Our Team

Dr. Nestor Esnaola is a clinician-scientist with a long-standing commitment to optimizing cancer care/outcomes, reducing cancer health disparities, and cancer prevention and control. He is an experienced surgical oncologist and serves as Division Chief of Surgical Oncology and Gastrointestinal Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital, where he participates in the multidisciplinary care of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, hepatico-pancreatico-biliary malignancies, melanoma, and soft tissue sarcomas.

As Deputy Director of Cancer Clinical Services at Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center (HMNCC), he is tasked with optimizing and streamlining multidisciplinary cancer care system-wide. As Associate Director of Cancer Control at HMNCC, he works closely with the HMNCC’s Research Programs and its Office of Community Outreach and Engagement to ensure that the Center’s research enterprise continually addresses the cancer burden/needs of its catchment area. During his MPH, Dr. Esnaola received formal training in epidemiology, biostatistics, study design/conduct, and decision analysis/cost-effectiveness analysis. He has published numerous, peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals focusing on novel treatments for GI malignancies, predictors of response to cancer therapy and outcomes, effectiveness/cost-effectiveness of alternative cancer staging/treatment strategies, patterns of cancer care, and racial/ethnic disparities in cancer care and outcomes.

As a graduate of the AACR/ASCO Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop, the SWOG Young Investigators Training Course, the American College of Surgeons Clinical Trials Methods Course, and the Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer Program, he is well-versed/experienced in the design/conduct of translational research, phase I-III clinical trials, and pragmatic trials/dissemination and implementation research. He served as Multi-PI on a NIMHD R01-funded, NCI Community Oncology Research Program-sponsored, multi-state, cluster-randomized, cancer care delivery trial testing a novel patient navigation intervention designed to increase receipt of lung-directed therapy with curative intent in African Americans with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer lung cancer (NSCLC). As an experienced investigator, he has an excellent understanding of the logistics involved in conducting high quality, T1-T4 clinical/translational research, as well as a full appreciation for its potential impact on clinical care/practice at the patient-, community-, and population-level.

Dr. Esnaola was a selected participant in the National Institute of Health/American College of Surgeons Symposium on Surgical Disparities Research, served on the Surgical Disparities Research PAR Panel/Study Section, and twice served as Chairperson for the NCI’s Feasibility and Planning Studies for SPOREs to Investigate Cancer Health Disparities study section.

Email: nfesnaola@houstonmethodist.org or Toryn L. Wisdom, Assistant to Dr. Esnaola Email: tlwisdom@houstonmethodist.org

Adriana Ordonez received an MS degree in Statistics from UNAM (Mexico) in 1999, an MS degree in Biostatistics from San Diego State University in 2003, and a Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Texas (UT), School of Public Health in 2019.

Adriana worked as a biostatistician for several years at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, before pursuing Ph.D. studies at UT.  Adriana is currently working as a Biostatistician and she is an Instructor at the Research Institute at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she joined in 2019.

Her main research interests are Bayesian models, Hierarchical models, and MCMC methods.  In her research, she has computed advanced statistical models and statistical tests for cancer (breast, prostate, ovarian, lung), and birth-related health outcomes related to cesarean delivery.

Adriana's research contributions have produced over 25 journal articles and 1000 citations. She has participated in 3 NIH-funded projects.

Email: aordonez@houstonmethodist.org

Stephen L. Jones, M.D., M.S.H.I. is a medical informaticist dedicated to raising the standard of care for all patients worldwide. He joined the Department of Surgery and The Houston Methodist Research Institute in July of 2007 after spending the prior 7 years in the medical software industry; he held many management roles including co-founder and president of a start-up company. He later served as the clinical systems architect for a practice management and electronic health records company. He has many years of experience designing effective software information systems and managing distributed support and development teams.

Dr. Jones currently serves as the Chief Clinical Informatics Officer for the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital and Division Chief of Health Informatics – Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Informatics in Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College. Since 2007 he has co-authored over a dozen peer reviewed papers, one of which has been cited by the Committee on Patient Safety and Health Information Technology; Institute of Medicine, Health IT and Patient Safety: Building Safer Systems for Better Care. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2011.

Email:  sljones2@houstonmethodist.org

Marilyn Niravath is a database analyst working at Houston Methodist Hospital. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California in 1995. She worked for 15 years in data management for clinical trials, creating and cleaning databases. In 2018 she joined the Center for Outcomes Research, at Houston Methodist Research Institute. She assists in the extraction of research data from the institutional electronic medical record.

Email: mniravath@houstonmethodist.org

Dr. Sunil Mathur did his Ph.D. in Statistics, M.Phil (Statistics), MS (Statistics), and BS (Mathematics) from the University of Delhi, India, and an MBA from the Indira Gandhi National University, India.  He received several awards, including the Digital Innovator of the Year Award, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 2020; Graduate Resource and Opportunity Workspace Friends Award, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 2019; MomentUM Helping Hands Award, University of Mississippi, 2007; and Faculty Research Fellow Award, University of Mississippi, 2007. He also received the highly prestigious Junior Research Fellowship from the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, a premier national R&D organization in India. He is an elected member of the International Statistical Institute and an associate editor of the prestigious journal “Journal of Applied Statistics”. He is the author of the book “Statistical Bioinformatics”, published by Academic Press.

He serves as Professor and Director of Biostatistics and Co-Director of the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resources at the Weill Cornell Medical College, HMCC, and HMRI. He served as Professor and Chair of the Data Science Program at the College of Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He also served as the Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Professor and Assistant to the Dean for Research Development of the College of Science and Engineering. He served as the Professor and Director of the Research Support Center at Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia. He served at the School of Public Health, University of Memphis. Before that, he served as Associate Professor and Director of the Statistical Consulting Center at the University of Mississippi. 

He supervised Ph.D. students, and postdoc fellows, and mentored several graduate and undergraduate students and junior faculty members. His passion is to help faculty and students in achieving their research goals. 

Email: smathur2@houstonmethodist.org

Dr. Naufal is an associate research scientist at the Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) at Texas A&M University, a visiting Scientist at the Center for Health Data Science and Analytics at Houston Methodist Research Institute, a research fellow at the IZA Institute of Labor Economics and Economic Research Forum (ERF).

Previously he was the Technical Director at Timberlake Consultants. He was also an Assistant/Associate Professor of Economics at The American University of Sharjah (2007 to 2014) in the United Arab Emirates. George earned his Ph.D. in Economics in 2007 from Texas A&M University. His area of expertise is applied econometrics with applications to labor economics including criminal justice, education, migration, and public health. He has published several journal articles and book chapters.

Dr. Naufal has secured more than $2.5 million in grant funding including grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Caruth Foundation, and Arnold Ventures. His work has been cited by regional and international media outlets such as the New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, the Washington Post, and NPR.  

Email: gnaufal@houstonmethodist.org

Miguel Valdiva y Alvarado, MD, MHA

I’m originally from La Paz, Bolivia, and studied medicine at the “Universidad del Valle” and subsequently did surgical training at the city’s Military Hospital. I arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, department of anesthesia, to do a post-doctoral fellowship in respiratory physiology. Then, I did a second post-doctoral in diagnostic imaging at the Houston Methodist Research Institute.

At the end of my second fellowship, I stayed at Houston Methodist as a research associate, senior research associate, and then instructor in the department of systems medicine and bioengineering, working on early diagnosis and treatment of solid tumors.

After several fruitful years of research doing translational studies, I transitioned to clinical trials as a study coordinator in the Surgery department at Houston Methodist. I currently work on studies dealing with solid tumors, abdominal transplantation, and hepatology.

I hold a master’s in healthcare administration from Saint Joseph’s University and am pursuing my doctorate in healthcare from Walden University.

Email: mvaldiviayalvarado@houstonmethodist.org

Dr. Raj Satkunasivam is a fellowship-trained Urologic Oncologist with a focus on minimally invasive and robotic approaches for the treatment of genito-urinary malignancies. His practice includes minimally invasive and robotic surgical techniques for kidney, bladder, prostate, adrenal and testicular cancers. He practices the full spectrum of Urologic Oncology, including retroperitoneal surgery for advanced testicular and kidney cancer.

He is currently an Associate Professor in the Houston Methodist Academic Institute and a Full Member of the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center where he Co-Chairs the Genito-Urinary Disease Oriented Group. Dr. Satkunasivam received his medical degree from the University of Toronto and completed his urology residency also at the University of Toronto. He pursued sub-specialty fellowship training in urologic oncology, advanced robotic and laparoscopic surgery at the University of Southern California, where he developed novel techniques for robotic bladder cancer surgery with entirely robotic (intra-corporeal) urinary reconstruction. At Houston Methodist, he is the Director of Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery at the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Education (MITIE).

Dr. Satkunasivam holds the designation of Clinician Trialist from the Houston Methodist Academic Institute and focuses his attention on the development of novel, innovative clinical trials to improve the outcomes of patients with early-stage bladder cancer. This includes a specific focus on using immunotherapy to improve bladder cancer control. The second component of his research program is clinical epidemiology/health services research focused on genito-urinary malignancies and surgical outcomes.

Email: rsatkunasivam@houstonmethodist.org

Dr. Moore received her undergraduate degree in Foods and Nutrition from Harding University and two post-graduate degrees (Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical and Health Sciences from Rutgers University).

Early in her career, she completed a dietetic certification program at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee, and practiced as a dietitian in nephrology and transplantation focused on nutrition and clinical research. She transitioned to the biotechnology industry and was a member of clinical development teams that brought three new products to approval from FDA (biologic, drug, and device) and two start-up companies.

From this vantage, she came to Houston Methodist Hospital in 2006 to work in the development of the clinical research program for the Department of Surgery and the Transplant Center of Excellence. She continues her interest in supporting kidney nutrition research as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Renal Nutrition. Dr. Moore develops clinical research projects for the Department of Surgery and the Transplant Center of Excellence involving chronic diseases. She is the lead or co-author of over 120 scientific publications and book chapters.

Email: lwmoore@houstonmethodist.org

Program Manager, Breast Cancer Screening & Prevention Center

Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy & Health Science | 3100 Cleburne, Nabrit Science Bldg. Room 139B|Houston TX 77004

(713)-313-4424| xiomara.ardon@zhanmi.net

Education | Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Master of Public Health-MPH 

Dr. Kenneth Barning is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He is the Medical Director for the Baylor – Harris Health Same Day Clinics within the Harris Health system in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Barning has been in medical practice since 2004, the last twelve years of which have been in Houston, Texas with Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Barning’s primary academic and clinical interests are in acute and chronic disease management and preventive health care services for adults. He has expertise in men’s health and minor office surgeries. Throughout his career, Dr. Barning has also been committed to the provision of prenatal services for underserved women and minority populations.

Dr. Barning’s commitment to issues of advocacy and health equity throughout his career led him to serve as an elected faculty senator for his department at Baylor College of Medicine and has since remained active in various community wellness initiatives.

Mr. Jairus Elder is a Health Promotions Specialist at Avenue 360 Health & Wellness, a Federally Qualified Health Center, where he works on mobilizing the communities that he works with through engagement and trust building. His professional activities have focused on providing HIV and STI testing and counseling to communities of color, helping individuals living with HIV achieve viral suppression, and services as the team’s mentor providing his colleagues with opportunities to improve their counseling skills.

Mr. Elder is a dedicated and resourceful professional with adaptive leadership skills offering years of experience in behavioral health and Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. He brings excellent organizational and communication skills and has a positive rapport with people of all backgrounds and situations to allow them to maintain productive behavioral and social skills on an everyday basis. Through these experiences, Mr. Elder has adapted to a wide range of exposures by providing public speaking on a large scale and in intimate settings to bring forth education to the community.

Mr. Elder continues to be motivated by the positive outcomes he sees in the individuals and communities that he serves but recognizes that additional work needs to be done. He is passionate about serving underserved diverse communities and being part of a community plan aimed at ending the HIV epidemic in Houston. Mr. Elder just attained his Master of Social Work from Stephen F. Austin and will obtain his license by the end of the year.

Dr. Orlando Milton, Jr. received his doctorate in Education Administration (concentration higher education) from Texas Southern University. There, he is a Distinguished Faculty member and teaches in the Social Work Department. He works primarily with the seniors but also provide instruction across the curriculum.

He demonstrates leadership and collegiality within the department and throughout the university. In the department, he is an advisor for interprofessional education simulations, field instructor/student trainer, advisory board coordinator, and a part of the curriculum committee. Moreover, he is an advisor for several student organizations, a student recruiter, and currently serving as the evaluator for both of the TSU SHAPE Initiative (TSI) programs (CHANGE/YES).

Dr. Milton’s research focuses on the graduation rates of male student-athletes, Black male college athletes’ vulnerabilities, the rise of mental health in higher education, disadvantaged populations, academic success, retention rates, at-risk youth, and eradicating social/economic injustices. He continues to lend himself to the community by networking with faith-based and community organizations to conduct lectures, and or workshops

Dr. Chinelo Okoye is a board-certified Internist and Fellow of the American College of Physicians. She attended Loyola University Chicago for medical school and completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC. She has over a decade of practice experience in Acute and Chronic Disease Management, Preventative Healthcare, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Weight Management, Hospital medicine, and the management of common Mental health conditions.

She brings this expertise to the care of her patients in the Direct Primary Care model at Katy Premier Primary Care. Dr. Okoye is also experienced in Telemedicine, Healthcare consulting, Medical Utilization review, Clinical Research, and Medico-Legal consulting.

Frank Brown is a native of South Carolina and a graduate of South Carolina State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Frank worked in the Energy Sector for over 40 years in various operational and engineering capacities including Project engineering. He also worked on a number of industry standards and research committees.

Frank is an active volunteer in the community, where he worked on a number of volunteer home repair projects for senior citizens. He has been involved with The Ensemble Theater since 1992, where he served as Founder Circle Co-Chair and Co-Chair of their annual Golf Tournament. Frank has been a member of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church since 1995, where he volunteers with the Audio and Video Ministry, he served as the President for 8 years and was a member for 15 years.

Frank strongly believes that physical and mental health contributes to the overall and social well-being of a person. His good health journey is to stay active, maintain a good diet, stay physically fit and monitor and listen to your body.

My name is Arthur R. Christopher. I have been married for 30 years.  I am a proud graduate of Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas.  I served in the U. S. Air Force as a Fire Protection Specialist.  I was employed at the U.S. Postal Service for 35 years and retired as a Postal Manager, and Field Coordinator for the Quality of Work Life Process.

I am a participant in the Texas Southern University, Aggressive Prostate Cancer study. I am excited about being a part of this cancer study, to spread the word about this disease for these reasons:

I am a prostate cancer survivor,

• I can share my experiences with others, who are going through this disease,
• I can reach out and assist others, by educating African- American men and women (women with husbands and sons to be their support system) about this disease,
• I can be a voice for the importance of early detection by prostate cancer screening and encourage men to speak up and out for additional testing and biopsies.

This Aggressive Prostate Cancer study will be a lifesaver for our African American community.

If anyone has any questions about my experiences, feel free to contact me at  (713) 201-5222 or by email at arthur.christopher51@yahoo.com. 

Reverend James L Caldwell is a native Houstonian. He is a graduate of Phyllis Wheatley High School
and Texas Southern University’s School of Public Affairs. Reverend James L Caldwell also attended
Dallas Theological Seminary and has been an ordained minister for 28 years.

He also serves as the Interim President of the NorthEast Concerned Civic Citizens League (NECCCL).
He also serves on the Board Member of MIEHR Research Center Community Advisory Board. The
newly funded center is focused on the environmental aspects of maternal and infant health. Reverend
Caldwell also serves on the Membership Team for the Coalition of Environment, Equity, & Resilience
(CEER).

His platforms and causes he supports include Environmental Justice, Civil Rights, Food Security, and Renewable Energy. Reverend Caldwell is also actively involved as either a member or volunteer:

• WeACT
• White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council
• Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
• Port of Houston Authority Chairman’s Community Advisory Committee
• Healthy Port Community Coalition
• Clean Gulf Commerce Coalition
• PCORI Baylor College of Medicine’s Asthma Study Advisory Committee
• Texas Organizing Project
• People Before Profits
• The Maternal and Infant Environmental Health Riskscape (MIEHR) Research Center
• Pure Justice
• Texas Organizing Project (TOP)
• Houston Coalition Against Hate
• Impact Fifth Ward
• Fifth Ward Revitalization Center
• EPA EJ Screen for Fifth Ward

His hobbies include traveling, gardening, home repair and spending time with his grandchildren.  

Assata is the founding director of the Sankofa Research Institute (SRI), a nonprofit with a mission to “create knowledge to build community” that employs Community-Based Participatory Research to work collaboratively with academic researchers, community organizations, and funders to generate empirical evidence to inform social change.

Some of SRI’s current and past project partners include Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Southeast Houston Transformation Alliance of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Dance Source Houston, Project Row Houses, St. Anne Catholic Church, and CHRISTUS Health Foundation. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and earned a master’s and a doctoral degree from Pennsylvania State University. She has extensive training in quantitative and qualitative research methods and analyses.

After serving on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh, she returned to Houston, Texas, to work with Project Row Houses (PRH), a nationally and internationally recognized public arts organization that utilizes art as a transformative mechanism for revitalizing economically-depressed urban communities. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston, teaching courses in the sociology department and the arts leadership program.

As a public sociologist, Assata serves as the Board President of the newly formed Houston Community Land Trust, the Third Ward Cooperative Community Builders, and the Emancipation Economic Development Council, a people-focus and place-based effort to revitalize, preserve, and protect a historic African-American community in Houston, Texas.

Most recently, she was elected as the founding board president of the Community Care Cooperative, the second worker-owned home care agency in Texas and the first entity incorporated in the United States owned and operated by community health workers.