Assistant Professor 
Spatial Analysis Lab Director

Department: Environment and Natural Resources    

Institution: Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources    

Email: Paige.Brochu@uvm.edu 

Ruth Fabian-Fine, Ph.D.

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Title: Director of the Neuroscience Program 
Associate Professor of Biology and Neuroscience

Department: Neuroscience    

Institution: St Michael’s College    

Email: rfabianfine@smcvt.edu 

Saul Huerta de la Cruz, Ph.D.

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Title: Postdoctoral Associate

Department: Pharmacology

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: Saul.Huerta-de-la-Cruz@uvm.edu 

Sulamunn Coleman, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor (COM)
Assistant Professor

Department: Psychiatry

Institution: Larner College of Medicine    

Email: Sulamunn.Coleman@uvm.edu 

Wen Ma, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Physics    

Institution: College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences     

Email: wen.ma@uvm.edu 

Yangguang Ou, Ph.D.

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Title: Assistant Professor

Department: Chemistry

Institution: College of Arts and Sciences    

Email: Yangguang.Ou@uvm.edu