Research Emphasis

Basic and clinical research interests include the pathogenesis and treatment of inflammatory dermatoses, cutaneous lymphomas, oncodermatology, and inpatient dermatology.

The USF Health Division of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Clinical Research Unit utilizes the USF Health Morsani Clinical Research Center where pharmaceutical industry sponsored, divisional clinical research projects and federal and non-federal grant funded clinical research projects are conducted. 

The Clinical Research Center (CRC) is located on the fourth floor of the Morsani building. The CRC was designed to provide an infrastructure to assist investigators in the implementation and conduct of clinical research. A key attribute of the CRC is that it provides patients and their families with a variety of amenities to encourage retention in clinical research projects. These features include convenient free garage parking adjacent to the clinic building, friendly concierge service upon arrival, private exam rooms for study visits and free guest wireless internet access.

The CRC features the following facility, equipment and services to aid investigators and research personnel across various disciplines:

• On-site Nurse Manager
• Four clinical examination rooms equipped with exam table, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, vital signs equipment, computer, telephone, and sink
• Three phlebotomy/ ECG rooms that can also be utilized for infusions
• Basic specimen processing area equipped with refrigerated centrifuge
• Ambient, cold, and frozen secure storage for investigational product or short term specimen storage, monitored and recorded per SOP, that includes two 2-8° C refrigerators, a -20° C freezer, and a -80° C freezer all locked and on red electrical outlets
• Large Chest for central dry ice supply
• Automated vital signs monitor, AED, limited anthropometric equipment, secure document disposal, printer/fax/copier/scanner, analog line for data transmission
• Calibration and service record maintenance for all CRC equipment
• CRC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Manual
• Scheduling of facility is done on a Resource level in EPIC
• Conveniently located a short walk or drive from the Byrd Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute PET scanning facility

All studies performed are done under the supervision of the physicians and the staff and approved by the University’s Human Research Committee. Over the past several decades, the Clinical Research faculty have conducted Phase I, II, III and IV clinical trials and established a working relationship with more than 40 pharmaceutical sponsors, NIH, ALA, VA and many other funding sources. Staffed by USF clinicians, the Division and the Clinical Research Center are affiliated with various institutions in the Tampa Bay Area including the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Tampa General Hospital, Florida Hospital and All Children’s Hospital.