NICHD Research Profiles: Text Alternative

Pinhas Ben-Tzvi, Ph.D., P.E.

#NICHDResearch quote from NICHD grantee Pinhas Ben-Tzvi, Ph.D., P.E.: “I always knew I would end up in the medical field. I use my engineering skills to help patients and doctors find solutions for the challenges they face. Combining robotics and rehabilitation is like a dream come true.”

Dr. Pinhas Ben-Tzvi, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, uses his background in mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering and NICHD funding to develop rehabilitation technology for people with brachial plexus injury.

Learn more about Dr. Ben-Tzvi.

Rachel Moon, M.D., FAAP

#NICHDResearch quote from NICHD grantee Rachel Moon, M.D., FAAP: “We want babies to sleep in a safe environment so they can all celebrate their first birthday. That's something I am passionate about.”

Dr. Rachel Moon, a pediatrician and Harrison Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia, receives NICHD support for her studies on ways to reduce sleep-related infant deaths.

Learn more about Dr. Moon.

Alexa Freedman, Ph.D.

#NICHDResearch quote from former NICHD-funded trainee Alexa Freedman, Ph.D.: “Stressful events during pregnancy can affect how the placenta functions, what signals it puts out, how it transfers nutrients, and more. It's a time capsule of the pregnancy and everything that happened.”

Dr. Alexa Freedman, a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award recipient at NorthShore University HealthSystem Hospital, studies maternal stress, placental inflammation, and pregnancy outcomes with support from NICHD.

Learn more about Dr. Freedman.

Amar Dhand, M.D., D.Phil.

#NICHDResearch quote from NICHD grantee Amar Dhand, M.D., D.Phil.: “The role of social connections in health deserves a particular focus and a set of tools, methods, and theory that can actually illuminate these forces as they impress upon human health.”

Dr. Amar Dhand, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, received NICHD support for his postgraduate training through to his current independent research on how social interactions help people recover after a stroke.

Learn more about Dr. Dhand.

Myron Evans II, Ph.D.

#NICHDResearch quote from former NICHD-funded trainee Myron Evans II, Ph.D.: “In children, cancer is in essence a developmental disorder. We really need a better understanding of normal development to determine why these kids get cancer and how to treat it. I really enjoy knowing that what I do in my lab can truly help patients.”

Dr. Myron Evans, a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award recipient at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital, studies how the brain typically develops to better understand pediatric brain cancer.

Learn more about Dr. Evans.

Matthew MacDougall, M.D., Ph.D.

#NICHDResearch quote from former NICHD-funded trainee Matthew MacDougall, M.D., Ph.D.: “Science is just like a creative pursuit. There's so much imagination and creativity required to come up with new ideas and change how people understand and look at the world around them.”

Dr. Matthew MacDougall, a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award recipient at Stanford University, received NICHD support for his Ph.D. work while he was at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Learn more about Dr. MacDougall.

Patience Afulani, M.B.Ch.B., M.P.H., Ph.D.

#NICHDResearch quote from NICHD-funded trainee Patience Afulani, M.B.Ch.B., M.P.H., Ph.D.: “We all deserve the right to be treated in a dignified manner in public spaces and in health care facilities. And that should not be different when you are pregnant or when you are giving birth.”

Dr. Patience Afulani, an NICHD Pathway to Independence awardee at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, applies her epidemiology and biostatistics background to explore relationships between health care provider stress and bias and maternal health care experiences in Kenya.

Learn more about Dr. Afulani.

Sook-Lei Liew, Ph.D., OTR/L

#NICHDResearch quote from NICHD grantee Sook-Lei Liew, Ph.D., OTR/L: “Throughout my training, NCMRR provided invaluable resources. And so, at this stage of my career, I'm excited to be able to provide a training resource for the rehabilitation research community.”

Dr. Sook-Lei Liew, at the University of Southern California and the ENIGMA Stroke Recovery Working Group, uses support from NICHD to share open-access datasets and develop data science training for rehabilitation researchers.

Learn more about Dr. Liew.

Maya Escueta, Ph.D.

#NICHDResearch quote from NICHD diversity supplement recipient Maya Escueta, Ph.D.: “NICHD funding has helped me bridge research from diverse fields—economics, developmental psychology, and neuroscience. We need multidisciplinary approaches to support children who are in the most vulnerable situations.”

Dr. Maya Escueta received NICHD support for her postdoctoral research at the Center for Child and Family Policy, within the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, on the impact of poverty on children’s well-being.

Learn more about Dr. Escueta.

Rachel Hardeman, Ph.D., M.P.H.

#NICHDResearch quote from NICHD grantee Rachel Hardeman, Ph.D., M.P.H.: “Funding from NICHD has given me the opportunity to focus on what's happening to Black pregnant people and their babies at a population level. We can take what we learn and create equity through policy changes.”

Dr. Rachel Hardeman, founding director of the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity at the University of Minnesota, uses NICHD funding to look at the effects of community police violence on health outcomes, especially among Black pregnant people and their babies.

Learn more about Dr. Hardeman.

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