About Us

Brett Ginsburg, PhD

Director, BPAL
ginsburg@uthscsa.edu

Dr. Ginsburg is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. He has established his expertise in pharmacology and analytic biochemical quantification of biological samples over the past 20+ years. His research is truly translational, including publications on pharmacology and pharmacological interactions between endogenous and exogenous chemicals using sophisticated preclinical behavioral and analytical procedures. Dr. Ginsburg has experience obtaining and managing large-scale research projects from both the NIH and Department of Defense. Dr. Ginsburg’s expertise in pharmacology has been internationally recognized with regular national and international speaking invitations on the subject. In addition to his pharmacological expertise, Dr. Ginsburg has been involved in bioanalytic assay development and applications for over 20 years. This experience includes development of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) procedures to detect endogenous and exogenous compounds with electrochemical (EC), ultraviolet (UV), and flame ionization (FID) detection, as well as mass spectrometry (MS). Dr. Ginsburg’s publication list can be found here: MyNCBI.

Nathalie Hill-Kapturczak, PhD

Associate Director, BPAL
HillKapturcz@uthscsa.edu

Dr. Hill-Kapturczak is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health at San Antonio. She has a broad background in chemistry and molecular biology and completed postdoctoral training in clinical psychiatric research. As the Associate Director of the BPAL, she is expert in alcohol biomarkers and has experience in the measurement and interpretation of PEth since 2013. Dr. Hill-Kapturczak manages ethanol biomarker projects. BPAL can measure phosphatidylethanol (PEth), ethyl-glucuronide (EtG), and gamma-glutamylase (GGT) as indicators of recent alcohol use.

Marisa Lopez-Cruzan, PhD

Associate Director, BPAL
LOPEZCRUZAN@uthscsa.edu

Dr. Lopez-Cruzan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. She manages aging-related projects for the BPAL. We maintain projects in support of the National Institue of Aging Interventions Testing Program, San Antonio Nathan Shock Center, the San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Center, and other projects for independent investigators. Marisa joined the BPAL in 2018.

Jesse Sanchez, BS, MS

RAS-Lead, BPAL
SanchezJJ@uthscsa.edu

Jesse Sanchez is the Lab manager of the BPAL. He has been working at BPAL since 2002. He is originally from the Rio Grande Valley and graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS degree in Genetics. At St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, he earned a Master’s degree in English Literature and where he also taught several courses. He enjoys spending most of his time with his wife and two children.

Greg Friesenhahn, BS

RAS-Intermediate, BPAL
friesenhahng@uthscsa.edu

Meredith Fountain, MS

RAS-Intermediate, BPAL
MurrellM@uthscsa.edu

Meredith Fountain is a Research Area Specialist at UT Health San Antonio. Meredith holds a master of science degree in clinical laboratory science with a specialization in toxicology. She has worked for the BPAL since 2014.

David Galindo, MBA

Research Associate – Senior, BPAL
GalindoD@uthscsa.edu

David Galindo is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health at San Antonio. David holds a BA in Psychology, with an emphasis on neuroscience, and an MBA with a focus on Health Care/Life Sciences Management.  He previously worked for the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research at the University of Texas at Austin and has been with BPAL since 2009.  

Hanana AlTfaili, MD

Postdoctoral Fellow, BPAL
altfaili@uthscsa.edu

Dr. AlTfaili is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. AlTfaili earned her MD from American University in Beirut in 2020. She was recognized with a Merit Scholarship during her medical studies.  Hanana is active in volunteer work, helping to provide clinical care in local community and VA clinics. Her research focuses on substance use disorders, and she is passionate about developing innovative treatments in this field. Hanana aspires to be a physician-scientist in the field, blending clinical expertise with cutting-edge research. She has been a member of the BPAL since 2022.

Martin A. Javors, PhD

Founder & Emeritus Director, BPAL
javors@uthscsa.edu

Dr. Javors founded the BPAL over 35 years ago to provide analytical support for Psychiatry research and clinical care. Under his direction the scope of the lab expanded to provide analysis of biomarkers and other small molecules for other disciplines, including aging and cancer research. He continues to provide advisory direction for the lab by providing his expertise, earned over his 50 years of career experience

Haidyn Stark, BS

Graduate Student, BPAL
starkh@uthscsa.edu

Haidyn Stark is a graduate student in the Neuroscience Program of the Integrated Biomedical Science Program (IBMS) at UT Health San Antonio. Haidyn earned her B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Leadership Studies from Christopher Newport University in 2020. She graduated with honors and was a member of several honors societies, including Psi Chi, Nu Rho Psi, and Alpha Chi – a national honors society.

Benjamin Stinson, MS

• Graduate Student, BPAL
  stinsonb@uthscsa.eduBenjamin Stinson is a graduate student in the Pharmacology and Physiology Program of the Integrated Biomedical Science Program (IBMS) at UT Health San Antonio. Benjamin is an Integrated Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. student in the Biological Psychiatry Analytical Laboratory at UT Health San Antonio. He earned his M.S. in Neuroscience from Wake Forest University. His current research focuses on pharmacokinetics, with a goal to elucidate mechanisms underlying drug interactions.