Graduate programs at USF Health had significant gains in this year’s rankings from U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News), strong improvements that highlight the advances USF Health continues to experience on the national stage.

In the U.S. News 2023 Best Graduate Schools list released March 29, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, College of Nursing, and the College of Public Health all had programs that moved up in rank.

• #46 in Medical Schools for Research: The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine remains in the top 50 for U.S. medical schools for research, moving up two spots from last year, from #48 to #46.
• #56 in Medical Schools for Primary Care: The Morsani College of Medicine also improved for U.S. medical schools for primary care, going from #69 to #56.
• #42 in Nursing—Master’s: The USF Health College of Nursing jumped an incredible 14 spots, going from #56 last year to #42 this year, making it the top-ranked public nursing master’s program in Florida.
• #16 in Public Health: The USF Health College of Public Health remains in the top 20 and rose four spots this year to rank #16 up from #20 last year, making it the top-ranked public health program in Florida, public or private universities.

U.S. News does not provide new rankings for all graduate programs each year, so the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy maintains its rank of #68, and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences maintains its rank of #49.

“Programs across USF Health continue to rise in national rankings, providing a spotlight on our commitment to building high-quality graduate curricula filled with outstanding graduate student experiences,” said Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “These new rankings demonstrate the incredible work of our faculty in elevating our programs through world-class health education, ground-breaking research and excellent clinical care.”

According to U.S. News, its methodology uses data from expert opinions and statistical indicators when measuring a program’s ranking, examining qualities students and faculty bring to the educational experience and graduates’ achievements linked to their degrees, such as job placement and research impact.

More on ranks for USF graduate programs…

Can the community of microbes in our digestive track influence our mental state and, if so, how?

That’s a focus of study by Monica Uddin, PhD, a professor in USF’s College of Public Health, where she contributes to the Genomics Program within the Center for Global Health and Infectious Disease Research, focusing on the genomics of stress-related mental disorders. As part of USF’s ambitious Initiative on Microbiomes, Uddin wants to better understand how gut microbiota is linked to the symptoms of depression.

Monica Uddin, PhD

“Historically, we’ve always thought about our organs as working independently from one another, so it’s a bit hard to wrap your mind around this,’’ said Uddin, whose research just won a $150,000 seed grant from USF.  Her USF Health coprincipal investigators are Glenn Currier, MD, professor and chair of psychiatry, and Adetola Louis-Jacques, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

“We now know that the gut microbiota can make neurotransmitters that influence mental health in ways that can cross the blood/brain barrier.”          

Monica Uddin, PhD, professor in the USF College of Public Health

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disabling mental condition worldwide. Treatment resistant depression (TRD) is a particularly severe form in which antidepressant trials have failed. Resistance occurs at a high rate, with more than 35% failing to respond to two different classes of antidepressant.

Recent research, however, is shedding light on the role of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses on human health, both physical and mental. Such work reveals that a person’s intestinal florae is strongly associated with depressive symptoms and MDD. Work from animal models indicates that microbiota is causally linked to depressive behaviors.

Currently, very little is known about the relationship between the microbiome and TRD, and how patients respond to treatment depending on their microbiota. Researchers need to know more about how this florae differs in patients who respond to anti-depression treatment versus those who do not respond despite multiple attempts.

Up to one-third of adults with major depression battle symptoms that do not respond to several treatment attempts.

To address this significant health need, Uddin is working with a team that focuses on patients electing a treatment known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which has shown some promise in treating TRD. The treatment uses magnetic fields to stimulate brain nerve cells to improve depression symptoms. While it has been effective in treating certain types of depression, it does not provide relief to all patients.

Uddin is studying microbiome-related biomarkers that could one day be used to inform treatment choices and, ultimately, enhance therapy response. Her work is part of a collaboration across professions in which diverse research and solutions can move from the laboratory to the patient bedside.

“The science is at the stage of being more than just descriptive; we’re moving toward function,’’ she said. “And by understanding the function, the hope is 10 or 20 years down the road we can potentially engineer the gut microbiota of people who get depressed.’’

Uddin’s seed grant will help her provide the preliminary results needed to pursue full National Institutes of Health or National Science Foundation grant applications.

-Story by Kurt Loft

TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 6, 2018) – A new report released by the Drug Enforcement Administration finds most overdose deaths are caused by prescription drugs, including opioids. While opioid abuse continues to plague certain states more than others, each state is unique in how it attempts to stem the crisis and its effect on families. These differences have resulted in significant variation across the country between opioid prescription rates and the number of children placed into foster care.

A new USF Health study published in Child Abuse and Neglect finds between 2010-2015, 60 opioids were prescribed for every 100 people in California and New York. While in West Virginia, Kentucky and Louisiana, it was more than 100 prescriptions per 100 people.

Troy Quast, PhD

Lead author, Troy Quast, PhD, associate professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, found the county average annual number of children removed from their homes due to parental substance abuse also varied substantially. One out of every 2,000 children were impacted in California and New York, and it was five out of every 2,000 in West Virginia.

Not only do the rates vary, but so do the relationship between the two rates. In 23 states, increases in opioid prescription rates were associated with increases in the child removal rate. For instance, in California, a 10 percent increase in the county average prescription rate was associated with a 28 percent increase in the child removal rate. By contrast, in 15 states, the association was flipped, where increases in the opioid prescription rate were associated with decreases in the child removal rate.

While Dr. Quast’s study does not definitively identify the reasons for such variation, he believes differences in state criteria for removing children from their homes plays a role.

“States also differ in their legal treatment of opioid prescriptions through prescription drug monitoring programs and legislation regarding pill mills,” Quast said. “The differences could also reflect varying stages of the opioid epidemic.”

Quast believes higher opioid prescription rates in some states may be associated lower levels of illicit opioid consumption. Given the especially potentially drastic effects of illicit opioids on families, prescribed opioids may be less likely to lead to a child removal.

Percent change in the rate of child removals due to parental substance abuse associated with a one-standard deviation increase in the opioid prescription rate, 2010-2015.

This recent study follows another published by Quast and colleagues earlier this year in Health Affairs, which analyzed the association between the rate of opioid prescriptions in Florida and the number of children removed from their homes due to parental neglect.

New laboratory method opens the door to novel human liver-stage research

A breakthrough by the scientists at the University of South Florida is giving researchers around the world the chance to study the planet’s deadliest parasite in ways that were previously impossible.

PhD researcher Alison Roth works to image the malaria parasite (green structure) and liver sample cells. | Photo by Aaron Hilf, cell image courtesy of Alison Roth, Adams lab.

A new and innovative laboratory technique, published this week in Nature Communications, will radically improve the way scientists can study liver-stage malaria outside the human body (in vitro). A team of USF researchers, in collaboration with groups from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research International Laboratory in Thailand, the University of Georgia and others, developed a process to culture human liver cells, called hepatocytes, and more efficiently infect them with the malaria parasite. The technique allows researchers to overcome major resource limitations to study this parasite stage and more rapidly discover new therapies in the fight against malaria.

“This is one of the last frontiers of malaria research and it’s become critically important because this is the place where the infection starts in the human body,” said John Adams, PhD, a USF distinguished professor in the USF College of Public Health and the lead researcher on the project.

Nearly half of the world’s population is at risk of contracting malaria. In 2016, the parasite infected an estimated 216 million people, causing nearly half a million deaths.

Malaria, most severe in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, is one of the worst global health burdens. Humans are infected through contact with parasite-laden mosquitos and once bitten, the parasite enters the circulatory system and goes directly to liver to infect hepatocytes. When inside these cells, the parasite can lay dormant for a period of time or immediately move into the blood-stage. While it’s the blood-stage that causes the clinical disease, the earlier liver stage is a critical bottleneck in the early infection process and provides an opportunity for significant advancement in both drug and vaccine development to prevent malaria.

Distinguished Professor John Adams, PhD, USF College of Public Health | Photo by Torie Doll

“Almost all of the current strategies are focused the blood-stage of malaria – after the person has already become infected. But, in order to eradicate this disease, you need to block the cycle of reinfection and the most efficient way to do that is by blocking the parasite from coming into the person,” Adams said. “This has not been possible previously because the methods of studying the liver stage have just not been there. Our technique makes that work possible.”

The current liver-stage treatment was developed in the 1950s and is very toxic for some patients, according to Adams. Researchers say this new technique represents a fundamental breakthrough in the fight against malaria by allowing new liver stage therapies to be explored.

Alison Roth, a PhD researcher at USF and lead co-author of the article, says the new method, which can be used to study the two most prominent types of the malaria parasite, P. falciparum and P. vivax, uses standard format 384-well plates, allowing scientists to scale up their discovery process with existing high throughput screening technologies and screen preclinical drugs and vaccines more quickly. Using the 384-well format, researchers surpassed the current liver stage in vitro methods by improving long-term cultivation of primary human hepatocytes and enhancing parasite development rates. The technique, while very innovative and more efficient, is actually much simpler than current methods, allowing researchers around the world the chance to employ it in their work.

“Some of the other methods for researching liver stage malaria are very expensive with large biomaterial requirements. Our method reduces the cost and biomaterials, which makes it much more accessible,” Roth said. “It’s exciting to know that the model we’ve developed can be easily adapted to other labs and even used in endemic countries.”

The Plasmodium vivax parasite (green structures) surrounded by human liver cells | Image courtesy of Alison Roth, Adams lab, University of South Florida

USF researchers have already begun using their new method in their USF lab and with their Walter Reed collaborators to evaluate new drugs and validate new vaccines. Roth says they’re working to develop vaccines to prevent the parasite from infecting hepatocytes and also hope to develop drugs to kill the parasite after it’s entered the human body. It’s a breakthrough developed at USF that will have an impact around the world, and one day, save lives.

To read the full research article, click here.

Faculty from USF’s COPH and Florida Center for Community Design and Research will focus on Tampa Bay area projects integrating public health and community design

TAMPA, Fla. (March 13, 2018) – Researchers from University of South Florida College of Public Health (COPH) and the Florida Center for Community Design and Research (FCCDR), part of USF’s School of Architecture and Community Design, were selected as new members of a national consortium that advances university-led research in design and health.

The Design & Health Research Consortium was established by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). Teams from more than 20 prestigious schools, including Texas A&M, Harvard University and the University of Washington, work to understand — and improve — the way the built environment impacts public health.

At Tampa’s Riverwalk, USF researchers selected to join the national Design & Health Research Consortium are, from left, Taryn E. Sabia, Elizabeth Dunn, Joe Bohn and Marie Bourgeois. | Photo by Shelby Bourgeois

The USF team will examine Tampa Bay’s “urban resiliency” and look at ways improved built environment design initiatives can bolster community health factors, including reducing risks to natural disasters and man-made hazards.  They will take into account things like the economic and structural impacts of sea level rise, but most importantly how the population is affected.

The four USF faculty members involved in the consortium are:

• Taryn E. Sabia, EdM, MArch, director of FCCDR and member of the Florida AIA Strategic Council
• Joe Bohn, PhD, MBA, visiting assistant professor and director of community engagement, COPH
• Marie Bourgeois, PhD, MPH, assistant professor, undergraduate studies, COPH
• Elizabeth Dunn, MPH, instructor in the Global Disaster Management, Humanitarian Relief and Homeland Security (GHH) Program, COPH

“Integrating public health within community design is an important aspect of planning with the population in mind,” Dunn said. “It means putting the needs of people and their communities at the forefront, and that will lead to healthier living conditions and well-being.”

In pursuit of that aim, USF COPH, FCCDR and the rest of the consortium will collaborate to generate new evidence-based research and disseminate the results to local and state policymakers as well as the public.

“This new partnership has been in the making for years,” Dr. Bohn said. “As neighborhoods are revitalized and prioritization of resources becomes essential, decisions must be made that can impact each community’s direction for decades to come. These decisions often have economic impacts as well as population health implications. Issues such as these are key factors in the importance of this new partnership for the Tampa Bay region.”

Those interested in learning more about how environmental design affects health are invited to attend Design + Health 2018, 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday, April 5, in the USF Marshall Student Center, Room. 2708. The event, free and open to the public, will be hosted by the USF College of Public Health, USF School of Architecture, FCCDR, the Disaster and Humanitarian Relief Student Collaborative, and the United Nations Association Tampa Bay in celebration of World Health Day 2018 and National Public Health Week.

-Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health

The workshop brought together USF students and researchers, community advocates and law enforcement to brainstorm about best ways to unite efforts

For 16 years of her childhood Connie Rose endured incest, was exploited and sex trafficked – all at the hands of a serial sex offender who was her father.

“I was a daughter for rent,” said Rose, who was able to escape her father’s grasp only when she married her college sweetheart.  She says she is also “living proof that even from the most unimaginable circumstances there is resilience.”

Today, Rose, founder of Victims2Survivors and Connie Rose Consulting, has dedicated her life to empowering survivors and engaging the greater community in the fight again human trafficking.  She was among the panelists at a Jan. 26 workshop that brought USF students, faculty, and staff; community partners and advocates; law enforcement professionals; and survivors to the University of South Florida to discuss ways to strengthen anti-human trafficking efforts in the Tampa Bay area.

Connie Rose

“End Human Trafficking:  A Community Approach,” held in the USF Marshall Student Center, was presented by the USF College of Public Health Department of Global Health in collaboration with the Disaster and Humanitarian Relief Student Collaborative, The FREE Network, and the USF Office of Community Engagement and Partnerships.

The Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as a “modern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain.” Most human trafficking in the United States involves sexual exploitation, followed by forced labor.

The panelists spoke about the challenges and opportunities of bringing the community together to more effectively help children and adults who have suffered the horrors of human trafficking and shared observations about the anti-trafficking movement.

The panel of speakers included a USF College of Public Health alumna, a USF faculty expert, a human trafficking survivor, and a representative from law enforcement.

Rose cautioned organizations and volunteers not to let human trafficking become the “next shiny, new object” to draw attention to their work, but to instead persevere in linking efforts and collectively creating a stronger voice for victims and survivors.  “We are human beings who, no matter how or where we were trafficked, deserve services,” she said.  “We deserve trauma therapy and medical treatment. We deserve to go to school and get an education.”

The ability to identify signs in individuals most likely to fall prey to human traffickers is essential for prevention and early intervention, the panelists agreed.

USF’s Bryanna Fox, PhD, (left). assistant professor in the Department of Criminology, collaborates with law enforcement to study risk factors that can lead individuals to become victims of human trafficking.

Former FBI agent Bryanna Fox, PhD, assistant professor in the USF Department of Criminology, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, works with USF students to research the risk factors that can lead people, including runaway children, to become victims of human trafficking and develops evidence-based trainings to help law enforcement in their trafficking investigations.

“We’re looking at adverse childhood experiences – trauma, sexual abuse, drug use, mental illness, having parents who are incarcerated, neglect,” Fox said. “Each one of these things can raise a child’s risk of being a runaway exponentially, and when you’re a runaway the risk of having something bad happen to you on the street obviously increases.”

Many USF students participating in the workshop were from the service learning course taught by Elizabeth Dunn, MPH (pictured), or members of the Disaster and Humanitarian Relief (DAHR) Student Collaborative, for which Dunn serves as faculty advisor. 

Sasha Lohn, JD, general counsel for the St. Petersburg Police Department shared her perspective on how well-informed and trained law enforcement can play a major role in detecting human trafficking victims, a most vulnerable population that often remains unseen in the community.

Speaker Laura Hamilton, MPH, a USF College of Public Health alumna, is the founder and executive director of BRIDGING Freedom, a non-profit organization working to bring the state and Tampa Bay community together to establish a successful model for girls, ages 6 to 18, rescued from sex trafficking in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. With support from the state, a land donor and local corporations, Hamilton said, Bridging Freedom, expects to open late this spring a therapeutic safe home campus – the first of its kind in Florida –where those rescued can be placed to receive the long-term services needed to heal the physical and psychological scars of sex trafficking and to transition back into society.

USF engineering student Alejandro Guerra (front right), volunteer coordinator for the “End Human Trafficking: A Community Approach” event, with three USF nursing student volunteers.

The program’s graduate-level professional staff will offer trauma-informed care, health care management, education, as well as life skills and mentors. The COPH-based Harrell Center will conduct outcomes evaluations to measure and monitor the effectiveness of programs, said Hamilton, who earned a master’s degree in global health practice from USF in 2011. “These girls have real potential… You need a program equipped to provide multi-faceted services to a child who has been brainwashed and manipulated multiple times a night, seven days a week, often for years.”

Following the panel discussion, the 115 attendees participated in breakout sessions led by USF students trained as facilitators. They brainstormed about ways to best advance their ambitious goals of ending human trafficking and supporting survivors in the community.  Questions addressed included what actions are needed to affect positive change in policy and legislation, how to overcome challenges to data collection and research, proactive vs. reactive strategies to prevent human trafficking, and what unique contributions different organizations can make towards combatting human trafficking.

USF public health student Andrea Tristan facilitates one of the workshop’s roundtable discussions.

Panel moderator Joanna Gutierrez Winters, president and chair of The FREE Network, perhaps wrapped up the workshop best in her closing remarks to students and others.

Human trafficking is a global problem and solving all the complex issues involved can sometimes feel overwhelming, she said, “but you can affect the immediate sphere of influence in your community… There is something we can all bring to the table to make a difference.”

Anthony Masys, PhD, director of the Global Disaster Management, Humanitarian Assistance and Homeland Security program at the USF College of Public Health, participates in a roundtable discussion with students and community advocates.

BY THE NUMBERS*

• 300,000 – Children in the United States, at least, prostituted yearly (National District Attorneys Association)
•  12 – Average age that a trafficked victim is first used for commercial sex (Department of Homeland Security)
• 83% – Of sex trafficking victims identified in the United States were U.S. citizens according to a study of U.S. Department of Justice human trafficking task force cases. (Office of Florida Attorney General)
• 52 – Approximate number of local child sex-trafficking victims rescued in 2015 (FBI Innocence Lost Initiative)
• Less than 250 – Shelter beds for commercially sexually exploited children in the United States (EPCAT-USA)

*Source:  Statistics from the BRIDGING Freedom website

-Photos by Anna Mayor, USF College of Public Health Communications

It was an unforgettable night for USF Health students at the 111^th USF Commencement Ceremony – marking the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new journey.

More than 450 students walked across the big stage on May 5 at the USF Sun Dome to receive their doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in front of their peers, professors, friends, families, USF leaders and distinguished guests.

USF Health students graduate at the 111^th USF Commencement Ceremony on May 5 at the USF Sun Dome. 

“Today, you join a community of scholars that spans the world; a community that has sought truth through knowledge,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft. “It’s a community that for centuries has chosen a relentless pursuit of possibilities. A community that treasures the value of differences and diversity of thought.”

USF System President Judy Genshaft addresses the Spring 2017 USF Health graduates.

In its third year, the USF Health Commencement brought together students from College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, College of Public Health, Morsani College of Medicine’s Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs and School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. This year, USF College of Pharmacy graduated its largest class to date.

The USF Health graduates were among 5,700 students to graduate in Spring 2017 from across the USF System. The diverse group of students came from 50 states and 106 nations.

Students celebrate their milestone before walking across the big stage.

During the ceremony, President Genshaft honored outstanding students who overcame odds to successfully complete their degrees.

• Giovanna Middlebrook, a student from the USF College of Pharmacy, was recognized for her courage to overcome adversity after moving to the United States from Bolivia with her mother when she was 6 years old. When she arrived to the United States, she did not speak English, so the transition was not easy. Despite those challenges, she successfully completed the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
• Kyle Watterson, doctoral student in the health services research program at the College of Public Health, donated bone marrow through the Be The Match Foundation to honor his late father-in-law – one of his biggest supporters. While in the PhD program, Watterson taught various physical therapy, policy and management classes. He was also the recipient of numerous student research awards from the College of Public Health and the Morsani College of Medicine.
• Jin Wei, who graduated with his PhD in medical science from Morsani College of Medicine, is thankful to USF for providing him the proper education and training to foster his career in cardiovascular research. While in the program, Wei received numerous cardiovascular research awards from USF and other research organizations.
• Jennifer Kirlangitis, a registered nurse for almost 30 years, came to USF to pursue the registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing (RN-BS) program from College of Nursing. While raising four children and working full-time as a nurse, Kirlangitis graduated with top honors.

Excited students gear up for a memorable commencement ceremony. 

Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, joined President Genshaft in congratulating all the graduates for their outstanding academic achievement.

“We’re incredibly proud of all our students for accomplishing this incredible milestone,” Dr. Lockwood said. “Over the course of the last few years, they’ve really learned to work together interprofessionally as a team including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists and public health experts. So, this is a valuable and unique aspect of the education they receive here at USF Health.”

Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, honors students who graduated with top honors. 

During the event, Dr. Lockwood recognized students who consistently met the highest level of academic performance. One of them was Mary Alao, a student in the bachelor’s of science program at the College of Public Health. She received the King O’Neal award for graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She was one of 34 students in the USF System Spring 2017 graduating class to receive such recognition.

President Genshaft and Dr. Lockwood presented the USF Honorary Degree to Julio Frenk, MD, PhD, president of the University of Miami. Dr. Frenk is a well-known physician from Mexico, who has helped transform health care for many decades.

President Genshaft and Dr. Lockwood presented the USF Honorary Degree to Julio Frenk, MD, PhD, president of the University of Miami. Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health and interim dean of the College of Nursing, assists with the ceremonial hooding.

Prior to joining University of Miami, Dr. Frenk was the dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the T&G Angelopoulos professor of Public Health and International Development, a joint appointment with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

From 2000 to 2006, Dr. Frenk served as the Minister of Health for Mexico. While there, he pursued an ambitious agenda to reform the nation’s health system. He also introduced a program of comprehensive universal coverage, known as Seguro Popular, which expanded access to health care for more than 55 million uninsured Mexicans. He was also the founding director-general of the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico, one of the leading institutions of its kind in the developing world.

Dr. Frenk addresses the Spring 2017 graduates after receiving the USF Honorary Degree. 

“Whether you are receiving a degree from the colleges of medicine, pharmacy, nursing or public health, you have made an existential commitment to improving the human condition through your unique blend of knowledge, skills, strength and your compassionate care,” Dr. Frenk said in his address to the Spring 2017 USF Health graduates after receiving his honorary degree from USF.

As part of the USF Commencement tradition, PhD student Lecia Brown, who migrated to United States from Jamaica at 9 years old, was selected to give the student address at the ceremony. Brown completed her PhD in medical sciences with a concentration in neuroscience at the Morsani College of Medicine. During her speech, she told fellow graduates that standing up at the podium was a big honor and privilege.

Lecia Brown, PhD student in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, addresses fellow graduates.

“Graduates, you are at the top, but your journey is just beginning,” said Brown, who started LAMB Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to children in Jamaica.  “You can transform your success into tools to enable someone else’s success. This may be your last degree, but the truth is, no matter where you are on this path, never stop dreaming and chasing your dreams.”

USF College of Pharmacy students celebrate their big day.

Story by Vjollca Hysenlika and photos by Sandra C. Roa, USF Health Communications and Marketing 

For some students, choosing a major can be a difficult decision. However, an event hosted by USF Health from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the USF Marshall Student Center, could help make their decision a lot easier.

USF Health’s Shared Student Services, in partnership with Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA), is hosting a symposium for undergraduate students to learn about different health professions and explore the array of programs offered at USF Health.

A USF Health student poses with USF mascot Rocky D. Bull at the 2016 USF Health Shared Student Services symposium.

“The health care symposium showcases our nationally ranked academic programs to prospective students,” said Joe Ford, assistant vice president for USF Health Shared Student Services. “This also highlights USF Health and our mission of making life better for patients and the community through top-quality education, research and clinical practice.”

Guest speaker Donna Petersen, ScD, CPH, senior associate vice president of USF Health, dean of the USF College of Public Health and interim dean of the USF College of Nursing, will discuss career opportunities in health care and how USF adapts its programs to align with the ever-changing health care field.

Advisors from all USF Health colleges will be there to answer questions about different programs offered at the Morsani College of Medicine, College of Public Health, College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, and School of Biomedical Sciences.

The event, which includes a photo booth, breakfast and lunch, will be free to students.

To register, click here.

To read WUSF‘s news report on the symposium, click here.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAK-1kfJPV8

On Thursday Oct. 13, USF Health celebrated 10 years of presence at the City of Knowledge, Panama. The event aimed to emphasize the common vision shared by USF Health leadership and many of the academic and research partners in Panama; it also featured a keynote address by guest professor Anne Firth Murray of Stanford University, human rights advocate and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Dr. Murray spoke eloquently about the economic impact of investing in women´s health and education across the life span.

Donna Petersen, ScD, senior associate vice president of USF Health, dean of the College of Public Health (COPH) and one of the founders of the Panama program, talked about how, through the recommendation of COPH alumna Dr. Arlene Calvo, she came to Panama and “was immediately inspired by the impact that public health had on the construction of the Panama Canal, Panama´s biodiversity, and more importantly the enthusiasm of those Panamanian visionaries, Dr. Rodrigo Tarté and Prof. Jorge Arosemena, who were starting to develop the City of Knowledge concept. That inspiration, turned into motivation to establish a USF presence with a global health focus at the City of Knowledge, the old U.S. Clayton Military Base, now transformed into a research and innovation park, a campus for foreign universities and the home of many international NGOs.

In his remarks, Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, mentioned the “increased collaboration in education, research and clinical care between USF faculty and students and their counterparts in Panama as well as health professional and organizations across the Americas.” He then thanked the Panamanian partners for their continued support to help provide “research opportunities for more than 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students and medical residents as well as for over 175 faculty members from the USF and other U.S. institutions.”

USF Health Panama´s research and academic initiatives have trained more than 2,000 health professionals and field workers throughout Panama and the Latin American region.

Through the USF Health Panama Program, students across a variety of disciplines gain hands-on experience in rural or indigenous communities throughout Panama and conduct innovative research to complete their master’s and doctoral theses. They work alongside Panamanian physicians and health care workers in public and private hospitals, complete field studies in cooperation with humanitarian agencies, intern with business and industry leaders, and participate in service missions across the Panama region. USF faculty, affiliate faculty and alumni in Panama engage in cutting-edge research and health education grant projects on HIV/AIDS, Zika virus, malaria, influenza, dengue, domestic violence, cervical cancer, nutrition, diabetes, data systems, and policy analysis. Dr. Lockwood thanked Dr. Nestor Sosa, director of the Gorgas Memorial Research Institute for Health Studies (ICGES), for rich discussions on topics of joint interest and mentioned his interest in working more on vaccine development and other research areas of joint interest.

During the evening reception, Dr. Anne Debaldo was recognized for her instrumental role in the development of the Health and Education International Foundation in Panama. In addition, partner institutions such as the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (ICGES), the National Secretariat of Science Technology and Innovation (SENACYT), INDICASAT, the City of Knowledge and the University of Panamá were specially honored for their years of joint collaboration and support.

The Ministry of Health, the National Obudsman’s (Defensoría del Pueblo) office, Vital Voices, the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC), Centauri Technologies, Forest Finance, the National Association against Cancer (ANCEC), PROBISIDA Foundation, UNICEF, The Panamerican Health Organization (PAHO), as well as faculty from the Oncological Institute (Instituto Oncológico), the Children´s Hospital (Hospital del Niño), the Social Security Hospitals , the Santo Tomás Hospital and Regional Health Centers were also recognized.

The Health and Education International Foundation Board members were present at the event, including President- Roberta Burford, JD, Vice-President Joann Strobbe, MsEd, Greg Vannette, CPA, Cristienn Joudaane, MBA, MS, Jay Evans, MBA, MPH, Lynette Menezes, PhD and Constance Visovsky, PhD, and the USF Health Panama team members Arlene Calvo, PhD, MPH; Aracely Quintero, BS; Jeanette Galvez, BS; Gladys Bernett, MBA, MHA, and alumni Morgan Hess Holtz, MS and Arturo Rebollón, MD, were also thanked for their dedication in advancing the USF’s mission in Panama.

Strong academic collaboration was the main highlight of the evening. There was potential and enthusiasm to keep working together on initiatives aimed at improving the health, education and quality of life of our communities, our hemisphere and the world.

Story by Gladys Bernett, video by Sandra C. Roa/ University Communications and Marketing, photos by Tarina Rodriguez

USF Health leadership cut the ribbon to mark the grand opening of the WELL Phase II.

The new community space at the USF Health WELL is now open for business, offering a new dining facility, The Table at Four Corners, among other beneficial additions for interdisciplinary student and faculty use.

In grand USF style, the ribbon-cutting ceremony included USF Health leadership and excited students thrilled to have the long awaited space, part of Phase II of the total project. Everything from the choice of food to the selection of the furniture came from student input and ideas.

“This is a space for students to gather together, to nurture and support one another, located in the heart of the USF Health campus,” said Joe Ford, assistant vice president for USF Health Shared Student Services. Ford and colleagues worked tirelessly alongside student leaders to bring the concept of the community space to fruition.

Joe Ford, assistant vice president for USF Health Shared Student Services, kicked off the grand opening celebration.

“This is really a day to celebrate USF Health,” said Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “The WELL is the glue that brings all the different student groups together to create a culture of connectivity and wellness.”

Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, shared his excitement for the new facility.

The expansion not only includes a new dining area for students, but also a patio area, study rooms, a serenity room and a lactation room. The WELL has over 12,000 square feet of indoor space and 3,000 square feet of landscaped patio space to accommodate students and faculty.

Former Advisory Board student member and USF alum, Ruan Cox, PhD, describes the WELL as “a shared space that impacts all disciplines.” Cox was part of the initial planning of the WELL through the Student Advisory Board and emphasized that student ideas really do impact the growth and development of USF Health as a whole. “This space was designed by us and for us,” Cox said.

University of South Florida College of Nursing student Cecelia Ferguson shared her excitement about the dining options available at The Table at Four Corners, a name decided on through a naming contest to represent the four USF Health Colleges coming together over a meal at the new WELL space. “The selection of The Rising Roll Gourmet Café is the result of a student taste-off last year,” Ferguson said. “This café will provide healthy food options, such as vegan and vegetarian offerings, which is really great for healthy food choices.”

USF Health students Nathanael Stanley, Cecelia Ferguson, Rocky the Bull, Lauren Terpak, Reema Rifaie, Stephen Brock and USF Alum Ruan Cox, PhD, shared what the WELL means for students.

Rising Roll Gourmet is part of the newly expanded dining area that also includes a Central Market convenience store. Both locations will be housed within The Table at Four Corners.“We are honored to be a part of the food service offering at USF and appreciate their commitment to fresh gourmet food. We look forward to serving the students, faculty, and staff,” said Mike Lassiter, president of the Rising Roll Franchising Company.

Starting Monday, Rising Roll Gourmet will be open  7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Central Market hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.

The WELL phase II expansion has attained Gold LEED certification status, incorporating sustainable options wherever possible. The design favors green and gold accents to complement USF colors and has lots of details to remind students to “Be well, live well and eat well.”

Morsani College of Medicine student Lauren Terpak was involved in the initial grand opening of phase I of The WELL, and was particularly pleased with the Leadership and Learning Room that will be available to students.“The name says it all,” Terpak said. “It’s a place for greatness, where ideas, collaborations between disciplines, and new friendships continue to shape health care, starting now in our USF community and beyond.”

The next part of the project, Phase III, is expected to bring a fitness center, set to open in Spring 2017, and an additional 12,600 square feet of space that is still being planned by Shared Student Services.

School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences student Stephen Brock is encouraged by the new fitness facility being developed. “The fitness center at the WELL is going to be a central addition to the USF Health community, “ Brock said. “With a myriad of exercise modalities offering, spanning from group classes to state-of-the-art equipment, this facility can meet a majority of health and fitness needs.”

College of Pharmacy student Reema Rifaie shared the importance of adding the Serenity Room, a space to promote overall student wellness. “The serenity room offers students a place to pray, meditate or simply seek a quiet moment in the midst of all the challenges they may face with academics and busy schedules.”

USF College of Public Health student Nathanael Stanley shared his excitement about the sense of community that the dining facility will bring for students at USF Health. “I have to admit I’m excited about the new dining center,” Stanley said. “I love food. I also understand its significance to society. Food is a method of celebration. It brings people together.”

The interdisciplinary collaboration and sense of community of a shared space for USF students and faculty is the main theme of the USF Health WELL, and now, with this official opening, let the connectivity and positivity of the environment bring on that sense of togetherness. Let the good times roll!

USF Health community gathered on the new patio space to celebrate the opening of the WELL’s phase II

Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications