About Us
The VIGOR Study is an NIH-funded endeavor. It is based at Boston Children's Hospital and collaborates with chosen NICUs in community settings. We are comprised of Neonatologists, Geneticists, Genetic Counselors, Nurses, Bioinformaticians and Researchers who all have a common goal of providing state of the art genomic medicine and interpretation.
Principal Investigators
Tim Yu
MD, PhD
Contact Project PI
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Harvard Medical School). Dr. Yu is a clinically trained neurologist and research lead. His group works at the intersection of human genetics, bioinformatics, neurobiology and genomic medicine.
Pankaj Agrawal
MD, MMSC
Project PI
Chief of Neonatology, Chair - Project NewBorn (University of Miami and Jackson Health)
Meg Parker
MD
Project PI
Academic Chief of Neonatology, UMass Memorial
Boston Children's Study Staff
Catherine Brownstein
MPH, PhD
Geneticist
Alissa D'Gama
MD, PhD
Neonatologist
Co-Investigator
Jessica Douglas
MS, CGC
(Pronouns: she/her)
Senior Director of Genetic Counseling
Project Manager
Casie Genetti Culici
MS, CGC
Genetic Counselor
Sonia Hills
BS
Research Assisstant
Amy Kritzer
MD
Clinical and Medical Biochemical Geneticist
Stefan Leonard
ScB
Research Assistant
Qifei Li
PhD
Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
(University of Miami and Jackson Health System)
Klaus Schmitz-Abe
PhD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
(University of Miami and Jackson Health System)
Aubrie Soucy Verran
ALM
Bioinformatician
Meghan Werner
BS
Research Assistant
Monica Wojcik
MD, MPH
Medical Geneticist and Neonatologist
Co-Investigator
Vanessa Young
MS, BA, RN, CRN-BC
Research Program Manager, Regulatory Oversight
(Newborn Medicine)
Boston Medical Center
Bharati Sinha
MD
Neonatologist, Site-PI
Anéya Sousa
​
Research Assistant II
Baystate Medical Center
Robert Rothstein
MD
Neonatologist, Site-PI
Jessica Whitney
​
Clinical Research Assistant
Cooper University
Vineet Bhandari
MD, DM, FAAP
Division Head Neonatology, Site-PI
Faye Shapiro
MS, LCGC
Genetic Counselor
UMass Memorial
Lawrence Rhein
MD, MPH
Department Chair, Pediatrics (UMASS), Site PI
Madeline French
MBE
Clinical Research Coordinator I
Samia Binta Rahman
MPH
Clinical Research Coordinator I
Driscoll Children's Hospital - Rio Grande Valley
Dynio Honrubia
MD
Site PI
Melinda Rodriguez
Nurse
University of Miami - Jackson Health
Pankaj Agrawal
MD, MMSC
Chief of Neonatology, Chair - Project NewBorn (University of Miami and Jackson Health)
Site PI
Mari Tamase Newsam
MS
Research Associate II - Clinical
The Hospitals of Providence
Dhruv Gupta
MD
NICU Medical Director
Pediatrix Medical Services
Site PI
Jenifer Gehlsen
DO
Neonatologist
Pediatrix Medical Services
​
University of South Alabama Children's and Women's Hospital
Manimaran Ramani
MD, MSHA, MSHQS
Chief Medical Officer
Louise Lenoir Locke Professor of Pediatrics
Chief of Neonatology
Site PI
Ellen Dean
RN, BSN
Clinical Research Coordinator
​​
University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston
Maria Franco Fuenmayor
MD
​Site PI