Faculty
Tina V. Hartert, M.D., M.P.H.
Donald H. Arnold, M.D., M.P.H.
Steven M. Brunwasser, Ph.D.
Kecia N. Carroll, M.D., M.P.H.
Suman Das, Ph.D.
William D. Dupont, Ph.D.
Tebeb Gebretsadik, M.P.H.
Paul E. Moore, M.D.
R. Stokes Peebles, Jr., M.D.
Christian Rosas-Salazar, M.D., M.P.H.
Kedir Turi, Ph.D.
Pingsheng Wu, Ph.D., M.S.
Collaborators
Martin L. Moore, Ph.D.
Larry J. Anderson, M.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellows/Trainees
Research Team
Alyssa Bednarek, B.A.
Teresa M. Chipps, B.S.
Alexandra Connolly, B.S.
Kaitlin Costello, B.A.
Jessica Levine, R.N.
Zhouwen Liu, M.S.
Christian E. Lynch, M.P.H.
Megan McCollum, M.S.
Patty Russell, R.N., B.S.N.
Kimberly B. Woodward R.N., B.S.N., C.C.R.P.
Center Alumni

Things You May Not Know About Us!Christian Rosas-Salasar, M.D., M.P.H., dives with sharks.Cosby Stone's, M.D., M.P.H., uncle built one of the largest tree houses in the world in Crossville, Tennessee.Kim Woodward, R.N., B.S.N., C.C.R.P., is a Southern girl born in Nebraska. |
Faculty
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Translational Science
Professor of Medicine, Lulu H. Owen Endowed Chair in Medicine
Director, Center for Asthma Research
Dr. Tina Hartert is a Professor of Medicine, and the Director of the Center for Asthma Research, as well as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Translational Science. Asthma and allergic diseases are among the most common chronic diseases of both children and adults. She firmly believes that the long-term solution to the asthma epidemic is primary and secondary disease prevention. Thus, the major scientific programs of the Center for Asthma Research are to identify causal rik factors for asthma, understand their mechanism of action, and develop and test primary and secondary prevention strategies for asthma and allergic diseases. The current areas of focus of the Center are on understanding the role of common and potentially modifiable factors on asthma development and control, including respiratory tract infections, dietary factors, and medication exposures and utilization. The Center is comprised of a group of highly collaborative and talented investigators, post-doctoral fellows, nurses, research assistants, and students who share a common goal to improve the health of people worldwide.
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Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Division of General Pediatrics

Suman Das, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases
Dr. Das is the Associate Director for Microbial Genetics, Center for Translational Immunology and Infectious Diseases and Associate Director for Viral Genetics, VANTAGE. Prior to joining Vanderbilt, Dr. Das was an Associate Professor in the Infectious Diseases Group at J. Craig Venter Institute. Using genomics approaches, his lab is trying to understand the underlying mechanisms that contribute to evolution of RNA viruses (i.e., Influenza, RSV, rotavirus EEEV, WNV, ZIKV and Enteroviruses). His lab is also interested in understanding virus-host and microbiome interactions, to identify if the host microbiota contributes to disease severity and long-term outcomes upon acute viral infections. Dr. Das received PhD in virology and cell biology from the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India, where he studied molecular pathogenesis of HIV-1 subtype C Indian isolates. After a short postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA, he joined the Laboratory of Viral Diseases, NIAID as a Fogarty International fellow, where his research was focused on understanding the antigenic evolution influenza A virus. He joined Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta as Research Associate to study human B-cell response to influenza infection and vaccination.
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Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonary Medicine
Dr. Turi joined the Center for Asthma Research after earning his Ph.D. in Community Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2015. He has a Master of Science degree in Applied Economics from the University of Illinois and Wagningen University. Dr. Turi has very strong methods and quantitative skills and an understanding of a broad swath of scientific topics. His research interest is to combine multivariate statistics and systems modeling to understand the pathways to disease developments. Dr. Turi is funded by a T-32 clinical and translational training grant under the mentorship of Tina Hartert, MD, MPH. His research will utilize a variety of bioinformatics technologies to mine, simulate, statistically analyze, and integrate the existing data in an effort to gain new insights into pathways in which infant viral respiratory infection causes asthma.
Publications
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Research Team

Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Christian Lynch received her MPH in Health Behavior Health Education from the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She has 15 years’ experience in research working with various populations ranging from infants to elderly adults. She has conducted studies related to topics in mental health, public health, obesity and obstetrics/gynecology. Additionally, she has experience working in community-based, home-based and hospital-based settings in human subject research. Her current research interests include evaluating the effects of maternal distress in the intrauterine environment and how this relationship impacts the risk for infant and child onset of chronic conditions. Mrs. Lynch lives in Nashville with her husband and her whippet, Zooey. She recently moved to Nashville for her love of all things equestrian, the great music and the opportunity to further her growth and passion in the field of medical research.

Megan McCollum moved to Nashville from her home state of Indiana in 2015. She earned her B.S. from Purdue University and her M.S. in Biology from Central Michigan University. Before joining the INSPIRE/ECHO-CREW team in 2018, Megan worked in the Neurology department splitting her time between bench-work and administrative responsibilities. During her time there, she gained valuable research experience in areas ranging from mouse colony management to IRB study coordination. Megan has a passion for research and enjoys being involved in both the behind-the-scenes and the face-to-face aspects of clinical studies.
Finalist for Tennessean 13th Annual Salute to Nurses Awards, 2015
Center Alumni
Andrew Abreo, M.D.
Allergy and Immunology Fellow
Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Andrew Abreo joined the Center for Asthma Research in 2017 as a postdoctoral fellow. He is originally from Shreveport, Louisiana. He received his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Viriginia and completed medical school at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He came to Vanderbilt from Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he completed a residency and chief residency in pediatrics. He currently serves in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Medicine as an Allergy and Immunology fellow. His research interests include prevention of asthma and allergic diseases in addition to eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders. He lives in Nashville with his wife Colleen, enjoys playing tennis, and is a passionate fan of the Virginia Cavaliers and New Orleans Saints.
Niek Achten, M.D.
Research Fellow for the Asthma Research Group
Dr. Achten served as a research fellow at the Asthma Research Group investigating interference between respiratory syncytial virus and human rhinovirus in infancy, and prediction models for severe bronchiolitis. In 2015, he completed medical school at Utrecht University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands. His primary interests are in pediatric infectious dieseases and global child health. As of February 2017, Dr. Achten works as a pediatric resident and infectious diseases research fellow at the Academic Pediatric Center Suriname, in Paramaribo, Suriname, at the northern coast of South America. He continues to collaborate with the Asthma Research Group. When not working, he enjoys diving, both with and without scuba air tanks.
Laurie Archbald-Pannone, M.D.
Undergraduate Research Student, 1998 - 1999
Alexis Bashinski, B.A.
Undergraduate Research Student, 2007
Margaret (Peggy) Bender, FNP-BC
Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Undergraduate Engineering Research Student, 2001 - 2002

Communication Coordinator
Janice is a Middle Tennessean, a mother, and a proud grandmother of four. She enjoys talking with the mothers and hearing about their delightful children.
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Laboratory Assistant
Center for Asthma Research
Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Lauren Easley graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. Since high school, she has conducted research on the use of physical therapy treatments and interventions for prevention of low back pain. While obtaining her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Washington University in St. Louis, she had the opportunity to start a health program for individuals that suffered from preventive diseases. After much contemplation, she decided a nursing degree would help her better develop public health programs to aid individuals facing maternal/child health issues. Lauren also has a lovely son.
Rachel Hayes Enriquez, Ph.D., R.N.
Post-Doctoral Fellow, 2004 - 2007
Amy S. Feldman, M.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Allergy & Immunology, 2013 - 2014

Rebecca L. Gammell, B.A.
Research Analyst II
Director, Communications & Survey Core
Center for Asthma Research
Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
An Ohio native and graduate of Cleveland State University, Rebecca Gammell first became involved in research as a health coach and surveyor for a Vanderbilt diabetes study (Implementation of a Diabetes Self-Management Education Team in a Patient Centered Medical Home). She joined the INSPIRE Study team in 2012 to spearhead the development of the survey core, which contacted the families of enrolled babies by phone or email every two weeks during the 2012 and 2013 winter viral seasons. Rebecca is also involved in participant relations and data management for the INSPIRE Study.
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Research Nurse Specialist II

Nathan Koestner


Clinical Trials Associate I
Undergraduate Engineering Research Student, 2001 - 2002

Kelsie McMurtry, R.N.
Clinical Trials Associate I
INSPIRE Study
Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Kelsie McMurtry joined the INSPIRE study in November 2012. She works in the Gallatin Children's Clinics in Gallatin and Lafayette.
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E. Kathryn Miller, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Pulmonary, Allergy and Immunology

Keri Montgomery, R.N.

Fudzanai Mukarakate
Undergraduate Research Student, 2005 - 2006
Sabuj Pattanayek, B.S.
Undergraduate Engineering Research Student, 2002

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Allergy and Immunology, 2008 - 2009
Jennifer is originally from northeastern Ohio, now calls Nashville home. She went to Miami University for her undergraduate studies and then to Northwestern University where she received her masters degree in neurobiology and physiology. She completed medical school at the Medical College of Ohio and came to Vanderbilt where she completed her residency in pediatrics in 2007. She was fellow in Allergy and Immunology and it was during her fellowship where she became interested in the epidemiology of asthma, early viral respiratory infections, atopy, and eczema. Jennifer and her husband Jeffrey are the proud parents of their daughter Reagan.
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Undergraduate Engineering Research Student, 2001 - 2002

Medical Student Research, 2004

Theresa Rogers, R.N.



Cosby Stone, Jr., M.D., M.P.H.
Allergy and Immunology Fellow
Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Cosby Stone joined the Center for Asthma Research in 2014 as a postdoctoral fellow. He is originally from Crossville, Tennessee. He received his undergratuate degree in mathematics from Vanderbilt University, trained in public health at The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and did his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Yale University. He served in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine as an allergy/immunology fellow, and is now part of the newly forming Center for Drug Allergy Research at Vanderbilt. His research interests include prevention of asthma and allergic diseases, vaccines and vaccine safety, angiodema, and how host/pathogen interactions lead to disease. Dr. Cosby's other important interests include writing and publishing poetry, keeping a garden, and spending time with his wife and two children.
Publications
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Post-Doctoral Fellow, 2004 - 2005


Research Nurse Specialist III
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Pediatric Resident, 2002 - 2003