Wendy Nicole Nembhard, MPH, PhD

Associate Member

Research Program:

Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences

Faculty Rank:

Professor and Chair

Campus:

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

College:

College of Public Health

Department:

College of Public Health

Cancer Research Interest

Disease Site Focus: Pediatric Oncology
Research Focus Area: Prevention
Type of Research: Population Sciences
Research Keywords: pediatric
Research Interest Statement: My cancer research projects have primarily focused on risk of cancer among children born with birth defects. One of the main risk factors for developing pediatric cancer is being born with a birth defect. Little is understood about this relationship thus we conducted one of the largest studies to examine this relationship. Four publications resulted from this multi-site collaboration. I am also interested in risk of cancer and other chronic conditions among women.

Contact Information

Email Address: WNNEMBHARD@UAMS.EDU
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Recent Publications

Delhey L, Joshua C, Allen JL, [et al., including Nembhard W]. Risk of Mortality From Esophageal Cancer Among US Poultry Workers, 1950-2019. American journal of industrial medicine. 2025 68(8):711-723. PMID: 40495311.
Cen R, Goudie A, Nembhard WN. Disparities in Birth Defect Related Hospitalization Costs and Length of Stay in the US, 2019. Birth defects research. 2025 117(6):e2486. PMID: 40442990.
Sley EG, Desrosiers TA, Sotres-Alvarez D, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Association between maternal periconceptional dietary patterns and occurrence of orofacial clefts. American journal of epidemiology. 2025. PMID: 40391741.
Carter TC, Kay DM, Pangilinan F, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Exome Sequencing to Identify Novel Susceptibility Genes for Nonsyndromic Split-Hand/Ft Malformation: A Report From the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Birth defects research. 2025 117(5):e2472. PMID: 40304391.
Hsu CJ, Schraw JM, Desrosiers TA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. All genetic subtypes of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia exhibit increased incidence rates in children with Down syndrome. Leukemia. 2025. PMID: 40217070.
Fisher SC, Nembhard WN. The Power and Importance of 25,000 Words. Birth defects research. 2025 117(4):e2454. PMID: 40249280.
Salinas VA, Archer NP, Lustri LR, [et al., including Nembhard W]. Evaluating Differences in Non-Syndromic Orofacial Clefts by Infant Sex: National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997 - 2011. The Journal of pediatrics. 2025:114567. PMID: 40158840.
Hoang TT, Schraw JM, Shumate C, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Co-occurrence of congenital anomalies and childhood brain tumors in 22 million live births. Neuro-oncology. 2025. PMID: 40138258.
Nembhard WN, Maity S, Bircan E, [et al.]. Years of Potential Life Lost for Children and Adults With Congenital Heart Defects: United States, 2007 to 2017. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2025 14(6):e037164. PMID: 40079297. PMCID: PMC12132721.
Galindo MK, Klewer SE, Downing KF, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Reproductive Health Counseling and Outcomes Among Women With Congenital Heart Defects: Results From the Congenital Heart Survey to Recognize Outcomes, Needs, and Well-Being, 2016-2019. Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. 2025. PMID: 40023699. PMCID: PMC12017272.
Villamil VI, Downing KF, Oster ME, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Comorbidities and Healthcare Utilization Among Young Adults With Congenital Heart Defects by Down Syndrome Status-Congenital Heart Survey to Recognize Outcomes, Needs, and wellbeinG, 2016-2019. Birth defects research. 2025 117(2):e2439. PMID: 39868765. PMCID: PMC11837948.
Downing KF, Goudie A, Nembhard WN, [et al.]. Educational Attainment and Employment Status of Adults Living With Congenital Heart Disease in the United States, CH STRONG 2016-2019. Birth defects research. 2025 117(2):e2452. PMID: 39996415. PMCID: PMC12042078.
Schraw JM, Tark JY, Desrosiers TA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Risk of carcinomas among children and adolescents with birth defects. Cancer epidemiology. 2025 95:102748. PMID: 39848200.
Patel J, Oluwafemi OO, Politis MD, Nembhard WN. The Association Between Dietary Supplement Use and COVID-19 Symptoms. Journal of dietary supplements. 2025:1-12. PMID: 39792434.
ElHassan NO, Cen R, Pugh CP, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Childhood Educational Outcomes of Infants Born With Esophageal Atresia With or Without Tracheoesophageal Atresia. Birth defects research. 2024 116(12):e2417. PMID: 39648647.
Michalski AM, Luben TJ, Zaganjor I, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Maternal Exposure to Tap Water Disinfection By-Products and Risk of Selected Congenital Heart Defects. Birth defects research. 2024 116(9):e2391. PMID: 39212068. PMCID: PMC11440226.
Forestieri NE, Olshan AF, Oster ME, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Survival of Children With Critical Congenital Heart Defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Birth defects research. 2024 116(9):e2394. PMID: 39258453. PMCID: PMC11548799.
Downing KF, Lin AE, Nembhard WN, [et al.]. Survival to Young Adulthood Among Individuals With Congenital Heart Defects and Genetic Syndromes: Congenital Heart Survey to Recognize Outcomes, Needs, and Well-Being. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2024 13(15):e036049. PMID: 39082431. PMCID: PMC11964017.
Stephens SB, Benjamin RH, Lopez KN, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Enhancing the Classification of Congenital Heart Defects for Outcome Association Studies in Birth Defects Registries. Birth defects research. 2024 116(8):e2393. PMID: 39169811. PMCID: PMC11421657.
Mukherjee N, Bolin EH, Qasim A, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. DNA methylation of the Lamin A/C gene is associated with congenital heart disease. Birth defects research. 2024 116(7):e2381. PMID: 39073036.
Blue EE, Moore KJ, North KE, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Exome sequencing identifies novel genes underlying primary congenital glaucoma in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Birth defects research. 2024 116(7):e2384. PMID: 38990107. PMCID: PMC11245170.
Nolan JV, Muhonen MA, Jaeb MA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. EMR-Documented Contraception for Patients Prescribed Medications With Adverse Perinatal Outcomes. JAMA network open. 2024 7(7):e2423930. PMID: 39037817. PMCID: PMC11265134.
Feldkamp ML, Canfield MA, Krikov S, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Gastroschisis prevalence patterns in 27 surveillance programs from 24 countries, International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, 1980-2017. Birth defects research. 2024 116(2):e2306. PMID: 38411327. PMCID: PMC11182352.
Browne ML, Fisher SC, Nembhard WN. Birth defects surveillance: Working together to advance science. Birth defects research. 2024 116(2):e2304. PMID: 39913316.
Stallings EB, Isenburg JL, Rutkowski RE, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. National population-based estimates for major birth defects, 2016-2020. Birth defects research. 2024 116(1):e2301. PMID: 38277408. PMCID: PMC10898112.
Barry MC, Pathak EB, Swanson J, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Infants in the United States: Incidence, Severity, Fatality, and Variants of Concern. The Pediatric infectious disease journal. 2023. PMID: 38134379.
Patel J, Politis MD, Howley MM, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Fever and antibiotic use in maternal urinary tract infections during pregnancy and risk of congenital heart defects: Findings from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Birth defects research. 2023. PMID: 38093546. PMCID: PMC11071646.
Pruitt Evans S, Ailes EC, Kramer MR, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Neighborhood Deprivation and Neural Tube Defects. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.). 2023 34(6):774-785. PMID: 37757869. PMCID: PMC10928547.
Judge A, Kramer M, Downing KF, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Neighborhood social deprivation and healthcare utilization, disability, and comorbidities among young adults with congenital heart defects: Congenital heart survey to recognize outcomes, needs, and well-being 2016-2019. Birth defects research. 2023 115(17):1608-1618. PMID: 37578352. PMCID: PMC10916520.
Blue EE, White JJ, Dush MK, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Rare variants in CAPN2 increase risk for isolated hypoplastic left heart syndrome. HGG advances. 2023 4(4):100232. PMID: 37663545. PMCID: PMC10474499.
Patel JR, Amick BC, Vyas KS, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Gender disparities in symptomology of COVID-19 among adults in Arkansas. Preventive medicine reports. 2023 35:102290. PMID: 37441188. PMCID: PMC10289819.
Krajewski AK, Patel A, Gray CL, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Is gastroschisis associated with county-level socio-environmental quality during pregnancy?. Birth defects research. 2023. PMID: 37772934. PMCID: PMC10878499.
Downing KF, Klewer SE, Nembhard WN, [et al.]. Healthcare and Socioeconomic Outcomes Among Young Adults With Congenital Heart Defects and Functional Cognitive Disabilities, CH STRONG 2016 to 2019. The American journal of cardiology. 2023 201:229-231. PMID: 37390699. PMCID: PMC10527851.
Downing KF, Nembhard WN, Rose CE, [et al.]. Survival From Birth Until Young Adulthood Among Individuals With Congenital Heart Defects: CH STRONG. Circulation. 2023 148(7):575-588. PMID: 37401461. PMCID: PMC10544792.
Bascom JT, Stephens SB, Lupo PJ, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Scientific impact of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network multistate collaborative publications. Birth defects research. 2023. PMID: 37492989. PMCID: PMC10910332.
Wong EC, Lupo PJ, Desrosiers TA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Associations between birth defects with neural crest cell origins and pediatric embryonal tumors. Cancer. 2023. PMID: 37432072. PMCID: PMC10615683.
Huang M, Lyu C, Liu N, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. A gene-based association test of interactions for maternal-fetal genotypes identifies genes associated with nonsyndromic congenital heart defects. Genetic epidemiology. 2023. PMID: 37341229. PMCID: PMC11781787.
Andrews JG, Strah D, Downing KF, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Cardiology Care and Loss to Follow-Up Among Adults With Congenital Heart Defects in CH STRONG. The American journal of cardiology. 2023 197:42-45. PMID: 37148718. PMCID: PMC10236354.
Luben TJ, Shaffer RM, Kenyon E, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Comparison of Trihalomethane exposure assessment metrics in epidemiologic analyses of reproductive and developmental outcomes. Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology. 2023. PMID: 37316533. PMCID: PMC11898099.
Allen JL, Amick BC 3rd, Williams ML, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. A longitudinal study of SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence and mitigation behaviors among college students at an Arkansas University. Journal of American college health : J of ACH. 2023:1-10. PMID: 37289962.
Mc Goldrick N, Revie G, Groisman B, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. A multi-program analysis of cleft lip with cleft palate prevalence and mortality using data from 22 International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research programs, 1974-2014. Birth defects research. 2023 115(10):980-997. PMID: 37186369. PMCID: PMC10405782.
Farr SL, Galindo M, Downing KF, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Reproductive Health Counseling and Concerns Among Women with Congenital Heart Defects With and Without Disabilities. Journal of women's health (2002). 2023. PMID: 37184635. PMCID: PMC10680446.
Martin-Giacalone BA, Lin AE, Rasmussen SA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Prevalence and descriptive epidemiology of Turner syndrome in the United States, 2000-2017: A report from the National Birth Defects Prevention Network. American journal of medical genetics. Part A. 2023 191(5):1339-1349. PMID: 36919524. PMCID: PMC10405780.
Judge AS, Downing KF, Nembhard WN, [et al.]. Racial and ethnic disparities in socio-economic status, access to care, and healthcare utilisation among children with heart conditions, National Survey of Children's Health 2016-2019. Cardiology in the young. 2023:1-9. PMID: 36999847. PMCID: PMC10680441.
Sok P, Sabo A, Almli LM, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Exome-wide assessment of isolated biliary atresia: A report from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study using child-parent trios and a case-control design to identify novel rare variants. American journal of medical genetics. Part A. 2023. PMID: 36942736. PMCID: PMC10947986.
Fisher SC, Howley MM, Tran EL, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Maternal cyclobenzaprine exposure and risk of birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (1997-2011) and Birth Defects Study to Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS (2014-2018). Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety. 2023. PMID: 36942828. PMCID: PMC10926911.
Bircan E, Politis MD, Gokun Y, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Intellectual disabilities and autism among children with congenital heart defects, Western Australia, 1983-2010. BMC pediatrics. 2023 23(1):106. PMID: 36870968. PMCID: PMC9985207.
Kancherla V, Sundar M, Tandaki L, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Prevalence and mortality among children with anorectal malformation: A multi-country analysis. Birth defects research. 2023 115(3):390-404. PMID: 36401554. PMCID: PMC9898144.
Bolin EH, Ali MM, Farr SL, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Health Insurance Status and Access to Healthcare Among Young Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: from the Congenital Heart Survey To Recognize Outcomes, Needs and Well-beinG (CH STRONG), 2016-2019. Pediatric cardiology. 2023. PMID: 36693998. PMCID: PMC10680444.
Walden AR, Nembhard WN, Akmyradov C, [et al.]. School age educational outcomes of infants born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Birth defects research. 2023 115(1):96-109. PMID: 36260492.
Weber KA, Yang W, Carmichael SL, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Assessing associations between residential proximity to greenspace and birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Environmental research. 2023 216(Pt 3):114760. PMID: 36356662. PMCID: PMC10353702.
Kirby RS, Browne ML, Nembhard WN. Using birth defects surveillance data for public health research, practice, and policy. Birth defects research. 2023 115(1):9-10. PMID: 36631961.
Whitcombe DD, Magann EF, Fahr EC, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Examination of a Stillbirth Workup: A Rural Statewide Experience. Southern medical journal. 2022 115(11):818-823. PMID: 36318947. PMCID: PMC9634678.
Norton JC, Politis MD, Bimali M, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Analysis of COVID-19 Pandemic on Supplement Usage and Its Combination with Self-Medication within the State of Arkansas. Journal of dietary supplements. 2022:1-28. PMID: 36178162. PMCID: PMC10033323.
Mohan Dass NL, Botto LD, Tinker SC, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Associations between maternal reports of periconceptional fever from miscellaneous causes and structural birth defects. Birth defects research. 2022 114(15):885-894. PMID: 35932236. PMCID: PMC10580304.
Patel JR, Amick BC, Vyas KS, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Racial disparities in symptomatology and outcomes of COVID-19 among adults of Arkansas. Preventive medicine reports. 2022 28:101840. PMID: 35634216. PMCID: PMC9128301.
Li J, Yang W, Wang YJ, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Exome sequencing identifies genetic variants in anophthalmia and microphthalmia. American journal of medical genetics. Part A. 2022 188(8):2376-2388. PMID: 35716026. PMCID: PMC9283271.
Richard MA, Patel J, Benjamin RH, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Prevalence and Clustering of Congenital Heart Defects Among Boys With Hypospadias. JAMA network open. 2022 5(7):e2224152. PMID: 35900762. PMCID: PMC9335139.
Figueiredo JC, Hirsch FR, Kushi LH, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Mission, Organization, and Future Direction of the Serological Sciences Network for COVID-19 (SeroNet) Epidemiologic Cohort Studies. Open forum infectious diseases. 2022 9(6):ofac171. PMID: 35765315. PMCID: PMC9129196.
Kancherla V, Tandaki L, Sundar M, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. A Multicountry Analysis of Prevalence and Mortality among Neonates and Children with Bladder Exstrophy. American journal of perinatology. 2022. PMID: 35644130. PMCID: PMC9827371.
Gili JA, López-Camelo JS, Nembhard WN, [et al.]. Analysis of early neonatal case fatality rate among newborns with congenital hydrocephalus, a 2000-2014 multi-country registry-based study. Birth defects research. 2022. PMID: 35633200. PMCID: PMC9288486.
Kennedy JL, Forrest JC, Young SG, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Temporal Variations in Seroprevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infections by Race and Ethnicity in Arkansas. Open forum infectious diseases. 2022 9(5):ofac154. PMID: 35493126. PMCID: PMC9045955.
Rashkin SR, Cleves M, Shaw GM, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. A genome-wide association study of obstructive heart defects among participants in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. American journal of medical genetics. Part A. 2022. PMID: 35451555. PMCID: PMC9283270.
Langlois PH, Marengo L, Lupo PJ, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Evaluating the proportion of isolated cases among a spectrum of birth defects in a population-based registry. Birth defects research. 2022. PMID: 35218607. PMCID: PMC9411263.
Hsu PC, Maity S, Patel J, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Metabolomics Signatures and Subsequent Maternal Health among Mothers with a Congenital Heart Defect-Affected Pregnancy. Metabolites. 2022 12(2). PMID: 35208175. PMCID: PMC8877777.
Cardenas VM, Kennedy JL, Williams M, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. State-wide random seroprevalence survey of SARS-CoV-2 past infection in a southern US State, 2020. PloS one. 2022 17(4):e0267322. PMID: 35476717. PMCID: PMC9045671.
Simmons W, Lin S, Luben TJ, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Modeling complex effects of exposure to particulate matter and extreme heat during pregnancy on congenital heart defects: A U.S. population-based case-control study in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. The Science of the total environment. 2021:152150. PMID: 34864029. PMCID: PMC8758551.
Whittington JR, Hughes DS, Rabie NZ, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Detection of Fetal Anomalies by Remotely Directed and Interpreted Ultrasound (Teleultrasound): A Randomized Noninferiority Trial. American journal of perinatology. 2021. PMID: 34808687.
Downing KF, Oster ME, Klewer SE, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Disability Among Young Adults With Congenital Heart Defects: Congenital Heart Survey to Recognize Outcomes, Needs, and Well-Being 2016-2019. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2021 10(21):e022440. PMID: 34666499. PMCID: PMC8751822.
Liberman RF, Heinke D, Petersen JM, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Interpregnancy interval and prevalence of selected birth defects: A multistate study. Birth defects research. 2021. PMID: 34676681.
Bolin EH, Gokun Y, Romitti PA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Maternal Smoking and Congenital Heart Defects, National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2011. The Journal of pediatrics. 2021. PMID: 34508749. PMCID: PMC8712361.
ElHassan NO, Sharma M, Akmyradov C, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Childhood Educational Outcomes of Children Born with Gastroschisis. The Journal of pediatrics. 2021. PMID: 34499945.
Bolin EH, Nembhard WN, Collins RT 2nd. Regionalization of Congenital Heart Surgery: Can We Make it Reality?. The Annals of thoracic surgery. 2021 112(2):685. PMID: 33422483.
Bell JC, Baynam G, Bergman JEH, [et al., including Nembhard W]. Survival of infants born with esophageal atresia among 24 international birth defects surveillance programs. Birth defects research. 2021 113(12):945-957. PMID: 33734618. PMCID: PMC8273078.
Ramseyer AM, Whittington JR, Magann EF, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Cesarean Delivery Management of Stillbirth: In-Depth Analysis of 75 Cases in a Rural State. Southern medical journal. 2021 114(7):384-387. PMID: 34215888. PMCID: PMC8579878.
Sanz JH, Anixt J, Bear L, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Characterisation of neurodevelopmental and psychological outcomes in CHD: a research agenda and recommendations from the cardiac neurodevelopmental outcome collaborative. Cardiology in the young. 2021 31(6):876-887. PMID: 34082845. PMCID: PMC8429101.
Benjamin RH, Salemi JL, Canfield MA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Causes of neonatal and postneonatal death among infants with birth defects in Texas. Birth defects research. 2021 113(9):665-675. PMID: 33586914. PMCID: PMC8920027.
Politis MD, Bermejo-Sánchez E, Canfield MA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Prevalence and mortality in children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: a multicountry study. Annals of epidemiology. 2021 56:61-69.e3. PMID: 33253899. PMCID: PMC8009766.
Patel J, Bircan E, Tang X, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Paternal genetic variants and risk of obstructive heart defects: A parent-of-origin approach. PLoS genetics. 2021 17(3):e1009413. PMID: 33684136. PMCID: PMC7971842.
Oster ME, Riser AP, Andrews JG, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Comorbidities Among Young Adults with Congenital Heart Defects: Results from the Congenital Heart Survey To Recognize Outcomes, Needs, and well-beinG - Arizona, Arkansas, and Metropolitan Atlanta, 2016-2019. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. 2021 70(6):197-201. PMID: 33571179. PMCID: PMC7877580.
Heinke D, Isenburg JL, Stallings EB, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Prevalence of structural birth defects among infants with Down syndrome, 2013-2017: A US population-based study. Birth defects research. 2021 113(2):189-202. PMID: 33348463. PMCID: PMC7978493.
Zaganjor I, Luben TJ, Desrosiers TA, [et al., including Nembhard WN]. Maternal Exposure to Disinfection By-Products and Risk of Hypospadias in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (2000-2005). International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020 17(24). PMID: 33371304. PMCID: PMC7766973.