Faculty and Collaborators


Administration
NameTitleInformationPhone

Stephen T. Higgins PhDStephen T. Higgins, PhD

VCBH Director
Virginia H. Donaldson Professor of Translational Science
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Science
PI/Director, COBRE
PI/Director, TCORS
Co-PI/Director, NIH/NIDA T32 Research Training Program
Email | PubMed | CV | Bio

Elias Klemperer PhDElias Klemperer, PhD

VCBH Associate Director
Assistant Professor
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Science
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader

Email | PubMed | CV | Bio
802-656-1641
Susan EnosSusan EnosProgram SpecialistEmail802-656-9615
Ziller_Photo_Oct2024
Danielle Ziller
Center AdministratorEmail802-656-9600

Pung headshot-1Chris Pung

Research Coordinator

Email802-656-1187


Faculty
NameTitleInformationPhone

   Ahern_Photo_August2024
Tom Ahern, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor
Department of Surgery
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader

EmailPubMed | CV

Robert Althoff, MDRob Althoff, MD, PhD

Chair of Psychiatry and Associate Professor
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader
Email | PubMed | CV802-656-1070
Ira Bernstein, MD headshotIra Bernstein, MD

John Van Sicklen Maeck Professor and Chair
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
Bernstein Lab

Email | PubMed | CV
802-847-5112

Bader Chaarani, PhDBader Chaarani, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry

Email | PubMed | CV
 
sulamunn-sully-R-M-coleman-300x300Sulamunn "Sully" Coleman, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry

Email | PubMed | CV
 

Dittus_KimKim Dittus, MD, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Medicine
Clinical Director, Oncology Rehab
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader

Email | PubMed | CV
802-656-5470

Kirk Dombrowski, PhDKirk Dombrowski, PhD

Vice President for Research
University of Vermont
Email | CV | Bio802-656-2918

Tyler Erath, PhDTyler Erath, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry

Email | PubMedCV | Bio 

Hugh Garavan, PhDHugh P. Garavan, PhD

Professor
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Science
Director, Neuroimaging Research Vermont (NERVE) Lab
Email | PubMed | CV
802-656-9618

Sarah Heil, PhDSarah H. Heil, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry
Associate Director, TCORS
Co-PI/Director, NIH/NIDA T32 Research Training Program
Associate Director, UVM Center on Rural Addiction (CORA)
Email | PubMed | CV | Bio802-656-8712

Amy Hughes LansingAmy Hughes Lansing, PhD

Assistant Professor
Psychiatry, Psychological Science, and Pediatrics
Director, Accessible & Personalized Interventions for Child Health Outcomes Lab (APRICOTS Lab)
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader
Email | PubMed | CV | Bio 

Sherrie Khadanga, MDSherrie Khadanga, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Assistant Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiologist, UVM Medical Center
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader

Email | PubMed | CV802-847-2700
Melbostad_Headshot_2024Heidi Melbostad, PhDResearch Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry
CEO, Mountain Community Health
Email | PubMed | CV 

Menson_PhotoCropped_July2024Katherine Menson, DO

Assistant Professor
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Director of Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Email | PubMedCV | Bio802-847-1158

Kelly PeckKelly Peck, PhD

Assistant Professor
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Science
PET Study Lab
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader

Email | PubMed | CV | Bio802-656-9610

Phillips_Julie_WCJulie Phillips, MD

Associate Professor
Obstetrics-Gynecology & Maternal Fetal Medicine
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader

Email | PubMed | CV802-847-0813
Alexi Potter PhDAlexandra Potter, PhD


Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Science

 

Email | PubMed | CV802-847-6955

Rawson PictureRichard A. Rawson, PhD

Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Co-Director, Collaboration/Dissemination Core
Senior Advisor, Best Practices Core, UVM CORA
Email | PubMed | CV | Bio 

Stacey Sigmon, PhDStacey C. Sigmon, PhD

Professor
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Science
Director, COBRE Behavioral Economics Core
Co-Director, COBRE Collaboration/Dissemination Core
TCORS Project PI
Director, UVM Center on Rural Addiction (UVM CORA)
Email | PubMed | CV | Bio802-656-9987

Brian Sprague MD headshotBrian Sprague, PhD

Professor
Department of Surgery
Director, Vermont Breast Cancer Surveillance System
Registry PI, Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium
VCBH Senior Epidemiologist
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader

Email | PubMed | CV | Bio802-656-4112
Eric ThrailKill, PhDEric Thrailkill, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Psychological Science
Former VCBH COBRE Project Leader

Email | PubMed | CV | Bio 


Biostatisticians
NameTitleInformationPhone
Gary J. Badger, MSBiostatisticianEmail802-656-2526
Mike DeSarno, MSBiostatisticianEmail802-656-2587
Joan Skelly, MS
BiostatisticianEmail802-656-0618

 

COBRE External Advisory Committee Members
NameAffiliationInformation
Rick Bevins, PhD
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Leonard Epstein PhD
University at Buffalo
Jack Henningfield, PhD
Pinney Associates

Jennifer Tidey, PhD

Chair

Brown University


VCBH External Consultants and Research Collaborators
NameAffiliationInformation
Dustin Lee, PhDJohns Hopkins UniversityEmail | PubMed
Donald Shepard, PhDBrandeis UniversityEmail | PubMed
Eric Slade, PhDJohns Hopkins UniversityEmail | PubMed
Jennifer Tidey, PhDBrown UniversityEmail | PubMed

 

COBRE Internal Advisory Committee
NameAffiliationInformation
Mark E. Bouton, PhDUVM Department of Psychology
Christopher S. Francklyn, PhDUVM Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Vermont Biomedical Research NetworkEmail | PubMed
Charles G. Irvin, PhDUVM Department of Medicine, Physiology & Biophysics
Polly E. Parsons, MDUVM Department of Medicine
Patricia A. Prelock, PhDUVM Provost and Senior Vice President


COBRE Community Advisory Committee
NameAffiliationInformation
John R. Brooklyn, MD
Family and Addiction Medicine
Community Health Centers of Burlington
Megan Detweiler, BSN, RN, CARN
Director of Nursing
Chittenden Clinic/Howard Center Email 
Mark Levine, MD 
Commissioner
Vermont Department of HealthEmail
Rhonda Williams, MS
Chronic Disease Prevention Chief
Vermont Department of HealthEmail