Limitless: Excellence in Discovery, Innovation and Impact
"Over the past year, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine has accelerated its relentless pursuit of excellence. Once again, U.S. News & World Report has recognized our innovative spirit by placing us among the nation’s top 16 research-intensive medical schools. Our faculty members are pursuing new research discoveries focused on their potential to impact our patients. Their work continues to offer new promise for saving lives and improving patients’ quality of life."
Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM
Dean, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
Fueling Bold Research
Excellence Without Limits
Excellence defines a premier medical school. At the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, we’re pushing beyond what is known to discover what’s possible. Our faculty’s groundbreaking research is transforming science and care — from advancing robotic microsurgery to pursuing safer approaches to pain and pioneering new treatments for ocular pain.
With a research enterprise that has more than tripled over the past decade, the Morsani College of Medicine is pushing forward with an ambition that knows no limits.
Morsani College of Medicine again ranked as Tier 1 medical school for research by U.S. News & World Report
For the second consecutive year, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine earned the highest possible Tier 1 rating for research, placing it among just 16 medical schools nationwide to receive this top designation from U.S. News & World Report. USF became the first medical school in Florida to achieve Tier 1 status last year and is the only in the state to have held the honor consecutively.
From mountains to molecules: Laura Bohn’s pursuit of safer pain relief
A leader in molecular pharmacology, Dr. Laura Bohn is redefining understanding of pain relief and the pathways that could lead to safer therapies.
A steady hand: Dr. Nicholas Panetta is pushing the limits of robotic surgery for lymphedema
From pioneering the world’s first fully robotic lymphovenous bypass to advancing preventive surgical approaches, Dr. Nicholas J. Panetta is transforming the future of lymphedema treatment and prevention.
Seeing what others can’t: Dr. Pedram Hamrah’s quest to transform chronic eye pain treatment
Dr. Pedram Hamrah is transforming how chronic eye pain is understood and treated, using pioneering research to make invisible nerve damage visible and develop better therapies.
USF researchers develop AI system that predicts ACL injuries before they happen
Together, Morsani College of Medicine and other USF researchers are developing an AI-powered wearable that uses machine learning and real-time feedback to help identify risky movements and reduce the risk of ACL injuries before they occur.
Fifty years later, landmark Robert Gallo discovery recognized as a foundation for modern cancer immunotherapy
A groundbreaking discovery by Robert C. Gallo, MD, half a century ago helped establish the scientific foundation for modern cancer immunotherapy. Now, a new publication in Science examines how the 1976 discovery of T-cell growth factor, later known as IL-2, transformed T-cell immunology and cancer immunotherapy.
USF Health research targets virus-driven brain aging with nanotechnology
Researchers at the USF Health Institute for Translational Virology and Innovation led by Eleni Markoutsa are investigating how viral infections may leave behind lasting changes in the brain that accelerate aging, fuel inflammation and increase vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Rebuilding the human heart: USF Health’s Center for Regenerative Medicine is transforming the future of healing
Led by Dr. Da-Zhi Wang, USF Health scientists are unlocking the body’s natural ability to repair itself and redefining what’s possible in medicine.
Shaping Tomorrow's Bold Leaders
USF Health welcomes record-breaking incoming class of medical students
The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine welcomed the strongest incoming class in its history this year, with an academic profile that places the students among the most accomplished in the nation.
MD/PhD student advances alternatives to chemotherapy through USF Health–Moffitt partnership
MD/PhD student Vincent Lok is advancing cancer immunotherapy research and exploring innovative alternatives to chemotherapy that harness the body's immune system to fight cancer.
Morsani College of Medicine program stands as a national model for nutrition-focused medical training
A decade ago, the Morsani College of Medicine became one of the first universities in the nation to create a dedicated forum for students to explore nutrition research as part of their medical school training.
USF Health expands emergency maternity care training in Florida’s rural counties
Faculty and simulation experts with USF Health are joining forces to bring high-fidelity obstetric emergency training to rural care teams in 16 counties across Florida, thanks to a new grant from the Florida Department of Health.
Setting Bold Standards in Patient Care
USF Health launches nation’s first fully integrated institute for voice, hearing and swallowing care and research
The USF Health Institute for Voice and Hearing Innovation is the first in the nation to bring together multidisciplinary patient care and clinical research for disorders of communication and swallowing in a single, fully integrated space.
Siblings with Crohn’s disease reclaim the joys of childhood with help from USF Health doctor who has lived it
A family began receiving care from the pediatric gastroenterology team at the USF Health Chalsty Pediatric Clinic, where they met Jacqueline Larson, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist and assistant professor at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. Larson worked in collaboration with the family’s physician in New York to help continue the children’s care closer to home, giving the Bergmanns a trusted local partner.
USF Health opens one-of-a-kind clinic for patients with complex allergic, skin and GI disorders
The new Center for Allergic Diseases is designed for patients with overlapping allergic, skin and gastrointestinal disorders who would benefit from a coordinated care plan developed by multiple specialists at the same time.
A rare hernia surgery gives USF alumna a second chance
USF Health alumna Karin Johnson faced a life-threatening paraesophageal hernia that required emergency surgery. USF Health surgeon Dr. Christopher DuCoin and his team performed the complex procedure that saved her life.
3D printing transforms how USF Health surgeons prepare for complex procedures
Meet the 3D Innovations Lab, where Dr. Devid Zille and his team are changing surgery. They take patient scans and turn them into 3D-printed models that surgeons can hold and practice on before operating. From planning complex heart procedures to training the next generation of surgeons, the lab is helping doctors do their best work.
USF invention aims to replicate $30,000 glaucoma test with a $42 at-home alternative
A USF Health-developed smartphone app could help patients monitor glaucoma from home, making it easier to detect vision changes before permanent sight loss occurs. Currently in the research stage, Dr. Ramesh Ayyala seeks to replicate the gold-standard Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer found in clinics. Ayyala hopes the technology could transform the test that typically costs $30,000 in equipment into an at-home experience for about $42.