Faculty

Robert S. Schenken, M.D., Professor and Chairman
schenken@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-4950
Dr. Schenken assumed the position of Chairman in 2002. He holds the rank of Professor and the Humana Foundation Distinguished Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Schenken completed medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in 1977 and concluded his residency training at UTHSCSA. He completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at the National Institutes of Health, Pregnancy Research Branch, in 1982. He then rejoined our department as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Schenken was the Chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility from 1986 until 2002. He is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He was President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in 2005 and currently serves on the Board of Directors for The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. His special interests include endometriosis and clinical infertility.

Elly M-J. Xenakis, M.D., Professor and Deputy Chair for Clinical Affairs
Chief, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
and Director, Residency Program
xenakis@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5009
Dr. Xenakis was born in Bucharest, Romania and received her M.D. in 1983 from Pavia Medical School in Italy. She completed her residency in 1989 at Brooklyn-Caledonian Hospital in New York. Dr. Xenakis completed a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine here in December 1991 and joined our faculty as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Xenakis became Associate Professor in 1998. She holds the Jane and Roland Blumberg Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her special interests are prematurity, hypertension, and diabetes in pregnancy. She is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Deborah Barshes Conway, M.D., Assistant Professor
conway@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5035
Dr. Conway received her B.S. in Biology, cum laude, from Texas A & M University, and her M.D. from the University of Texas - Houston in 1991. In 1995 she completed her residency here and joined our department as an Assistant Instructor on a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She became an Assistant Professor following the completion of her fellowship in 1997. Dr. Conway is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Her interests include diabetes in pregnancy, and pre-pregnancy counseling for women with diabetes.

Michael Berkus, M.D., Assistant Professor
berkus@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5009
Dr. Michael Berkus received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1976. He completed OB/Gyn residency in 1980 at the University of Florida, and his Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Berkus returned to the faculty of UTHSCSA in 2007 as Associate Professor. He served here previously from 1982 to 1995. Dr. Berkus has been awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award, presented by OB/Gyn Senior Residents. He has been an active researcher for many years, and is well published in many peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Berkus is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He is certified by the American board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Berkus is presently seeing patients at the University Health Center-Downtown in the Ultrasound Clinic.

Donald J. Dudley, M.D., Professor
dudleyd@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5035
Dr. Dudley received his M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1984. He completed his residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic in Iowa City in 1988. Following the completion of a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Utah Medical School in 1991, Dr. Dudley remained at the University of Utah Medical School as Assistant Professor, and later Associate Professor. Dr. Dudley returned to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio as Professor in 1999. He is the Director of the newly created National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. He is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. His special interests are the immunology of pregnancy, recurrent pregnancy loss, and the causes of preterm birth.

Darren M. Farley, M.D., Instructor/Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow
farleyd3@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5009
Dr. Darren M. Farley received his M.D. in 2003 from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas. He completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency in 2007 at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas. He is currently in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship here at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Farley is board eligible in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

John C. Franka, M.D., Assistant Professor
franka@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-7036
Dr. Franka received his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and then attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, receiving his M.D. in 1998. Dr. Franka remained at this institution for residency training, and following the completion of residency training, Dr. Franka joined our faculty in August 2002. Dr. Franka is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Mark S. Funk. M.D., Assistant Professor
funkm@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5009
Dr. Funk received his M.D. from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1995, and remained in San Antonio for residency training. Dr. Funk joined our faculty following the completion of his residency here in 1999. His special interests include general obstetrics and gynecology, urogynecology, and working with residents and medical students. Dr. Funk is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Robert W. Huff, M.D. , Professor and Deputy Chair for Academic Affairs
huff@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5000
Dr. Huff, a native San Antonian, received his M.D. in 1966 from Baylor College of Medicine, and completed his residency at the Health Science Center in 1972. He joined our faculty as an Instructor and is now Professor and Deputy Chairman. He holds the Joseph Seitchik Chair in Reproductive Genetics. He is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and by the American Board of Medical Genetics. His special interests include prematurity, genetics and prenatal diagnosis.

Kristen Plastino, M.D., Assistant Professor
plastino@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-7036
Dr. Plastino was awarded a B.S. and Pharm.D. from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. She then attended the University of South Florida Medical School, where she was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. She received her M.D. in 1999. Dr. Plastino joined the department as Assistant Professor in July, 2003 after successfully completing her residency here. She is the director of the UTHSCSA Sex Education Program. Dr. Plastino is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her special interests are sex education, adolescent gynecology, and resident work hours.

Leticia Vargas, M.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Vargas received her B.S. in Biology from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio in 1995.  She attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, receiving her M.D. degree in 2000, and completed her Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at UTHSCSA in 2003.  Dr. Vargas joined our Department in August 2004, and holds a joint appointment with the Department of Family and Community Medicine.  Dr. Vargas is an active candidate for certification by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  Her special interests are adolescent sexual health, social work, and missionary work.

Maria D. Barnes, M.S.N., Faculty Associate
Ms. Barnes received her Master’s degree in Nursing – Midwifery in 1991 from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Ms. Barnes worked as Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwife at several U.S. Army facilities.  Most recently she worked in El Paso, TX for one of the local hospitals as well as the Texas Department of Health.  Ms. Barnes joined our Department as Faculty Associate/Certified Nurse Midwife in January 2005.

Margaret A. McGill, M.S.N., Faculty Associate
Ms. McGill joined our faculty in September 2005 as a Faculty Associate/Certified Nurse Midwife.  Ms. McGill received her Masters in Nursing – Midwifery in 1985 from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.  Most recently Ms. McGill held the academic appointment of Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Nursing.

Jana Lee Sullivan, M.S.N., Faculty Associate
Ms. Sullivan completed her Masters in Nursing — Midwifery at State University of New York at Stonybrook in 2002. She has worked as certified nurse midwife in private practice settings and has also served as instructor at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Ms. Sullivan joined our Department as Faculty Associate/Certified Nurse Midwife in June 2006.

Kevin L. Hall, M.D., Associate Professor and Chief, Division of Gynecology/Oncology
hallk3@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5051
Dr. Hall attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was awarded a B.S. in Chemistry/Engineering. He received his M.D. in 1983 from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Hall completed his residency training in 1987 and fellowship training in Gynecologic Oncology in 1993 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Before joining the department, Dr Hall completed a military career, achieving the rank of Colonel before his retirement in May 2003. His last assignment was at Brooke Army Medical Center where he held a number of posts, including Chief of Gynecologic Oncology and Vice Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Hall is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Gynecologic Oncology. His research interests include uterine sarcomas, eptithelial ovarian carcinomas and cervical carcinomas.

Mohammad Mitwalli Ahmad, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor
ahmadm@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5051
Dr. Ahmad is originally from Alexandria, Egypt and speaks four languages. He received his M.D. from Alexandria University. In addition to his M.D. degree, he holds a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Tulane University. In 1967, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Gynecologic Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He joined our department in 1975 as an Associate Professor, and is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Dr. Ahmad is Medical Director of the University Health System Family Planning Program.

John W. Boldt, M.D., Clinical Professor
boldtj@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5057
Dr. Boldt received his M.D. in 1954 from Vanderbilt University, and completed his residency there in 1958. Dr. Boldt completed a Cancer Fellowship at M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute in 1961, and was Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1964. His special interests include pelvic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Boldt joined our faculty as Clinical Professor in July of 1995. He is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

James Edward Bost, M.D., Assistant Professor/Clinical
bost@uthscsa.edu
Dr. Bost attended Austin College in Sherman, Texas, where he majored in English and Biology. He left Austin College in 1978 at the end of his junior year to attend Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He graduated from BCM in 1981 but stayed on at Baylor to complete an Ob-Gyn residency. At the completion of his residency in 1986, he returned to Sherman to open and run a private Ob-Gyn practice. He continued in private practice in Sherman until October, 2007, when he joined the faculty at UTHSCSA. In August 2007 he received his MBA from UT Dallas. Dr. Bost's major interests are minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, urogynecologic surgery, and the economics of medicine.

Karen C. Diaz, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor
Phone: 210-567-5051
Dr. Diaz was born in San Antonio, Texas. She received her M.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. After completing her residency here at UTHSCSA, she joined the faculty at Duke University Medical Center. She returned to our department in 1989 as Assistant Professor. Her interests include colposcopy and urinary incontinence. She is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Christina Fraser, M.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Fraser earned her baccalaureate in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1994. She attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, receiving her M.D. degree in 1998. Following her Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at the Medical College of Virginia, Dr. Fraser served as a United States Air Force staff physician at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, TX from 2002 until 2005. Dr. Fraser joined the UTHSCSA faculty in December of 2006. She is certified by The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Edward R. Kost, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Kost received his baccalaureate in Biochemistry and Cell biology from the University of California in San Diego in 1983, and his M.D. from the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine in Bethesda, MD in 1989. Following residency training at Wilford Hall Medical Center, he completed both a research and a clinical fellowship in Gynecology-Oncology at the Washington University School of Medicine in 1994 and 1996 respectively. Prior to joining UTHSCSA, Dr. Kost was the Vice Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wilford Hall Medical Center. Dr. Kost is certified by The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology.

Luke A. Newton, M.D., Assistant Professor
newtonla@uthscsa.edu
Dr. Newton graduated from Texas A&M in 1999 with a B.A. in Biology. He then attended medical school at UT Southwestern in Dallas between the years of 1999-2003. He contined his training UNC Chapel Hill where he completed his OB/GYN residency in 2007. He joined the faculty at UTHSCSA in the fall of 2007. Dr. Newton's interests are in minimally invasive surgery and medical education.

Blake A. Ofobike, M.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Ofobike received her B.S. in Integrated Life Sciences from Kent State University in 1998, and went on to the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, receiving her M.D. in 2002. Dr. Ofobike completed her residency at UTHSCSA in 2006 joined the Department in the fall of 2006.

G. Nicoleta Prisacaru, M.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. G. Nicoleta Prisacaru is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology who recently joined the Faculty of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. In 1992, Dr. Prisacaru received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Gr. T Popa, Iasi, in Romania, and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2007.

J. Mark Paine, M.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Paine joined our faculty in October 2005. He received his baccalaureate in Biology from Austin College in 1967. He graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1971, and also completed his residency in Houston. He was in private practice in San Antonio since 1979 and was appointed Assistant Clinical Professor in our Department from 1979-1994. Dr. Paine is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Andrea R. Thurman, M.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Thurman earned a baccalaureate in Chemistry and Studio Art from Kenyon College in Gambier, OH in 1990, and her M.D. from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 1994. She completed her residency at the National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Thurman was the department head of OB/GYN at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan from 1998 to 2001, and then became faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Thurman joined UTHSCSA in the summer of 2006. She is certified by The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Neera Bhatia, M.D., Clinical Professor
Phone: 210-567-4953
Dr. Bhatia obtained her M.D. degree from Maulana Azad Medical School in New Delhi, India, in 1973. She participated in a rotational internship at Santa Rosa Medical Center in San Antonio 1973-1974 and then did her internship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX from 1974 to1975. Dr. Bhatia completed her residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1978. Dr. Bhatia supervises the gynecologic rotation at Metropolitan Methodist Hospital. Dr. Bhatia is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Robert G. Brzyski, Ph.D., M.D., Associate Professor and
Chief, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
brzyski@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-6121
Dr. Brzyski received his Ph.D. in 1981 and his M.D. in 1983 from St Louis University, in Missouri. He completed his residency training at Yale New Haven Hospital, in Connecticut in 1987, and completed a fellowship at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Norfolk, Virginia, in 1989. He is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He joined our faculty in 1993 as Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2001. Dr. Brzyski directs the Fellowship Program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and the Assisted Reproductive Technology program.  He is Principal Investigator of the NIH funded Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Center and the Reproductive Medicine Network Clinical Site.  His interests include menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome and reproductive ethics.

Tien-cheng Chang, Ph.D. , Assistant Professor
changt3@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-7047
Dr. Tien-cheng 'Arthur' Chang received his bachelor's degree from National Taiwan University, Taiwan, then master's and PH.D. degrees in Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before joining our department in 2007. Dr. Chang's research and clinical interests include assisted reproductive technology, preimplantation embryo development, implantation, as well as nonhuman primate embryo physiology and stem cell biology for modeling reproductive medicine. He serves as Embryology Laboratory Director of the San Antonio Institute for Cellular and Molecular Primatology, and IVF/micromanipulation specialist at South Texas Fertility Center.

Carlton A. Eddy, Ph.D., Associate Professor
eddy@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5000
Dr. Eddy received his Ph.D. in Animal Science at the University of Massachusetts and joined our faculty in 1973. In 1979, he became an Associate Professor. Dr. Eddy's research and clinical interests include tubal physiology and ectopic pregnancy, preimplantation embryo physiology and gynecologic microsurgery. He is Director of the Assisted Reproductive Technology Laboratory and teaches several senior selective courses and microsurgery.

Jason S. Griffith, M.D., Instructor/Reproductive Endocrinology Fellow
Dr. Griffith received a B.S. in Kinesiology from Texas A & M University in 1991, and a Master's degree in Physical Therapy from Baylor in 1993. While on active duty in the U.S. Army, he was Chief of Physical Therapy Service, 67th Combat Support Hospital in Wuerzburg, Germany before being released from active duty to attend medical school. Dr. Griffith earned his M.D. from UTHSCSA in 2002, and completed his residency at UTHSCSA in 2006.

Jani R. Jensen, M.D., Instructor/Reproductive Endocrinology Fellow
jensenj@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-6121
Dr. Jensen received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin in Bacteriology and Spanish. Following an M.S. in mMicrobiology and Immunology, she attended the University of Wisconsin medical school and was awarded her M.D. in May 2001. Dr. Jensen completed her residency at the University of Colorado in May 2005. She is certified by The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Rajeshwar Rao Tekmal, Ph.D., Professor,
Carl J. Pauerstein Professor
Director, Division of Reproductive Research
tekmal@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-4930
Dr. Tekmal received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the N.D.R.I./Kurukshetra University, India, in 1982. He was a faculty member of this department from 1989-1995. In June 1995, Dr. Tekmal moved to Emory University, where he rose to the rank of Professor. Dr. Tekmal rejoined our department in June 2003 as Professor and Director of the Division of Reproductive Research. He is the Managing Editor (Hormonal Carcinogenesis) of Frontiers in Biosciences and was a member of the Reproductive Endocrinology Study section from 1982-2002. Dr. Tekmal is a member of a number of professional organizations. His current research interests are the role of hormonal carcinogenesis in breast and gynecological malignancies, hormone-mediated gene regulation, and the role of cytokine growth factors in endometriosis.

Nameer Kirma, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
kirma@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-4930
Dr. Kirma earned his baccalaureate in Biological Sciences from Emory University in 1987. He attended Georgia State University where he earned his M.S. in Microbial Genetics and his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics. Dr. Kirma joined the UTHSCSA in 2004. His research interest is the role of local aromatase expression in breast carcinogenesis.

Ya-Guang Liu, M.D., Ph.D., Instructor – Research
Dr. Liu completed his M.D. degree from Hengyang Medical College in China in 1988.  He then transferred to Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences in China where he earned his Master’s degree in Nephrology in 1993, and a Ph.D. in Nephrology & Clinical Immunology in 1998.  Following Internal Medicine residency training, Dr. Liu joined the faculty at the National Institute of Kidney Diseases before moving to Texas and joining the UTHSCSA in 2003.

Hareesh Babu Bhaskaran Nair, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
nairh@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5028
Dr. Nair received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Mahatma Gandhi University (Amala Cancer Research Center), India in 2003. After completing pre-doctoral training at University of Pittsburgh he joined as a postdoctoral research fellow in our Department in 2003 in Dr. Tekmal’s group. He became Instructor in 2006 and Assistant Professor in 2008 in the same Department. His major research goal includes developing targeted therapeutics that could make a meaningful impact on the lives of cancer patients. His projects involve cancer chemoprevention, molecular epigenetic prognostic markers and modulation of targeted-drug activity in gynecological malignancies.

Ratna K. Vadlamudi, Ph.D., Associate Professor
vadlamudi@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-4930
Dr. Vadlamudi joined our faculty in January 2006.  He received his doctorate in Molecular Biology from the University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY in 1994.  He completed his postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School / Dana Farber Cancer Institute in 1997. His Academic appointments have included Assistant and Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Associate Professor, in the Department of Genetics, Stanley S. Cancer Center, LSUHSC New Orleans. Dr. Vadlamudi’s research has focused on understanding the molecular mechanism of Nuclear Receptor Signal transduction using Estrogen Receptor as a model system. His current research interests include characterizing the role of novel coactivators in estrogen mediated cell cycle progression, chromatin remodeling and non-nuclear signaling, developing transgenic and knock-out mouse models for coregulators; characterizing the role of coactivators in tumorigenesis / hormonal resistance; and identifying small inhibitors/peptides targeting ER coregulators for therapeutic intervention. 

Rochelle N. Shain, Ph.D., Professor
shain@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-4960
Dr. Shain received her Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley in 1974. She completed postdoctoral training here in 1976 in Reproductive Biology and Voluntary Regulation of Fertility. She joined our faculty in 1976 and in 1987 became Professor. Special interests include psychosocial and physical sequelae of female sterilization, determinants of low-weight birth, and educational interventions to reduce the risk of contracting STDs/AIDS.

Alan E.C. Holden, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
holden@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-4960
Dr. Holden earned his undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and Statistics, and earned his Ph.D. in Public Health, Behavioral Science-Epidemiology/Reproductive Biology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in2003.  Dr. Holden joined our Department in 1989 and provides expertise in behavior intervention and statistical analysis.

Peter Nathanielsz, M.D., Ph.D., Professor
nathanielsz@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5055
Dr. Peter Nathanielsz completed his undergraduate and medical training in Cambridge University in England where he also received his PhD. He moved to UCLA in 1976 as the director of the Laboratory of Fetal Physiology and in 1982 to Cornell University as the director of the Laboratory for Pregnancy and Newborn Research. In 2002 he moved to New York University as the director of the Center for Women's Health Research. Dr. Nathanielsz received an adjunct appointment at UTHSCSA in spring of 2003, and joined our full time faculty as Director of the Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research in September 2004. His interests are fetal growth, developmental programming, and the regulation of term and preterm labor.

Cun Li, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor
lic@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5055
Dr. Cun Li obtained her M.D. from Harbin University in China in 1982 where she worked as a clinical neurologist. She came to Cornell University in 1991 to join the Laboratory for Pregnancy and Newborn Research. She transferred to New York University in 2002 as a Research Assistant Professor, and in summer of 2003 to UTHSCSA as adjunct faculty. Dr. Li was appointed Assistant Professor here in September 2004. She works closely with Dr. McDonald on the development of the fetal pituitary adrenal axis and splanchnic nerve function.

Thomas McDonald, Ph.D., Associate Professor
mcdonaldt@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5055
Dr. Thomas McDonald obtained his BA from the University of Massachusetts in 1969 and his Master's and PhD degrees from Cornell University. He joined the Laboratory of Pregnancy and Newborn research of Cornell University in 1988 and moved with it to New York University medical school in 2002 as an associate professor. Dr. McDonald received an adjunct appointment at UTHSCSA in the spring of 2003, and joined our full time faculty in September 2004. His major interests are the study of the developing brain and the stress axis. Dr. McDonald was the first to show that the signal to labor delivery comes from the fetal paraventricular nucleus.

Mark Nijland, Ph.D., Associate Professor
nijland@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5055
Dr. Mark Nijland obtained his BA and PhD from Witwatersrand University in South Africa. He undertook post doctoral research at the University of California Riverside between 1989-1992. He was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UCLA from 1995-2002 before joining the research group at Cornell. He moved with group to New York University in 2002 as an Associate Professor. He joined our full time faculty in the fall of 2004. His major interests are in the development of the cardiovascular system and how the mother and her offspring regulate their blood pressure and salt and water balance.

Natalia Schlabritz-Lutsevich, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor
schlabritzlu@uthscsa.edu - Phone: 210-567-5055
Dr. Natalia-Schlabritz-Lutsevich obtained her medical degrees from the Medical Institute at Minsk in Belarus in 1989 and the University of Kiel, Germany in 1999. Her PhD degree in Reproductive Endocrinology, she obtained from the Medical Institute at Minsk in Belarus in 1997. She worked at the University of Hamburg, Germany, before coming to the United States to join the New York University team. Her role was to oversee the primate colony at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research at San Antonio. Dr. Schlabritz-Lutsevich received an adjunct appointment at UTHSCSA in the spring of 2003, and joined our full time faculty as Assistant Professor in September 2004. Her interests are comparative aspects of placental structure and function, and fetal growth and development.