Our People

Meet a network of medical professionals
living to create positive change in their communities.

Texas

Nichole R. Davis, MD, MEd, FAAP

Site PI

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

Amy S. Arrington, MD, PhD, FAAP

Regional Medical Director

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

  • Dr. Nichole Davis completed her medical degree at the University of Kansas. She went on to complete her pediatric residency at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri where was the recipient of the Doc Wass Award and the Jane F. Knapp Award for Excellence in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. She has completed both her Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Global Health fellowships at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. As the recipient of the Department of Pediatrics Sub-specialty Fellow Advanced Degree Scholarship she also completed her Masters in Education with a focus on curriculum and instruction. As the Associate Director of Pediatric Disaster Preparedness for the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, she is involved in both division-specific and hospital-wide emergency management and disaster preparedness initiatives. She serves as Texas Children's Hospital Site Principal Investigator for the Gulf 7 and also as co-lead for the education domain.

  • nxgubbin@texaschildrens.org

  • Dr. Amy Arrington, MD, PhD is currently an assistant professor in pediatric critical care medicine at Texas Children's Hospital / Baylor College of Medicine, and is the medical director of the Special Isolation Unit at Texas Children's Hospital, which is a unique biocontainment unit designed specifically to care for children with highly infectious diseases requiring special isolation. Additionally, she is the director of Global Biologic Preparedness, focusing on institutional and national education and readiness for epidemics and biologic threats to pediatric patients.

  • amy.arrington@bcm.edu

Jennifer C. Benjamin, MBBS, MEd, FAAP

SME

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

Benjamin Choi, MD, MBA, FAAP

SME

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

  • Dr. Jennifer Benjamin is a pediatrician working with Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) and her passion for this area stems from my personal experience of caring for families during hurricane Harvey as the on-call physician. Dr. Benjamin recognized the importance of preparing families that care for children that depend on life sustaining technology like ventilators and feeding pumps for everyday needs. She spoke to families and developed resources to help families that care for children with technology dependence to be better prepared for natural disasters.

  • jcbenjam@bcm.edu

  • Dr. Benjamin Choi is an SME at Texas Children’s Hospital/ Baylor College of Medicine.

  • bc134109@bcm.edu

Elyse Portillo, MD, MPH

SME

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

Kathryn Kothari, MD, FAAP

SME

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

  • Dr. Elyse Portillo is an SME at Texas Children’s Hospital/ Baylor College of Medicine.

  • elyse.portillo@bcm.edu

  • Dr. Kothari is an EMS physician and Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician. She is an Assistant Professor and Director of EMS for the Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Division at Texas Children's Hospital. Dr. Kothari serves as the Director and principal investigator of the EMS for Children State Partnership grant in Texas. Her research interests include EMS education and prehospital pediatric pain management. Dr. Kothari is triple Board-certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and Emergency Medical Services.

  • kathryn.kothari@bcm.edu

Seema Jilani, MD

SME- Humanitarian Crises

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

  • Dr. Seema Jilani is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician at Texas Children’s Hospital. Seema Jilani is a pediatrician and humanitarian aid worker. Besides working in Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, Egypt, Bosnia, Nepal, and other areas of conflict, she has worked in Texas as a flight physician transporting critically ill children. She is also a Fulbright scholar, a Truman National Security Project fellow, and a Voice of Our Nations Arts Foundation fellow. Dr. Seema Jilani is also currently a senior technical adviser at the International Rescue Committee, where she leads their emergency health responses globally. Dr. Jilani is a subject matter expert for G7 projects involving on Humanitarian Crises.

Marie Kasbaum, MPH

G7 Regional Program Manager/ Senior Research Operations Associate

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

Brent D. Kaziny, MD, MA, FAAP

Principal Investigator

Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine

  • Dr. Brent D. Kaziny completed his medical degree at the University of Texas - Houston, School of Medicine. He started his pediatric intern year at Tulane University, where he received the Hurricane Katrina Code Grey Hero Award for his efforts caring for patients and assisting with the evacuation of Tulane Hospital during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His experience during Hurricane Katrina ignited his interest in pediatric disaster preparedness. After completing his intern year, he transferred to Baylor College of Medicine, where he completed his residency training in general pediatrics. He completed his fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Upon completing fellowship, Dr. Kaziny took a position as an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. On a national level he serves as the Director of the Disaster Domain for the Emergency Medical Services for Children - Innovations and Improvement Center, the Co-Lead of the Disaster Management Domain of the Pediatric Pandemic Network, and a voting member of the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters. At Texas Children's Hospital he works in the Emergency Center, is Director of Pediatric Readiness for the Section of Emergency Medicine and serves as the Medical Director of Emergency Management and Co-Chair of the Emergency Management Committee. Dr. Kaziny is the Principal Investigator for the third pediatric disaster care center of excellence, the Gulf 7 - Pediatric Disaster Network funded by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.

  • bxkaziny@texaschildrens.org

  • Marie Kasbaum, MPH, is the Senior Research Operations Associate and Program Manager for the Gulf 7 - Pediatric Disaster Network. As a Houston native, Marie became interested in disaster preparedness and response due to her first-hand experiences in natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. She became particularly passionate about the disaster field during Hurricane Harvey, while helping conduct infectious disease surveillance of hurricane victims in a Red Cross flood shelter. Marie's primary research and professional interests involve disaster preparedness and response, infectious disease surveillance and prevention, and global health.

    Marie earned her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and a certificate in Global Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) School of Public Health in Houston. Prior to this, she earned her BS in Psychology with minors in Neuroscience and Spanish at Texas A&M University.

  • Marie.Kasbaum@bcm.edu

Louisiana

Drexel Proctor, MD

Site PI

Children's Hospital New Orleans

Julie Kaplow, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.

SME

Children's Hospital New Orleans

  • Dr. Julie Kaplow, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed clinical psychologist. She serves as Executive Vice President of Trauma and Grief Programs and Policy at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and Executive Director of the Trauma and Grief (TAG) Centers at The Hackett Center for Mental Health in Houston and the Children's Hospital New Orleans. She is also Professor of Psychiatry at Tulane University School of Medicine. In these roles, Dr. Kaplow oversees the development and evaluation of treatments for traumatized and bereaved youth and disseminates trauma- and bereavement-informed "best practices" to providers nationwide. Dr. Kaplow and her team provided evidence-based risk screening and interventions to children impacted by Hurricane Harvey and the Santa Fe school shooting, and most recently, they have been assisting in the coordinated mental health response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, TX. Dr. Kaplow has published widely on the topics of childhood trauma and grief and has served as Principal Investigator on numerous grant-funded programs focused on enhancing resilience in youth exposed to adversity. She is lead author of Multidimensional Grief Therapy, co-author of Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents, and co-author of Trauma Systems Therapy. Dr. Kaplow has served as a consultant to the DSM-5 Sub-Work Group on Prolonged Grief Disorder, the ICD-11 Work Group on Disorders Associated with Stress, the National Academy of Medicine (Scientific Advisory Council on Child Death), and the Mass Violence and Children Working Group of the FBI.

Mississippi

Christina Marbrey, MD

Site PI

Children's of Mississippi/The University of Mississippi Medical Center

  • Dr. Christina Marbrey, MD, is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician at University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Marbrey is an assistant professor at the only Children's Hospital and Level 1 trauma center in the state of Mississippi, often coordinating care between critical access hospitals and the University. Her outreach efforts have included medical education at the State Medical Response Expo (SMRS) for prehospital personnel, focusing on pediatric preparedness, clinical knowledge, and skills. Her Interests include disaster simulation and emergency preparedness in resource limited facilities. Dr. Marbrey is well positioned to work with key stake holders in the state, including Mississippi Center of Emergency Services and Mississippi Med Com. Dr. Marbrey is the Site Principal Investigator for the G7 grant at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

  • cmarbrey@umc.edu

Alabama

Tanena Evans, MPA

Project Manager

University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children's of Alabama

  • Tanena Evans is a Project Manager for University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama. She has over 10 years of Business experience working alongside the executive team of Fortune 500 and government organizations. Tanena is responsible for enforcing budgetary compliance, interfacing with stakeholders and executive leadership to identify project objectives, guidelines, and standards, managing communication pipelines between cross functional work groups to enforce cohesive communication, and timely completion on assignments. Tanena is a team player in the workplace and uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage other to work hard and succeed.

  • tanenaevans@uabmc.edu

Shea Duerring, MD, NRP, FAAP, FACEP, FAEMS

SME

University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children's of Alabama

Mark D. Baker, MD, MPH, FAAP

Site PI

University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children's of Alabama

  • Dr. Mark D. Baker, M.D., M.P.H is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Alabama - Birmingham and an attending physician in the Children's of Alabama emergency department. He completed post-graduate training in Community Preparedness and Disaster Management and is the Pediatric Disaster Medical Director at Children's of Alabama. Dr. Baker has extensive field experience responding to domestic and international disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and infectious diseases (Covid-19, Ebolavirus).

  • mdbaker@uabmc.edu

  • Dr. Duerring earned his bachelor's degree from Hampden-Sydney College and his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. He completed internship and residency in pediatrics at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at University of Alabama at Birmingham/ Children's of Alabama. Dr. Duerring is board certified in general pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine, and EMS medicine. Currently Dr. Duerring lives in Birmingham where he serves as faculty at UAB in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Department of Emergency Medicine. He also serves as the Assistant State EMS Medical Director for Pediatrics at the Alabama Office of EMS, Medical Director for Alabama EMS for Children, and as medical director for several local fire departments. Dr. Duerring has extensive field experience in the care of children and has lectured both regionally and nationally on prehospital care of children and disaster preparedness for children.

  • sheaduerring@uabmc.edu

Georgia

Andrea ‘Andi’ Shane, MD, MPH, MSc, FAAP

SME

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University School of Medicine

Sandy Francois, MSc

Project Manager

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University School of Medicine

  • Dr. Andi L. Shane MD, MPH, MSc is a pediatric infectious disease physician who has a passion for the prevention of infectious diseases in children both globally and internationally. She has served as the medical director for the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Special Care Unit (pediatric biocontainment unit) since its inception in 2014. In addition, she serves as the pediatric infectious disease collaborator with Emory's RESPTC, RDHRS, and NETEC.

  • ashane@emory.edu

  • Sandy Francious is a Project Manager at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University School of Medicine.

  • sandy.francois@emory.edu

Toni Gross, MD,MPH, FAAP

SME

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University School of Medicine

David Greenky, MD, FAAP

Site PI

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta/Emory University School of Medicine

  • Dr. Toni Gross, MD, MPH, FAAP is an SME at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/ Emory University School of Medicine.

  • toni.gross@choa.org

  • Dr. David Greenky is a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Emory University/ Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. In addition to being the principal investigator at the Atlanta G7 site, he is also a co-investigator on the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers grant at his institution, and is member of the physician team that staffs the special pathogens unit. He is interested in pediatric preparedness and how global issues impact the care of patients at home.

  • David.greenky@emory.edu

Florida

Mauricio Lynn, MD, FACS

Site PI

University of Miami

Ann-Christina Brady, MD, FACS

Co-Investigator

University of Miami

Nicholas Carter, MD

Co-Investigator

University of Miami

  • Dr. Nicholas Carter, MD is a trauma and critical care surgeon at the University of Miami – Jackson Memorial Hospital. He completed fellowship training in global surgery serving as a general surgeon in Haiti and later contributed clinical and logistical support during the response to the 2021 earthquake in southern Haiti. He is a current member of the deployable ASPR/NDMS Trauma and Critical Care Team.

  • nicholas.h.carter@med.miami.edu

  • Dr. Ann-Christina Brady is an Associate Professor and board certified pediatric surgeon at the University of Miami within the Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery with an avid interest in pediatric surgical research. She has performed clinical research focused on database analysis and retrospective reviews in pediatric surgical diseases. Having spent the bulk of her career at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital System she has a wealth of experience in the local and regional pediatric trauma care in Florida. She works to optimize pediatric disaster preparedness, planning, and response within the G7 Pediatric Disaster Network.

  • abrady@med.miami.edu

Puerto Rico

Liliana Morales Pérez, MD, MPH, FAAP

SME

University of Puerto Rico/ Hospital Pediátrico Universitario

Verónica Sepúlveda Ortiz, MD, MSc, FAAP

Site PI

University of Puerto Rico/ Hospital Pediátrico Universitario

  • Dr. Moralez Perez was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she studied medicine and specialized in Pediatrics at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. After working as Chief Resident, she moved to Texas to continue subspecialty training. Dr. Moralez Perez completed a fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Global Health at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. While working abroad, she developed a passion for bedside ultrasound and later completed a Pediatric Point of Care Ultrasound fellowship also at Texas Children's Hospital. During this time, I finished a Master's in Public Health with a Global Health Concentration at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. During these years I worked abroad in Malawi, Puerto Rico, and Panamá. After training, I moved back to Puerto Rico to help advance Pediatric Emergency Medicine. My passion is working in resource limited settings and improving care for critically ill children. My work abroad has allowed me to focus on the importance of educational projects to improve outcomes of sick children. I am currently working with EMSC to develop pediatric protocols for prehospital providers and to teach a pediatric curriculum with the resources available in the island.

  • liliana.morales@upr.edu

  • Dr. Sepulveda Ortiz was born and raised in Puerto Rico (PR), completed a BS from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MA and then returned to PR where she completed her MD degree and Pediatrics residency from the University of PR School of Medicine. After working as Chief Resident and Pediatrics Faculty for 2 years, Dr. Sepulveda Ortiz moved to Louisville, KY, where she completed a fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine and a Masters in Science and Investigation from the University of Lousiville. In 2019, she returned as PEM Faculty to Puerto Rico and has been working on pediatric preparedness with prehospital providers and improving care of pediatric patients in the ED. Her interests include Resuscitation, POCUS, and Simulation.

  • veronica.sepulveda@upr.edu

Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council

  • Lori Upton is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), for the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC). In that capacity, she coordinates and prioritizes planning objectives to meet Federal preparedness and response grant requirements for 25 counties, state EMS for 9 counties, organizational vision, and leadership for financial growth through SETRAC's subsidiary Maestro Services, and philanthropic activities through The SETRAC Foundation. With over 40 years' experience in the healthcare field, Ms. Upton has an extensive background in clinical operations and progressive leadership roles in both urban academic centers and suburban healthcare facilities, including 14 years' experience in a major urban Level 1 Trauma Center.

  • Lori.upton@setrac.org

  • Suzanne Curran is the Program Director - Pediatric Disaster Exercises at University of Alabama at Birmingham/ Children’s of Alabama.

James Meaux

G7 Training and Exercise Coordinator

University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children's of Alabama

Carrman Rivers

Project Manager

University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children's of Alabama

  • James Meaux is the G7 Training and Exercise Coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children’s of Alabama.

  • Carrman Rivers is a Project Manager at the University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children’s of Alabama.

Suzanne Curran, RN

Program Director- Pediatric Disaster Exercises

University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children's of Alabama

Lori Upton, RN, BSN, MS, CEM

Site PI

Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council

Children's Mercy Kansas City

Jennifer Watts, MD, MPH, FAAP

SME

Children's Mercy Kansas City

  • Dr. Jennifer Watts, MD, MPH, FAAP is the Chief Emergency Management Medical Officer at Children's Mercy in Kansas City, the Chief Pediatric Medical Offer with the Missouri Disaster Assistance Team, and a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician. As a Subject Matter Expert for the ASPR Gulf 7-Pediatric Disaster Network (G7) in the Deployable Teams workgroup, she will assist in identifying core personnel, developing relationships with regional and state partners, and increasing the pediatric readiness of existing teams as well as collaborating to develop sustainable deployable team models in the G7 region. Additionally, she co-leads the Region VII Disaster Health Response Ecosystem (R7DHRE) Pediatric Specialty Team and serves as a subject matter expert and co-lead of the pediatric specialty team. She also serves as the PI for Children's Mercy in the Pediatric Pandemic Network funded by HRSA and utilizes her extensive knowledge and experience in disaster management and emergency preparedness to co-lead the disaster management domain for PPN. She assisted Children's Mercy and the Region on pediatric disaster management in response to the pandemic and has extensive experience with Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT). She also created the Global Health Program at Children's Mercy and served as the Director for 12 years where she trained more than 100 pediatric physicians to work in the global health area.

  • Jwatts@cmh.edu