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    Office of Practice & Learning
    Institutional Review Board

    Phone
    IRB Administrator: 512-776-2202
    or 512-657-4129

    InstitutionalReviewBoard@dshs.texas.gov


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IRB Members and Staff

 Primary Members

Name Affiliation
Morgan Constantino DSHS Office of General Counsel
Affiliated Non-Scientist / OGC Rep
Tara Das, PhD, MPH, MLIS DSHS Vital Statistics Section
Vital Event Expertise / Affiliated Non-Scientist
Esmeralda Galvan, PhD, MPAff. (Vernon) Seton Healthcare
Unaffiliated Non-Scientist
Trudy Krause, DrPH UT School of Public Health
Unaffiliated Scientist
Hye-Chung Kum, PhD TAMU School of Public Health
Unaffiliated Scientist
Stephen Pont, MD, MPH
Chairperson 		DSHS Center for Public Health Policy & Practice
Affiliated Scientist
Charles Shumate, DrPH DSHS Birth Defects Epidemiology & Surveillance
Affiliated Scientist
Melanie Williams, PhD DSHS Cancer Epidemiology & Surveillance
Affiliated Scientist
Alan Shafer, PhD Health and Human Services Commission
Affiliated Scientist
Christopher Webb, PhD, MPH DSHS MCH Epidemiology Unit
Affiliated Scientist

Alternate Members

Name Affiliation
Natalie Archer, PhD DSHS Environmental Epidemiology & Disease Surveillance
Affiliated Scientist
Jennifer Karnik Fox, MPH DSHS Vital Statistics Section
Vital Event Expertise Affiliated Scientist
Benjamin Ukert TAMU School of Public Health
Unaffiliated Scientist
Kim Vernon, JD Seton Healthcare
Non-scientist/Non-affiliate/Prisoner Rep
Phillip Lupo, PhD, MPH Baylor College of Medicine
Unaffiliated Scientist
Bonny Mayes, MA DSHS Zoonosis Control Branch
Affiliated Scientist
Matthew Turner PhD, MPH DSHS Center for Health Statistics
Affiliated Scientist
Joseph Ramsey DSHS Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Unit
Affiliated Scientist

Non-voting Members

Name Affiliation
Manda Hall, MD DSHS Community Health Improvement

IRB Staff

Name Affiliation Contact
Jessica Ortman DSHS Office of Practice & Learning
IRB Administrator 		institutionalreviewboard@dshs.texas.gov
512-657-4129
Cynthia Dang DSHS Office of Practice & Learning
Administrative Assistant 		Cynthia.Dang@dshs.texas.gov
512-776-3865
Vacant DSHS Office of Practice & Learning
Research Advancement Manager 		Cristina.Garcia@dshs.texas.gov
512-439-9666
Courtney Dezendorf, M.Ed. Director, DSHS Office of Practice & Learning
Interim Authorized Institutional Official 		Courtney.Dezendorf@dshs.texas.gov
512-776-3751
Authorized Institutional Official Vacant
Last updated June 6, 2022