Wendy Nembhard

Wendy Nembhard, Ph.D., MPH, FACE, is a Professor and Chair of Epidemiology at the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She also serves as Director of the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Investigator at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, and Investigator at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Her roles include teaching courses like Epidemiology Methods I and II, and Principles of Public Health Surveillance.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Epidemiology, 2000, University of Texas at Houston
• M.P.H. in International and Family Health, 1997, University of Texas at Houston
• B.A. in Biology/Pre-Medicine, 1994, Wesleyan College

Research Interests: Her work focuses on birth defects, stillbirths, infant mortality, preterm birth, racial disparities in perinatal outcomes, pediatric cancer, and long-term effects of birth defects. She leads studies on fetal origins of adult chronic diseases and collaborates on national initiatives like the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

Research Contributions: Recent publications address congenital heart defect outcomes, environmental risk factors for birth defects, and pandemic impacts on infant health. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding health disparities and improving surveillance systems.

Labs/Teams: She leads the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and collaborates with the National Birth Defects Prevention Network. Her research integrates clinical, genetic, and environmental data to advance prevention strategies.