Fellowship Home Page, Curriculum, Fellow Benefits, UVA Health System and Charlottesville, Faculty, FellowsDivision of Medical Toxicology Faculty
Mark A. Kirk, MD, FACMT
Dr. Mark Kirk has 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.
Christopher Holstege, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, FACMT
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 that 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 a 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. He 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.
Laura Klimowski Bechtel, Ph.D, Research Associate
Faculty within the Department of Emergency Medicine and in Academic Departments throughout the University that contribute to the fellowship: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 the 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. Haverstick Earned a 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. For more information contact:
Mark A. Kirk, MD |
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. 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.
