Staff
Toni Allen -– Ms. Allen is the Data Technician (Social Research Assistant) for the DATA Core. Her prior experience includes contract work for IBM, EDS, GSK, and Anixter, among others. She has a BS degree from N.C. Central University in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Computer Information Systems (CIS). She is now working on a Master’s of Science in Information Assurance.
Sherwood Baskerville -- Mr. Baskerville is Accounting Manager within Dr. Drossman's Functional Bowel Disorders research group and for the Center.
Gae Caudill -- Ms. Caudill is a part-time assistant in Public Education. Her primary responsibilities include maintaining the Center's computerized database, responding to requests for information from the Center, and assisting with a variety of duties associated with Center meetings.
Sarah Van Heusen-Causey -- Ms. Van Heusen-Causey has recently joined the staff of the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology as Dr. Udi Ringel's research project coordinator focused on studies in IBS, probiotic bacteria and intestional microflora. She comes from the Carolina Population Center, where she was a project coordinator on the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition Study for over four years. Ms. Causey has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and master's degree in Health Services Administration, and has experience as a project coordinator in biomedical research, epidemiology and social research.
Sheila Crawford, RN -- Ms. Crawford is the charge nurse for the GI Motility Lab. She is responsible for performing diagnostic motility tests for pediatrics and adults, as well as biofeedback for pediatric patients. She also provides training in the lab for GI and surgery fellows.
Jane Hankins, MAT -- Jane Hankins is the study coordinator for the Atkins study and the ElectroGastrogram (EGG) study. She also assists Kim Meyer with clinical trials.
John Herr, BFA -- Mr. Herr creates web applications and multimedia products for the Center. His responsibilities include programming (Perl, MySQL and PHP), systems administration (RHEL), print design (annual report, DIGEST newsletter), and other computing, graphic design and audio/visual services.
J.B. Hu, MA, MA, PhD -- Dr. Hu is Assistant Director of the Biometry Core and is involved with data management and analysis of the NIH treatment trial of functional bowel disorders (FBD). His data management responsibilities also includes the UNC pilot study of functional MRI of FBD, the Center’s master database of FBD patients, the IBS patient education (PEQ) study with Boston University, the Celiac study with Columbia University, and the new 5-year combined drug and CBT treatment trial of FBD at the University of Toronto.
Lenore Keck, RN -- Ms. Keck is a Research Nurse with Dr. Whitehead’s group. She participates in all stages of clinical research studies, including study subject recruitment and screening, administering psychological and physiological tests, and data management.
Kim Meyer, CCRC -- Ms. Meyer is Dr. Drossman’s Project Director for clinical trials. Her primary research interests include the use of pharmaceuticals to treat constipation-predominant IBS, diarrhea-predominant IBS, and functional constipation.
Linda Miller, AD Computer Information Systems -- Ms. Miller is the IBS/Functional Bowel Clinic Scheduling Coordinator. She has an AD in Computer Information Systems, a diploma in Software Applications, and has completed the Medical Coding Certification Program (ICD-9, CPT-4) at Durham Tech. She will be attending NC Central University in fall 2006 to complete the Health Education Program.
Carolyn Morris, MPH -- Ms. Morris is the Biostatistician for Dr. Drossman's biometry research core. She has been primarily involved with performing statistical analyses on data from the seven-year multi-center NIH study of Treatment in FBD, but she also assists with analyses of smaller data sets from other Center studies.
Kirsten Nyrop, MACT -- Ms. Nyrop is the Center Coordinator. Her responsibilities include marketing/press relations, editor/writer for the Center’s website and publications, fundraising, and organizational development. She is also Administrator of the NIH Mind-Body Infrastructure Grant. Ms. Nyrop is enrolled part-time in the PhD program at the UNC School of Social Work.
Susan Schneck -- Ms. Schneck is both Research Administrator and Administrative Assistant to Dr. Drossman. She is also an assistant to Dr. Burnett and is among the first points of contact for patients referred to the Center's IBS/Functional Bowel Clinic. She has an undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences and a graduate degree in Psychology, with a focus on statistics.
Ann Selph –- Ms. Selph was recently hired as research administrator to Dr. Drossman. She has 25 years of UNC experience in various capacities that include grants management, accounting, and administrative support. She has completed her associate in arts degree from Central Carolina Community College and continues to take classes through Continuing Studies at UNC Chapel Hill.
Jane Tucker, RN -- Ms. Tucker is a Research Nurse within Dr. Whitehead's group. For the Center's biofeedback study, she performs anorectal motility testing and administers questionnaires to study participants. She has also worked on the development of a bloating questionnaire. Her responsibilities include recruiting study participants, preparing scannable and scanning questionnaires, sending out and tracking participant responses, and data management.
Marsha Turner, M.S. -- Ms. Turner is the Research Coordinator for Dr. Whitehead’s research program. She is involved with the planning and preparation of new projects in the program, including NIH grant submissions and industry-sponsored outcomes research. She assists with all aspects of current studies and is responsible for correspondence with the Biomedical IRB and General Clinical Research Center, both at UNC. Ms. Turner also coordinates activities within the research network of the Gastrointestinal Biopsychosocial Research Center, a network of national and international collaborating institutions.
Sarah Yeskel -- Ms. Yeskel is Dr. Ringel's research assistant. The research she will be working on includes functional dyspepsia, IBS, probiotic bacteria, and intestinal microflora. She is a recent graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, where she received her bachelor's degree in Biology. Ms. Yeskel has research experience in ecological and biomedical research; specifically oncology, small mammal ecology, and forest ecology.
Work-Study Students
Toni Allen -– Ms. Allen is the Data Technician (Social Research Assistant) for the DATA Core. Her prior experience includes contract work for IBM, EDS, GSK, and Anixter, among others. She has a BS degree from N.C. Central University in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Computer Information Systems (CIS). She is now working on a Master’s of Science in Information Assurance.
Sherwood Baskerville -- Mr. Baskerville is Accounting Manager within Dr. Drossman's Functional Bowel Disorders research group and for the Center.
Gae Caudill -- Ms. Caudill is a part-time assistant in Public Education. Her primary responsibilities include maintaining the Center's computerized database, responding to requests for information from the Center, and assisting with a variety of duties associated with Center meetings.
Sarah Van Heusen-Causey -- Ms. Van Heusen-Causey has recently joined the staff of the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology as Dr. Udi Ringel's research project coordinator focused on studies in IBS, probiotic bacteria and intestional microflora. She comes from the Carolina Population Center, where she was a project coordinator on the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition Study for over four years. Ms. Causey has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and master's degree in Health Services Administration, and has experience as a project coordinator in biomedical research, epidemiology and social research.
Sheila Crawford, RN -- Ms. Crawford is the charge nurse for the GI Motility Lab. She is responsible for performing diagnostic motility tests for pediatrics and adults, as well as biofeedback for pediatric patients. She also provides training in the lab for GI and surgery fellows.
Jane Hankins, MAT -- Jane Hankins is the study coordinator for the Atkins study and the ElectroGastrogram (EGG) study. She also assists Kim Meyer with clinical trials.
John Herr, BFA -- Mr. Herr creates web applications and multimedia products for the Center. His responsibilities include programming (Perl, MySQL and PHP), systems administration (RHEL), print design (annual report, DIGEST newsletter), and other computing, graphic design and audio/visual services.
J.B. Hu, MA, MA, PhD -- Dr. Hu is Assistant Director of the Biometry Core and is involved with data management and analysis of the NIH treatment trial of functional bowel disorders (FBD). His data management responsibilities also includes the UNC pilot study of functional MRI of FBD, the Center’s master database of FBD patients, the IBS patient education (PEQ) study with Boston University, the Celiac study with Columbia University, and the new 5-year combined drug and CBT treatment trial of FBD at the University of Toronto.
Lenore Keck, RN -- Ms. Keck is a Research Nurse with Dr. Whitehead’s group. She participates in all stages of clinical research studies, including study subject recruitment and screening, administering psychological and physiological tests, and data management.
Kim Meyer, CCRC -- Ms. Meyer is Dr. Drossman’s Project Director for clinical trials. Her primary research interests include the use of pharmaceuticals to treat constipation-predominant IBS, diarrhea-predominant IBS, and functional constipation.
Linda Miller, AD Computer Information Systems -- Ms. Miller is the IBS/Functional Bowel Clinic Scheduling Coordinator. She has an AD in Computer Information Systems, a diploma in Software Applications, and has completed the Medical Coding Certification Program (ICD-9, CPT-4) at Durham Tech. She will be attending NC Central University in fall 2006 to complete the Health Education Program.
Carolyn Morris, MPH -- Ms. Morris is the Biostatistician for Dr. Drossman's biometry research core. She has been primarily involved with performing statistical analyses on data from the seven-year multi-center NIH study of Treatment in FBD, but she also assists with analyses of smaller data sets from other Center studies.
Kirsten Nyrop, MACT -- Ms. Nyrop is the Center Coordinator. Her responsibilities include marketing/press relations, editor/writer for the Center’s website and publications, fundraising, and organizational development. She is also Administrator of the NIH Mind-Body Infrastructure Grant. Ms. Nyrop is enrolled part-time in the PhD program at the UNC School of Social Work.
Susan Schneck -- Ms. Schneck is both Research Administrator and Administrative Assistant to Dr. Drossman. She is also an assistant to Dr. Burnett and is among the first points of contact for patients referred to the Center's IBS/Functional Bowel Clinic. She has an undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences and a graduate degree in Psychology, with a focus on statistics.
Ann Selph –- Ms. Selph was recently hired as research administrator to Dr. Drossman. She has 25 years of UNC experience in various capacities that include grants management, accounting, and administrative support. She has completed her associate in arts degree from Central Carolina Community College and continues to take classes through Continuing Studies at UNC Chapel Hill.
Jane Tucker, RN -- Ms. Tucker is a Research Nurse within Dr. Whitehead's group. For the Center's biofeedback study, she performs anorectal motility testing and administers questionnaires to study participants. She has also worked on the development of a bloating questionnaire. Her responsibilities include recruiting study participants, preparing scannable and scanning questionnaires, sending out and tracking participant responses, and data management.
Marsha Turner, M.S. -- Ms. Turner is the Research Coordinator for Dr. Whitehead’s research program. She is involved with the planning and preparation of new projects in the program, including NIH grant submissions and industry-sponsored outcomes research. She assists with all aspects of current studies and is responsible for correspondence with the Biomedical IRB and General Clinical Research Center, both at UNC. Ms. Turner also coordinates activities within the research network of the Gastrointestinal Biopsychosocial Research Center, a network of national and international collaborating institutions.
Sarah Yeskel -- Ms. Yeskel is Dr. Ringel's research assistant. The research she will be working on includes functional dyspepsia, IBS, probiotic bacteria, and intestinal microflora. She is a recent graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, where she received her bachelor's degree in Biology. Ms. Yeskel has research experience in ecological and biomedical research; specifically oncology, small mammal ecology, and forest ecology.
Work-Study Students
