Instructors
University of Virginia Division of Medical Toxicology Faculty include: Dr. Christopher Holstege (Director), Dr. Mark Kirk (Fellowship Director), Dr. David Lawrence, Dr. Kevin Wallace, Dr. Nathan Charlton, Dr. Laura Bechtel, Dr. Andy Baer, Dr. Lisa Snyder.
Other instructors from the University of Virginia who contribute to the Fellowship include: Dr. Carol Angle, Dr. Doris Haverstick, David Easton.
Dr. Christopher Holstege, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, FACMT
Director, University of Virginia Division of Medical Toxicology
Co-Director, Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program
Medical Director, Blue Ridge Poison Center
Dr. Holstege is an associate professor with tenure in the departments of emergency medicine and pediatrics. He became the Director of the University of Virginia 's Division of Medical Toxicology and the Medical Director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center in 1999. He directs Medical Toxicology Resident rotation and he developed and directs the Medical Toxicology Medical Student Rotation. In 2002, the Center for Clinical Toxicology was formally recognized under his guidance with the goal of providing timely and comprehensive care for all poisoned patients. Dr. Holstege received the outstanding faculty teaching award from the emergency medicine residents in 2001 and 2002. He was awarded the American College of Emergency Physicians' prestigious National Faculty Teaching Award in 2002. He actively participates in the education of students and residents from multiple specialties and fields of health care. He lectures regionally and nationally. He has published over 100 articles, chapters, and abstracts in the medical literature. He is an editor or author of 6 books. He is actively involved with State and Federal terrorism preparedness committees and task forces.
Dr. Holstege is a graduate of Calvin College and Wayne State Medical School. He completed his Medical Toxicology Fellowship at Indiana University School of Medicine and is board certified by in both Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology. He is the Associate Program Director for Medical Toxicology Fellowship.
Dr. Mark Kirk, MD, FACMT
Co-Director, Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program
Assistant Director, Blue Ridge Poison Center
Dr. Kirk worked for 15 years as academic faculty for emergency medicine residencies at Carolinas Medical Center and Clarian Methodist Hospital/Indiana University. He received the faculty teaching award from each institution. He actively participates in the education of students and residents from multiple specialties by providing bedside teaching, a medical toxicology clinical elective rotation, and regularly presents grand rounds for several specialties. He has participated in multiple research projects and serves as a mentor to many residents interested in pursuing research projects. He completed a training course in evidence based medicine (EBM) at McMasters University and regularly instructs residents in EBM skills. He frequently participates in community EMS education and lectures regionally and nationally. He received the American College of Emergency Physicians Scientific Assembly Rookie Speaker of the Year Award Rookie Speaker of the Year for 1999-2000.
He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Methodist Hospital of Indiana in 1988. He completed his Medical Toxicology Fellowship at Rocky Mountain Poison Center and is board certified by both ABMT and ABEM. He is a fellow of the American College of Medical Toxicology and through a collaboration agreement with ATSDR, Dr. Kirk serves as the Region III (Pennsylvania , West Virginia , Deleware , Virginia and District of Columbia ) ACMT-ATSDR Medical Toxicology Regional Physician Coordinator. He has been instrumental in the creation of two other medical toxicology fellowships at Carolinas Medical Center and Indiana University . He has served as Associate Medical Director of the Indiana Poison Center and has been active in EMS, HAZMAT and Terrorism training and emergency planning.
Dr. David Lawrence, DO
Assistant Director, Blue Ridge Poison Center
Dr. Lawrence completed his fellowship in July, 2008, and joined the staff of the Division of Medical Toxicology at the University of Virginia Health System. Prior to his fellowship, he served 2 years as a community emergency Medicine physician in Connecticut and Long Island, NY. He received his D.O. degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completed his residency in emergency medicine at SUNY-Stony Brook Hospital in N.Y.
Dr. Nathan Charlton, MD
Associate Medical Director, Blue Ridge Poison Center
Director, Wilderness Medicine Education Program
Dr. Charlton completed his Medical Toxicology Fellowship at the University of Virginia in July, 2009, and is now Co-Director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center. He received his M.D. from The University of South Florida in Tampa, and completed his residency in emergency medicine at The University of South Carolina/Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia, S.C.
Dr. Kevin Wallace, MD
Assistant Medical Director, Blue Ridge Poison Center
Dr. Wallace received his medical degree from the University of Virginia in 1983 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine at Emory University and fellowship training in Medical Toxicology at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. He is board-certified in Medical Toxicology and is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Toxicology. He has been a member of the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Toxicology Fellowship faculty and Director of Banner Good Samaritan Occupational and Environmental Toxicology Services in Phoenix, Arizona since 1997. He is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. In addition to his clinical and academic practice, Dr. Wallace regularly conducts independent medical evaluations and serves as a forensic consultant in cases involving alcohol, drugs, industrial chemicals, and environmental toxins. Dr. Wallace is an editor of the textbook entitled "Critical Care Toxicology" and has over 50 publications in various journals and books.
Dr. Laura Klimowski Bechtel, Ph.D
Research Associate
Dr. Bechtel is working to expand the research arm of the division as a translational scientist. Through her interests in teaching and research she will help turn basic discoveries into treatments for patients. Her research efforts have focused on developing pharmaceutical and biotechnologies for improving human and animal health. Laura received her Ph.D. from the University of Utah and her Masters of Microbiology from Colorado State University.
Dr. Andy Baer, MD
Assistant Medical Director
Dr. Baer graduated from the University of Virginia Medical Toxicology Fellowship in 2004 and is boarded in the subspecialty of Medical Toxicology. He is currently a part-time assistant clinical professor at the University of Virginia . He also holds a full-time emergency medicine position at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg . In 2004, he received the "Consultant of the Year" award from the University of Virginia Department of Emergency Medicine, recognizing his dedication as a consultant in toxicology. Dr. Baer's interest and expertise in medical toxicology pertains to the visual diagnosis of toxicological diseases.
Dr. Lisa Snyder, MD, MPH
In addition to serving as an Assistant Clinical Professor for the UVA Division of Medical Toxicology, Dr. Snyder is Chief of Aerospace Medicine for the US Air National Guard. She received her MD from Eastern Va Medical School in 1995, where she also completed her residency in emergency medicine. Dr. Snyder received her Masters in Public Health from Indiana University & Purdue University in 2006, and completed her Fellowship in medical toxicology from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2001. In 2007 she completed her second residency in aerospace medicine from The United States Air Force.
Dr. Carol Angle, MD
Dr. Angle, a graduate of Wellesley and of Cornell Medical School, spent most of her professional career at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha where she served as chief of pediatric nephrology, director of the pediatric intensive care unit, chair of the department of pediatrics, and director of medical toxicology. Long term funding from NIH supported her studies on the mechanisms of heavy metal toxicity. She was the founding co-editor of Journal of Toxicology - Clinical Toxicology and editor-in-chief from 1987-2002. She is a fellow and a founder of the American College of Clinical Toxicology. Dr. Angle is also a founding member and a prior president of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. She was the recipient of the prestigious Matthew Ellenhorn Award in 2002. A Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Virginia Health Science Center since 2000, Dr. Angle continues as a toxicology consultant, reviewer and editor.
Dr. Doris Haverstick, Ph.D
Dr. Haverstick Earned her PhD in Pharmacology from St. Louis University. She is Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at University of Virginia, directs the Toxicology Laboratory, and is Associate Director of the Clinical Laboratory and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory in the University of Virginia Health System. She serves as an expert, on-call consultant regarding the toxicology laboratory for the medical toxicology fellows. In that role she provides guidance on aspects of laboratory methodology, pharmacology, and clinical interpretation of tests. She is the liaison with clinical pathology and co-directs the bimonthly toxicology-clinical pathology combined conference.
David N. Easton, CIH
Mr. Easton recently retired from the Virginia Department of Health where he provided statewide industrial hygiene and biological safety support services for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Division. David previously worked for the University of Virginia as Senior Industrial Hygienist and Biological Safety. During his 20-year career at UVa, he was instrumental in establishing the industrial hygiene and biosafety programs. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist, a Registered Biosafety Professional, and served as the past Chair of the American Industrial Hygiene Association Biosafety and Environmental Microbiology Committee. Prior to arriving at UVa, David was Senior Industrial Hygienist for the Agriculture Research Service; the agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that sponsors of directly conducts most of the agricultural research performed in the U.S. Before attending graduate school at Tulane University, he was a Production Microbiologist at a Midwestern veterinary pharmaceutical company.