Who's Leading the Study?

Dr. Pauline Mendola is the principle investigator of the B-WELL-MOM study. Dr. Mendola earned her PhD in Epidemiology and Community Health from the University at Buffalo in 1994, and joined the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in May 2011. She has previously served as the Chief of the Infant, Child and Women's Health Statistics Branch at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS, 2007-2011) and Chief of the Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 2005-2007). The current research on asthma during pregnancy is an extension of her research interest on risk factors that impact pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes.

Dr. William (Bill) Grobman is the principle investigator of B-WELL-Mom at the Northwest University (NWU) site. After receiving his BA from Amherst College and his MD from Harvard Medical School, Dr. Grobman undertook training in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Northwestern University. During his fellowship training, he completed an MBA in Health Services Administration and Decision Sciences at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. After completing his training, Dr. Grobman continued as faculty at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, where he is presently a Professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Preventive Medicine, and at the Center for Health Care Studies, the director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship, and the Vice-Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. His research has focused on understanding the reasons for and the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and is involved in multiple NIH-funded trials and studies in this regard.

Dr. Joseph Biggio is the principle investigator of B-WELL-Mom at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) site. Dr. Biggio received his MD from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as a combined Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine and Clinical Genetics at UAB. He is the John C. Hauth Professor and Vice-Chair for Research and Quality in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He also serves as the Director of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine and is the Executive Medical Director for Women's and Infants' Services at UAB Hospital. Dr. Biggio's areas of research interest include prenatal screening, the genetics of preterm birth, the role of inflammation and infection in pregnancy complications, and the effects of maternal obesity on maternal and childhood outcomes.

Dr. Sherman is the principle investigator of B-WELL-MOM at Emmes Corporation, our data coordinating center. He received his PhD in Psychology with a focus on functional brain imaging from Boston University. Dr. Sherman enjoys supporting clinical research specifically developing new tools such as mobile applications and better approaches to improve data quality. Dr. Sherman is interested in the effects of environment, physical activity, and nutrient exposures that affect fecundity, fertility, and diabetes. He also enjoys biking, tennis, and cooking on his free time.