Appendix D: PPB Personnel
Nancy Chescheir, M.D., is board certified in maternal-fetal medicine and an obstetrician/gynecologist. She joined the Branch in January 2003 on an interpersonal agreement with the University of North Carolina to be the program scientist for the MOMS trial. Dr. Chescheir is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and the director of the Fetal Therapy and Surgery Program at the University of North Carolina. She is nationally recognized in the area of fetal surgery.
Rosemary D. Higgins, M.D., is a board-certified neonatologist, who joined the Branch in January 2003. She is the program scientist for the NICHD NRN and MLS. Prior to joining the Branch, she held faculty positions at New York University Medical Center and at Georgetown University. Dr. Higgins is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, is the NICHD liaison for the DHHS Interagency Coordinating Council on LBW and Preterm Birth and Disparities Subcommittee, and is a fellow of the AAP. Dr. Higgins' area of expertise is retinopathy of prematurity.
John V. Ilekis Ph.D., joined the Branch in June 1999. He holds a Ph.D. in biology with specialization in molecular biology. Prior to joining the PPB, Dr. Ilekis was a research assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Dr. Ilekis' area of research focuses on understanding the molecular regulation of growth-factor receptors in reproductive tissues. His scientific responsibilities include managing basic research grants on: the physiology and biochemistry of the placenta, uterus, and cervix; preeclampsia and preterm birth; and psychosocial stressors and their physiological effects on pregnancy.
Susan Pagliaro joined the Branch in November 2001. She previously worked as program coordinator in the private sector in the area of adolescent health care. Ms. Pagliaro earned her bachelor's degree in public health from the University of Massachusetts. Her organizational skills and interest in clinical trials led her to the NIH, where she serves as the network coordinator of the MFMU Network and the Maternal-Fetal Surgery Network. In 2003, Ms. Pagliaro received an NIH Merit Award for "Superior commitment, dedication, and accomplishment to the NICHD's MFMU Network."
Tonse Raju M.D., D.C.H., F.A.A.P., is a board-certified neonatologist, who joined the PPB in June 2002. Prior to joining the Branch, he was professor of pediatrics and associate director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Illinois, Chicago. His research background includes neonatal intensive care topics, pulmonary surfactant, bilirubin, non-invasive monitoring, neurological problems, neuronal protection, long-term learning and memory functions, and metaanalysis and systematic reviews. He is the program scientist and medical officer for a portfolio of neonatal research grants (R01, R03, R21); training grants (T32, K, and F); and Small Business Innovative Research/Small Business Technology Transfer programs administered through the Branch; he is also the project officer for the CNRG contract. Dr. Raju is the NICHD liaison for the AAP Committee on Fetus and Newborn, is a fellow of the AAP, and holds membership in the American Pediatric Society, the Society for Pediatric Research, the American Osler Society, and the American Association for the History of Medicine. He also serves as the associate editor for the Journal of Investigative Medicine.
Uma M. Reddy, M.D., M.P.H., joined the Branch in September 2003. Board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine, she was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar and received her master's in public health from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Reddy manages translational and clinical research grants in obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine and serves as program scientist for the SCRN. Prior to joining the Branch, Dr. Reddy was on the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and in the maternal-fetal medicine division at York Hospital, Pennsylvania. Dr. Reddy has published in peer-reviewed journals on clinical and laboratory obstetrics.
Diane Scholl joined the Branch in 1999, after a leave of absence from NICHD. Previously, Ms. Scholl worked at the NICHD as a program assistant for the director of the Centers for Research for Mothers and Children, and as a budget assistant in the Office of Financial Management. She began her career in 1978, at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health of the U.S. Public Health Service. Ms. Scholl's illustration appeared on the cover of the Branch's last report to the NACHHD Council in 2000.
Catherine Spong, M.D., joined the Branch in January 2000 and is board certified in maternalfetal medicine and obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Spong is the program scientist for the MFMU Network and has been Branch chief since January 2001. She is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Georgetown University and associate editor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and William's Obstetrics. Dr. Spong is the NICHD liaison for the ACOG Committee on Obstetric Practice, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Executive Board, and the Liaison Committee of Obstetrician/Gynecologists. She is a fellow of ACOG and a member of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, the Society for Neuroscience, and the Perinatal Research Society. Dr. Spong is also the federal cochair of the Pregnancy and the Infant Working Group for the National Children's Study.
Marian Willinger, Ph.D., is the NICHD special assistant for SIDS, responsible for the direction of the Institute's SIDS research program, which has included the development of the third, fiveyear research plan. She also serves as an expert on SIDS within the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Willinger is a program scientist for the CHIME Study, the PASS Network, the CCHN Network, and the SCRN. She also recently completed contracts to support SIDS epidemiological studies. Dr. Willinger has been involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Back to Sleep campaign and serves as a consultant to the AAP Task Force on Infant Positioning and SIDS. Over the last five years, Dr. Willinger has participated in NIH- and government-wide activities, including the Advisory Board of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research and the Interdisciplinary Research Workgroup of the NIH Roadmap. She is also federal co-chair of the Pregnancy and the Infant Working Group for the National Children's Study.
first | last
