Dr. Rodriguez is the discipline chair for epidemiology, preventive medicine, and public health curriculum for OMS I and OMSII at VCOM–Auburn. Her experience involves examining language as a mechanism of health behavior change (i.e., alcohol and substance use) among criminal justice offenders using motivational interviewing, a client-centered behavior change therapy among substance users involved in the criminal justice system. Currently, Dr. Rodriguez is focused in understanding how social determinants contribute to health disparities, specifically, how life stress and discrimination over the life course impact maternal and child health. Her goal is to contribute context of the health inequality and provide efficient and effective solutions to post-partum care and infant cognitive development.
| Year | University | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | University of North Texas Health Science Center | PhD |
| 2009 | University of North Texas Health Science Center | MPH |
| 2005 | University of North Texas Health Science Center | Graduate Clinical Research Training |
| 2001 | University of Texas Brownsville | BS |
My research interests include exploring:
Capabilities:
Steven D. Presley, M.D. specializes in internal medicine and was the founding Program Director of the EAMC Internal Medicine Residency Program where he continues to serve as a preceptor. He also is a part-time hospitalist with IMA Hospitalists@EAMC where he worked for 13 years prior to his program director role and served as medical director of the group for 10 years.
He is a graduate of Auburn University, earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and completed his residency at the Baptist Health System in Birmingham. He earned his Master of Medical Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Presley also serves as VCOM-Auburn Director of Medical Student Education (DSME) for students in their clinical years at EAMC. He has completed multiple overseas medical mission trips as well as serving as a physician at Camp Seale Harris for diabetic children. Dr. Presley chose to pursue a career in internal medicine because he enjoys the relationship with patients as their primary caregiver and for the breadth of management that Internal Medicine entails.
Dr. Presley has been married to his wife, Leanne, for 26 years. They have two children, Ben and Annabeth. Dr. Presley has skydived over the Gulf of Mexico; some of his other hobbies include hiking, reading, traveling, watching Auburn University sports, and his newfound love of pickleball!
Prior to coming to VCOM Dr. Pandorf worked as a research physiologist at the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick MA and served on the faculty at Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon GA. Courses taught at VCOM: Biochemistry, Musculoskeletal System, Gastrointestinal and Renal Systems, Reproductive and Endocrine Systems.
| Year | University | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | University of California, Irvine | Post-doctoral Research Fellowship |
| 2008 | University of California, Irvine | PhD |
| 2003 | Boston University | MS |
| 1997 | University of Delaware | BS |
Current research focus is on regulatory mechanisms of skeletal and cardiac muscle adaptation. Muscle atrophy and contractile and metabolic adaptations occur in skeletal muscle in response to inactivity and various disease states. Similar changes occur in heart muscle in response to disease states such as hypertension, which can result in compensatory hypertrophy and ultimately heart failure. My laboratory has identified several novel long-non coding (lnc) RNAs that are implicated in gene regulation, particularly those of the myosin heavy chain gene family of motor proteins. These lncRNAs may serve as feasible therapeutic targets to restore muscle function compromised by disuse or disease.