Biogenics
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Biogenics Research Institute
Other Respiratory Tract Disorders
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Biogenics, Inc
Idiopathic Intersitial Lung Disease

 
The Research Team
Robert L. Jacobs, MD
Principal Investigator

Robert L. Jacobs, MD entered the United States Air Force after graduation from high school. He was trained by the Air Force in Primary and Advanced Russian Studies at Syracuse University and in Cryptoanalytical Studies at Goodfellow AFB, Texas. He served within the Air Force Intelligence Service, a branch of NSA, during the height of the "Cold War", monitoring the Russian ICBM missile ranges and space program. He was in the European theatre during the Cuban Missile Crisis and erection of the Berlin Wall. He left the military to attend the Medical College of Alabama, graduating in 1968. He served a rotating internship at Malcomb Grow USAF Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in allergy/immunology at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

He was assigned a staff positon in the Allergy/Immunology Department and moved up to become the Chairman and Training Program Director, Consultant to the Surgeon General in Internal Medicine and Allergy/Immunology, and Special Assistant to the Surgeon General concerning facilities and staffing associated with allergy services worldwide. During his tenure as Chairman and Director of the Training Program, he designed the physical plant within Wilford Hall Medical Center currently housing the Allergy/Immunology Department with the foresight to predict the growth of Immunology within the field and to be prepared with adequate training slots and facilities for the staff to be able to maintain an excellence that the Allergy/Immunology Department continues to achieve. During this period, Dr. Jacobs and staff designed and wrote the guidelines of the modern training programs for Allergy/Immunology which remains the criteria that training programs must meet. Clinical Research, however, became the driving passion for Dr. Jacobs as the field of Allergy/Immunology became scientifically-based. Clinical studies on chronic nasal disease, drug interactions, adverse responses to immunizations, and insect sting reactions were carried out during the tenure at Wilford Hall Medical Center.

 

For most of his professional life, Dr. Jacobs has been involved with a group of diseases that are the most frustrating within the field of pulmonary medicine, the idiopathic interstitial lung diseases. By investigating the environments of these patients, Dr. Jacobs has shown that most of these difficult problems are caused by exposure to organic dusts within closed spaces, usually the home.  This publication has been selected by the pulmonary journal, Chest, as the second most important work on interstitial lung disease in the recent past. Dr. Jacobs has several publications concerning these problems. He has been honored with a lifetime achievement award for his work with patients with these disorders by the San Antonio Business Journal in collaboration with University Health System, University of the Incarnate Word, and others.

 

Dr. Jacobs is the managing partner of a busy clinical practice of allergy and asthma management with thousands of patients. He, along with his wife and children, established Biogenics Research Institute for the study of allergic, immunologic, and chronic respiratory tract diseases. This institute is considered one of the top 4 research sites for clinical drug trials in respiratory tract diseases in the United States.

 

Dr. Jacobs continues to work very hard to maintain an excellence in the field of allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology in the clinical and research settings. He expects similar efforts from those around him.

                                                                  

 


Daniel A. Ramirez, MD
Principal Investigator

Daniel A. Ramirez, M.D. started his scientific career as an Electrical Engineer in 1998. He worked for the U.S. Navy as a computer and underwater range engineer at Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Puerto Rico. He then graduated with honors from the University of Puerto Rico school of Medicine in 1973 and trained in internal medicine at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, California. He did an allergy / immunology fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. where he did research on anaphylaxis and reactions to hymenoptera (stings of bees, yellow jackets and hornets.)

 

He was assigned as Chief of Allergy-Immunology at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in 1979. While at BAMC, he became interested in mountain cedar allergy, since it affects many in South Texas, even people without any other allergy.

 

Dr. Ramirez is a partner in a large, busy allergy/immunology practice in San Antonio and has been involved in many clinical research projects in allergy, asthma, other respiratory and skin diseases. They have offices in the Medical Center and in Lincoln Heights in San Antonio.

 

Dr. Ramirez's interests out of medicine include computer programming, woodworking, digital photography and music. He is a very proud "Aggie Dad" of two Texas A&M graduates. His oldest son will start allergy / immunology training in 2008 with plans of joining his "Aggie Dad" in 2010. His daughter is a law student at Texas Tech in Lubbock.


Lisa Whelchel, FNP-C
Sub-investigator

Lisa joined the Biogenics team in September 2008. She also practices at Jacobs, Ramirez, & Freeman Allergy and Immunology, where she assists in providing care to a large number of allergy patients.

Lisa’s nursing career has spanned various aspects of healthcare and teaching facilities to include both the private sector and military community.  She served in the USN and USAF nurse corp (active duty and reserve) multi-service units, intensive care units, as well as ambulatory care. 

She began her education and undergraduate course of study at San Antonio Community College and then went on to the UTHSCSA where she earned her BSN in 1986.  In 1998, she was awarded a MA in Health Services Management from Webster University and in May 2008, Lisa then obtained her MSN degree with a FNP specialty from TAMUCC.

 

 

 


Frank O. Jacobs, BS, MT, CCRC
Support Staff

Frank serves as the Clinical Research Manager and senior Study Coordinator for Biogenics Research Institute. He and Dr. Jacobs originally founded the company in 1993. Prior to that time, Frank had been involved in other human research activities. After graduating from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Frank worked in aerospace physiology research at Brooks Air Force Base, conducting military-contracted studies involving decompression sickness, G-tolerance, thermal stress, and wound healing in Air Force pilot candidates. In 1988, Frank moved to Houston to work as a research contractor for NASA at Johnson Space Center. His position as a Flight Experiment Scientist allowed him to develop and implement research protocols for Shuttle-based Spacelab missions as well as provide training and collect data on Shuttle astronauts during spaceflight.

Frank returned to San Antonio in late 1992 to work with his father and sister in establishing Biogenics. He received and has maintained his certification as a clinical research coordinator since 1997. Frank and his wife Laura, a cardiologist who has also worked as a sub-investigator for Biogenics, have been married since 1990 and have two boys.  


Nicole J. Skelton, BA, BSN, CCRC
Support Staff

Nicole earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas A&M University in 1992 majoring in Speech Communications. She has been involved as a clinical research coordinator for the past 12 years starting as an assistant working at Biogenics,  participating in the very first study with Biogenics in 1993.  She came on board full-time as a research coordinator in 1995.   After two years as a full-time coordinator, Nicole attended nursing school to have more of a medical-oriented background.  She graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center. Nicole became certified as a clinical research coordinator in 1998. She has used her marketing skills to promote our research facility broadening the base of companies that rely upon Biogenics to deliver study results at the highest level.

 

Nicole and her husband Andy have been married since 2003 and have a great time with their two sons and three dogs.

 

Cynthia Rather, CCRC
Support Staff
Who do you know who can say and spell ‘Immunobionomics’ without blinking an eye? Not only can Cindy Rather, our clinical research coordinator, do this because she brings to Biogenics sixteen years experience in Laboratory Management at Immunobionomics but she also brings her extensive knowledge of laboratory medicine in the fields of Allergy and Immunology.

Cindy started working with Dr. Jacobs in 1991 as a sales representative for his new clinical allergy and immunology reference laboratory – Immunobionomics. Under Cindy’s guidance and management, Immunobionomics became a regionally and later, nationally recognized specialty reference laboratory while maintaining the values of quality laboratory testing, excellent customer service and College of American Pathologists standards that made Immunobionomics the special laboratory it was. In addition to being Laboratory Manager, Cindy was responsible for marketing and sales, Information Technology and industry and federal accreditation of the facility.

Prior to managing Immunobionomics, Cindy’s education in Radio, TV/Film led her to work at KENS TV as a weekend intern reporter for about a year. After deciding that broadcasting was not where her heart lie, she returned to the field of medicine and has remained there ever since.

Cindy and her husband Dan, and ‘child’ - Chocolate Lab Remo enjoy living in a historic home in Comfort that they have restored.


Brandi L. Black, NRCMA, NRCPT
Support Staff

Brandi graduated from Medical Assistant school in 1998. She worked for a family physician and was trained by a highly skilled RN who taught her the fine art of precision phlebotomy. Brandi joined our company in September 2000 and performs most of the technical aspects of the research protocols including phlebotomy, ECGs, skin testing, handling and shipping of specimens.

She has been a Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant since 2002.  She has maintained certifications and training for all of our clinical research trials including IATA Certification for Transportation of Dangerous Goods.

Brandi is a mother of 2 wonderful children with whom she spends most of her free time.


Ronald G. Waller, RMA, CPT
Support Staff

Ron Waller joined Biogenics Research Institute in 2007 with four years of previous expierence in research.  Prior to his experience in research, Ron spent over ten years working as a medical assistant in internal medicine with a number of internists in the San Antonio area.  Ron has also done extensive work for the District Attorney's Office in the field of DNA testing for child support and on-site drug testing for the Department of Transportation.  In his spare time, Ron enjoys family,cooking and dancing.  Ron is happily married to his high school sweetheart Claudette and has a daughter and a son.  Ron adores trying to keep up with his grandson, Malachi.        


Cara Dobbertin, BS
Support Staff
 Cara joined the Biogenics Research team as a clinical research coordinator in September 2007, after two years with Immunobionomics Laboratory. In 2005, Cara earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Texas in Austin. Following graduation, she was given the wonderful opportunity to work with Cynthia Rather and Dr. Jacobs as a laboratory assistant with Immunobionomics. The clinical laboratory setting provided Cara with valuable experience in the healthcare field and she looks forward to the knowledge she will obtain as part of a research team. Cara plans to pursue a career in the healthcare field and is excited to have the opportunity to work alongside a team with a vast array of clinical research experience.