Back row (left to right): Ruth Santizo, Natasha Muriel, Zenobia Colon, Jhack Sepulveda, Maria Rocio Gilman, Tom Cavuoto, Carlo Garcia, Dr. Janice Barnhart
Front row (left to right): Dr. Elizabeth Lee-Rey, Dr. Carmen Isasi, Lizette Rosario, Marilyn Colon, Rosalyn Graves, Dr. Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Elena Stefanizzi, Madeline Crespo-Figueroa, Dr. Olga Gonzalez
Seated: Dr. Robert Kaplan and Dr. Sylvia Smoller
Principal Investigator: Dr. Robert Kaplan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at AECOM. He has been involved in studies of heart disease in the Bronx and nationally. He is also an HIV/AIDS researcher, examining the effects of long-term HIV infection and HIV medication use on risk of heart and vascular diseases.
Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller is the Division Head of the Epidemiology Department in Einstein's Department of Epidemiology and Population Health. She is also a Professor and the Principal Investigator for the Bronx site of the Women'’s Health Initiative. Her book Biostatistics and Epidemiology, a Primer for Health and Biomedical Professionals (published by Springer-Verlag) is now in its third edition. Her research interests include health disparities; biostatistics & epidemiology; cardiovascular disease; depression and heart disease; hypertension; and women's health.
Medical Director: Dr. Janice Barnhart is Medical Director of the Bronx HCHS/SOL Clinic and a study Co-investigator. Dr. Barnhart is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. As a physician-scientist, her research focuses on identifying clinical and behavioral factors contributing to disparities in care among women and racial/ethnic minorities with heart disease. As the Medical Director, Dr. Barnhart has primary responsibility for facilitating clinical follow-up and referral for HCHS/SOL study participants.
Community Liaison: Gladys Valdivieso is Director of Community Health Outreach and a member of the Faculty for Undergraduate Medical Education in the Department of Family and Social Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in East Harlem, Ms. Valdivieso has spent the past forty years living in the Bronx and working to understand and to improve the health of the people of this community. She serves as the Community Liaison for the HCHS/SOL project.
Director of Research: Yvonne Raiford has over 30 years of experience in clinical trials and observational studies. Ms. Raiford has a unique combination of interests and experience related to the HCHS/SOL and has worked with our research team for many years. She also is Managing Editor of the American Journal of Hypertension.
Operations Manager: Madeline Crespo-Figueroa, (also known as Maddie), graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, with a BS in Biology. During this time she received honorary acknowledgement as Co-Founder and President of the first "Hispanic Society" for students on a college campus. Prior research experience includes 13 years working at Montefiore Medical Center.
Recruitment Manager: Emelinda Blanco Born and raised in Honduras, Emelinda immigrated to USA at the age of seventeen. Here, she received a Bachelor of Arts from Lehman College and Columbia University-Teachers College awarded her a Master's degree in Health Education and Promotion. A proud Garifuna, Emelinda is Founder-President of Organizacion Travesia Nueva Ola, a non profit organization involved in educational fund raising activities that benefit underserved Garifuna Communities in Honduras. She is also board member of the Garifuna Coalition, the organization that helps empower the Garifuna community in the Bronx and serves as the focal point of the Garifuna culture. Emelinda has had a strong interest in research since 1995 and has worked on several projects at Cornell Medical Center and AECOM on substance abuse prevention, diabetes, and vision. Emelinda enjoys traveling, and teaching her teenage daughter human values and self developed interest/learning techniques.
Key Co-investigators (alphabetical):
Mindy Ginsberg is the Director of Data Systems in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health. She has been a member of our research team since 1985. In HCHS/SOL, she is responsible for overseeing all areas of data management including data collection, data flow, QC, and training.
Dr. Carmen Isasi is Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health. Her recent research has addressed behavioral parameters in relation to body weight in children. She chairs the national HCHS/SOL anthropometry subcommittee.
Dr. Elizabeth Lee-Rey is Assistant Professor of Family and Social Medicine and Co-Director of the Hispanic Center of Excellence at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is also Co- Director of the HRSA-funded AECOM – Health Career Opportunities Program and Core Cultural Competency Faculty on the NIH-funded Project EXPORT. Dr. Lee-Rey has extensive experience and leadership in the areas of cultural and linguistic competency, and has presented at national meetings on this topic.
Dr. Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health. She is the lead nutritionist in the HCHS/SOL study and has prior experience as the lead nutritionist-investigator in the Women’s Health Initiative. She is trained in both anthropology and nutrition. Dr. Mossavar-Rahmani has special expertise in the development of culturally-appropriate diet assessment methods for Hispanic/Latino populations.
Other Co-investigators and Contributors (alphabetical):
Dr. Tom Aldrich, Professor in the Department of Medicine (Pulmonary Medicine), provides expertise about lung diseases.
Dr. Raanan Arens, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, provides expertise on sleep disorders.
Dr. Victor Badner, Chairman of the Jacobi Medical Center Dental Department, provides expertise in dental health.
Dr. Elizabeth Dinces, Assistant Professor Department of Otolaryngology, provides expertise in hearing disorders.
Dr. Ellen Grober, Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurology, provides expertise in dementia and cognitive assessment.
Dr. Robert Ostfeld, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine (Cardiology), provides expertise in heart and vascular diseases.
Dr. Christian Schumacher, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology, provides expertise on stroke and neurological disorders.
Dr. Hal Strelnick, Director of the
Hispanic Center of Excellence and Director of the Division of Community Health in the Department of Family and Social Medicine at Albert Einstein School of Medicine, is a key contributor to HCHS/SOL program. Dr. Strelnick is a member of the HCHS/SOL Community Advisory Board.
Laura Tocci, Au.D., CCC/A, provides expertise on hearing assessment.
