I’m an epidemiologist with more than 35 years of experience in clinical and translational research. Since 2011, I’ve served as director of the Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Cincinnati Children’s. I’m associate director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training (CCTST) at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, where I am also director of the Research Expertise and Methods Component and serve on the executive committee.
Prior to joining Cincinnati Children’s, I was a professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I also served as a distinguished consultant and branch chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During my time at the CDC and other institutions, I’ve taught epidemiological research methods to dozens of graduate students, research fellows, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty members. I’ve also had the privilege of collaborating with clinical researchers, basic scientists and behavioral and social scientists representing academic institutions and government agencies on four continents.
Throughout my career in biomedical and public health research, I’ve passionately and rigorously applied the scientific method to the design and analysis of epidemiologic studies and clinical trials. My research interests are the epidemiology of cancer and infectious diseases; the health effects of sexual, reproductive and contraceptive behaviors; the acceptability, efficacy and safety of contraceptive technology; the efficacy and safety of assisted reproductive technology; public health surveillance systems, occupational epidemiology; and immunology.
As principal investigator or co-investigator on many research initiatives, I’ve received more than $40 million in research funding. This funding includes awards from federal agencies and non-profit organizations, and industry-sponsored grants.
In the past few years, I have provided leadership for the coordination and management of infrastructure and programs in support of clinical and translational research. In October 2019, The National Institutes of Health awarded to Cincinnati Children’s the Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) for the Rare Diseases Clinic Research Network (RDCRN). As co-principal investigator (PI) for the DMCC, I help manage the shared resources and data from RDCRN research studies across 23 research consortia comprising more than 200 sites in the U.S. and across the globe. Our goal is to advance the methods and practice of rare disease research across the RDCRN and to the broader rare disease community.
I also serve as co-PI of the Biobank and Biomarker Discovery Center for the Food Allergy Research and Education Foundation (FARE) Discovery Centers of Excellence, and as the director of the Methodology Core of the Pediatric Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology Innovation Core Center.
I have published more than 220 articles in respected journals, such as JAMA, Epidemiology, The American Journal of Epidemiology, Toxicology, and the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. My current h-index is 43. I’m a fellow of the American College of Epidemiology and an associate editor of the Annals of Epidemiology.
MD: University of Palermo, Italy, 1979.
Fellowship: Experimental Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano, Italy, 1981.
Residency: Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Palermo, Italy, 1982.
DrPH: Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1991.
Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Enhancing the detection of injuries and near-misses among patient care staff in a large pediatric hospital. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. 2018; 44:377-384.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People Living With Rare Diseases and Their Families: Results of a National Survey. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 2024; 10:e48430.
Dynamic use of historical controls in clinical trials for rare disease research: A re-evaluation of the MILES trial. Clinical Trials. 2023; 20:223-234.
Lung Transplantation Advanced Prediction Tool: Determining Recipient's Outcome for a Certain Donor. Transplantation. 2022; 106:2019-2030.
The Geospatial Distribution of Myositis and Its Phenotypes in the United States and Associations With Roadways: Findings From a National Myositis Patient Registry. Frontiers in Medicine. 2022; 9:842586.
Impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on a US sample of patients with myasthenia gravis. Therapeutic Advances in Rare Disease. 2022; 3:26330040221082673.
Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Healthcare Providers' Attitudes towards Mothers with Opioid Use Disorder. Pediatric Quality and Safety. 2021; 6:e453.
Phylogenetic analysis in the clinical risk management of an outbreak of hepatitis C virus infection among transfused thalassaemia patients in Italy. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2021; 115:51-58.
Respiratory Colonization and Short-Term Temporal Changes in the Urinary Metabolome of Children. Metabolites. 2021; 11.
The psychosocial work environment, musculoskeletal disorders and their functional consequences among pediatric healthcare providers. Annals of Epidemiology. 2021; 58:76-82.