Our Team
Rheumatology:
Biochemistry:
Cardiology:
Dermatology:
Richard Jahan-Tigh, MD
Pulmonary:
Research Staff/Trainees:
Julio Charles, MS
Senior Research Associate / Laboratory Manager
Julio Charles is a senior research associate who joined the division of Rheumatology in November of 2000. With over twenty years of experience, he has contributed to almost all translational research projects in the Scleroderma Program. He has overseen the operations of Scleroderma Program laboratories over the last couple of decades by generating data for publications, instituting novel platforms that will enable the attainment of current and future laboratory goals, and ensuring that the laboratories are well equipped to handle any incoming assignments. He also designed and implemented two large-scale sample inventory databases to manage our scleroderma biorepositories.
Senior Research Associate / Laboratory Manager
Julio Charles is a senior research associate who joined the division of Rheumatology in November of 2000. With over twenty years of experience, he has contributed to almost all translational research projects in the Scleroderma Program. He has overseen the operations of Scleroderma Program laboratories over the last couple of decades by generating data for publications, instituting novel platforms that will enable the attainment of current and future laboratory goals, and ensuring that the laboratories are well equipped to handle any incoming assignments. He also designed and implemented two large-scale sample inventory databases to manage our scleroderma biorepositories.
Ashish Balar
Research Scientist
Research Scientist
Gladys Estrada, BSN, RN
Research Nurse
Research Nurse
Olivia Harding
Research Coordinator II
Research Coordinator II
Deokhwa Nam, PhD
Research Assistant III
Dr. Nam joined UTHealth Houston as Research Assistant III in the Division of Rheumatology in 2026. With over 20 years of experience in in vivo mouse handling, molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, and confocal imaging. Proficient in managing various primary and cancer cell cultures. His research focuses on developing experimental model(s) for, and to identify potential mediators of, the effect of chronic DNASE1L3 deficiency on pulmonary vasculature.
Support: Brian Skaug, MD, PhD
Research Assistant III
Dr. Nam joined UTHealth Houston as Research Assistant III in the Division of Rheumatology in 2026. With over 20 years of experience in in vivo mouse handling, molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, and confocal imaging. Proficient in managing various primary and cancer cell cultures. His research focuses on developing experimental model(s) for, and to identify potential mediators of, the effect of chronic DNASE1L3 deficiency on pulmonary vasculature.
Support: Brian Skaug, MD, PhD
Enrique Rodriguez
Research Coordinator II
Research Coordinator II
Samuel Theodore, MD
Research Coordinator II
Sam Theodore has been a member of the UTHealth Scleroderma research team since 2008. He is the research coordinator for two Scleroderma, observational longitudinal studies. GENISOS, which enrolled its first patient in 1998, is an ongoing, local cohort study. The second is Collaborative, National Quality and Efficacy Registry (CONQUER), a multicenter cohort study conducted in 18 Medical Centers that are seeking to identify, the commonalities in the trigger, evolution and treatment of Scleroderma.
Research Coordinator II
Sam Theodore has been a member of the UTHealth Scleroderma research team since 2008. He is the research coordinator for two Scleroderma, observational longitudinal studies. GENISOS, which enrolled its first patient in 1998, is an ongoing, local cohort study. The second is Collaborative, National Quality and Efficacy Registry (CONQUER), a multicenter cohort study conducted in 18 Medical Centers that are seeking to identify, the commonalities in the trigger, evolution and treatment of Scleroderma.
Maya Washington
Research Coordinator II
Research Coordinator II