Biosketches of participating investigators
Richard D. Stevenson, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics, UVA Children's Hosptal, Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center, 2270 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Richard D. Stevenson, M.D. is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in the Division of Developmental Pediatrics. He received his medical degree from the University of Virginia, general pediatric residency training from the University of Virginia and fellowship training in developmental disabilities from the University of Iowa. Dr. Stevenson is actively involved in clinical care, teaching, and patient-oriented research. He works as a developmental pediatrician at the Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center and Research Institute, seeing children with developmental delay, speech delay, behavior problems, feeding difficulties, cerebral palsy, autism, mental retardation, and learning problems. He teaches medical students, residents, and fellows, and in 1998 was awarded the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Virginia. Dr. Stevenson's research relates to growth and nutrition in children with cerebral palsy. He is interested in how growth and nutritional status affect the health, functional abilities, and quality of life of children with cerebral palsy and their families. He is the principal investigator of the North American Growth in Cerebral Palsy Project, a multi-center, population-based study of growth and nutritional status, funded jointly by the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research of the NIH and the Genentech Foundation for Growth and Development.
Christine M. Houlihan, MD
UVA Children's Hospital, Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center, 2270 Ivy Road Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Christine is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center's UVA Children's Hospital. She received her bachelors in science from the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA. Christine went to Georgetown University School of Medicine for her medical degree and the Medical College of Virginia for pediatric residency. She is an active member of the North American Growth in Cerebral Palsy Project with her research interest focused on sexual maturation in children with cerebral palsy and in bodily pain and health related quality of life in children with CP.
James N. (Jim) Roemmich, Ph.D
.Assistant Professor of Research, University of Health Sciences Center, Department of Pediatrics, Box 800386, Charlottesville, VA 22903
James N. Roemmich, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Research at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in the Department of Pediatrics. He received a masters degree in Exercise Physiology from Ball State University and a doctoral degree in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University. He completed fellowship training in Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of Virginia. For the past five years, Dr. Roemmich has been co-principal investigator on a research grant to determine how hormones, nutrition, and physical activity interact to control the timing and tempo of puberty, and the body composition, body fat distribution, and bone mineral accrual of normally growing boys and girls. His research interests are focused on clinical pediatric exercise science and include body composition methodology, energy metabolism, neuroendocrine and nutritional mechanisms controlling the onset of puberty, and the influence of physical activity and exercise training on the growth, maturation, and performance of children and adolescents.
Richard C. Henderson, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Orthopaedics and Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Campus Box #7055, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599
Richard C. Henderson, M.D., Ph.D. is a Professor of Orthopaedics and Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina. He received a doctorate degree in Physiology and his medical degree from the University of Chicago, and did his residency training in Orthopaedics at the University of Iowa. Dr. Henderson is actively involved in clinical care, teaching, and patient-oriented research. He works as a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, caring for children with conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, in addition to treating skeletal deformities such as scoliosis and clubfoot. As a Professor in the Medical School he also teaches medical students and residents. Dr. Henderson¹s research has for over 10 years examined the effects of various medical conditions and physical handicaps on growth of the immature skeleton. Of particular importance are those factors which result in osteoporosis, or Œweak bones¹, which easily fracture.
Gregory S. Liptak, MD, MPH
University of Rochester Medical Center 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 777 Rochester, N.Y. 14642-0001 716-275-5962 716-273-1079
Dr. Liptak is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester, where he is Medical Director of the Andrew J. Kirch Developmental Services Center, a program that provides care for children and youth who have physical disabilities like spina bifida and cerebral palsy. He is actively involved in the spasticity management program. He is on the board of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine and Chair of the Professional Advisory Council of the Spina Bifida Association of America. He received his MD degree at Duke University and an MPH degree at the University of North Carolina. He has engaged in clinical research related to spina bifida and cerebral palsy as well as health services research related to children who have special health care needs. He is President of his county's Board of Health and a member of his local School Board. He and his wife are in the process of surviving three sons and live on five acres with chickens, ducks and geese.
Virginia A. Stallings, M.D.
Chief, Nutrition Section, Professor of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street & Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Virginia A. Stallings, M.D., M.D. is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition. She received her medical degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, her pediatric residency training at the University of Virginia, and fellowship training in clinical nutrition at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Dr. Stallings is actively involved in clinical care, teaching and patient-oriented research. She works as a nutrition physician specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and conducts research in a number of areas where chronic childhood illnesses which result in nutrition-related growth failure. For the past ten years, she has been actively involved in nutrition and growth research in children with cerebral palsy.
Susan Kube, R.N.
Sunny Hill Health Center University of British Columbia 3644 Slocan St. Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Susan Kube graduated from the Health Sciences Centre School of Nursing in Winnipeg, Manitoba and began working for the University of Manitoba as a research nurse and study coordinator the following year. Most of her research work in Manitoba involved pediatric infectious diseases. She is the NAGCPP Vancouver site project coordinator and Anthropometrist. For the past fifteen years her research studies have been devoted to working with children who have behavioral and developmental disabilities.
Lisa Samson-Fang M.DPrimary Children's Hospital 100 N. Medical Dr. Salt Lake City, Utah 84113
Lisa Samson-Fang is assistant professor of Pediatrics at University of Utah School of Medicine in the Division of General Pediatrics. She received her medical degree from John Hopkins University, completed general pediatric residency at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and fellowship training in developmental disabilities at University of Virginia. Dr. Samson-Fang works as a Developmental Pediatrician at University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Primary Children's Hospital and Shriner's Hospital Intermountain West. Dr. Samson-Fang's research relates to nutritional issues in children with cerebral palsy with particular emphasis upon the impacts of intervention upon the health and functional abilities.
Nancy Dodge, M. D.
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital 2222 Welborn St Dallas, Texas 75219
Nancy Dodge is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School. She completed her Pediatric Residency at Northwestern University and a Fellowship in Child Development and Rehabilitation at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She is currently Associate Professor of Pediatrics at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and Director of the Rainbow Clinic for children with developmental disabilities at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. For eight years prior to her arrival at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, she was the Medical Director of the Cerebral Palsy clinic at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has taught extensively on feeding and nutritional issues in individuals with developmental disabilities, and has been involved with research on growth,drooling management and sleep issues in individuals with disabilities since fellowship. Dr. Dodge has been active in the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, and currently serves as the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Section on Children with Disabilities of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Vivienne S. Spauls
Anthropometrist/Project Coordinator, The North American Growth in Cerebral Palsy Project, Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center, 2270 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903, (804) 924-8185, FAX (804) 924-2780
Vivienne S. Spauls is the Anthropometrist and the Project Coordinator of the North American Growth in Cerebral Palsy Project. She received her Bachelors degree in Marketing from Long Island University, "C. W. Post" in Greenvale, L. I., New York. Vivienne has been employed as a Substitute Teacher in Albemarle County and the Charlottesville City Schools since 1993. Some of her first work experiences include caring for a disabled Grandmother, and working as a children's counselor and a marketing research professional. Before starting her own family in 1990, Vivienne was a Sales Representative, Retail Store Manager, and Buyer, working in Virginia since 1983. Maintaining the website; writing the newsletter "The Beanstalk;" and organizing and attending the annual "NAGCPP" conference, monthly conference calls, and weekly meetings, and answering the toll free, (888-4CP-GROW) number, are only part of Vivienne's responsibilities. Vivienne is also the anthropometry equipment buyer for all sites. She is certified in Anthropometry and Tanner Staging and completed the Mini-Med. School Program at the University of Virginia in 1999. In the spring of 2000 she completed classes and received her Web Certification from UVA. In May 2004 she received her Operator Certification for the Hologic Bone Densitometer.
Linda A. Deeds
Grant Manager, The North American Growth in Cerebral Palsy Project, Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center, 2270 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Linda Deeds joined the North American Growth in Cerebral Palsy Project in 1999 and serves as the grant manager. Ms. Deeds started her career in 1988 working as a secretary for the Air Force and then as a word processor for an environmental consulting firm. In 1993 she began working as proposal specialist for an environmental management firm and moved to a civil engineering firm 1996, both of which are located Sacramento, CA. Her primary responsibilities in both of these positions were proposal preparation and funding research/leads tracking. Linda is involved in the preparation of grant applications as well as the day-to-day research for funding opportunities from various sources. She serves as the primary point-of-contact for funding issues, concerns, and questions.