Expert Research Support For People Facing A Difficult Medical Situation
Tell Me Your Story
This site is a means of reaching out to people who are facing a difficult or frightening medical situation. Share your story. Tell me what struggles you are dealing with. What frustrates you about your situation? What stresses you out? What scares you? Are you having trouble finding the information you need? When you go to the doctor what questions never seem to be answered, what issues never seem to be resolved?
Do you have a specific question, something you want to learn more about? Suggest a topic for a post. Send me an email.
We Will Be Partners
I am a Patient Advocate focused on researching your disease, processing the information, and helping you define your treatment options and come up with a course of action.
We learn from each other through the process.
By providing one-on-one interaction I can listen to your issues and try to relieve some of your stress. Sometimes all you need is a sympathetic ear and a friendly face or voice.
Further Benefits I Can Provide Through My Research Services
- Help you make informed decisions about your care and treatment options
- Help you interact with your doctors by knowing what questions to ask
- Relief and peace of mind knowing there is someone you can trust who can help you understand your medical condition and treatment options
- Affordable and cost-effective. We decide together a fee based on your needs.
Why Is Research So Important?
When Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer, the chemotherapy that was initially recommended would have caused severe injury to his lungs and ended his professional cycling career. After doing extensive research and exploring his options, he found an alternative therapy that spared his lungs and allowed him to return to the pinnacle of his sport.
Experienced Biomedical Research Scientist
Formerly I was the Director of Immunology at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel drugs through the use of gene knock-out mice.
I have a strong professional background and reputation. I have 30 years experience doing biomedical research. I have co-authored more than 20 scientific papers. My scientific expertise includes: Immunology, Hematology, Immunotherapy, Inflammation, Virology, Oncology, and Drug Discovery. In addition, I have chosen to focus on Women’s Health because of a clear unmet need in that area. I will try to help with any medical challenge you are experiencing. If I can’t help, I’ll
help you find someone who can.
My Career Highlights
- Ph.D. (1987), Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Dept. of Pediatric Immunology: Human B Lymphocyte Biology
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Dept. of Immunology, Dept. of Virology: T Lymphocyte biology, HIV pathogenesis.
- Cell Genesys, Inc: first clinical trial of adoptive T cell transfer therapy for HIV infection
- Becton Dickinson Biosciences: developed a diagnostic test for early sepsis detection
- Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc: discovery of new drug targets and development of drugs for immunological diseases
- BMTInfonet: created “History Of Stem Cell Transplantation” video for bone marrow transplant support group, attended annual symposium, 2014.
Professional Organizations
- AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
- AAI (American Association of Immunologists)
- ASH (American Society of Hematology)
- AMWA (American Medical Writers Association)
- AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts)
Cancer | Immunology | Women’s Health
My scientific expertise Includes Immunology, Hematology, Immunotherapy, Inflammation, Virology, Oncology, and Drug Discovery. In addition, I have chosen to focus on Women’s Health because of a clear unmet need in that area. I will try to help with any medical challenge you are experiencing. If I can’t help, I’ll help you find someone who can.
About Steve—My Personal Story
I left a lucrative career in the biotech/pharma industry to explore new opportunities. For the past three years I have struggled to find a way to use my scientific expertise to help people directly and make an impact on their lives. I want to connect with people. I believe I have finally found that opportunity in patient advocacy.
I am still an active professional in my field. The other side of my business, as a Biomedical Research Consultant (sjabioscience.com), I provide scientific content for industry and educational clients. This work keeps me current professionally with the latest scientific and medical discoveries.
I love playing sports and I’ve always been a jock. I played football, and/or ran varsity track and cross country from junior high through college. I was an avid tennis player for several years. For the past 10 years I have been an avid bicyclist—I call myself a “competitive recreational rider”. I was into competitive ballroom dancing. I’m currently struggling to get back in shape as a cyclist. I’m a student of athletics, exercise physiology, psychology, and sports medicine.
I enjoy graphic art and video editing, and I’m currently learning 3D modeling and animation. I would love to use video and animation to develop educational materials, and I am also interested in developing a line of greeting cards and other novelty items.
I currently live in The Woodlands, TX, just north of Houston.