Our Research Department Staff

John E. Sutherland, MD, Executive and Program Director, Emeritus
A native of Minnesota, he graduated from high school in Griswold, Iowa, and received his B.A. from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. He received his M.D. from the University of Minnesota and completed his internship at Bethesda Lutheran Medical Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. His career has included both private practice and academic medicine with rural experience in Marshall, Minnesota, followed by a two-year stint in the  U.S. Navy, and an urban practice in the Minneapolis suburb of Robbinsdale. Academic positions have included the Mayo Clinic, Residency Director at the University of Minnesota,  and Chairman of the Department of Family Practice at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield. He  has published, lectured, and done research on a broad variety of subjects including hypertension, headaches, diabetes mellitus, patient-physician communication, hyperlipidemia, depression, periodic health examinations and proportionate mortality trends. Multiple medical organization positions have been held including President of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, Delegate to and Education Commission member of AAFP, and Vice Speaker of both the Iowa and Minnesota Medical Societies. He and his wife, Carla, have five married children and eleven grandchildren.

James Hoehns, PharmD, Research Director,
joined  the  faculty in 1995.  He completed his B.S. degree in 1992 and  his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1994 at the University of Iowa. He completed a specialty pharmacy residency in ambulatory care at  the Family  Practice Center  in Iowa City. Jim is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.  His  research and practice interests include cardiovascular and geriatric pharmacotherapy. His wife, Barb, is also a pharmacist. They have two daughters and a son.

Pamela Trenkamp, RN, Study Coordinator,
a 1992 nursing graduate from Clinton Community College, started at the Family Practice Center  in January of 1996. Prior to coming here, Pam worked at the Cedar Falls Lutheran Home in Waterloo as well as working as a charge nurse in a hospital working with Alzheimer's patients. Since coming here, she has participated in dozens of research trials, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, urinary tract infections, musculoskeletal disorders, otitis media and osteoarthritis. Pam is a certified  instructor of AED Baisc Life Support  for helathcare professionals and lay persons and has had training in the Denver II Developmental Testing for Kids ages 0-6. Pam is a member of the DIA( Drug Information Association) and  ACRP (Association of Clincal Research Professionals) Pam is married with three children.

Angie Bixby-Ellermann, Study Coordinator,
joined the staff of the Northeast Iowa Family Practice Center in July of 2003. She is a native to Waterloo, graduating from Waterloo's Central High School. She worked in the community for several years as a certified optician before moving into clinical research. She has worked on clinical trials involving hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, urinary tract infection, insomnia and acute ankle sprain. Angie enjoys working with the patient, the pharmceuitcal companies and the staff to make the research department at the Family Practice Center a success. Angie is married with three children.