Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine
College of Medicine - Department of Internal Medicine

John T. Sinnott, MD FACP FIDSA

Chairman, Internal Medicine
Co-Director, USF Health Signature Research Program, Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Disease
James A Cullison Professor of Medicine 
Director, Florida Infectious Disease Institute
Biographical Sketch | Areas of Expertise | International Agreements | Current Research | Publications
Education
MD, University of South Alabama
Residency, Internal Medicine, University of South Florida
Fellowship, Infectious Disease, University of South Florida
Contact Information
E-Mail: jsinnott@health.usf.edu
Phone: (813) 844-4174
FAX: (813) 844-7605

Biographical Sketch

Dr. John Sinnott received his MA from the University of South Florida, and his MD from the University of South Alabama. After completing an Internal Medicine Residency and Infectious Disease Fellowship at USF he joined the faculty. He is board certified in both.
 
Dr. Sinnott is a James A. Cullison Professor of Medicine. Most recently, Dr. Sinnott was appointed Chairman for the Department of Internal Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. He is also Co-Director of the USF Health Signature Research Program in Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Disease. Dr. Sinnott served as the Director of the Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine from 1991-2012. Dr. Sinnott is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America.
 
A distinguished member of the medical community, Dr. Sinnott has been the recipient of local and national awards, including Outstanding Professor of the College of Medicine (an award that has been retired and named in his honor), the Florida Medical Association Award for Leadership in Medical Education, the NBI Award for Humanism in Medicine, and has been named an honorary alumnus of the USF College of Medicine. He has been a finalist for the AAMC Humanism in Medicine Award and the Physician Mentor Recognition Program, American Medical Association - Women Physician's Congress. He has been listed in Who's Who, the Best Doctors in America and in Tampa Bay's Best Doctors. He is a graduate and life member of Leadership Florida and is a recipient of the Leadership Florida Distinguished Service Award.  Most recently, Dr. Sinnott received the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Health Care Heroes Award for Health Care Educator of the Year.   
 
Dr. Sinnott has been inducted into the Leon G. Smith Infectious Disease Institute Hall Of Fame, has served on over 40 local, regional, and national health care committees, and has published over 180 abstracts, articles, and textbook chapters. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal, Infections in Medicine. Dr. Sinnott was appointed as senior advisor to the Secretary of Health as part of the state of Florida's Bioterrorism Initiative. He is Chairman of the Food Tech Services, Inc. Board of Directors, and a trustee of the Florida Health Sciences Center Board (DBA Tampa General Hospital), and the USF Foundation Board. He has long been interested in how illness affects art and creativity. He relaxes as an instrument-rated pilot or United States Coast Guard Ship's Master.
 
Dr. Sinnott has had extensive international experience, including four international collaborative publications and over twenty abstracts presented at international conferences. He is currently the Chair of the USF Center for Health, HIV/AIDS Research and Training, through which more than 200 Indian physicians and policy-makers have been trained in HIV education for capacity building to enhance medical care and AIDS prevention, and PI on the ETAC grant.
 
He directs collaborative efforts with the University of South Florida and numerous international healthcare organizations, ranging from working to improve blood safety with the Indu Health Research Foundation in India, community based HIV prevention and research with the Vasai Regional AIDS Control Society in Vasai, India, and is overseeing the development of international partnerships with the University of South Florida and medical colleges and healthcare organizations in Thailand, the Dominican Republic, Panama, China, and South Korea.

Areas of Expertise

  • Travel Medicine
  • Sepsis
  • Influenza
  • Biodefense
  • Tissue Banking
  • Emerging Infections
  • Pneumonia
  • Nosocomial Infections

International Collaborative Agreements

  • La Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru, 2012
  • Tianjin Public Health Bureau, Tainjin, China, 2011
  • La Universidad CES, Medellin, Colombia, 2010
  • Universidad de Panama, Panama City, Panama, 2009
  • Universidad Latina de Panama, Panama City, Panama, 2009
  • Universidad de Carabobo, Venezuela, 2009
  • Gansu Provincial Health Dept., Gansu, China, 2009 
  • Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, 2008
  • Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand, 2008
  • Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena (UNPHU), Dominican Republic, 2007
  • Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Dominican Republic, 2006
  • Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), School of Medicine, China, 2006 
  • Doctor Salvador B. Gautier Hospital, Dominican Republic, 2006
  • Directorate of Medical Education and Research, Government of Maharashtra, India, 2006

Current Research

PI: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); Sinnott; 2010-2014. Hepatitis C Treatment Expansion Initiative Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center.

Project Director: Gansu Provincial Health Department, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China; Sinnott; 2010. Training Program for Physician Leaders.

Co-Investigator: Fogarty International Center; Patricia Emmanuel, (PI); 7/07 - 6/12. USF-India Program in Adolescent HIV/AIDS Research Training (PAHRT).

PI: Pfizer Foundation; Sinnott; 03/06 - 1/07 Linezolid and the Management of MRSA.
 
Co-PI: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Toney (PI); 2000 - 2005, Florida STD/HIV Prevention Training Center (PTC) – region IV STD/HIV Prevention Training Center (Program Announcement 00031). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Project Director: Government of Maharashtra, India; Sinnott; 5/05-7/05, Training Program on Disaster Management, Emerging Infections and Trauma Care for Policy Planners and Physicians in Resource Limited Settings.

PI: Pfizer. TGH Foundation.; Sinnott; 1/05, Impact of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on the Tampa Bay Community.

Co-PI: Florida Department of Health; Amuso (PI); 2004-2007, State Health Laboratory Management. Florida Department of Health.

PI: Government of Maharashtra, India; Sinnott; 09/04-11/04, HIV Management Training Program for Physicians in Resource Limited Settings.

Project Director: Government of Maharashtra, India; Sinnott; 09/04-11/04 Training Program for Policy Makers from Resource Limited Settings.

Project Director: Government of Maharashtra, India; Sinnott; 6/04-7/04, HIV Management Training Program for Policy Planners and Physicians in Resource Limited Settings.

PI: Florida Department of Health; Sinnott; 2004, Hospital Exercise Evaluation Tool and Data Summary Report.

Project Director: Florida Infectious Disease Institute; Sinnott; 2003 – present, Florida Department of Health.

PI: Pfizer; Sinnott; 1999 – 2001, STD Training Development Grant.

Co-PI: Region IV South Ryan White Care Act Title III; Saba (PI); 1999 – present. Hemophilia of Georgia; Sinnott

Recent and Selected Publications

Alrabaa S, Castillo E, Nguyen P, Somboonwit C, Sriaroon C, Sinnott JT, Shapshak P. West Nile Virus Review, in progress, 2012

Sinnott JT, Somboonwit C, Shapshak P. XMRV 2011, in progress, 2012

Shapshak P, Alrabaa S, Somboonwit C, Sinnott JT. Zika Virus Review, in progress, 2012

Shapshak P, Somboonwit C, Sinnott JT, Commins D, Singer E, Levine AJ.  Gene-Chromosome Locations of Neuropsychiatric Diseases. Bioinformation 2011; 7(7): 366-368

*Mouzakis J, Somboonwit C, Lakshmi S, Rumbak M, Sinnott JT, Cherpelis B, Keshishian J. Levamisole Induced Necrosis of the Skin and Neutropenia Following Intranasal Cocaine Use: A Newly Recognized Syndrome.  J Drugs Dermatol 2011 Oct 1; 10(10): 1204-7

Shapshak P, Duncan R, Duran EM, Farinetti F, Minagar A, Commins D, Rodriguez H, Chiappelli F, Kangueane P, Levine AJ, Singer E, Somboonwit C, Sinnott JT. Gene Expression for HIV-associated Dementia and HIV Encephalitis in Microdissected Neurons: Preliminary Analysis. Neurobehavioral HIV Medicine 2011; 3:53-78. Available online.

Barkhordarian A, Iyer n, Shapshak P, Somboonwit C, Sinnott JT, Chiappelli F. Influenza 2009 Pandemic: Cellular Immunemediated Surveillance Modulated by TH17 and Tregs. Bioinformation 2011; 6(1):39-40. Available online.

Shapshak P, Duncan R, Kangueane P, Somboonwit D, Sinnott JT, Commins D, Singer E, Levine A.  HIV-Associated Dementia and HIV-Encephalitis II: Genes on Chromosome 22 Expressed in Individually Microdissected Globus pallidus Neurons: Preliminary Analysis. Bioinformation 2011; 6(5):183-186. Available online.

Shapshak P, Chiappelli F, Somboonwit C, Sinnott JT. The Influenza Pandemic of 2009: Lessons and Implications. Mol Diagn Ther 2011 Apr; 15(2):63-81

Sowmya G, Shamini G, Anita S, Sakharkar M, Mathura V, Rodriguez H, Levine AJ, Singer E, Commins D, Somboonwit C, Sinnott JT, Siddhu H, et al.  HIV-1 Envelope Accessible Surface and Polarity: Clade, Blood, and Brain.  Bioinformation 2011; 6(2):48-56. Available online.

Shamini G, Ravishandran M, Sinnott JT, Somboonwit C, Sidhu H, Shapshak P, Kangueane P.  Structural Inferences for Cholera Toxin Mutations in Vibrio cholerae.  Bioinformation 2011 Mar; 6(1): 1-9. Available online.

Sinnott JT, Somboonwit C, Oxner A. Clostridium tetani in a Haitian Refugee. Clin Microbiol Newsl 2011 Mar; 33(5): 37-39

*Shapshak P, Pandjassarame K, Fujimura RK, Commins D, Chiappelli F, Singer E, Levine A, Minagar A, Novembre F, Somboonwit C, Nath A, Sinnott JT.  NeuroAIDS Review. Editorial.  AIDS 2011; 25:123-141. Available online.

Shapshak P, Somboonwit C, Drumright LN, Frost S DW, Commins D, Tellinghuisen T, Scott W, Duncan R, McCoy C, Page JB, Giunta B, Fernandez F, Singer E, Levine A, Minagar A, Oluwadayo O, Kotila T, Chiappelli F, Sinnott JT.  Molecular and Contextual Markers of Hepatitis C Virus and Drug Abuse.  Mol Diag Ther 2009; 13(3):153-79

Casanas BC, Pothiawala S, Sinnott JT. An Elderly Man with NOMA Orofacial Gangrene. Infect Dis in Clin Pract 2009; 17(3):208-209

Naik E, Casanas B, Pazare A, Wagale G, Sinnott JT, Salihu H.  Cost of treatment: The Single Biggest Obstacle to HIV/AIDS Treatment Adherence in Lower-Middle Class Patients in Mumbai, India. Indian J Sex Transm Dis 2009; 30:23-7

Wills T, Sinnott JT, Alrabaa S.  Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. APIC Text of Infection Control and Epidemiology, 3rd ed. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Applied Epidemiology Principles and Practice (APIC). Washington, 2009

*Tucci V, Sinnott JT. A Likely Case of Trichomonal Urethritis Contracted by Oropharyngeal Exposure. Asian Biomed 2008; 2(2):147-149

*Joseph J, Sinnott JT. [Letter] Web Searches about Physicians. JAMA 2008 Nov 19; 300(19):2249-50

*Houseknecht K, Oliva AM, Sinnott JT. Contact Lens-Associated Fusarium keratitis: an Eye for Trouble. Asian Biomed  2008; 2(1):35-42. Available online. 

Asthana D, Fischl M, Sachdeva N, Teppler H, Sinnott J, Saag M. Host Response. In: Mildvan D ed. International Atlas of AIDS, 4th ed. Philadelphia: Current Medicine Group, 2008

Hussamy D, Sinnott JT. [Book Review] Bone Morphogenetic Protein and Collagen. Cell Transplant 2006; 15(1):83-84

Sinnott JT, Casanas B, Cooks A, Cooper C, et al. Abdominal Infections. In: MacCue J, Kahan S eds. In A Page Infectious Disease. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006

Sinnott JT.  Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus. In: MacCue J, Kahan S eds. In A Page Infectious Disease. Pittsburgh: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2006

Abstracts

Oxner A, Myers A, Sinnott J, Marcet J, Sajdak J, Thompson P, Myers C. Non-Inferiority of a Novel Silver-Impregnated Dressing for Central Venous Catheters: A Retrospective Cohort Evaluating Rates of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Adult Intensive Care Patients. 49th Annual Meeting of IDSA, Boston, MA, 2011

Sinnott JT, Georgiev H, D’Souza K, Mundra L, Sistrunk R, Pytlarz J, Wooley J, Lakshmi S.  A University-Corporate Partnership to Enhance Vaccination Rates among the Elderly: An Example of Corporate Public Health Delivery. Presented to Options for the Control of Influenza VII Conference, Hong Kong, China, 2010

Pujari S, Dravid A, Gupte N, Dhananjay A, Menezes L, Sinnott J. Effectiveness and Safety of Generic Second-line PI-based ART in Western India. Boston: 15th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, 2008

Pothiawala S, Menezes L, Deshpande A, Joshi A, Kim H, & Sinnott J.  Depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation among HIV-infected women in India. Presented at the IV Annual IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment, Sydney Australia, 2007

Pujari s. Gupte N, Mellinkeri S, Naik E, Menezes L and Sinnott J. Immunologic Recovery amongst Virologically Suppressed HIV Infected Individuals in Western India. Los Angeles: 14th Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, 2007

Pujari S, Wills T, Naik E, Menezes L, Nadler J, Norris D, Sinnott JT. Correlates of Anemia for HIV Patients in the HAART Era: A single-center ambulatory clinical cohort in Pune, India. Presentation at XVI International AIDS Conference, Toronto, 2006

Menezes L, D’Souza KR, D’Souza KM, Somboonwit C, Amin S, Sinnott JT. A socio-historical construction of the AIDS epidemic in India. Abstract: MOPE0724. Presentation at the XVI International AIDS Conference, Toronto, Canada, 2006

Pujari S, Bele V, Joshi K, Sawant S, Joshi S, Nadler J, Sinnott JT, Naik E, Debhade D. Effect of rifampicin hepatic induction on Nevirapine concentrations in Indian volunteers. Denver: Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, 2006

Sinnott, JT.  Policy Implications for HIV/AIDS of the Ryan White CARE Act Reauthorization 2005. St. Louis: North American AIDS Treatment Access Forum (NATAF) Conference, 2006

Menezes L, Raja T, Tash K, Naik E, Nadler J, Sinnott JT. Drug use fuels HIV and STDs in a semi-rural community in India. Rio de Janeiro: IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment, 2005

Naik E, Tash K, D'Souza K, Menezes L, Pazare A, Wable G, Sinnott JT. Cost of treatment: The single biggest obstacle to treatment adherence in middle class Mumbai, India. Rio de Janeiro: IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment, 2005

Oehler RL, Mastorides SM, Toney JT, Gompf SG, Sinnott JT. Comparison of the Treponemal IgG assay versus conventional RPR analysis in patient screening for the diagnosis of Syphilis. The Challenge, International Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease Research Congress, Amsterdam, 2005