Welcome to the Division of
Infectious Disease & International Medicine

News

The Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine's Quest for Preeminence in Research is Well Underway with the Recent Recruitment of Several Prominent Researchers

Preeminent virologist Christian Brechot, MD, PhD, joined the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine part-time in October 2018 as senior associate dean for research in global affairs, associate vice president for international partnerships and innovation, and a professor in the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine.

Dr. Brechot is also executive director of the Tampa-based Romark Laboratories Institute for Medical Research.  Since 2017, he has served as president of the Global Virus Network, a coalition of the world's foremost medical virologists.  To read full USF Health article click here.

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Liwang Cui, PhD joins the Division as Cohen Professor in Malaria Research.  Dr. Cui received his BS from Shenang Agricultural University, his PhD form Loldova Agricultural University (Former USSR) and his PhD from University of Kentucky.  He finished his training at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

He brings ~$14.5m in NIH funding including an International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) that is funded by the NIH.  He will focus his research on the molecular basis of drug resistance in malaria.

 

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Jun Miao, MD, PhD joined the ID Division research team in October 2018.  Dr. Miao was educated in the PR China at the prestigious Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an China where he received his MD and PhD in Molecular Microbiology.

He was the first in successfully cloning P. falciparum and examined its gene regulation.  his research is along the China Myanmar border where resistant forms of Malaria are a significant cause of death and have a devastating effect on the economy.

 

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Michael White, PhD transferred to the ID Division from the Department of Global Health in the College of Public Health in November 2018.  He was previously the head of the NIH study section on pathogenic eukaryotes.  Dr. White's research focuses on genetics and genomics of pathogens, especially toxoplasma and their mechanisms of gene expression. 

He brings ~$7m in NIH RO1 grants to the Division.  He is currently the Director of the Human Pathogen Research Program in the Morsani College of Medicine.

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Elena Suvorova, PhD transferred to the ID Division from the Department of Global Health in the College of Public Health in November 2018.  Dr. Suvorova's experience includes research on the essential functions of eukarytic cells, including mechanisms controlling growth and intracellular trafficking in yeast, mammalian cells and apicomplexan parasites.

She currently specializes in molecular parasitology, primarily working with apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, and important human pathogen that causes lifelong infection in millions of people.

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OCTOBER 2018

 ID Faculty and Fellows Have Record Number of Research Posters and Presentations Accepted for 2018 IDSA IDWeek!

 The Infectious Disease Society of America's (IDSA) Annual ID Week was held from October 2-7, 2018 in San Francisco, CA.  This year marks a record number of USF ID research projects that were accepted for presentation at this prestigious meeting.  A total of 14 research projects were completed this year as a result of collaborations among faculty and fellows.  As a result, 9 projects were accepted for presentation at the conference.  Congratulations to the ID faculty and fellows who attended the meeting to present their scholarly work and support the USF Infectious Diseases!

USF ID Faculty and Fellows (past and present) enjoyed dinner together at IDWeek

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Fellowship Program Director, Beata Casanas, DO, current Fellow, Shylah Moore, MD and ID Faculty, Richard Oehler, MD

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ID Fellow, Natan Kraitman, MD, and ID Faculty, Sadaf Aslam, MD, Richard Oehler, MD and Beata Casanas, DO

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(from left to right) Kristen Zeitler, PharmD, Richard Oehler, MD, and Mindy Sampson, MD (fellow)

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Dr. Charurut Somboonwit, Dr. Beata Casanas, and Dr. Jamie Morano were recently recognized for their commitment and dedication to the patient care at the Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough.  ID physicians provide HIV, TB and STD care at the Specialty Care Center at the health department.

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JUNE 2018

CONGRATULATIONS to our 2018 Fellowship Graduates!

(Pictured from L to R) Misbahuddin Syed, MD., Adam Pettigrew, MD., Louise Gutierres, MD., Muhammad Chughtai, MD., Beata Casanas, DO. Program Director, Garabet Akoghlanian, MD., Antheneh Addisu, MD.

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Dr. Casanas and Dr. Toney presented the JAHVA ID Section Outstanding Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) Award to fellow Dr. Syed

(Pictured L to R) Dr. Beata Casanas, Dr. John Toney and Dr. Misbahuddin Syed.

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Graduating fellow, Dr. Adam Pettigrew is presented with the JAHVH ID Section Outstanding ID Fellow Award.

(Pictured from L to R) Richard Oehler, MD., Adam Pettigrew, MD., Sandra Gompf, MD., Beata Casanas, MD., John Toney, MD.

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Graduating ID fellow Dr.  Anteneh Addisu is presented with the Annual Jeffrey P. Nadler Award for Excellence in Research

 

(Pictured from L to R) Dr. Sadaf Aslam, Dr. Jamie Morano and Dr. Beata Casanas.

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ID Fellows Attend the IDSA-NIAID Research Careers Meeting

(Pictured L to R) Kami Kim, MD., Mindy Sampson, DO., Anteneh Addisu, MD

On June 6-8, 2018, USF ID fellows Drs. Mindy Sampson and Anteneh Addisu attended the Eighth Annual IDSA-NIAID Research Careers Meeting (https://www.idresearchcareers.org).  The meeting was kicked off by a keynote talk by NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci.  Dr. Kami Kim served as Chair of the IDSA working group that organized the meeting, which features talks from prominent ID researchers, career advising panel discussions, and a tour of the NIH Clinical Research Center.

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APRIL 2018

The Division welcomes Dr. Li-Min Ting to our ID Research Team. Dr. Ting received her PhD at the University of Rochester in Microbiology and Immunology. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco, and was a principal associate working with USF ID faculty, Dr. Kami Kim in the field of parasitology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine before arriving USF. Her research interests are in understanding the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis and malaria. She joins the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine as an Assistant Professor.

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MARCH 2018

Dr. Ana Velez is an accomplished artist and University of South Florida Associate Professor and Infectious Diseases physician who has practiced at Moffitt Cancer Center among immunocompromised patients since 2006.  Although she paints in many different styles, among her favorite subjects are the microorganisms she confronts everyday as a health care provider.  With her art, she conveys the complexity and beauty present in even some of the most fearsome pathogens.  Her paintings mix bright colors and subtle shades to capture the simple yet elegant nature of fungi, bacteria, and viruses.

Pictured is: Chikungunya

To see more of Dr. Velez’s creations click here

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FEBRUARY 2018

The Division welcomes researcher, Dr. Kami Kim, MD. Dr. Kim comes to us from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she ran a basic science and clinical research program in pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis and malaria and attended on the Infectious Diseases consultation service. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons and completed her Internal Medicine residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. She trained in Infectious Diseases at UCSF and then completed a molecular parasitology fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Kim also holds a joint faculty appointment with the College of Public Health.

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We also welcome Dr. Iset Vera as an Instructor of Research. Dr. Vera graduated from UCLA in 2004 with a BS in Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics. Dr. Vera earned her PhD degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she worked with Dr. Kami Kim focusing her studies on the parasite that causes malaria, Plasmodium spp. To further develop her research in the liver stages of malaria, she joined the laboratory of Dr. Maria Mota (Lisbon, Portugal) as a postdoctoral fellow, studying the host response to malaria infection. Her long-term research interests are the study of parasitic infectious diseases and global health.

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Infectious Disease faculty member, Dr. Aliyah Baluch, is featured in Moffitt Cancer Center’s inaugural issue of “Woman in Oncology at Moffitt”. The magazine will feature extraordinary women who overcome huge obstacles and successfully manage demanding careers, along with day-to-day family responsibilities and community involvement.

Click here to read her interview.

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OCTOBER 2017

We welcome Dr. Olga Klinkova to the Division of Infectious Disease. Dr. Klinkova joins the faculty as Assistant Professor and an attending at Tampa General Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center and Florida Hospital-Tampa. Dr. Klinkova grew up in Russia. She received her MD and completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Omsk State Medical Academy in Russia. She received her MS Degree from the University of South Dakota and completed an additional IM Residency at the University of Buffalo - SUNY. In 2017, she completed her Infectious Disease Fellowship with the Division of Infectious Disease.

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ID Faculty and Fellows Attend IDWeek

(Pictured (L-R): Beata Casanas, DO - Faculty, Anteneh Addisu, MD - Fellow, Sadaf Aslam, MD - Faculty)

On October 2-8, 2017, USF ID faculty and fellows attended the annual IDWeek presented by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). The week long event which was held in San Diego, CA is the combined annual meeting of the IDSA, SHEA, HIVMA, and PIDS and brings together infectious disease professionals across the nation to meet, share experiences, share research, and develop collaborations. This year, there were five faculty members and six fellows who authored five research posters and one oral presentation that was presented at the conference. Several other ID faculty attended and participated in the conference.

(ID Fellow, Dr. Robert Castro, presents “Major Risk Factors for Leprosy in a Non-Endemic Area of the United States”. Other authors include Dr. Jellyana Peraza, Dr. Beata Casanas, Dr. Andrew Makaiel, and Dr. Sadaf Aslam.)

ID Fellow, Dr. Anteneh Addisu, discusses his research poster with a conference attendee

(Pictured (L-R): John Toney, MD - Faculty, Andrew Mekaiel, MD - International Observer, Egypt, Richard Oehler, MD - Faculty, Beata Casanas, DO- Faculty, Sadaf Aslam, MD - Faculty, Jellyana Peraza, MD - International Observer, Venezuela, Kelly Kynaston, DO - Past Fellow)

(Pictured (L-R): Kelly Kynaston, DO - Past Fellow, Kristen Zeitler, PharmD - ID, Jose Montero, MD—Faculty, Beata Casanas, DO - Faculty, Ripal Jariwala, PharmD—ID)

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August

Congratulations to ID Faculty on Their Recent Promotions!

Ulyee Choe, DO was promoted to Associate Professor.

Dr. Choe is Director of the Florida Department of Health—Pinellas County. He completed his ID Fellowship with our Division in 2011 and became a member of our faculty that same year.

Lynette Menezes, PhD was promoted to Associate Professor.

Dr. Menezes is Assistant VP for International - USF Health and Assistant Dean for International - Morsani College of Medicine. She has been a faculty member with the ID Division since 2005.

Richard Oehler, MD was promoted to Professor.

Dr. Oehler is an attending faculty at James A. Haley VA Hospital and the Director of ID Clinical Education. He is also the co-creator and webmaster for IDPodcasts.net. He has been with the Division since 2002.

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Congratulations to the CLASS OF 2017 Infectious Disease Fellowship Program Graduates!

(From L-R) Robert Castro, MD (2017), Olga Klinkova, MD (2017), Beata Casanas, DO (Program Director), Shuchi Pandya, MD (2017), Marijesmar Gonzalez, MD (2017), Tammy Grice (Fellowship Coordinator), Manuel Castro, MD (2017)

Graduating ID Fellows presented an appreciation plaque to Fellowship Program Director, Beata Casanas, DO. The plaque thanked Dr. Casanas for her “passion to teach, unconditional commitment, unwavering support and enduring dedication”.

2017 ID Fellowship graduates, Dr. Shuchi Pandya, and Dr. Olga Klinkova were presented awards at the post-graduation dinner. Dr. Pandya was selected as this year’s recipient of the Jeffrey P. Nadler Award for Excellence in Research. Dr. Klinkova was presented the Outstanding Infectious Disease Fellow award from the James A. Haley VA Hospital ID Faculty.

Shuchi Pandya, MD (L), Olga Klinkova, MD (R)

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Congratulations to ID Faculty Member Dr. Todd Wills!

May 8, 2017 marked the start date for the charter class of the Physician Assistant Program at USF Health. Dr. Wills is the assistant dean and founding director of the program. We know the program will be a great success!

Read the USF Health full story here.

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ID Podcasts Presents “IDPodcaster Awards” in Celebration of IDPodcasts 10-Year Anniversary!

Click here to see the winning podcasts!

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$1.2 Million Zika Clinical Research Network (ZiCRN) Grant Awarded to USF

The Florida Department of Health’s Zika Research Initiative Program has awarded a large grant in the amount of $1,117,413 to the University of South Florida, led by Dr. Thomas B. Casale, Professor of Allergy and Immunology. This grant was written as collaboration between the USF College of Medicine Division of Allergy and Immunology and the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine and the College of Public Health Global Health Infectious Disease Research Program. Principal Investigator Dr. Thomas Casale, professor and expert in the field of immunology, will be collaborating with key faculty from the USF College of Public Health, Dr. Wilbur Milhous and Dr. Thomas Unnasch, as well as key faculty from the Division of Infectious Diseases including Dr. Douglas Holt, Dr. Jamie Morano, Dr. Charurut Somboonwit, Dr. Beata Casanas, and Dr. Seetha Lakshmi. Dr. John Sinnott, Chairman of USF College of Medicine, also serves on the senior board of senior advisory directors.

The Grant is entitled “University of South Florida Integrated Clinical Trial Network Structuring and Enhancement for Execution of Zika Virus Vaccine and Diagnostic Clinical Trials, and testing of other Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Solutions for Florida.” Taken directly from the grant aims, this initiative will serve to create a nexus of scientific and medical expertise to increase research programs for Zika virus as well as to improve the relationship between clinical investigators and basic research investigators involved in infectious disease research, and thus enhance translational research. It will also strive to increase cross-school collaborations in clinical infectious diseases and especially ZIKV research both within USF and throughout Florida. It will also engage residents, graduate students and pre-doctoral students in clinical investigations so as to foster the development of the next generation of physician scientists and healthcare researchers.

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ID Podcasts Celebrates its 10th Anniversary!

The Division of Infectious Disease’s groundbreaking educational podcast platform, ID Podcasts, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Founded in 2007, at the dawn of the podcast era (YouTube was founded in 2005, TED Online in 2006), as a collaboration between current chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. John Sinnott, and Associate Professor, Dr. Richard Oehler, the platform originated as a website (http://www.idpodcasts.net) in 2007. We posted our first podcast, “A Tour of the Medical Wing of the London Museum of Science,” on June 29th, 2007.

Over the past ten years, we have expanded to include iTunes podcast series (2007), Smartphone and Tablet apps (Apple and Android, 2009), and Youtube, Facebook and Twitter sites (2012 to present).

We now offer over 200 podcasts in multiple disciplines of medical and infectious disease practice, including the history of medicine, HIV/AIDS care, public health, tropical medicine, hospital-acquired infections, STDs, infections in the immunocompromised, and others.

The best part about IDPodcasts for its listeners is that all resources are FREE and available to all! This is due to the passion for teaching and a commitment to share knowledge on the part of its founders, and especially, the infectious disease faculty and affiliated presenters who contribute to our expanding library.

In 2017, we released new state of the art apps for smartphones and tablets for both Apple and Android users. For 2018, we are initiating new international language podcasts, including two newly created episodes in collaboration with the Universidad CES in Medellin, Colombia. This should include the inauguration of our new “ID Podcasts International” YouTube Channel.

Our IDPodcasts Youtube Channel currently has amassed nearly 600,000 lifetime views and more than 3,000 subscribers from more than 200 countries and principalities across the globe!

Click here to view a recent USF Health article on our podcast site.

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October 2016 News

Microbiology Rounds Big Screen at Moffitt Cancer Center

Monthly interdisciplinary microbiology plate rounds are co-directed by Dr. Aliyah Baluch (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Dr. Ramon Sandin (Department of Pathology). Both the Moffitt and James A. Haley VA Hospital ID groups, Pathology and Internal Medicine at Moffitt have been participating in Joint Microbiology rounds.  Cases are presented from a clinical perspective and then segue into the microbiology / pathology correlation.  Discussing cutting edge technology is a large part of microbiology rounds especially in the presence of new multiplex PCRs changing the face of the field.  With the addition of a large screen monitor to complement the microbiology rounds, the group continues to teach a variety of scenarios from bread and butter infections to rare molds and viral infections.

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Our long awaited Android and OIS updates for smartphone/tablet apps have been released!  They feature updated, modern interface, a favorite option - playlist integration, force touch (IOS), and even Apple Watch compatibility. 

Our YouTube page now has 550,000 lifetime views and more than 3000 subscribers, and we just recently posted our 200th podcast!

Dr. Ana Velez and Dr. Richard Oehler are working on a new international podcast channel on YouTube with foreign language podcasts in Spanish and Hindi.  They are working with the Universidad CES in Medellin, Colombia on translating Spanish language podcasts.  Also, USF Infectious Disease Fellow Shuchi Pandya is working on translating her podcast on SST Infections into Hindi.

Click here to discover our idPodcasts now!

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USF ID Faculty and Fellows Represent the Division at National Conference

In October, USF ID faculty and fellows attended the annual IDWeek held by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA).  The event was held October 26-30 in New Orleans and featured conferences, ID topic updates and research presentations.  Several of our faculty and fellows were invited to present their abstract posters.
  
“Infections Caused by Live Vaccines” by Manuel Castro, MD (ID Fellow - pictured), Shuchi Pandya, MD (ID Fellow - pictured), and John Greene, MD (ID Faculty)

“VaccineLink/La Conexion de Salud: Successful Innovations with Vaccine Health Navigation to Identify and Overcome Vaccination Barriers in Underserved Communities” by Jamie Morano, MD (ID Faculty), and Manuel Castro, MD (ID Fellow - pictured)

“Wrong Time, Wrong Place – A Hospital-Associated Outbreak of Influenza A in the Summer” by Richard Oehler, MD (ID Faculty - pictured), John Toney, MD (ID Faculty), Sandra Gompf, MD (ID Faculty) and Vivian Vega, MD (ID Faculty)

An Immunocompetent Male Patient with Dysphagia and Odynophagia” by Shuchi Pandya, MD (ID Fellow - pictured), Sadaf Aslam, MD (ID Faculty), and John Greene, MD (ID Faculty)

(Pictured (L-R): Manuel Castro, MD (Fellow), Beata Casanas, DO (ID Fellowship Program Director), Aliyah Baluch, MD (Faculty), Richard Oehler, MD (Faculty), Shuchi Pandya (Fellow), Jeniffer Torres-Velazco, MD (Past Fellow)

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SEPTEMBER 2016 News

In 2009, ID faculty member Dr. Sandra Gompf and and her husband, pediatric hospitalist Dr. Timothy Gompf lost their son, Philip, to Primary Amoebic Meningo-encephalitis (PAM) after he swam in untreated recreational freshwater in Polk County. Since their loss, the Gompfs and other parents bereaved by PAM conferenced several times with CDC officials of the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch about raising awareness. The Gompfs created the awareness website Amoeba-Season.com  and an awareness video featuring the Gompf’s story and prevention tips followed. The campaign is supported by the USF Foundation at Philip T Gompf Memorial Fund for ID Research and Education. 

This September the USF ID Summer is Amoeba Season project joined the Jordan Smelski Amoeba Awareness Foundation at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2016 conference. Held in San Francisco, over 10,000 pediatricians and health professionals attend every year.  Sharing a booth in the Exhibit Hall, the Gompfs and Steve Smelski shared their personal experiences with over 1,000 pediatricians, pediatric nurses, and other professionals who stopped to learn about PAM, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. 

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AUGUST 2016 News

Congratulations to Beata Casanas, DO who was recognized this year as a distinguished physician by being elected to Fellowship in the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA).   The Fellowship in IDSA honors those who have achieved professional excellence and provided significant service to their profession.

Congratulations to Charurut Somboonit, MD who was promoted to Professor and Dr. Sally Alrabaa, MD who was promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine.   

Dr. Ana Velez recently returned from Medellin, Columbia where she met with the Dean and President of CES University, and the Chief of Staff at Hospital Santa Clara/Clinica Noel, and administrators at the Tropical Instituto of Medicine in Medellin and Apartado, where they discussed the development of the following programs; 1) a clinical elective and microbiology rotation for USF medical students, residents and ID fellows, 2) an international tropical medicine course for healthcare workers, and 3) a collaboration between the Hospital Santa Clara/Clinica Noel and Shriner’s Hospital to help children in need of complex surgeries.   

In addition, Dr. Velez presented two lectures; “Neutropenic Fever” for the 3rd and 4th year medical students, interns, residents and attendings at the Hospital General and the Clinica CES-Prado, and “Antimicrobials Basic Concepts” for 2nd year medical students at CES University   

Below is a link to a (Spanish language) testimonial Dr. Velez did for the CES University’s “de Regreso a Casa”.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP39GRwiZoI&feature=youtu.be

Welcome Seetha Lakshmi, MD who joined the Faculty of the Division of Infectious Disease & International Medicine in August 2016. Dr. Lakshmi completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at Mysore Medical College in India. She received her MD from the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, FL and recently completed her Infectious Disease Fellowship at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital.

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JUNE 2016 News

John Greene, MD received the Outstanding Resident Teaching Award at Moffitt presented at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program Graduation Ceremony on June 2, 2016.  This award reflects his fortitude of involving both residents and students in all things - he exemplifies the characteristics of the Teacher Clinician.  Dr. Greene also celebrates 25 years with the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine.

Congratulations to the ID Fellowship Graduates 2016!

Dr. Beata Casanas, Connie Nadler and Dr. Minh Ho.

At the awards ceremony following graduation, ID Fellow, Minh Ho, DO, received the first ever annual Jeffrey Nadler Award for Excellence in Research.  This award was created this year in honor of Dr. Jeffrey Nadler who was a USF ID Faculty member for 19 years.  He oversaw clinical trials that helped lead to the development of more than 20 antiviral drugs now routinely used to treat patients with HIV and was a lead investigator for one of the earliest human studies of an HIV vaccine.  Dr. Nadler passed away in 2010.  Dr. Nadler's wife, Connie Nadler was there to present the award to Dr. Ho.