More than 200 participants from 22 states and two foreign countries gathered Nov. 21-23 in Tampa to attend the first Leadership Symposium on Digital Media in Health Care, hosted by USF Health in conjunction with Apple Inc.

Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO for USF Health and dean of the College of Medicine, headed the steering committee for this cutting-edge symposium. The event, assembled by academic leaders from distinguished universities, showed how innovative digital learning environments are enriching curriculums at their institutions and providing ever-growing online communities with increased access to wellness information.

“This leadership program is part of a national conversation on how to leverage electronic media, such as iTunes U and mobile devices, to better educate, our students, our patients and ourselves,” said Dr. Klasko, who welcomed deans, faculty, health and information technology professionals, and students to the symposium.

Miguel Young, senior manager of iTunes U for Apple, with Dr. Klasko

Dr. Klasko kicked off the symposium with his talk on “Embracing the Digital World: Healthcare in the New Millennium.” In addition, he moderated a Sunday panel discussion, “The Students – What Do They Want from Digital Media?”

Michael Hoad, vice president of communications for USF and associate vice president of communications for USF Health, moderated a panel discussion on the topic “Unraveling the DNA of Digital Media: The Effective Use of Digital Media in Medical Education.

At the symposium’s virtual poster session, Don Hilbelink, PhD, professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, along with graduate research associate Summer Decker and Jonathan Ford, master’s student in anatomy, presented a demonstration of 3-D computer modeling of human anatomy the team has developed. The “virtual” anatomy has applications for medical education and surgical simulation.

A reception at the USF Health Carol and Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare on Saturday evening showcased state-of-the-art digital technology at the ambulatory center.

Attendees heard how digital technology can be incorporated into student, patient and health profession education.

Michael Hoad, vice president of communications for USF, moderated a session on the effective use of digital media in medical education.

Audience members were able to electronically send their questions and comments to speakers as well as ask questions from the floor.

Don Hilbelink, PhD, professor of Pathology and Cell Biology at USF Health, demonstrated the 3-D computer modeling used to help teach medical students human anatomy.

By Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

A sampling of charcoal drawings that first and second-year medical students completed as part of a recent Life Art Drawing session are on display in the Shimberg Health Sciences Library at USF through December. The drawings of the human model are accompanied by enlarged black-and-white photographs of USF Health photographer Eric Younghans, who captured the class in session. Impressions of the students who participated in the elective activity are also included in the exhibit.

The Life Drawing class was conceived by Chris Phelps, PhD, former chair of anatomy, and Lois LaCivita Nixon, PhD, course director for On Doctoring at the USF College of Medicine. Students were invited to participate in a Life Drawing class to consider medicine’s central focus -- the human body, in a slightly different way.

To read the story Life Drawing Reframes Medicine, click here...

Laura L. (Dolly) Swisher, PT, PhD, associate professor and coordinator of professional education for the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, has contributed a chapter, “Professional Identity and Socialization: Barriers and Opportunities in Interprofessional Education” to the new textbook, Leadership in Interprofessional Health Education and Practice released November 2008 and published by Jones & Bartlett.

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The October-December 2008 Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation special issue, “Barriers and Issues Related to Exercise, Rehabilitation and Access to Healthcare Services for the Older Adult,” was guest edited by Keiba Shaw, PT, EdD, assistant professor in the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences. SPTRS faculty members Catherine Page, PT, PhD; Jason Highsmith, PT, DPT; and Jacqueline Lovejoy, PT, DPT were contributing authors.

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Jason Highsmith, PT, DPT, assistant professor in SPTRS, has been selected as one of 30 faculty members to attend the prestigious "Enhancing Rehabilitation Research in the South" Workshiop to be conducted in January 2009 at the University of Virginia. The workshop invites junior researchers to work with experts in the field of rehabilitation research. The workshop combines didactic sessions, group and individual consultation to best prepare the attendees to submit a research proposal to the National Institutes of Health.

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The Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education recently reaffirmed the accreditation of the University of South Florida's physical therapy program for another 10 years. The CAPTE completed an onsite visit to SPTRS in April.

In these times of economic uncertainty, who wouldn’t welcome the opportunity to save on the cost of graduate education?

An innovative University of South Florida dual master’s degree program offers future leaders in the biotechnology workforce the opportunity to concentrate on honing business and management skills – and save some time and money in the process.

The Dual Master’s Degree Program in Biotechnology & Entrepreneurship combines the College of Medicine Master’s in Biotechnology with the College of Business Administration Master’s in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies.

“The combined degrees can be mastered in three years, and will spare students a significant commitment of time and money without compromising in-depth training,” said Inge Wefes, PhD, director of the Biotechnology Master’s Program. “The program makes graduate students outstandingly versatile and thereby lays an essential stepping stone for their future success.”

The 57-credit dual curriculum allows students to have three courses, a total of 9 credit hours, count for two otherwise independent Master's programs. Obtaining a Biotechnology Master’s and Entrepreneurship Master’s separately would require a minimum of 66 credit hours.

This fall, the Biotechnology Master’s Program will celebrate its first graduation after recently having been designated a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Program by the Council of Graduate Schools.

For more information on the Dual Master’s Program in Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship, contact Dr. Wefes at iwefes@health.usf.edu.

- Newsbrief by Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications

View ABC Action News interview with Dr. Fernandez about memory problems...

Dr. Francisco Fernandez, chair of Psychiatry at USF Health, chats with a visitor before her memory screening.

The Alzheimer's Care Center at USF welcomed more than 200 community visitors Nov. 18 for its inaugural event: National Memory Screening Day.

It's the first time that the free memory disorder screenings were supported by the Center’s powerful consortium of three clinical entities: the Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr. Alzheimer's Center, the Eric Pfeiffer Suncoast Alzheimer's Center and the USF Memory Disorders Clinic.

“One purpose, one place, one team. USF Health is delighted to welcome this new consortium at the forefront of Alzheimer's research and care to the community," said Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO for USF Health and the Byrd Institute and dean of the College of Medicine.

Clinicians and practitioners from across USF Health and main campus worked together to provide the confidential memory screenings, hearing and safe-driving screenings, blood pressure checks, and "brain aerobics” to visitors who traveled to USF from as far away as Brooksville and Sun City. Services were offered in both English and Spanish.

According to USF Health experts, memory screening is important to identify people who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Early diagnosis makes the medications available sooner, which can be important in slowing the rate of cognitive decline and helping reduce the burden caused by this disease.

“A multi-disciplinary approach is also critical,” said Dr. Terry Chisolm, who was supervising six doctoral students from the USF Communications Disorders Program. “Hearing and balance are huge issues in elderly people. Whatever else is going on with a patient, the risk of falls is high and costly. Working together with psychology, geriatric medicine, pharmacy, psychiatry, social work, and nursing, we see the ‘whole’ patient.”

Barbara Eller has her hearing tested by students from the USF Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Among the visitors was 82-year-old Barbara Eller of Tampa. The former educator taught children for more than 40 years, but this time, she's the one learning about how to keep her memory in check. Her daughter, Amy Scherzer, persuaded Eller to attend.

“I don't remember names, and that's very annoying," said Eller. "I have to think about the words to finish a sentence sometimes. I'm mostly annoyed by it, because I think I'm a very intelligent person."

Eller worked her way through the battery of tests, which included a confidential memory screening, hearing and safe driving screenings and gait and balance tests. She scored a perfect 30 out of 30 on her memory test, where she had to repeat words, identify common months, dates and seasons, and draw objects presented to her by her screener.

As she moved from room to room in the Byrd Institute facility, meeting different members of the Alzheimer's clinical care team, Eller felt more confident with her results. “It's very impressive that you offer this service,” she said. “It's reassuring to me to be here.”

Alzheimer's affects 10 percent of people age 65 and older and the Alzheimer's Association estimates that 5.2 million Americans currently live with the disease.

Above: Dr. Amanda Smith, interim director of the Eric Pfeiffer Suncoast Alzheimer's Center, is interviewed by WUSF-FM about National Memory Screening Day. Below: Dr. Kristin Fargher, assistant director of the Suncoast Alzheimer's Center, conducts a memory screening.

- Story by Susanna Martinez Tarokh and Melanie Meyer, USF Health Communications
- Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Shyam Mohapatra, PhD

Shyam Mohapatra, PhD, professor of medicine and director of Basic Research for Allergy and Immunology at USF Health and James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital, has received one of USF’s First Annual Excellence in Innovation Awards.

The $1,000 award, which recognizes faculty who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in innovation and translational research in the past calendar year, was presented to Dr. Mohapatra Nov. 7 at the Faculty Research Achievement Awards Luncheon.

Dr. Mohapatra was the only USF Health researcher to receive one of five inaugural USF Excellence in Innovation Awards, which were presented to individual faculty members and research teams.

“A strategic goal of USF is developing innovative technologies and new entrepreneurial relationships between faculty and industry that could enhance economic development,” said Distinguished University Professor Paul R. Sanberg, PhD, DSc, associate vice president for Innovation, USF Office of Research and Innovation. “As one of the faculty members competitively selected for this new award, Dr. Mohapatra has established a strong research program and shown outstanding success in translating his ideas into important, marketable technologies.”

Dr. Mohapatra’s recent work focuses on the development and marketing of diagnostic reagents/kits for the detection of viral infections, including AIDS, and the early detection of cancers.

His translational research has yielded multiple invention disclosures, patent applications, and patents -- resulting in licenses to pharmaceutical companies for devices such as transdermal drug delivery systems. He helped found the USF spin-off company Transgenex Nanobiotech and is working with the company to develop, test, and commercialize a high-speed HIV detection device.

Over the last year, Dr. Mohapatra’s research has been supported by a matching Florida High-Tech Corridor grant, a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program grant sponsored by the Department of Army, and a Phase I SBIR grant sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. He published 10 papers on nanotechnology, including a Cancer Research journal article that was chosen as the lead discovery in the field.

- Newsbrief by Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications

The Research One weeklong celebration included a display of more than 50 poster presentations on topics related to integrated neuroscience at the Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute.

USF Health was an integral part of the weeklong celebration, Nov. 3 to 7, showcasing USF’s world-class interdisciplinary research, creative, and scholarly endeavors.

The theme of the campus-wide event, sponsored by the USF Office of Research & Innovation, was Research One: One University, One Community, One Vision. The week included discussion forums, lectures, seminars, open houses, and symposia on topical and timely issues from every discipline imaginable.

Opening day, Nov. 3, kicked off with a keynote address by Jeffrey Krischer, PhD, who spoke about Diabetes Research at USF.

Dr. Krischer, professor and chief of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the Department of Pediatrics, has the distinction of earning the largest grant in USF’s history and leads a team that has attracted a total of $369 million in research grants to the university. Virtually every major university and medical center now conducting Type I diabetes research is linked to Dr. Krischer’s Pediatric Epidemiology Center at USF.

On Nov. 4, the College of Medicine hosted a “Core Crawl,” featuring tours of several of the college's state-of-the-art core facilities.

Participants visited the Lisa Muma Weitz Laboratory for Advanced Microscopy & Cell Imaging, the Fred Wright Jr. Laboratory for Cell Sorting and Analysis; and the Phyllis and Walter Mason Laboratory for Animal Imaging and Advanced Cardiovascular Research. The same day, the College of Public Health hosted tours of the Global Health Infectious Disease Research Laboratories.

Highlights on Friday, Nov. 7, included tours of the College of Nursing research facilities and an open house at the Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr. Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute at USF Health. An the Research One awards luncheon, Shyam Mohapatra, PhD, director of Basic Research in the USF Division of Allergy and Immunology and James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital Allergy and Immunology Section, received one of five Excellence in Innovation Awards presented to faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in innovation and translational research in the last calendar year. (See related story.)

The week culminated with the 2008 Integrated Neuroscience Symposium sponsored by the College of Medicine, the Byrd Institute and the Signature Interdisciplinary Research Program.

More 50 poster presentations were displayed by researchers from colleges across campus in such categories as alcohol and addiction; anxiety, addiction and related disorders; Alzheimer’s disease and age-related impairment; eating behavior; and sensory physiology.

More Photos:

Linda Van Eldik, PhD, professor of Cellular and Molecular Biology at Northwestern University, who was the invited speaker for the 2008 Integrated Neuroscience Symposium, checked out the symposium's research posters.

Dee Nikjeh, left, of the Department of Communicaton Sciences and Disorders, discusses with neurologist Dr. Robert Hauser her research exploring whether musicians have superior neural proscessing for all auditory stimuli.

Umesh Jinwal, right, an instructor in the Department of Molecular Medicine, explains to PhD candidate Steven Bennett his team's research poster exploring novel chaperones and modifiers of Tau degradation in Alzheimer's disease.

Huntington Potter, PhD, left, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, speaks with co-investigator Bonnie Goodwin, PhD, of the Byrd Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute.

- Newsbrief by Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
- Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Colleagues, friends and family eagerly gathered at this year’s Victory Ball for the Suncoast Alzheimer’s and Gerontology Center because the guest of honor was a man they all know as a force in Alzheimer’s care nationally, at USF and in the community: Dr. Eric Pfeiffer.

The evening was filled with compliments, sentiments and tributes to Dr. Pfeiffer’s career and his long-time passion for caring for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. In addition, Dr. Pfeiffer was honored at this fourth annual Victory Ball because, following 30 years of service to USF and USF Health, he retired in August. Among the honors and accolades presented to Dr. Pfeiffer at the Nov. 15 gala was the status of Emeritus Professor, the renaming of the center as the Eric Pfeiffer Suncoast Alzheimer’s Center, and the retirement gift of a USF rocking chair.

Dr. Pfeiffer with his family at the Victory Ball.

Dr. Pfeiffer was the founding director of the Suncoast Alzheimer’s and Gerontology Center at USF, which opened in 1980. Through his vision and stewardship, the Center is now known as a center for all aspects of Alzheimer’s research and care. He is recognized internationally as an authority on aging and Alzheimer’s disease and is the author of several major books on aging.

"Dr. Pfeiffer is a true visionary in the field of aging, Alzheimer's disease research, and caring for the caregiver. His contribution to the field has been enormous, and we will miss him dearly at Suncoast," said Amanda Smith, MD, interim director of the Eric Pfeiffer Suncoast Alzheimer’s Center.

Dr. Steve Klasko, Dr. Eric Pfeiffer and Frank Robertson.

The Gala was emceed by Frank Robertson, co-anchor at FOX 13 News, and included tributes by Steve Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO of USF Health and dean of the USF College of Medicine; Abdul Rao, MD, DPhil., senior associate professor of USF Health, vice dean for Research and Graduate Studies for the USF College of Medicine; and Dr. Smith.

Although the evening spotlighted Dr. Pfeiffer, the Gala benefitted Alzheimer’s disease research and caregiver programs, and featured a silent auction, dinner, music and dancing. A personalized program produced for the event was filled with Suncoast Gerontology Center history, photos and messages of thanks to Dr. Pfeiffer from colleagues and friends.

-- Story by Sarah Worth, USF Health Communications

- Nationally-renowned biochemist and microbial geneticist recruited to help boost basic science and translational research -

Robert Deschenes, PhD, will chair Molecular Medicine and hold the Fred Wright Endowed Chair in Cancer Biology at USF Health.

Tampa, FL (Nov. 17, 2008) -- Following a national search for a top-level researcher to lead its Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health has recruited Robert Deschenes, PhD, the Joseph F. Heil Jr. Professor and Chair of the Department of Biochemistry at Medical College of Wisconsin to fill the position. Dr. Deschenes will also hold the Fred Wright Endowed Chair in Cancer Biology and an appointment as Associate Dean for the USF/Moffitt Research Partnership. He joins USF Health on Jan. 5, 2009.

The appointment of Dr. Deschenes is the latest in a series of strategic and high-caliber recruitments made by Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO for USF Health and Dean of the College of Medicine, to build a leading academic medical center committed to new discovery and innovation.

“The recruitment of Dr. Deschenes is a huge shot in the arm for research at USF. He brings to USF Health the leadership, skills and vision needed to build a nationally prominent basic and translational research program,” Dr. Klasko said. “He will be an excellent catalyst for promoting collaborations and synergies with Moffitt Cancer Center, the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute and our other academic partners, while working to fully integrate the Molecular Medicine Department with our missions of research, education and clinical care.”

Dr. Deschenes is one of the country’s leading researchers in the genetic and biochemical mechanisms of cell growth regulation in yeast – a critical field in the development of drug therapies for cancer and other diseases. He is a strong advocate of interdisciplinary research and the use of model systems in medical research. His own work takes advantage of the model eukaryote yeast to understand signaling pathways related to cancer. The work has uncovered new targets for the rational design of new cancer chemotherapeutic agents.

“Because it combines the strengths of microbiology, immunology and biochemistry, the Department of Molecular Medicine is uniquely positioned to contribute to the understanding of diseases in areas as diverse as cancer, neurobiology, diabetes and infectious diseases,” Dr. Deschenes said.

“In the last five years, USF has done a remarkable job developing a strong core research infrastructure, which I plan to build upon to help create a stronger, more competitive basic and translational science program. My goal is to develop an integrated Department of Molecular Medicine and a highly collaborative research environment that goes from molecules to medicine.”

In the last several years, Dr. Klasko has begun transforming research at USF Health through several key initiatives. These accomplishments have included creating a new School of Basic Biomedical Sciences, recruiting more National Institutes of Health-funded investigators in various basic science and clinical departments, establishing state-of-the-art core facilities and several key signature research programs at the College of Medicine, and enhancing the quality of graduate programs.

“The leadership of USF Health continues to follow through on the vision to transform the culture of this institution by instilling excellence in all our core missions,” said Abdul Rao, MD, MA, DPhil, senior associate vice president for USF Health and vice dean for research and graduate studies for the College of Medicine. “It is this transformation that allowed us to recruit a scientist of such distinguished academic caliber as Dr. Deschenes.

"This is the most important event in recent years in redefining the future of basic and translational sciences at this medical school.”

Dr. Deschenes will recruit several new faculty members to the Department of Molecular Medicine over the next few years, including several neurobiologists who will work out of the Byrd Alzheimer’s Center & Research Institute at USF.

In his Associate Dean role, he will serve as the principal liaison between researchers at USF and Moffitt, developing new opportunities for team grants and joint training grants.

Dr. Deschenes will work with Said Sebti, PhD, leader of the Drug Discovery Program at Moffitt, to establish and co-direct a Structural Biology Consortium that will include faculty and resources from Molecular Medicine, Moffitt and the Florida Center of Excellence for Biomolecular Identification and Targeted Therapeutics. In addition, he will oversee the creation of a High-Throughput Protein Production facility for determining protein structure and function.

Dr. Deschenes is currently the Chair of Biochemistry and the Joseph F. Heil Jr. Professor of Molecular Oncogenesis at Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI, where he also directs research for the college’s cancer center. A NIH-funded principal investigator, he studies eukaryotic signal transduction pathways involved in cancer and cell stress.

Dr. Deschenes received a master’s of science degree in Biochemistry from Tufts University, and his doctorate degree in Biochemistry from Purdue University. He conducted postdoctoral training in the Molecular Biology Department at Princeton University where he initiated studies on the post-translational regulation of Ras oncogene proteins in the model organism yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Before joining the Medical College of Wisconsin, Dr. Deschenes was vice chair of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Iowa and director of the Genetics PhD program.

- USF Health -
USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and public health; the schools of biomedical sciences as well as physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences; and the USF Physicians Group. With more than $360 million in research grants and contracts last year, USF is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

- Photo by Eric Younghans/USF Health Communications

Dr. Lori Bowers

Lori Bowers, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics, has been named Interim Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education at USF. She will begin her position with the College of Medicine’s Office of Educational Affairs on Dec. 1.

As an educator, Dr. Bowers has shaped several important College of Medicine courses. She directs the Interdisciplinary Honors Elective and the Introduction to Clerkships course. She co-directs the Professions of Medicine course and is assistant director of the pediatric portion of the Ambulatory Care Clerkship. In addition, she is currently a member of the Curriculum Committee and APRC and participated on one of the LCME self-study committees.

“As we continue to build on the many strengths of the educational program, Dr Bowers’ passion for optimizing teaching and learning will be a significant asset,” said Alicia Monroe, MD, vice dean for Educational Affairs at COM. “Her strong advocacy for students and her effective cross disciplinary work will guide the re-engineering of curriculum that will enhance student preparation for the clinical phase of their education.”

In addition to earning her MD from USF in 1997, Dr. Bowers completed her residency training here and joined the faculty in August 2001. A faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics, she is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and recognized by her peers as one of the Best Doctors in America.