Our Team

Meet the My Healthy Maryland Team

We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, advocates, and volunteers united by our desire to make precision health work for you.

Stephen N. Davis, MBBS, FRCP, FACE, MACP
Principal Investigator

Dr. Stephen Davis is the Theodore E. Woodward Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Physician-in-Chief, University of Maryland Medical Center; Director,  Institute for Clinical and Translational Research and Vice President of Clinical Translational Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore. 

Alan Shuldiner, MD
Director

I am the John Whitehurst endowed Professor of Medicine (part-time) and Associate Dean for Personalized Medicine. My research interests include type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. I am also interested in understanding why some patients respond well to certain medications while others do not. As a physician-scientist, my ultimate goal is to bring new genomic discoveries to patients for more effective individualized treatment and prevention of these health and other conditions.

Coleen Damcott, PhD
UMM Biorepository Director

I am an Associate Professor and Director of the University of Maryland Medicine (UMM) Biorepository, which safely and securely stores hundreds of thousands of samples for use in research. The Biorepository will be the home for samples collected as part of My Healthy Maryland Precision Medicine Research

Kristin A. Maloney, MS, MGC, CGC
Instructor 

I am a board-certified genetic counselor and Instructor in the Department of Medicine with clinical, laboratory, and research responsibilities. I am also the Assistant Director of Student Research for the Master’s in Genetic Counseling Program. My goal is to translate research findings into clinical care and increase access to personalized medicine.

 Amber L.Beitelshees, PharmD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine

My research is focused on understanding how an individual’s DNA influences how they respond to medications. The goal of this type of research is to optimize doses and types of medications in order to maximize the likelihood of response and minimize the risk of side effects.

Yuji Zhang, PhD
Associate Professor of Informatics

My research interests include statistical informatics, systems pharmacogenomics, and network medicine. My research mission is to leverage the gap between the analytical needs of arising from multi-source biological “big” data and advanced informatics approaches.

 Toni Pollin, MS, PhD, CGC
Associate Professor of Medicine

I am a board certified genetic counselor, genetic epidemiology researcher, Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology & Public Health, and the Program/Track Leader for the MS/PhD Program/Track in Human Genetics & Genomic Medicine.  My research interests include the genetics of complex diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes, monogenic diabetes, and innovative approaches to increasing access to genomic medicine for all who can benefit and genomic education for all who desire to learn and teach.

Kathleen Palmer, BSN, RN

I am a registered nurse and clinical research coordinator with an extensive background in conducting clinical research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. My areas of expertise include enhancing participants’ rights and safety through protocol and informed consent development and navigating the research regulatory process.

Devon Nwaba, MPH 

I have over 10 years of experience as a clinical research coordinator working with participants from University of Maryland and University of North Carolina. I hold a Master’s Degree in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology.

Cameron Williams, BA

I am a Research Coordinator for University of Maryland’s School of Medicine and the Lead Research Coordinator for My Healthy Maryland Precision Medicine Research. I have two years of experience as a coordinator and am responsible for the day to day conduct of this study. I am knowledgeable in research regulations and my areas of expertise are research study management and participant communication.