This month, Dr. Cody would like to introduce you to the new staff members at the Chromosome 18 Clinical Research Center. Learn more about Catherine and Brittany below:
Catherine McCarthy
Participant Coordinator
Hi! My name is Catherine and I am originally from Bastrop, Texas. I grew up in College Station, Texas (Whoop!), and also spent some of my high school years in Houston, Texas, and on the coast of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin. I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a minor in Philosophy. This combination led me to an interest in medical ethics, specifically how culture influences both institutional and individual ethics, and how this contributes to our overall perspective of human health. I attended graduate school at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, where I received a Master of Science in Medical Anthropology & Cross-Cultural Practice in 2021. My thesis research examined how empathy is used in representative decision-making, and how it can be taught as an ethical value in any group that makes decisions for individuals, such as within an Institutional Review Board. I also have experience in marketing & communications, graphic design, and website development and management. Since receiving my degrees, I have worked as an IRB Coordinator in Pediatric Research at the University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, and also spent time working at Lumen Technologies in Denver. In my free time, I love to spend time in nature and exploring new places, like San Antonio! I love all animals (yes, even snakes!), and my husband and I are hoping to adopt a puppy soon. Last but not least, I love making art and specifically, watercolor or gouache painting.
One thing I’m looking forward to in working with chromosome 18 families: I am so excited and grateful to be a part of the Chromosome 18 team & family. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone, hearing about your experiences in this program, and meeting in person someday soon!
Brittany Antopia
Program Data Manager
Brittany was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. A lover of science, she has always been interested in studying chronic diseases and chronic conditions and their impacts on human health. Brittany is a graduate from the University of the Incarnate Word with a Bachelors degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She later earned a Masters degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Before joining the Chromosome 18 Clinical Research Center, Brittany worked in healthcare at Baptist Children’s Hospital and University Hospital and served as part of the San Antonio COVID-19 Taskforce for the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.
One thing I look forward to in working with chromosome 18 families is learning about their stories and I hope as we continue to further our research, it will lead us to new discoveries into better treatments and therapies for people with chromosome abnormalities.