Global Health Research Interests: Clinical Trials, Community Health, Mental Health, Mobile Health, Neurology, Sleep Medicine

Country: Nigeria

Dr. Upender is an Associate Professor of Neurology and the Medical Director of Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center. His clinical, scholarly, and administrative efforts have been centered on practicing and promoting sleep medicine and sleep health. He has served a 5-year term on the U.S. Coast Guard Medical Advisory Committee. He has advocated for sleep health by serving a 3-year term in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Public Safety Committee. He is currently a Defense Health Board Neurological/Behavioral Health Subcommittee member.

He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology and Neurobiology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Connecticut in 1995. During medical school, he received the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholarship to conduct research at the NIH. He completed a medical internship at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in 1996. He then completed a neurology residency and fellowship in neuromuscular diseases and electromyography at Washington University in 2000. Upon completing training, he joined a general neurology practice in Connecticut and later in middle Tennessee. During this time, he pursued his interests in sleep medicine and clinical research and completed numerous clinical trials in treating diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, headache, and insomnia. He joined the Vanderbilt Neurology faculty in January 2011 to focus his efforts on sleep medicine. He received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management in 2016.

Dr. Upender is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and holds certification in Neurology and Sleep Medicine. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Electromyography.

Global Health Research Interests: Cancer

Country: Ethiopia

Eden Biltibo, MD, MS, is a Hematology/Oncology clinical fellow at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is passionate about developing strategies to bridge the differences in health care in multiple myeloma care. he focuses on equitably utilizing immunotherapeutics in Multiple Myeloma care and improving the pool of clinical trial participants in the same field.

Dr. Biltibo experienced health care disparities firsthand during her time in medical school in Ethiopia and her residency at Meharry Medical College. After realizing the disproportionately widening care gap in this field, she decided to pursue her fellowship in Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Biltibo completed a master's in Clinical and Translational Science at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is a post-doctoral fellow at Vanderbilt Integrated Molecular Oncology Research program. She is a recipient of the 2022 American Society of Hematology Minority Hematology Award.

Dr. Biltibo received recognition from her residency program and the Veterans Affairs Hospital for her excellent clinical service during her residency and chief residency. 

Global Health Research Interests: Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Countries: Brazil, Viet Nam

Dr. Digna Velez Edwards is a genetic epidemiologist, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Biomedical Informatics, Director of the Division of Quantitative Sciences in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of Women's Health Research Center, Investigator of the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, and a member of the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center. She has doctoral training in human genetics and has a master's degree in statistics. She started as faculty in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2010, pursuing research focused on exploring the the genetic differences and the role of gene interactions in the risk of complex diseases, with a specific interest in fibroproliferative disorders that include uterine fibroids and keloids and diseases that disproportionately impact women's reproductive health. 

Global Health Research Interests: Anthropology, Community Health, Education and Training (Capacity Building), Global Health Diplomacy, Global Health Policy, Global Health Systems/Delivery, Global Water Supply and Safety, Implementation Science, Infectious Diseases, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Health, Refugee and Immigrant Health, Traditional Medicine, Public Health Communication, Risk Communication, Practitioner-Patient Communication

Country: Guatemala

Dr. Harvey, trained in medical and linguistic anthropology, focuses on expanding scientific partnerships and developing technologies to address global public health challenges affecting populations in various settings. His research spans topics such as cross-cultural doctor-patient communication, waterborne diseases, disaster management, and community resilience. This interdisciplinary approach stems from over a decade of collaborative research and capacity-building efforts.

Global Health Research Interests: Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Informatics, Cancer, Clinical Trials, Dermatology, Engineering and Technology, mpox

Country: Congo

Dr. Tkaczyk is a physician-scientist with research interests in biophotonics for the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases. He graduated with an MD/PhD from the University of Michigan, where he earned his PhD in electrical engineering from the Center for Ultrafast Optical Science (CUOS). During his time at CUOS, he had the opportunity to work with his academic grandfather, Gerard Mourou, the 2018 Nobel Laureate who founded the lab. Dr. Tkaczyk completed his post-doctoral training in medical device design at the University of Tartu, which was supported by Fulbright and Whitaker awards. Since 2016, he has served as the founding Director of the Vanderbilt Dermatology Translational Research Clinic (VDTRC.org). Dr. Tkaczyk is also actively involved in the leadership of several conferences and international working groups focused on artificial intelligence and dermatologic imaging technologies, which are key areas of his research.

Expertise: Dermatology; GVHD; Clinical skin measurements; Sclerosing and inflammatory skin diseases; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome; Artificial Intelligence; Biophotonics; Noninvasive imaging; Intravital microscopy