Faculty Research
USF Health

Faculty Spotlights

College of Public Health faculty are engaged in a wide array of public health research that directly impacts our local, state, national and international community. Whether it is working on vaccine development, creating toolkits for public health professionals in local health departments or working with underserved communities in Panama, our interdisciplinary faculty touch the lives of people every day. Here is just a sampling of some of the research in which our faculty are involved.

COPH gets $800,000 NIH biostatistics training grant

TAMPA, Fla. (September 4, 2009) — Researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the College of Public Health were recently awarded a three-year, $800,000 grant from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to establish a Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics at USF.

Led by Yiliang Zhu, PhD, professor in the College of Public Health, the USF team draws upon a wide array of expertise from researchers at Colleges of Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, Moffitt Cancer Center, Jaeb Center for Health Research, and Tampa VA hospital.

The summer institute, which will open in the summer of 2010, is a part of a national effort to train the next generation of biostatistical scientists. Its aim is to address a persistent shortage in biostatistics training and to support medical and health research.

Spousal violence increases risk of losing pregnancy

USF Health's Amina Alio, PhD, was lead author of the new study in Lancet, finding a strong link between spousal violence and fetal loss.

Women victimized by spousal abuse are at significantly increased risk of losing at least one pregnancy.

A study of more than 2,500 women in Africa by the University of South Florida College of Public Health’s Amina Alio, PhD, and colleagues found that women who experience domestic violence of any kind were 50 percent more likely to have a least one episode of fetal loss (stillbirth or spontaneous abortion) than women reporting no partner violence. The findings were reported in the January 24, 2009 issue of the journal Lancet.

It is estimated that half of African women suffer abuse by their partners.

USF joins NIH's landmark National Children's Study

Perinatal epidemiologists Wendy Nembhard, PhD, (left) and Kathleen O’Rourke, PhD, supported by faculty across the USF College of Public Health, worked behind the scenes for four years to ensure USF had a major role in the NIH’s historic Children’s Health Study.

Tampa, FL (Oct. 3, 2008) – The University of South Florida has been awarded $28.8 million to participate in the National Institute of Health’s comprehensive study on the interaction of genes and the environment on children’s health.

NIH officials today named 36 new and existing National Children’s Health study centers that will recruit study volunteers from a total of 72 locations across the United States. The University of Miami, Miller School Medicine was awarded $54 million as the Study Center hub for the National Children's Study in Florida, a consortium of universities and their community partners across the state.

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Recent Publications
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Honors & Awards
  • Dr. Laurence Branch Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
    Dr. Laurence Branch received the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Aging and Public Health and Gerontology through research, service, and teaching in their lifetime. The award was presented on Monday, November 8 during the Awards Session at the annual APHA meeting in Denver, Colorado. Congratulations, Dr. Branch!
  • Dr. Hamisu Salihu is Admitted as Diplomate of the ABIME
    The American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME) has certified Dr. Hamisu Salihu as an Independent Medical Examiner (CIME) as from October 26, 2010. The ABIME consists of a prestigious group of already board certified and licensed physicians.
  • Dr. Robert McDermott Chosen as Ann E. Nolte Scholar in Health Education
    Dr. Robert J. McDermott was the Ann E. Nolte Scholar in Health Education at Illinois State University October 3-5, 2010. The Scholar in Health Education was instituted in 2001 by the late Dr. Nolte (1929-2009), Distinguished Professor Emerita of Health Education from Illinois State University’s Department of Health Sciences, with the intention of hosting a noted health education scholar on campus each year for a presentation and interaction with faculty and students.
  • Dr. Andrew Cannons Accepted into National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership Emerging Leader Cohort
    Dr. Andrew Cannons of the Center for Biological Defense has been accepted into the second National Center for Public Health Laboratory Leadership (NCPHLL) emerging leader cohort.
  • Dr. Russ Kirby Appointed to Editorial Board
    Dr. Russell Kirby was recently appointed to the editorial board of the Disability and Health Journal.
  • Dr. Alio and Dr. Unnash Receive USF Outstanding Research Achievement Awards
    The USF Office of Research & Innovation recognized 10 USF faculty members on the first day of ResearchOne 2010 for excellence in research and innovation with Outstanding Research Achievement Awards, two of which are from our COPH:

    Amina Alio, assistant professor of community and family health, whose outstanding publications include a seminal paper published in the Lancet, on the impact of intimate partner violence on birth outcomes.

    Thomas R. Unnash, professor, Global Health Infectious Disease Research Program, for continued extraordinary contributions in global infectious disease research, winning two American Recovery and Investments Act.

    The Outstanding Research Achievement Award rewards faculty who have received truly exceptional recognition of their research with preeminent awards, grants or publications in top journals during the 2009 calendar year.
  • Dr. Ann DeBaldo Named to Tampa Bay Area Committee on Foreign Relations
    Ann C. DeBaldo, Ph.D., Associate Dean for International Programs of the College of Public Health and Associate Vice President for International Programs for USF Health, has been named to the Tampa Bay Area Committee on Foreign Relations.
  • Hamisu Salihu Invited to Join International Editorial Board
    Dr. Hamisu Salihu has been officially invited to join the international editorial board of the journal of “Pediatric Biochemistry”. The journal is based in Europe and has as a mission the publication of basic biochemistry research that has potential application in the understanding and management of infant and childhood conditions.
Current Funding

  • Hammad,Yehia Y (EOH)

    OSHA 21D Consultation Program

    1,588,500.00

     

  • Bernard,Thomas E (EOH)

    Sunshine Education and Research Center

    1,467,058.00

     

  • Wolfson,Jay (FHIC)

    Florida Family AIDS Program

    1,336,267.00

     

  • Adams,John H (GH)

    Long-term Continuous Culture of Plasmodium Vivax Blood Stages

    845,716.08

     

  • Bryant,Carol A (PRC)

    Community-Based Prevention Marketing: Bridging the Gap from Research to Practice

    800,000.00

     

  • Cannons, Andrew (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Laboratory Core

    706,588.33

     

  • Troutman,Adewale (CLPHP)

    University of South Florida Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center

    703,242.75

     

  • Adams,John H (GH)

    Immunological Characterization of the P Vivax DBP

    695,571.42

     

  • Mason,Thomas J (EOH)

    Pensioner Bladder Cancer Surveillance Program

    614,712.00

     

  • Unnasch,Thomas R (GH)

    Ecology of Encephalitis Viruses in the USA

    577,924.00

     

  • Troutman,Adewale (CLPHP)

    Florida Public Health Training Center

    541,666.67

     

  • Hammad,Yehia Y (EOH)

    OSHA 21D Consultation Program

    529,500.00

     

  • Ray,Jodi A (LRCC)

    Children's Health Insurance Program Outreach and Enrollment

    494,088.50

     

  • DeBate,Rita Digiocchino (CFH)

    Adapting a Web-based Eating Disorder Program for Oral Training

    484,768.83

     

  • Unnasch,Thomas R (GH)

    Mapping Protein Interactions between Filaria and its Wolbachia Endosymbiont

    406,068.17

     

  • Unnasch,Thomas R (GH)

    Spatial Modeling of Onchocerciiasis Foci in Africa by Remote Sensing

    400,000.00

     

  • Daley,Ellen M (CFH)

    Cognitive and Emotional Response to an HPV Diagnosis in Men

    398,431.00

     

  • Milhous,Wilbur K (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological Threats:  Laboratory Component

    359,713.67

     

  • Cannons,Andrew (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Laboratory Core

    351,627.92

     

  • Milhous,Wilbur K (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Laboratory Core

    336,276.78

     

  • Milhous,Wilbur K (CBD)

    Florida Biodefense Research Consortium

    323,795.44

     

  • Coulter,Martha L (CFH)

    Promoting Health Equity through MCH Leadership Training

    315,923.67

     

  • Kyle, Dennis Edward (GH)

    3D Microfluidic Human Liver Models for Malaria Drugs

    306,612.00

  •  

  • Salihu,Hamisu M (EPB)reventing Fetal Body and Brain Size Reduction in Low-income Smoking Mothers:  A Randomized Clinical Trial

  • 285,562.00

  •  

  • Unnasch,Thomas R (GH)

    Development of a Simulium black fly trap for monitoring and control of onchocerciasis transmission

    284,907.60

  •  

  • Salihu,Hamisu M (EPB)Clinically Enhanced Multi-purpose Administrative Dataset for Comparative Effectiveness Research in the State of Florida 276,909.75

    •  

  • van Olphen,Alberto ( CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Virology/GHIDR

    273,464.17

     

  • Zhu,Yiliang ( EPB)

    Biostatistics in Medical and Health Research via Clinical Trials and Epidemiology

    264,574.67

     

  • Marhefka,Stephanie L (CFH)

    Novel Translation of a Group Intervention for HIV+ Women via Web Conferencing

    260,554.00

     

  • Sultan,Dawood (HPM)

    USF/Moffitt Transdisciplinary Center to Address Cancer Health Disparities:  Comparative Effectiveness Research for Eliminating Health Disparities

    259,347.46

     

  • Kyle,Dennis Edward (GH)

    Pharmacological Approaches to Combating Antimicrobial Resistance

    258,709.00

     

  • Kyle,Dennis Edward (GH)

    Development of Antimalarial Preclinical Candidates

    252,121.67

     

  • Kirby,Russell S ( CFH)

    The Florida Birth Defects Registry Ehancing Birth Defects Surveillance, Education and Prevention Programs by Integrating Surveillance Data with Public Health Programs

    247,500.00

     

  • Adams,John H (GH)

    Evaluation of PvDBP-RII Immunogens for Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy Toward the Development of an Anti-DBP

    224,626.67

     

  • Cookro,Dennis V (Dean's Office)

    Technical Assistance and Consultation

    222,413.00

     

  • van Olphen,Alberto (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Virology

    220,782.66

     

  • Ray,Jodi A (LRCC)

    Florida KidCare Outreach Program

    200,000.00

     

  • Reid,William M (CLPHP)

    Florida Center for Public Health Preparedness

    199,304.00

     

  • van Olphen, Alberto (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological Threats:  Virology

    184,570.67

     

  • Baldwin,Julie (CFH)

    USF/Moffitt Transdisciplinary Center:  Community Engagement and Outreach Core

    180,041.00

     

  • Hammad,Yehia Y (EOH)

    State Match: OSHA 21(d) Consultation Program

    168,350.25

     

  • Kyle,Dennis Edward (GH)

    Development of Safer Drugs for for Malaria and Leishmaniasis in US Troops, Civilian Personnel and Travelers

    155,128.00

     

  • Ray,Jodi A (LRCC)

    Florida KidCare Outreach Program

    150,000.00

     

  • Unnasch,Thomas R (GH)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Global Health Infectious Disease Research

    141,034.00

     

  • Kirby,Russell S (CFH)

    Hemoglobinopathies Surveillance and Repository

    139,212.73

     

  • Milhous,Wilbur K (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Special Projects

    131,358.75

     

  • Kyle,Dennis Edward (GH)

    Niche Microbial Biodiversity as Sources for Malaria Drug Labels

    130,310.63

     

  • van Olphen, Alberto (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Virology/GHIDR

    129,895.42

     

  • Milhous,Wilbur K (CBD)

    Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats:  Education Core

    127,206.67

     

  • Kyle,Dennis Edward (GH) 

    Artemisinin-Induced Dormancy and Malaria Treatment Failure

    124,972.00

     

  • Mbah,Alfred Kubong (LRCC)

    Effect of Passive Smoking on Risk for Antenatal and Post-Partum Depression

    124,885.00

     

  • Baldwin,Julie (CFH)

    USF/Moffitt Transdisciplinary Center:  Community Engagement and Outreach Core

    122,808.00

     

  • Kyle,Dennis Edward (GH)

    Development of New Drugs to Treat Leishmaniasis and Late Stage Sleeping Sickness

    122,257.62

     

  • Orban,Barbara L (HPM)

    FY 10-11: Trauma Registry

    122,000.00

     

  • Adams,John H (GH)

    A Large-Scale Transposon Mutagenesis Screen of Plasmodium Falciparum

    116,296.00

     

  • Bernard,Thomas E  (EOH)

    FY 2011 Consultation Support Services Agreement

    106,500.00 
Phone: (813) 974-3623 · Fax: (813) 974-4718 · Email: admin@health.usf.edu