Get Your Inside Story
Our Medical Director, Dr. Saima Aftab, was recently published in South Florida Parenting magazine. In her article, Dr. Aftab gives an educational overview and issues to consider around preconception screening. The leadership of Victor Center has identified knowledge and awareness as a key initiative.
Sofia Wagner Wagner is a senior at Florida International University majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics on a pre-medical track. She is excited to be working as a CHAI intern this year to raise awareness of Jewish Genetic Diseases in the Miami community.
Deborah Zrebker is a sophomore at the University of Maryland majoring in Physiology and Neurobiology. In addition to being a CHAI ambassador, Devorah is a Global Health fellow in JHealth, is an active member of Kedma and the American Medical Student Association and enjoys volunteering through Kids at Heart and at her local hospital. Devorah has a passion for genetics and cardiology and hopes to pursue a career as a physician.
Samantha Clayman is a senior undergraduate at the University of Miami on the pre-medical track. She is a double major in Biochemistry + Nutrition and Judaic Studies with a minor in Chemistry. Last year, Samantha served as the CHAI ambassador on the University of Miami campus.
Elizabeth Tabbouche Tabbouche is a senior at the University of Maryland studying psychology and dietetics. She is an aspiring dietitian with a passion for genetics and respectively wants to enter the field of nutrigenomics upon completing her master’s degree. Elizabeth is involved with the Jewish groups on campus and enjoyed educating and genetic testing the students there last year.
Gabi Frolich Graduated University of Maryland with a BS in Family Science, and was a CHAI intern her junior year of college. Gabi studied in the school of public health and enjoyed working with genetics.
Poppy Nussbaum graduated Bellevue University and aspires to obtain a Mater’s in genetic counseling. She aims to work in the field of genetics and help people in that way. She studied behavioral and human sciences and has a passion for science and helping others.
Lily Schmutter is an undergraduate senior studying Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami. As the first CHAI Intern on her Coral Gables campus, Lily is proud to be integrating her passion for healthcare and her strong roots in the South Florida Jewish community through this role. Her focus is both to facilitate outreach for genetic screening amongst her collegiate peers and implement speaker series programs in local schools by utilizing her connections in the Miami area.
Director of Personalized Medicine Initiative and Health Outcomes Research, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Daria.Salyakina@Nicklaushealth.org
Daria Salyakina is an accomplished scientist and research administration leader with twenty years of experience in a broad range of research infrastructure. She has published extensively on population health outcomes, pharmacogenetics, and genomic medicine. Prior to joining NCHS, Dr. Salyakina was principal investigator with the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics group, Center for Computational Science, University of Miami. Dr. Salyakina holds a Ph.D. in statistical genetics from Technical University Munich, Germany and a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from the School of Business Administration, University of Miami. She has done postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and the John P Hussman Institute for Human Genomics Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami. In supporting the expansion of the Victor Center’s services, Dr. Salyakina draws on her experience leading diverse teams and working effectively with varied stakeholders to bring genomic medicine to a broader public.
Administrative Director, Victor Center
National Outreach Coordinator/Genetic Counselor, Victor Center
deborah.wasserman@nicklaushealth.org
Deborah Wasserman is a genetic counselor with over 25 years experience in prenatal diagnosis and medical genetics clinics. As the genetic counselor for the Victor Center for the Prevention of Jewish Genetic Diseases, Miami, she provides genetic counseling for Ashkenazi Jewish genetic diseases to students, newlywed couples and other patients. Ms. Wasserman provides follow-up counseling and support for those found to be carriers.
As the outreach coordinator at the Victor Center, Miami, she is the liaison between the Victor Center and community. She is available to run educational programs about the Victor Center and Jewish genetic disease screening, tailored to your organizations needs and interests. Contact her if you are interested in learning more about the Victor Center, organizing a community or campus screening, or getting screened in our office at deborah.wasserman@nicklaushealth.org.
Director of Operations, Victor Center
marilyn.brown@nicklaushealth.org
Marilyn Brown has over 7 years of experience in administration and outreach in the fields of public health, genetics, and personalized medicine. She currently leads the operations for the Victor Center for the Prevention of Jewish Genetic Diseases and Personalized Medicine Initiative (PMI) at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. In this role, she provides leadership and direction on Victor Center and PMI collaborative efforts on a local and national scale. Before coming to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, she spent several years working on state and federally-funded genetics programs, such as the Mountain States Regional Genetics Network. Her professional interests are increasing both public and clinician awareness and knowledge of genetic screening.
Marilyn holds a BS in Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State University and a Master in Public Health from the University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health. Marilyn can be reached at 786-624-3520 or marilyn.brown@nicklaushealth.org.
Outreach Associate, Victor Center
evelyn.deanolmsted@nicklaushealth.org
As an anthropologist, Evelyn María Dean-Olmsted brings her experience working with Jewish and Latin American communities to her work as Outreach Associate for the Victor Center. Prior to joining the Victor Center/PMI Team at NCHS, she served as Associate Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Puerto Rio, Río Piedras. Her academic research focuses on how people use language to create knowledge, relationships, and identities. She has conducted fieldwork in the United States, Mexico, Bolivia, and Puerto Rico. She applies this expertise in her work to expand the Victor Center’s screening and educational services to a broader public.
Dr. Dean-Olmsted holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and Jewish studies from Indiana University and a B.A. in anthropology and Spanish from the University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at 786-624-2562 or evelyn.deanolmsted@nicklaushealth.org.
Medical Director, Victor Center
Dr. Aftab is Vice President of Administration, Physician Enterprise, with the Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists, the physician-led multispecialty group practice of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. She is a neonatologist and chief for the Section of Neonatology and Perinatal Medicine at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Dr. Aftab is also medical director of the Fetal Care Center. She earned her medical degree from King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan. Dr. Aftab then pursued a residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in neonatal perinatal medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Her clinical and research interests are focused on delivery room resuscitation and incorporating high fidelity simulation in practice to ensure the highest quality of care in code situations.
Dr. Aftab is board certified in both general pediatrics and neonatology. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, she has presented at national and international conferences and is frequently sought out as a subject-matter expert by the media.
The Fetal Care Center at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is dedicated to families expecting an infant with medical needs that require intervention at birth. The program offers comprehensive, coordinated care from prenatal diagnosis to delivery, postnatal care and the transition to infant care.
Director of Major Gifts, Victor Center
shari.debowsky@nicklaushealth.org
Shari Debowsky is a Marketing, Operations, Fundraising and Outreach professional with over 16 years of experience in the non-profit sector. As the Director of Major Gifts for the Victor Center for the Prevention of Jewish Genetic Diseases, she helps to secure donor dollars in order for the Victor Center team to provide the highest quality outreach, awareness and educational events for the Ashkenazi Jewish population across our country. Previous to her time at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Victor Center, Shari spent 14 years at Temple Beth Am in Pinecrest. Shari has a passion for pre-conception genetics as her and her husband are both Tay-Sachs carriers. She believes that knowledge is power and knowing what is in your genes allows you to make informed decisions when you are ready to plan for your family.
Shari holds a BA in Holocaust and Judaic Studies as well as a Certificate in Ethnic Studies from Florida Atlantic University.
Contact her if you are interested in learning more about the Victor Center, organizing a community educational program, community screening, or bringing the Victor Center to your neighborhood. Shari can be reached at 786-624-2051 or shari.debowsky@nicklaushealth.org