The research sheds light on malaria-related parasite’s transition from acute to chronic stage 

Tampa, FL (April 8, 2013) – A new discovery about the malaria-related parasite Toxoplasma gondii — which can threaten babies, AIDS patients, the elderly and others with weakened immune function — may help solve the mystery of how this single-celled parasite establishes life-long infections in people.

The study, led by a University of South Florida research team, places the blame squarely on a family of proteins, known as AP2 factors, which evolved from the regulators of flowering in plants.

In findings published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers demonstrate AP2 factors are instrumental in flipping a developmental “switch” that transitions the parasite from a rapidly dividing acute form destructive to healthy tissue to a chronic stage invisible to the immune system.   They identified one factor, AP2IX-9, that appears to restrict development of Toxoplasma cysts that settle quietly in various tissues, most commonly the host’s brain.

Michael White, PhD, professor of global health and molecular medicine at USF Health, is one of the world’s leading experts on Toxoplasma parasites.

A better understanding of how the switch mechanism works may eventually lead to ways to block chronic Toxoplasma infections, said study principal investigator Michael White, PhD, professor of global health and molecular medicine at USF Health and a member of the Center of Drug Discovery and Innovation, a Florida Center of Excellence at USF.

White and his colleagues are among the world’s leading experts in T. gondii, combining approaches from biochemistry, genetics and structural biology to look for new ways to combat the parasitic disease toxoplasmosis.

No drugs or vaccines currently exist to treat or prevent the chronic stage of the disease. The T. gondii parasites may remain invisible to the immune system for years and then reactivate when immunity wanes, boosting the risk for recurrent disease.

“The evolutionary story of Toxoplasma is fascinating,” White said. “We were blown away to find that the AP2 factors controlling how a flower develops and how plants respond to poor soil and water conditions have been adapted to work within an intracellular human parasite.”

Ages ago the ancestors of malaria parasites genetically merged with an ancestor of plants, and the primitive plant donated its AP2 factors to the future malaria family.

“Our study showed that, like the AP2 factors help a plant survive a stressful environment, the AP2 factors of T. gondii help the parasite decide when the time is right to grow or when to form a tissue cyst that may lie dormant in people for many years,” White said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzOwg23EmrU

Time-lapse of Toxoplasma parasites under the fluorescent microscope shows the living single-cell organisms (red) expressing a plant protein, known as an AP2 factor (yellow) in real time.  The video was produced by the laboratories of Michael White (USF) and Boris Striepen (University of Georgia).  The still image below captures the peak expression of the AP2 factor.

Toxoplasmosis, the infection caused T. gondii, is commonly associated with the medical advice that pregnant women should avoid contact with litter boxes.  That’s because infected cats play a big role in spreading the disease. The tiny organism thrives in the guts of cats, producing countless egg-like cells that are passed along in the feces and can live in warm moist soil or water for months.

People can acquire toxoplasmosis several ways, usually by exposure to the feces of cats or other infected animals, by eating undercooked meat of infected animals, or drinking water contaminated with T. gondii.

Up to 30 percent of the world’s population is estimated to be infected with the T. gondii parasite.

In some parts of the world, including places where sanitation is poor and eating raw or undercooked meat is customary, nearly 100 percent of people carry the parasite, White said.

Few experience flu-like symptoms because the immune system usually prevents the parasite from causing illness, but for those who are immune deficient the consequences can be severe.

The disease may be deadly in AIDS patients, organ transplant recipients, patients receiving certain types of chemotherapy, and infants born to mothers infected with the parasite during or shortly before pregnancy. Recently, toxoplasmosis has been linked to mental illness, such as schizophrenia and other diseases of dementia, and changes in behavior.

Joshua Radke, a PhD student in Dr. White’s laboratory, was a first author of the study.

Because it is common, complex and not easily killed with standard disinfection measures, the toxoplasma parasite is a potential weapon for bioterrorists, White added.

The USF-led study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. White’s team worked with researchers at Princeton University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Indiana University School of Medicine. Joshua Radke, a PhD student in the USF Health Department of Molecular Medicine, was a first author of the study.

Article citation:
“ApiAP2 transciption factor restricts development of the Toxoplasma tissue cyst;” Joshua B. Radke, Oliver Lucas, Erandi K. DeSilva, YanFen Ma, William J. Sullivan, Jr., Louis M. Weiss, Manuel Llinas, and Michael W. White; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1300059110

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu

Media contact:
Anne DeLotto Baier,  USF Health Communications
(813) 974-3303 or abaier@health.usf.edu

Photo of Michael White by Eric Younghans/USF Health Communications

USF Health faculty among authors of national study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Multistate, hospital-based quality improvement programs can be remarkably effective at reducing early elective deliveries of babies, a study published April 8 in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology reports.

The March of Dimes, which partly funded the study, calls the findings good news, because babies delivered before full-term are at increased risk of serious health problems and death in their first year of life.

In the group of 25 participating hospitals, the rate of elective early-term deliveries (i.e., inductions of labor and Cesarean sections without a medical reason before a baby reaches a full 39 weeks gestational age) fell significantly from 27.8 percent to 4.8 percent during the one-year project period, an 83 percent decline.

Florida did even better than the other four states involved in the March of Dimes national project, said William Sappenfield, MD, MPH, director of the Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies at the USF College of Public Health.  Dr. Sappenfield, co-chair of the March of Dimes prematurity initiative, and John Curran, MD, an associate vice president at USF Health and executive director of the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative (FPQC), were among the authors of the multistate study.

“The initiative coordinated by the FPQC at USF Health and the Chiles Center reduced the (early-term delivery) rate in Florida’s pilot hospitals to the same low national study rate of 5 percent, even though our state’s pilot hospitals started the initiative with a substantially higher rate of 38 percent,”  said Dr. Sappenfield.  “This would not have been possible without our partnership with the March of Dimes and our obstetrical consultants from Florida’s new district of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.”

L to R: USF leaders of the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative include Linda Detman PhD, Department of Community and Family Health at the Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies; William Sappenfield, MD, MPH, director of the Chiles Center; and USF Health’s John Curran, MD, executive director of the FPQC.

“Reducing unnecessary early deliveries to less than 5 percent in these hospitals means that more babies stayed in the womb longer, which is so important for their growth and development,” said Edward R.B. McCabe, MD, medical director of the March of Dimes.  “This project saw a decrease in the proportion of babies born at 37 and 38 weeks and a corresponding increase in the 39-41 week range during the one-year period studied. Additional studies, perhaps over a longer period of time, could clarify whether such quality improvement programs can also bring down a hospital’s overall preterm birth rate.”

The initiative focused on implementation of a toolkit called “Elimination of Non-medically Indicated (Elective) Deliveries before 39 Weeks Gestational Age,” to guide changes in early term delivery practices.  The toolkit was developed in partnership with March of Dimes, the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative and the California Maternal Child and Adolescent Division within the California Department of Public Health.

This was the first project of a collaborative with perinatal quality improvement advocates from state health departments, academic health centers, public and private hospitals, and March of Dimes chapters from the five most populous states in the country: California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas. These five states account for an estimated 38 percent of all births in the United States.

Florida hospitals participating in FPQC pilot study were St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Lee Memorial Health System in Ft. Myers, Plantation General Hospital in Plantation, Santa Rosa Medical Center in Milton, South Miami Hospital in Miami, and Broward General Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale.

The study targeted deliveries that were not medically necessary during the 37th and 38th week of fetal gestation. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness compared to full-term infants.

The six Florida hospitals participating in FPQC pilot study were St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Lee Memorial Health System in Ft. Myers, Plantation General Hospital in Plantation, Santa Rosa Medical Center in Milton, South Miami Hospital in Miami, and Broward General Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale.  For an earlier story on USF’s role in the statewide, multihospital initiative, click here.

“This study is only the beginning,” said Dr. Sappenfield, a professor in the USF Department of Community and Family Health. “Not only do other hospitals in Florida need to reduce their rates of non-medically indicated deliveries, but this is the first of many needed perinatal quality improvement initiatives in Florida to assure that all our mothers and infants have access to quality health care.”

The FPQC, in coordination with hospitals, obstetricians, pediatricians, nurses and nurse midwives, is developing new statewide initiatives to reduce preterm births, avert infections and prevent maternal deaths.

The March of Dimes urges hospitals, health care providers, and patients to follow the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines that if a pregnancy is healthy, to wait for labor to begin on its own.  The final weeks of pregnancy are crucial to a baby’s health because many vital organs, including the brain and lungs, are still developing.

“A Multistate Quality Improvement Program to Decrease Elective Deliveries Before 39 Weeks,” by Dr. Bryan T. Oshiro and others, appears in the April 8 online edition of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.

Anne DeLotto Baier of USF Health Communications contributed to this story.
Photo by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Hollis Grady Boren, MD, a founding faculty member of the USF College of Medicine who served as dean of the college from 1977 to 1979, passed away April 6 at his home.

He was a pulmonologist who spent his entire career in the VA healthcare system, including appointments in Texas, Florida, Washington, DC, and Mississippi, before retiring as Chief of Staff of the VA Medical Center in Biloxi in 1989.  

Dr. Hollis Boren was dean of the USF College of Medicine from 1977 to 1979.

While working at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in the 1970s, Dr. Boren accepted an appointment as one of the charter faculty members in the Department of Medicine at the University of South Florida’s relatively new medical school.  He had served as an associate dean before being named dean by then USF interim president William Reece Smith, Jr., in July 1977. 

Dr. Boren guided the College of Medicine during a period of transition at the university.  During his tenure as dean, he worked with H. Lee Moffitt, then a Florida state representative, to seek support from community and medical leaders for establishing a major center on USF’s campus that would focus exclusively on cancer.

“Dr. Boren was one of our early deans instrumental in leading the momentum needed to help a young USF College of Medicine take root and thrive,” said Stephen K. Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.   “Leaders like him helped lay the strong academic foundation that has allowed us to build toward a new USF Health Morsani College of Medicine focused on transforming medical education with innovative programs, like SELECT and CAMLS.”

Dr. Boren was preceded in death by his wife, Lois Wriborg Boren. He is survived by his sons, Doug (Barbara) Boren, of Matthews, NC and Jay (Carol) Sloan, of Ozark, AL; daughters, Cindy (David) Berry, of Wesley Chapel, FL, Debbie (Triston) Mabry of Temple, TX, Dr. Lisa (Dr. Nanolla) Yazdani, of Byram and Elise Boren of Franklin, NC; 15 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren and one great great-grandson.

You can view the online guest book for Dr. Boren here: http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/tbo/guestbook.aspx?n=hollis-boren&pid=164139083&cid=full

USF part of interntional project yielding unexpected insights from a fish with a 300-million-year-old fossil record

April 17, 2013  – Researchers from the University of South Florida were members of an international team that has decoded the genome of a creature whose evolutionary history is both enigmatic and illuminating: the African coelacanth.  A sea-cave dwelling, five-foot long fish with limb-like fins, the coelacanth was once thought to be extinct.

A living coelacanth was discovered off the African coast in 1938, and since then, questions about these ancient-looking fish – popularly known as “living fossils” – have loomed large. Coelacanths today closely resemble the fossilized skeletons of their more than 300-million-year-old ancestors. Its genome confirms what many researchers had long suspected: genes in coelacanths are evolving more slowly than in other organisms.

“It has been a highly rewarding experience to be involved in another project of this scope, with such a distinguished international team of scientists,” said Gary Litman, PhD, a USF Distinguished University Professor and Hines Professor of Pediatrics at USF Health.   “As we continue to expand our understanding of genomes, it never ceases to amaze us how many different (evolutionary) solutions there have been for creating a functional immune system.”

Dr. Litman, an international expert in the field of immunogenetics, directs the molecular genetics laboratory at the St. Petersburg-based USF Children’s Research Institute.   He and colleagues John Cannon, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at USF, and Gail Mueller,  laboratory coordinator-All Children’s Hospital, are among the authors of a paper on the coelacanth genome, which appears in the journal Nature this week.

Coelacanths can be huge, reaching 5 feet or more and weighing 198 pounds.

Using fish as a good model for human immunity, Dr. Litman’s research has led to the discovery of many novel genes that offer insight into how the immune system develops in children.  He was also a member of the team to first sequence all the gene receptors tht appear to play a critical role in the innate immune protection of zebrafish.  His papers have appeared in other such distinguished journals as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  Nature Immunology and Science.

In the coelacanth genome project,  the researchers  found that the genes overall were evolving significantly slower than in every other fish and land vertebrate they examined.

“This is the first time that we’ve had a big enough gene set to really see that.”said Jessica Alföldi, a research scientist at the Broad Institute and co-first author of  the Nature paper

Researchers hypothesize that this slow rate of change may be because coelacanths simply have not needed to change: they live primarily off of the Eastern African coast (a second coelacanth species lives off the coast of Indonesia), at ocean depths where relatively little has changed over the millennia.

“We often talk about how species have changed over time,” said Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, scientific director of the Broad Institute’s vertebrate genome biology group and senior author. “But there are still a few places on Earth where organisms don’t have to change, and this is one of them. Coelacanths are likely very specialized to such a specific, non-changing, extreme environment – it is ideally suited to the deep sea just the way it is.”

Because of their resemblance to fossils dating back millions of years, coelacanths today are often referred to as “living fossils” – a term coined by Charles Darwin. But the coelacanth is not a relic of the past brought back to life: it is a species that has survived, reproduced, but changed very little in appearance for millions of years.

“It’s not a living fossil; it’s a living organism,” said Alföldi. “It doesn’t live in a time bubble; it lives in our world, which is why it’s so fascinating to find out that its genes are evolving more slowly than ours.”

The coelacanth genome has also allowed scientists to test other long-debated questions. For example, coelacanths possess some features that look oddly similar to those seen only in animals that dwell on land, including “lobed” fins, which resemble the limbs of four-legged land animals (known as tetrapods). Another odd-looking group of fish known as lungfish possesses lobed fins too. It is likely that one of the ancestral lobed-finned fish species gave rise to the first four-legged amphibious creatures to climb out of the water and up on to land, but until now, researchers could not determine which of the two is the more likely candidate.

In addition to sequencing the full genome – nearly 3 billion “letters” of DNA – from the coelacanth, the researchers also looked at RNA content from coelacanth (both the African and Indonesian species) and from the lungfish. This information allowed them to compare genes in use in the brain, kidneys, liver, spleen and gut of lungfish with gene sets from coelacanth and 20 other vertebrate species. Their results suggested that tetrapods are more closely related to lungfish than to the coelacanth.

However, the coelacanth is still a critical organism to study in order to understand what is often called the water-to-land transition. Lungfish may be more closely related to land animals, but its genome remains inscrutable: at 100 billion letters in length, the lungfish genome is simply too unwieldy for scientists to sequence, assemble, and analyze. The coelacanth’s more modest-sized genome (comparable in length to our own) is yielding valuable clues about the genetic changes that may have allowed tetrapods to flourish on land.

By looking at what genes were lost when vertebrates came on land as well as what regulatory elements – parts of the genome that govern where, when, and to what degree genes are active – were gained, the researchers made several unusual discoveries:

 -  Sense of smell. The team found that many regulatory changes influenced genes involved in smell perception and detecting airborne odors. They hypothesize that as creatures moved from sea to land, they needed new means of detecting chemicals in the environment around them.

- Immunity. The researchers found a significant number of immune-related regulatory changes when they compared the coelacanth genome to the genomes of animals on land. They hypothesized that these changes may be part of a response to new pathogens encountered on land.

- Evolutionary development. Researchers found several key genetic regions that may have been “evolutionarily recruited” to form tetrapod innovations such as limbs, fingers and toes, and the mammalian placenta. One of these regions, known as HoxD, harbors a particular sequence that is shared across coelacanths and tetrapods. It is likely that this sequence from the coelacanth was co-opted by tetrapods to help form hands and feet.

- Urea cycle. Fish get rid of nitrogen by excreting ammonia into the water, but humans and other land animals quickly convert ammonia into less toxic urea using the urea cycle. Researchers found that the most important gene involved in this cycle has been modified in tetrapods.

Sequencing the full coelacanth genome was uniquely challenging for many reasons. Coelacanths are an endangered species, meaning that samples available for research are almost nonexistent. This meant that each sample obtained was precious: researchers would have “one shot” at sequencing the collected genetic material, according to Alföldi. But the difficulties in obtaining a sample and the technical challenges of sequencing it also knit the community together.

Researchers from 40 institutions across 12 countries contributed to this work. Many funding agencies around the world provided support, including the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme of the South African National Department of Science and Technology, which supported the collection of samples, and the National Human Genome Research Institute, which supported the Broad Institute’s contributions including genome sequencing.

Although its genome offers some tantalizing answers, the research team anticipates that further study of the fish’s immunity, respiration, physiology, and more will lead to deep insights into how some vertebrates adapted to life on land, while others remained creatures of the sea.

The long-running and successful bariatric program at Tampa General Hospital entered a new phase when a red satin ribbon was cut April 22, signifying the opening of the Bariatric Center, a joint program of Tampa General Hospital and USF Health.

With expanded multidisciplinary services, the Center now provides a one-location approach to bariatric surgery that includes the critical peripheral services and long-term support each patient needs to succeed in their weight loss.  The Center’s comprehensive team of bariatric physicians, psychologists, dietitians and exercise physiologists will work together to create a customized weight management program for each individual.  Non-surgical weight loss programs will also be offered for those with serious medical issues.

The Center is the first partnership between USF Health and Tampa General Hospital since TGH President and CEO Jim Burkhart, DSc, MSHHA, FACHE, arrived two months ago, a connection USF President Judy Genshaft emphasized in her remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Today, we mark another milestone in the fantastic partnership that has existed between Tampa General and USF for many years, and one that illustrates the power of our collaboration,” she said.

“Tampa General Hospital and USF have long been leaders in bariatric surgery and weight management. We have worked hard to build what is already recognized as one of the best programs in the country.  But we truly believe the people of Tampa Bay region deserve nothing less than the latest and best medical care available, and today we take another step forward to make that happen.”

Dr. Burkhart underscored the TGH/USF partnership, citing it as his main reason for joining TGH.

“Tampa General Hospital is the number one hospital in Florida and is the reason I’m here, and the relationship between USF and Tampa General is the reason I’m here,” Dr. Burkhart said.

USF’s Doctors of USF Health CEO Jeff Lowenkron, MD, agreed.

“We have a strong partnership in which we keep patients at the center of care and then build something around it to help,” Dr. Lowenkron said. “A center like this wouldn’t happen if we didn’t collaborate.”

Michel Murr, MD, director of the Bariatric Center.

Having already earned certifications for quality and designations as a Center of Excellence and already considered the busiest bariatric hub in the southeast –helping nearly 4,000 patients – the bariatric program has been long considered a leader in the Tampa Bay area. In 2005, the TGH bariatric program became the first in the nation to receive disease-specific certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.  And in 2007, the program was designated a Bariatric Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery.

“Fifteen years ago, we asked how do we stem the obesity epidemic and what practical solutions can we offer to those afflicted with obesity on a day-to-day basis,” said Michel Murr, MD, professor of surgery at the USF Morsani College of Medicine and director of Bariatric Surgery at Tampa General Hospital.

“Today, we offer a new patient-centered approach, integrating service lines for obesity and providing them total care, right here.”

L to R:  USF and TGH officials who spoke at the opening included USF President Judy Genshaft; Jim Burkhart, TGH president and CEO; Jeffrey Lowenkron, MD, CEO for the USF Physicians Group; and Deana Nelson, TGH executive vice president and chief operating officer.

In addition to Dr. Murr, surgical procedures are performed by John Paul Gonzalvo, DO, assistant professor of surgery and associate director of the USF/TGH Bariatric Surgery Fellowship Program.

The new Center, a 5,500-square-foot facility in the Harbourside Medical Tower on the Tampa General campus, features examination rooms and education rooms where patients will work with Center staff as they progress through the program. Anyone interested in bariatric surgery must attend one of the informational sessions held at the Center each month. Patients admitted to the program then spend about six months learning the nuances of what bariatric surgery means – the life-long commitment and dietary regimen they face – before surgery is performed.

Meghann Scholl, RD, dietician for the Bariatric Center, with the props she uses to educate patients on making smart food choices, including a model of fat (left) and smooth muscle.

The new Bariatric Center offers several procedures, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric banding, and revisional bariatric surgery. Most of the time, the procedures are performed under general anesthesia and laparoscopically.  Expected weight loss is 43 to 65 percent of the excess weight, depending on which procedure is performed.

But the biggest story, Dr. Murr said, is the improved health.

“People with clinically severe obesity have a much higher mortality rate than those of normal weight,” Dr. Murr said. “Bariatric surgery significantly decreases the incidence of obesity-related diseases, and it considerably improves the quality of patients’ lives.”

Studies indicate that bariatric surgery can improve various  chronic, debilitating health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, heartburn, asthma, arthritis, and infertility.

Bariatric Center patients receive follow-up care and guidance from team dieticians and psychologists as long as they need the assistance to continue with the behavior modifications that help maintain weight loss.

The celebration also included a sports connection with the announcement of a new initiative between the Bariatric Center and retired professional football players.  Working with the Living Heart Foundation, the National Football Players Association, and Covidien (a healthcare products and medical devices manufacturer) the newly opened Center will collaborate on a project called HOPE (Heart, Obesity, Prevention and Education).  This national health screening program for high school and college athletes recently expanded to include current and retired professional football players.

Left to right: Dr Joseph Diaco, Tampa Bay Bucs team doctor for 33 years; Hiram Green, director of USF Health Community Engagement; USF President Judy Genshaft; Jerry Bell, former NFL player and president of the Tampa Chapter of the NFL Players Association; Tyrone Keys, former NFL player; and Dr. Arthur (Archie) Roberts, former NFL player, retired cardiothoracic surgeon and founder of Living Heart Foundation/HOPE (Heart Obesity Prevention Education).

“Our Center will certainly help those retired players who are afflicted with obesity and joint damage, and who have severe limitations for exercise.  They will have access to our expertise for a range of behavior modification techniques,” Dr. Murr said.

The HOPE Program is a comprehensive obesity research initiative designed to promote healthy lifestyles and weight-management among former professional football players. These former players, when compared to smaller-sized men, are more likely to have cardiovascular problems and other health issues associated with being overweight. The HOPE Program was launched in October 2012 at Temple University Hospital.

For more information about the program, visit www.tgh.org/weight.htm or call (813) 844-7473.

- Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

The USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences celebrates 15 years of academic excellence, real-world research and exemplary clinical practice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr5z1LKFIuw

They shared the stories of how physical therapy had changed their lives with those celebrating the 15^th anniversary of the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences.

U.S. Army Sgt. Richard Cicero lost his right arm and leg following an IED blast injury sustained while on foot patrol during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.  Excruciating back pain sidelined Janise Nichols Man-Son-Hing from the  law enforcement  job she loved in 2010, and she could no longer compete as an amateur equestrian.

Seok Hun Kim, PT, PhD, (left) assistant professor of physical therapy, speaks to a guest trying out the split-belt treadmill in the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences Human Functional Performance Lab.

Both credited USF’s physical therapy researchers and clinicians with helping them overcome the limitations that interfered with them living independent lives.

“I took my first jogging steps down this hallway right here,” said Cicero, who was referred to USF after extensive treatment in military and VA facilities. “And thanks to the people here, I did my first 5K this January.”

Man-Son-Hing had undergone physical therapy, tried medications and consulted with orthopedic physicians – all with virtually no relief – before she was referred to the USF Physical Therapy Center in February 2012. Since then, she has returned to full-time active duty as a law enforcement officer, resumed riding her show horse and, most recently, passed the physical assessment test required to retain her job.

 “Without the dedication of Dr. Kevin Murdoch (coordinator of USF Physical Therapy Center) and his staff, I would not have been able to regain the level of fitness needed to meet the challenges I set for myself and get my life back,” she said.

Heather Hartsell, PhD, PT (white coat), associate professor of physical therapy, with some DPT students from the Class of 2014, left to right: Jared Koenig, Alex Parisi, Mathew Leonard, Kristen Byers, and Ayla Olk-Szost.

William S. Quillen, DPT, welcomed faculty, staff, students and Tampa Bay community members who gathered Friday evening, April 19, to recognize the  to recognize the school’s achievements over the last 15 years and look ahead to an even brighter future.  The interactive event gave attendees a chance to go behind the scenes to tour the school, experience equipment and stations in the Human Functional Performance Laboratory, and visit student and faculty booths.

“Our school has really hit its stride not only in the education of outstanding Doctors of Physical Therapy, but through our real-world, federally-funded research and the stellar practice of our clinical faculty,” said William S. Quillen, DPT, associate dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.  “We are empowering patients to achieve and restore their mobility and optimal functioning, regardless of their illness or injury.”

Jeannie Stephenson (left), PT, MS, NCS, instructor, checks the balance of anniversary celebration attendee Alix Baughman.

The evening was emceed by Lissette Campos, director of community affairs for WFTS TV-ABC Action News and host of the station’s Positively Tampa Bay show.  Campos pointed to some of the accomplishments in the school’s short yet rapid-paced history:

-          USF was the state’s first public institution to receive authority to award the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

-          Admission to the school has become increasingly competitive, with nearly 1,000 applications received for 40 spots in the Class of 2016.

-          The innovative educational program — one of only three physical therapy programs in Florida nationally ranked in the top third of U.S. News & World Report national rankings —  emphasizes an integrated, interprofessional curriculum. DPT students learn alongside medical students in their first year, taught by physicians, nurses, public health professionals and basic scientists.

-          The school’s neuromusculoskeletal research seeks to better understand human function and apply those discoveries to new interventions that work best in real life.  Faculty expertise in prosthetics and low back injury research is intended to benefit everyone from combat wounded veterans, active-duty soldiers and high-performance athletes to people seeking to maintain routine activities of daily living.

William S. Quillen, DPT, PhD, has led the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences since 2004, guiding the school in its upward trajectory.

In looking toward meeting tomorrow’s demands, Dr. Quillen cited several new initiatives underway at the school, including: 

-          A new partnership with the University of West Florida in Pensacola that will help meet a state-identified need for more physical therapists in a largely rural region of Florida.

-          Moving ahead to establish a Clinical Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy at the USF Physical Therapy Center this summer.

-          A proposal to create a research PhD degree in Rehabilitation Sciences for implementation in Fall 2014.

-          Launch of the school’s first scholarship program called Circle of Motion, which includes 30 distinguished corporate and individual partners who will contribute to student success. Dr. Quillen recognized donor Tom Tiedermann, a founding member of the group.

Donna Petersen, DSc, (left) dean of the USF College of Public Health, congratulated the school on improving the lives of people in the community. Lissette Campos (right) of WFTS-TV ABC Action News, was emcee for the anniversary celebration.

“The work being done by the USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences is transformational,” Campos said. “Your innovation, passion and outside-the-box thinking changes people’s lives… You don’t just see the patient’s current limitations or loss; you envision what can be gained through hard work and rehabilitation of the body and the spirit.”

L to R: Janise Man-Son-Hing, Richard Cicero, Lissette Campos, and Dr. William S. Quillen.

View City of Tampa TV (CCTV) show on USF Health Physical Therapy at  http://youtu.be/XjgRkwNYSCI

Lead Video by Allyn DiVito, USF Health Information Systems, and photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

Tampa General Hospital’s state-designated Level 1 Trauma Center, led by USF Health physicians, is the first and only one in Florida to earn national recognition from the American College of Surgeons for the quality of both adult and pediatric trauma care.

The hospital’s partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine was critical for ACS verification of the trauma center.  The center had to demonstrate it met patient care, research and education criteria – all required to fulfill an academic medical center’s mission — to ensure optimal trauma care capability and performance in serving both adults and children. 

The verification followed an extensive review by the ACS Committee on Trauma, which was established to improve all phases of patient care in trauma centers and to prevent injuries before they occur.

“Verification is a very difficult and challenging process that reviews the entire spectrum of care from the moment trauma patients hit the emergency room through the rehabilitation process,” said USF Health’s Dr. David Ciesla, associate professor of surgery at the Morsani College of Medicine and medical director of the TGH adult trauma program.

“The fact we are the only trauma center in Florida to earn this distinction reflects the high quality of care provided by our physicians and surgeons and the hospital’s clinical staff.”

Holding his baby daughter in one arm, Keith O’Brien directs movers with the other arm toward boxes he needs loaded onto a truck.

He is one of 18 USF second-year medical students packing up their homes in Tampa to move to Allentown, PA, where they will spend the next two years in clinical rotations at the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) as part of USF’s innovative SELECT (Scholarly Excellence. Leadership Experience. Collaborative Training) Program.

The program, which welcomed its charter class in Fall 2011, is part of the MD program at the USF Morsani College of Medicine. The specialized track gives SELECT students unique training in leadership development, intense coaching, and the scholarly tools they need to become empathetic, passionate physician leaders who will be catalysts for change.

USF partnered with LVHN for the SELECT program to combine key strengths of both institutions: USF Health is known for its patient-centric, innovative medical curriculum and Lehigh Valley is recognized as one of the best community hospital systems in the nation.

While the entire Class of 2015 is transitioning into third-year clinical rotations – a shift from predominately classroom work into patient exam rooms – these 18 SELECT students are the first to make a 1,100-mile move to begin that transition.

1,100-Mile Journey

O’Brien and his wife Patty are moving with their 4-month-old daughter Claire. For this new family, the move to Pennsylvania is a bit of a homecoming.

“We’re from New York and both Patty and I went to school in Lafayette (PA), which is only about 10 minutes from Allentown,” O’Brien said. “Needless to say, our parents are thrilled we’re coming back, especially the baby. It will be nice to be near family.”

It’s a road back home for Emma Webb, as well.

“Our family is so excited we’re coming back,” said Webb, whose husband Mustafa and 6-year-old daughter Samantha are going, too. “They were pretty upset that I was taking their granddaughter away for two years.”

Emma Webb and daughter Samantha pack up toys they’re taking to Allentown.

 Aresh Ramin is also going home.

“I truly enjoyed my time in Tampa, but I look forward to going back,” said Ramin, who is from Boston and worked at LVHN between undergraduate school and medical school.

Aresh Ramin packs his apartment before hitting the road north.

But for some of the 18, the trip means leaving home.

“We’re looking at it as a great adventure,” said Alexandra Printz, who grew up mostly in Florida and earned her bachelor’s degree from USF. She is moving to Allentown with husband George and their two children, 6-year-old Ari and 4-year-old Vaughn. “This will be a big move for all of us, but especially for the kids, who have only lived here. But they have a bit of a transition themselves. They will spend most of the summer with their grandparents and dad George in Sarasota and go to summer camps before they make the move to Allentown.”

Alexandra Printz, who grew up in Florida, is moving with her  family to Allentown.

Frontline for Medical Education

The charter class of SELECT is embarking on the first program of its kind to train future physician leaders, a milestone that is front and center for Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO of USF Health and dean of the USF Morsani College of Medicine.

“All of our USF Health students are unique,” Dr. Klasko said. “These 18 pioneers are willing to go where no medical students have gone before… where their clinical training is over a thousand miles away and their curriculum is based on the transformations of a very different healthcare future.  They are the inaugural group of students helping us blaze the trail for the new medical education model, for the new way doctors will be taught and trained. This is how medical education is changing, and they are innovators, pacesetters, and leaders.”

SELECT student O’Brien is also keenly aware of the distinction.

“It’s a special feeling about what they’re doing,” O’Brien said. “There is something so unique about this program. The training, the extra effort taken to provide the experiences that will make us strong leaders. I appreciate the extra effort. The way we’re training doctors is changing and the SELECT program is on the front of the curve of that change.”

Ramin agrees.

“SELECT truly changed my life and is helping me grow,” said Ramin, who worked in LVHN as a nurse’s aide when he heard about the SELECT program at the employee orientation session, and didn’t hesitate applying. “I’m getting experiences that all medical students get, but SELECT goes beyond just the medical aspect. I’m learning about leadership, the healthcare system, and patient-centered care.”

And so does Sasha Yakhkind.

“What I’ve enjoyed about SELECT is that they ask for our ideas and opinions for how things are going because it’s so new,” Yakhkind said. “It’s an honor to give feedback, to be heard.”

New Beginnings

It’s been a quick two years for the medical students in the SELECT program. Beyond the packing, the trip to Allentown is about new beginnings. Common among all  the students are feelings of nervousness and excitement.

“It’s a surprise and surprises are good,” Ramin said. “It will be a totally different experience being out of classroom and in patient situations. But I’ll see all of my friends again and have all of my friends from Tampa. It will be a different chapter.”

“I’m super, super excited for the clinical aspect of it,” Yakhkind said. “Allentown is more rural than Tampa. But we’re a train ride away from New York City. And I’ll miss some of my closest friends, fellow medical students who are staying here in Tampa.”

“It’s a brave new world,” Printz said. “It’s an incredible experience to be connected to two incredible institutions.”

“The two years really go quickly,” O’Brien said. “And now it’s ‘Wow! This is really happening.’  We all just get the feeling Allentown is going to roll out the red carpet for us.”

And what’s in store when they get to Allentown?  This Monday morning, May 6, the SELECT inaugural class will be welcomed to Allentown by Dr. Ronald Swinfard, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Health Network. The students will meet the LVHN clinical faculty and be presented with new white coats that they will wear over the next two years of their clinical education.

New Traditions

As a charter group, the SELECT students are forming traditions for the next generation to follow. For this move north, current first-year SELECT students helped second-year students (soon to be third-year students), pack up.

First-year medical students helped the Printz family load for their move to Allentown. Standing in the truck are Kirk Chassey and Alexandra Printz. On the ground,  are from left, Mary Kate Erdman, Neil Manimala, Samson Lu, Joe Stidham (top), Rachel Fieman (bottom), and Tom Fowler.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans and Klaus Herdocia, USF Health Office of Communications.

USF Health’s Dr. Rebecca Sutphen will lead the national, collaborative research expected to help personalize and improve cancer care

TAMPA, Fla. and HARTFORD, Conn. (May 9, 2013) – The University of South Florida (USF) and Aetna (NYSE: AET) are launching a ground-breaking study that will examine the influence genetic testing may have on clinical treatment decisions among breast cancer patients and their doctors. Understanding the connection between genetic risk factors, treatment options and results can guide policies and services that can help patients and doctors make more informed, personalized decisions that lead to better health.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded funding to USF for the five-year American BRCA Outcomes Among the Recently Diagnosed (ABOARD) study. The study will follow 5,000 Aetna members from across the country who have been newly diagnosed with breast cancer and who are undergoing genetic testing.

Certified genetic counselors can help assess specific cancer risks in families, recommend appropriate genetic tests, and interpret genetic test results. They can also recommend appropriate personalized options for cancer screening, early detection and prevention. Individuals and their doctors can use this information to optimize care. Current research suggests that only a small percentage of breast cancer patients who have an inherited cancer risk actually receive genetic counseling and testing services. Even fewer receive this information at the time of diagnosis when it might be most useful for making surgical and other treatment decisions. 

USF Health’s Dr. Rebecca Sutphen will lead the national collaborative study.

“Research shows that many women who develop breast cancer have inherited a strong predisposition to cancer. However, many of these women are not aware of their genetic susceptibility. They also do not know that they are at high risk to develop another breast cancer or ovarian cancer in the future and that other blood relatives are at increased risk for cancer,” said Rebecca Sutphen, M.D., professor of genetics at the Epidemiology Center, USF Department of Pediatrics.

“This unique academic-industry collaboration will create a new level of research into the impact of genetic information on American cancer patients and their families. Few topics have greater potential for positive public health impact. We appreciate Aetna’s leadership and collaboration to make this important research possible.”

Dr. Sutphen, an American Board of Medical Genetics-certified clinical and molecular geneticist and expert in inherited cancer risk, will lead the national study. The multidisciplinary team will include:

• Dr. Sutphen’s research team at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, including co-investigators Kristian Lynch, Ph.D., James Andrews, Ph.D. and Claudia Aguado Loi, Ph.D.
• An Aetna team led by Joanne Armstrong, M.D., M.P.H., national medical director for women’s health and lead for genomic medicine
• An advocacy team led by Sue Friedman of the national non-profit advocacy and awareness organization Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE)
• Marc Schwartz, Ph.D., director of cancer control, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University

The project will use patient-reported outcomes as well as medical claims data.  Using information from a variety of clinical settings rather than only academic centers will provide a more “real-world” view of current care. USF and Aetna have developed an extensive research and security infrastructure to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of participant data.

“The research will provide critical information that can help ensure the benefits of advanced genetic testing and genomics can be used to guide safe, effective personalized health care. As more sophisticated tests are developed, we have a responsibility to help patients and doctors understand how to act on the information to improve patients’ health,” Dr. Armstrong says.

The new study builds on an existing research partnership between this multidisciplinary team and researchers from the American Cancer Society. The groups have been working together for the past two years, with support from the Aetna Foundation, to better understand the experiences of individuals who have had genetic tests to determine their inherited risk of cancer. The study also looked at differences in treatment, information and health outcomes among minority patients. Results are expected to be published later this year.

About USF Health
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving an estimated 44 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services, workers’ compensation administrative services and health information technology services. Aetna’s customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com. 

About FORCE
No one should have to face hereditary breast and ovarian cancer alone. For more than 13 years, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) has been the voice of the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer community. FORCE provides support, education and awareness to help those facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer know their healthcare options and make informed decisions. The organization is the de facto leader in guiding critical research and policy issues that impact the hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer community. For more information about FORCE and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, please visit www.facingourrisk.org.

Members of the Class of 2013 with Dr. Dennis Ledford and the ceremonial mace

Run faster. Reach higher.  Push forward to do the impossible to help patients, the graduating students of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Class of 2013 were told at Friday’s commencement ceremonies.

“You’ve trained to be physicians, and you have a bold opportunity to care and to welcome and to share love in a way that only a few can,” Dr. Peter J. Pronovost, one of the world’s leading patient safety advocates, told the class. “You have chosen medicine and your time is now. You see, medicine needs you.”

Dr. Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM, has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine and received a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” in 2008. The senior vice president for patient safety and quality at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Pronovost regularly addresses the U.S. Congress on patient safety issues.

Dr. Pronovost addresses graduates

Dr. Pronovost was blunt with graduates as he laid out the failings of today’s healthcare system.

“Let me share the challenges that are waiting for someone like you to take on,” he told them. “You possess unprecedented skills to relieve suffering, yet you are also entering a health system weighed down by profound problems. Medicine as it’s practiced today often ignores the patients values and input.

“Medicine today leaves preventable harm as the third-leading cause of death. Medicine today wastes up to 30 percent of healthcare spending, nearly a trillion dollars a year, for procedures and treatments of no benefit to patients. Medicine today leaves physicians often worried more about regulation than what is best for patients.”

But problems can be fixed, he told them. Dr. Pronovost spoke of how Dr. Charles Paidas, now the College of Medicine ‘s vice dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education, had saved a toddler girl injured by severe burns when he worked with Dr. Pronovost at Johns Hopkins a dozen years ago. Sadly, the girl later succumbed to a preventable central line blood infection. Dr. Pronovost described his feelings as the girl’s mother asked him if safety changes had been made.

“If I didn’t feel ashamed, I’d know there was a hole in my soul,” he said.

But then Dr. Pronovost and his colleagues went to work to prevent these infections. They created checklists of best practices, developed better reporting, and improved other procedures. They expanded their mission to other hospitals, “each of which has an infection rate so low it was once considered impossible,” he said.

Dr. Paidas and Dr. Pronovost before commencement ceremonies

Dr. Pronovost pointed to how fast the sport of running changed after Roger Bannister – a doctor, he pointed out – broke the four-minute mile in 1956. A dozen more did it the next year, and even more the year after. Today, the nation’s best high school students regularly break that barrier.

“After this first famous run, the human body didn’t suddenly evolve,” he said. “The only thing that changed is what people believed they could do.

“For runners, Bannister showed the way. For your corner of medicine, you can show the way too.”

Dr. Pronovost was eloquent as he called upon the graduates to work for better, safer medicine.

“Come join us. Do the great good thing for someone else that the world says cannot be done. Over 200,000 patients die from medical mistakes each year. We could fix that. Join us on that noble journey.

“Patients today are suffering harm and disrespect that doesn’t have to be. We could fix that. Join us on this noble journey. Nearly a third of our healthcare spending goes for therapies that do not get patients well. We could fix this. Join us on this noble journey.

“Today, graduates, enjoy your celebrations. Tonight, reflect on why you joined this noble profession and consider your dreams. Tomorrow, get running. Open your eyes to that four-minute impossibility. When you find it, you’ll know it.”

Others called on the graduates to work for better medicine as well.

“I encourage you to find a way to care for you patients…to love your patients,” said Dr. Michael Flannery, professor and former director of the residency program for Internal Medicine, as he delivered the charge to the class. “To love your patients, you have to love yourself.”

Dr. Michael Flannery challenges the class

Dr. Stephen Klasko, dean of the College of Medicine and CEO of USF Health, congratulated the graduates.

“You begin a career filled with creativity, passion and yes, optimism,” he said.

Rhea Law, Esq., former chair of the Board of Trustees, received an honorary MD degree at Friday’s commencement. Dr. Klasko presented Dean’s Awards to philanthropists Tom and Lauren Pepin, as well as to Dr. Larry Howard, of Hudson Ventures, and his father, Robert Howard.

Rhea Law, Esq., receives an honorary MD

The Class of 2013 chose classmate Dr. Joshua Robertson to deliver the farewell speech for the class.

“Today we celebrate change, a crossing over from student to practitioner,” he told them. “Today we become physicians. We’re in the business of human. And at times we can feel the burden of cure.

The new Dr. Joshua Robertson gives the class farewell speech

“What we must be is willing to do is enter into the struggle of our patients. Enter into what they go through, day in and day out, under our care. We can promise, we can hold ourselves to a commitment, to a willingness, to a vigilance, to fight for the care of our patients. …And that way we honor the oath we have taken today and we honor the patients we serve.”

- Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

The Tampa Bay region is well positioned to become an epicenter for empowering innovation in health care with its strong portfolio of assets — including one of the country’s fastest growing universities (USF) with an innovative academic health center (USF Health), the state’s only NCI-designated cancer center, a thriving hospital and healthcare delivery system, and a large cluster of advanced medical device manufacturers.

But it will take commitment, collaboration, creativity, trust and leveraging of resources by all the region’s key healthcare players to connect the dots and realize the region’s full economic development potential.

Dr. Stephen Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, is one of the area’s influential leaders pushing for disruptive innovation of the healthcare industry in the Tampa Bay region.

That was the consensus of those who spoke May 13 at MediFuture 2023:  Healthcare Disrupted, a seminar presented by the Tampa-Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. and attended by nearly 500 business, community and university leaders.  The MediFuture goal was the brainchild of Rick Homans, CEO of the EDC;  Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, and others who want the region to aim high in creating a patient-centered healthcare system where innovative thinking is the norm.

Dr. Klasko participated in one of event’s two panel discussions titled “Researching and Developing the Technologies of Tomorrow.” He was joined by William Dalton, MD, PhD, founder and CEO of M2Gen, and Dr. Leonard Polizzotto, vice president of Draper Laboratory.

The number of innovative products on the market today is about a third the level in the 1970s and entrepreneurs find it increasingly difficult to line up investors for start-up ventures, even though “our economy is awash in capital,” said keynote speaker Clayton Christensen, best-selling author and business professor at Harvard University. Christensen coined the term “disruptive innovation,” which he also calls “empowering innovation.”

Keynote speaker Clayton Christensen, a Harvard business professor, coined the term “disruptive innovation.”

Disruptive innovation, often driven by new technology, transforms complex products  and services into something that is affordable and accessible – and in the process creates jobs.

It is not the same as efficient innovation, which typically eliminates jobs while freeing up capital, or sustaining innovation that keeps improving the same product, possibly replacing jobs without the guarantee of creating additional ones.

An example of disruptive innovation in health care is the development of technology for kidney dialysis. That life-sustaining blood cleansing process has moved from hospitals to outpatient facilities, and the next stage of mobile technology now under development, Christensen said, will enable dialysis to be done safely at home, less expensively and with better outcomes for patients.

“It’s important to keep investing in sustaining innovation in our existing facilities, but what really creates opportunities is when we use the resources we have to enable lower-cost venues of care and lower-cost caregivers to do ever-more sophisticated things,” Christensen said. “You’ll be shipping those products around the world because people always use more when it becomes affordable and accessible.”

L to r: USF Health’s Dr. Klasko joined Dr. William Dalton of M2Gen and Dr. Leonard Polizzotto of Draper Laboratory in a panel discussion moderated by Alexis Muellner, managing editor of the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Panel moderator Alexis Muellner, managing editor of the Tampa Bay Business Journal, asked Dr. Klasko and his fellow panelists to look 10 years into the future and trace what steps Tampa Bay leaders must take to make the opportunity for healthcare transformation a reality by 2023.Anchored downtown by USF Health CAMLS, Dr. Klasko said he envisions the area as a “mini-silicone valley” nationally known for its innovative information technology, biomedical engineering and common-sense solutions to health care.

“We will have developed the critical mass, learned from each other, invested in each other and behaved like a thriving cluster on the verge of a chain reaction,” he said. “The ability to create a one-stop shop for personalized medicine, medical tourism, leading simulation education, and clinical research turned out to be a major draw for companies.”

Dr. Klasko responds to the moderator’s question as Dr. Dalton, right, looks on.

He drew laughs and applause when he concluded:  “By 2023, it would be so obvious that the Tampa Bay area was the epicenter of innovative health care that the state legislature calls USF the ‘first really, really preeminent university in the state.”

Dr. Klasko and Dr. Dalton agreed that the region must break down any silos and move boldly, not incrementally, to become the center of change. It will take collective will and hard work to marshal the resources and creative partnerships needed.  Otherwise, Dr. Klasko said, those opportunities may be taken over by other organizations outside the state or country.

“As a community we’re going to have to decide whether we are truly going to be disruptive, which requires more capital and takes longer to realize the investment,” Dr. Dalton said.  “Tampa Bay can lead by demonstrating that we can create strategic partnerships, recognize who brings what to the table, and build the ecosystem to meet the needs of all the stakeholders in the healthcare system, including patients and clinicians.

Rick Homans, CEO of the Tampa-Hillsborough Economic Development Corp., which hosted MediFuture 2023. USF was a sponsor of the inaugural event.

A MediFuture 2023 group will reconvene June 26 at the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation to begin creating the roadmap to achieve disruptive innovation in the region’s healthcare industry.

“There will be a lot of new products and services invented, developed and deployed to make this change happen, and there’s no reason why that can’t be done right here to create jobs in Tampa Bay,” Homans said.

Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

The new laboratory, focusing on genomic science to find new diagnostics and therapies for cardiovascular disease, was built with the support of Hillsborough County

Framed patents lining a wall in the newly opened USF Heart Institute Genomics Laboratory contain scientific language like polymorphisms and adrenergic receptors.  But application of the entrepreneurial research described in those patents may lead to new therapies based on an individual’s DNA or predict which patients are most likely to benefit from existing drugs.

“It’s ground breaking,” Stephen Klasko, MD, CEO for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, said of the research behind the patents held by Stephen Liggett, MD, who was recruited last year to lead the university’s genomics and personalized medicine research and who will direct the new laboratory.

L to R: Dr. Stephen Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, and Dr. Stephen Liggett, vice dean for research at MCOM, with Hillsborough County Commissioners Ken Hagan (chair), Sandra Murman and Mark Sharpe.

Dr. Klasko welcomed university and community leaders May 14  to the grand opening of the 7,550-square-foot laboratory, built on the fifth floor of the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute. The celebration was an opportunity to thank Hillsborough County Commissioners for their forward-thinking support of the transformative space focusing on genomic science within the Heart Institute, and showcase how USF Health is transforming health care.

“A lot of people talk about molecular genomics and regenerative therapies, and a lot of people are doing great clinical research,” Dr. Klasko said. “We’re going to be the first place to bring together all that technology and research to really get something done on behalf of patients.”

Shelled-in space at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute was built out to house the Genomics Laboratory, so that basic science research could begin before construction of the freestanding USF Heart Institute. The cost of the laboratory’s construction, equipment and initial recruitment of researchers, was $2 million, half of which was funded by an economic development grant from Hillsborough County.

Last year, the state and country awarded USF a total of $8.9 million to move forward in creating a Heart Institute that will pursue innovative research to find new diagnostics and therapies for cardiovascular disease – a leading cause of hospitalizations, deaths and lost productivity in Florida and nationwide. The Legislature approved a second appropriation of funding for the Institute this session, and a final appropriation is expected next session.

Dr. Klasko welcomed university and community leaders attending the grand opening of the USF Heart Institute Genomics Laboratory.

The Institute’s proposed location will be in the center of the university’s health campus, which includes Moffitt Cancer Center, the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, and the Morsani College of Medicine and James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. The research facility will also be near Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, which is collaborating with USF Health on the local arm of a national clinical trial testing a new gene treatment for heart failure.

This proximity of these leading medical institutions will help the Heart Institute create meaningful research collaborations and leverage vital resources “that will make the real difference,” said Leslie Miller, MD, director of the USF Heart Institute.

“It’s an exciting time,” Dr. Miller said. “New drugs and biologic therapies we’ll discover here hopefully will have an immediate impact and translate into a reduction in cardiovascular mortality.”

The 15 patents lining one wall of the Genomics Laboratory were issued to Dr. Liggett and colleagues for genomic research discoveries applicable to diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Liggett, vice dean for research at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, said the genomics laboratory is the “seed” for the larger Heart Institute to come.

The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art machines for sequencing DNA.  That and other advanced technology will allow USF researchers to study the differences in DNA among individuals to help unravel how diseases emerge and to discover targeted therapies tailored to the patient’s genetic makeup.

The scientists who work in the lab will address such questions as: Do certain genetic variants predispose an individual to certain diseases?  Do they modify the course, or severity, of particular diseases? Can they predict an individual’s response to treatment?

“This whole concept of one drug fits all, which we know doesn’t really work, is going to stop right here,” Dr. Liggett said.

While the new genomics lab will initially focus on heart research, it will eventually branch out to other diseases. “In fact,” Liggett said, “one cannot study heart disease without also studying atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes and metabolism, to name a few. So, we will be comprehensive.”

Dr. Miller outlines plans for the freestanding USF Heart Institute, which will be constructed in the center of the USF Health campus near other leading health institutions.

Dr. Liggett, who explained what scientists will do in the new genomics laboratory, holds up a test tube, which he said contains his DNA. “It’s labeled sample #1, because, back in 1991, I was the first person whose DNA I ever studied.”

In March 2012, Dr. Liggett and Dr. Miller joined Dr. Klasko in appearing before the Hillsborough County Commission to lay out the visionary plan for creating the USF Heart Institute.

“Given the importance of the University of South Florida as a key economic engine and its standing as a research leader among universities, it was an easy decision for the Board to support this lab,” said Ken Hagan, chair of the Board of County Commissioners. “When innovative thinking is matched with widespread community support, dramatic change can occur.  It will mean healthier lives for all and a healthier economic environment for Tampa Bay.”

Hal Mullis, vice chair of the USF System Board of Trustees, leads the board’s Health work group.

Hagan credited his fellow commissioner Mark Sharpe with championing the proposal for the institute.

“The transformation of health requires radical thinking and brave disruptors who aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo,” Sharpe said. “Health care and heart care is going to be changing right here in Tampa Bay, and we’re thrilled to be part of it.”

Ken Hagan, chair of the Hillsborough County Commission, said the county was proud to partner with a leading research university and the state to pursue the creation of the USF Heart Institute.

Commissioner Mark Sharpe said transforming health and heart care requires disruptive innovation, and Tampa Bay is ready to meet the challenge.

The commissioners attending the opening donned white lab coats and helped unveil a plaque recognizing the county’s contribution to advancing genomic research at the USF Heart Institute.

While economic development is a critical piece of the Heart Institute’s evolution, Dr. Liggett noted that the ultimate goal of the research is to improve and save lives.

“I’ve been at the bedside of patients with heart disease, asthma, COPD and other diseases,” said Dr. Liggett, a physician with basic science expertise.  “Patents, jobs and spin-off companies will come out of our work here, but in the end we want to help the human condition – and that is what we are going to do.”

 Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communications

University of South Florida senior medical student Kenzo Koike’s capstone project was a reflection of the nine months he spent in Peru — learning about the healthcare system, conducting clinical rotations in resource-limited settings, and immersing himself in the foreign country’s culture. 

Koike, 29, was among the graduating medical students whose Scholarly Concentrations Program (SCP) capstone projects were showcased May 9 at the 2^nd Annual Gallery of Scholarship.   A record number of students — 65 – graduated from the Morsani College of Medicine last week with a scholarly concentration distinction. 

Kenzo Koike, graduating USF medical student, created an award-winning capstone project for his Scholarly Concentration program — a 9-month medical and cultural experience in Peru.

 Their capstone projects spanned a diversity of scholarly inquiry:  Research on the potential connection between quality of preconception health care and prevention of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality; a screenplay about a man diagnosed with schizophrenia and Capgras syndrome; the introduction of an interdisciplinary diabetes self-management education program at the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic, to name just a few.

Since the SCP began six years ago, it has continued to grow – with nearly 80 percent of the college’s students participating in one of 10 faculty-mentored scholarly concentrations of special interest such as health disparities, innovation, entrepreneurship and business in medicine, health systems engineering, and public health.

“Some students have chosen the Morsani College of Medicine because of the opportunity to participate in scholarly and creative endeavors offered through our Scholarly Concentrations Program,” said SCP Director Susan Pross, PhD.  “Based upon their experiences in the program, some have even decided to pursue PhDs, or a master’s degree in public health, in addition to their medical education.”

Koike was the 2013 winner of program’s Thomas & Elizabeth Flannery/William & Mary Tibbetts Scholarly Award, a competitive $1,000 prize bestowed by Dr. Michael Flannery, professor of medicine, in honor of his maternal and paternal grandparents.

Dr. William Spellacy listens to a student describe her SCP capstone project.

Michelle Heck completed scholarly concentrations in both International Medicine and Medical Humanities.

He started planning and designing the curriculum for a long-term international medical experience in Cuzco, Peru shortly after selecting his scholarly concentration in international medicine as a first-year medical student.  His goal was to prepare for a career in medicine that includes working abroad and developing sustainable models of health care and health education.

Between his third and fourth year of medical school, Koike spent nine months in Cuzco, Peru, volunteering through an organization called Doctors for Global Health.  He encountered diagnoses and conditions not typically seen in the United States, from cutaneous tuberculosis and the rare parasitic disease leishmaniasis to an abdominal wound caused by a bull’s horn.  He went on rounds in public hospitals, helped deliver babies as an obstetrical intern in a labor and delivery clinic, and worked at a small American-operated women’s clinic offering pap smear screenings for cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in Peruvian women.  With limited access to sophisticated imaging equipment and laboratory tests, particularly in rural areas, he also learned to rely on fundamental clinical skills and judgment.

Dr. Alicia Monroe, vice dean of Educational Affairs for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, speaks with Kenzo Koike’s father.

Koike traveled to Cuzco with his wife Janie, a graduate student in USF’s Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program who worked at a domestic violence shelter while in Peru. They lived with a host family and interacted with the local community to immerse themselves in the local language and culture.

After finishing his residency in ophthalmology at Medical University of South Carolina and beginning his career as an MD in the United States, Koike said he hopes to return periodically to Peru. He envisions setting up an ophthalmology clinic that would provide much-needed cataract surgeries and other eye procedures.

“I want to help educate local physicians so they are empowered to take care of their own patients and their community,” he said.

In a blog, Koike chronicled his 9-month journey to explore global health in Cuzco, Peru, for other health professions students considering study abroad. To read more about his experiences and reflections, go to www.peru-zo.com.

Koike with staff from the Scholarly Concentrations Program, from left to right, Roberta Collins, academic service administrator for special projects; Susan Pross, PhD, director; and Ingrid Bahner, PhD, associate director.

Photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Communciations

Dr. David Smith, chair of the Department of Surgery, has been named the new chief medical officer of the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, or CAMLS.

“CAMLS is helping USF Health move health care to new levels of quality and safety,” said Dr. Stephen Klasko, dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and CEO of USF Health. “I’m delighted that Dr. Smith is taking on this new leadership role. His high standards and surgical expertise will help CAMLS stand out as the premier center for technical and teamwork training and assessment.”

CAMLS opened in 2012. Its surgical facilities include the world’s first hybrid operating suite used exclusively for training; a trauma operating room that can simulate battlefield sights, sounds and temperature; an advanced robotics suite; and two large surgical suites. Altogether, CAMLS has 39 surgical stations, more than the number found at many hospitals.

CAMLS also features team training facilities, a variety of realistic human patient simulators and surgical simulators. It’s also the home of the Tampa Bay Research & Innovation Center, a hub for developing new medical devices and technologies.

“Dr. Smith’s high level of expertise as a surgeon and commitment to raising standards of quality care is the perfect fit for CAMLS,” said Deborah Sutherland, PhD, CEO of CAMLS.

“He is helping us identify new surgical innovations that can be developed and taught at CAMLS,” she said. “This is a good appointment for us and for the Department of Surgery. It’s important that CAMLS and the Department of Surgery work hand-in-hand because many of the opportunities at CAMLS are for surgical and interventional training.”

Dr. David Smith

CAMLS is poised to become an international leader in helping health professionals perform at the highest levels of quality care, Dr. Smith said.

“Health care is becoming international, and the assessment tools being developed and used at CAMLS will be recognized internationally,” he said.

Dr. Smith is  assisting with the development of the international program for CAMLS, including working to develop new facilities in Panama, Brazil and India.

Dr. Smith also is working on a project to develop a consortium of simulation super centers. The group will develop standardized global curricula and courses for training residents and working health professionals. With those curricula in place, the group will then build a large shared database to provide metrics on improving training procedures to provide better outcomes.

“We want to partner with people who are committed to excellence in teaching and verification of proficiency,” Dr. Smith said. “Ultimately, if we have a larger data set, it allows us to define proficiency more accurately. The ultimate benefit is safer patient care.”

Dr. Smith also is the director of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and holds the Richard G. Connar Endowed Chair of Surgery.   Dr. Smith received his MD from Indiana University and completed a residency in surgery at Emory University and a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Indiana. He also did a fellowship in hand surgery at the University of Louisville.

When a subject line of an email reads “your patient Heather Glenday — Univ. of Tampa Swimmer” you pause.

Could this be sad news?

Luckily, it was wonderful news when Karl Illig, MD, professor of surgery and director of the USF Division of Vascular Surgery, opened such an email from his patient’s mother.

***

Photo by Andy Meng, UT

Last year, Heather Glenday, a swimmer for the University of Tampa, had a national title on the line when an odd feeling in her right arm slowed her training. A team trainer knew immediately by the swelling that the UT swimmer needed to get to the emergency room right away. At Tampa General Hospital, it was USF vascular surgeon Karl Illig, MD, who knew that Heather was experiencing Paget-Schroetter syndrome, a condition that causes a vein to be pinched off at the collarbone and upper rib. If left untreated, the vein could potentially clot off as the bone continues to crush the vein. For Heather, immediate surgery was necessary, which included removing that first rib.

Also called venous thoracic outlet syndrome (VTOS) and effort thrombosis, the uncommon condition affects only about 5,000 Americans every year, but is more common in high-performance athletes.

“It’s not unusual, and there is great success after treatment,” Dr. Illig said. “Surgery corrects the problem, with 95 percent of patients living a symptom-free life.”

***

After her surgery last year, Heather spent her summer recuperating at home in New York.

“I’m incredibly lucky to have connected with Dr. Illig, who had already treated patients with this,” she said. “When I went for follow-up exams back home to check the incisions, the doctor there said ‘Oh, you’re the first patient I’ve seen with Paget-Schroetter’s,’ which wasn’t too comforting. I’m so lucky to have found Dr. Illig.”

By fall, Heather returned to UT – she’s a junior studying accounting – and was back in the pool.

And that brings us back to Dr. Illig’s email.

Heather’s mother, Maureen Glenday, was sharing the good news with Dr. Illig that the young swimmer had not only recovered and returned to the pool, but that she was fast enough to help UT earn four NCAA trophies: two for relays and two for individual events.

Here’s what Maureen wrote to Dr. Illig in March.

***

Heather saw Dr. Illig’s this April at the Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare for her one-year follow-up exam. The ultrasound showed all was well and he gave her a full release, although annual check-ups for the next couple of years are expected.

As a thank you, Heather presented Dr. Illig with a University of Tampa Spartans hat.

***

As if a story of a patient succeeding in life isn’t enough, another caveat is that Heather’s story ties together so many areas of expertise found in Tampa. It’s a story of a community of expert institutions coming together and providing the best care possible. Here are players:

- University of Tampa has a title-winning swim team.

- Well trained athletic trainer recognizes symptoms and acts quickly to get the student to emergency room.

- Tampa General Hospital is affiliated with the USF Morsani College of Medicine, the region’s only academic medical center.

- Dr. Karl Illig has seen and treated this condition before in his training at academic medical centers.

***

To see Heather Glenday winning a 800 yard freestyle relay title for UT post-surgery, check out this video.  Choose the 2013 DII Swimming & Diving Day 3, Evening Session: Full Replay (2:47:18) option and go to about 132/167.1.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications

Findings suggest that blood-brain barrier integrity suffers days after ischemic stroke, leading to serious complications; repair of this protective barrier might prevent them

Tampa, FL (May 20, 2013) – While the effects of acute stroke have been widely studied, brain damage during the subacute phase of stroke has been a neglected area of research. Now, a new study by the University of South Florida  reports that within a week of a stroke caused by a blood clot in one side of the brain, the opposite side of the brain shows signs of microvascular injury.  

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and increases the risk for dementia.

 “Approximately 80 percent of strokes are ischemic strokes, in which the blood supply to the brain is restricted, causing a shortage of oxygen,” said study lead author Svitlana Garbuzova-Davis, PhD, associate professor in the USF Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair. “Minutes after ischemic stroke, there are serious effects within the brain at both the molecular and cellular levels.  One understudied aspect has been the effect of ischemic stroke on the competence of the blood-brain barrier and subsequent related events in remote brain areas.”

USF Health neuroscientist Svitlana Garbuzova-Davis, PhD, was lead author of the study.

Using a rat model, researchers at USF Health investigated the subacute phase of ischemic stroke and found deficits in the microvascular integrity in the brain hemisphere opposite to where the initial stroke injury occured.

The study was published in the May 10, 2013 issue of PLOS One.

The USF team found that “diachisis,” a term used to describe certain brain deficits remote from primary insult, can occur during the subacute phase of ischemic stroke. The research discovered diachisis is closely related to a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, which separates circulating blood from brain tissue.

In the subacute phase of an ischemic stroke, when the stroke-induced disturbances in the brain occur in remote brain microvessels, several areas of the brain are affected by a variety of injuries, including neuronal swelling and diminished myelin in brain structures. The researchers suggest that recognizing the significance of microvascular damage could make the blood-brain barrier (BBB) a therapeutic “target” for future neuroprotective strategies for stroke patients.

The mechanisms of BBB permeability at different phases of stroke are poorly understood.  While there have been investigations of BBB integrity and processes in ischemic stroke, the researchers said, most examinations have been limited to the phase immediately after stroke, known as acute stroke.  Their interest was in determining microvascular integrity in the brain hemisphere opposite to an initial stroke injury at the subacute phase.

Accordingly, this study using rats with surgically-simulated strokes was designed to investigate the effect of ischemic stroke on the BBB in the subacute phase, and the effects of a compromised BBB upon various brain regions, some distant from the stroke site.

“The aim of this study was to characterize subacute diachisis in rats modeled with ischemic stroke,” said co-author Cesar Borlongan, PhD, professor and vice chairman for research in the Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair and director of the USF Center for Aging and Brain Repair.  “Our specific focus was on analyzing the condition of the BBB and the processes in the areas of the brain not directly affected by ischemia. BBB competence in subacute diachisis is uncertain and needed to be studied.”

Their findings suggest that damage to the BBB, and subsequent vascular leakage as the BBB becomes more permeable, plays a major role in subacute diachisis. 

The increasing BBB permeability hours after the simulated stroke, and finding that the BBB “remained open” seven days post-stroke, were significant findings, said Dr. Garbuzova-Davis, who is also a researcher in USF Center for Aging and Brain Repair. “Since increased BBB permeability is often associated with brain swelling, BBB leakage may be a serious and life-threatening complication of ischemic stroke.”

Another significant aspect was the finding that autophagy — a mechanism involving cell degradation of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components –plays a role in the subacute phase of ischemia.  Study results showed that accumulation of numerous autophagosomes within endothelial cells in microvessels of both initially damaged and non-injured brain areas might be closely associated with BBB damage.  Autophagy is a complex but normal process usually aimed at “self-removing” damaged cell components to promote cell survival. It was unclear, however, whether the role of autophagy in subacute post-ischemia was promoting cell survival or cell death.

More than 30 percent of patients who survive strokes develop dementia within two years, the researchers noted.

“Although dementia is complex, vascular damage in post-stroke patients is a significant risk factor, depending on the severity, volume and site of the stroke,” said study co-author Dr. Paul Sanberg, USF senior vice president for research and innovation. “Ischemic stroke might initiate neurodegenerative dementia, particularly in the aging population.”

The researchers conclude that repair of the BBB following ischemic stroke could potentially prevent further degradation of surviving neurons.

“Recognizing that the BBB is a therapeutic target is important for developing neuroprotective strategies,” they said.

In addition to researchers from USF, researchers from the Ribeirao Preto School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, contributed to the study.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (1RO1NS071956-01A1) and the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program (1KG01-33966).

# # #

The Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair has strong and ongoing commitments to  neurosurgical education both at the residency and fellowship level and also to providing ongoing educational efforts for practicing physicians. Multiple avenues of research under investigation in the department include conducting clinical research in the fields of complex spinal disorders, epilepsy, brain tumor treatment, and stroke care, among others. In the departmental laboratories, studies of spinal biomechanics, neurodegenerative disorders, and microsurgical techniques are also underway. We are trying to improve the treatments available for our neurosurgical patients and neurological patients throughout the world. http://health.usf.edu/medicine/neurosurgery/index.htm

# # #

The mission of the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair is to develop new therapeutic strategies to promote repair and regeneration of aging and diseased brain. Building on a foundation of excellence in basic and clinical research, the center focuses on translating innovative ideas into industrial partnerships and educational and clinical services to address key needs of the community and those suffering from brain injury and disease. http://health.usf.edu/nocms/medicine/neurosurgery/ceabr/

Critical partnership provides primary medical care, health education and resources neeeded to improve health outcomes in the University Area Community  

Tampa, FL – The efforts of the USF students who operate and run the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic can be life-saving in the University Area Community where  health disparities  are substantial.  Many  residents suffer from high rates of HIV and other STDs, obesity, diabetes, stroke and heart attack.  In addition, the infant mortality rate in the community is double that of the rest of Hillsborough County and Florida and is close to that of Malaysia.

The University Area Community Development Corporation recenlty donated $1,000 to the the BRIDGE  Clinic, which works against these odds to provide free care to residents of this community through the collaboration of volunteer medicine, physical therapy, social work, public health, and pharmacy practitioners.

Dan Jurman of the University Area CDC presents a $1,000 donation to the outgoing and incoming student directors of the USF BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic.

“Our donation to the BRIDGE Clinic will help its volunteers continue the desperately-needed services they are bringing to University Area Community residents,” said Dan Jurman, UACDC executive director and CEO. “Better access to primary healthcare stabilizes parents and children, making them better able to perform at work and school and more likely to break the cycle of poverty. Together both organizations have committed to bring needed healthcare to the residents of the area, who are often uninsured, have limited transportation, and face other obstacles to getting necessary medical care.”

Now in its fifth year, the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic continues to grow and serve the community through its clinic services, health fairs, and outreach and educational programs. This clinic would not function, however, without the support and donations of community members.

“The clinic requires more than 2,000 volunteer hours annually to operate, and even with that magnitude of volunteer support, we cannot provide services without in-kind donations and funding from the community,” said  Cara Sullivan, co-director of the BRIDGE Clinic. “That’s why we’re so grateful for the support of the University Area CDC. Having a community partner that cares about the residents as much as we do helps us tremendously as we continue to look for ways to improve our clinic and the health of the University Area Community.”

BRIDGE stands for Building Relationships and Initiatives Dedicated to Gaining Equality.

Jurman says these hard-working college students more than live up to their name. “Together we can all strive to enhance the lives of those around us to help build a stronger community. These young people give me hope that a brighter future is within reach.”

 To volunteer or donate to the BRIDGE Healthcare Clinic, please contact Kaitlin Holdstein at kholdste@health.usf.edu

ABOUT UACDC:
The University Area Community Development Corporation, Inc. (UACDC) is a 501(c)(3) public/private partnership whose mission is children and family development, crime prevention, and commerce growth. Its primary focus is the redevelopment and sustainability of the at-risk areas surrounding the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida. The UACDC was named nonprofit of the year for public and societal benefit by the Tampa Bay Business Journal in 2011 and 2012. It is headquartered in the University Area Community Center Complex, owned by Hillsborough County and operated by the UACDC, which is located at 14013 North 22nd Street in Tampa. For more information about UACDC, please visit www.uacdc.org or call Dan Jurman at 813-558-5212.

Tampa, FL (June 4, 2013) – Tampa General Hospital’s Children’s Medical Center and USF Health recently earned admission into the world’s largest organization focused exclusively on pediatric cancer research. The Children’s Oncology Group (COG), a National Cancer Institute-supported clinical trials group, approved TGH as a new member institution and appointed Dr. Cameron Tebbi, of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, as its principal investigator.

Pediatric cancer is relatively uncommon, with one to two children developing the disease each year for every 10,000 children in the United States, according to the NCI.  By offering multisite clinical studies at more than 200 participating institutions worldwide, COG can enroll sufficient numbers of qualifying pediatric patients and families to clearly evaluate the effectiveness of new diagnostics, treatments or other interventions.

“COG membership will greatly advance the services that the Tampa General Hospital Children’s Medical Center and USF Pediatrics can offer our child and adolescent patients with cancer or blood disorders,” said Dr. Tebbi, USF professor of pediatrics and chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
 
“We have many talented physicians, scientists, nurses and pharmacists who can collaborate with other COG institutions, contribute to the development of new protocols, and help set the national research agenda for pediatric cancer. Our goal is to improve the survival and quality of life of children with cancer.”

The expertise of Dr. Tebbi and others on his team helped the TGH Children’s Medical Center meet the rigorous criteria required for membership in COG. 

Dr. Tebbi has written several clinical protocols, or standardized treatment guidelines, for patients enrolled in COG trials, including a widely-used protocol for patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma. USF Health/TGH pediatric surgeon Dr. Charles Paidas, also a longstanding individual member of COG, has served on several review committees. 

More than 90 percent of U.S. children diagnosed with cancer are treated at COG member institutions, which provide multidisciplinary care and comprehensive support services.   More than 8,000 childhood cancer experts are individual members of COG at their participating member institutions — hospitals, universities and cancer centers in North America, New Zealand and Europe.

COG has played a pivotal role in transforming childhood cancer from a virtually incurable disease 50 years ago to one with a combined five-year survival rate of 80 percent today.  The group has nearly 100 active clinical and translational trials open at any given time, including studies in new cancer drug development, supportive care, epidemiology, stem cell transplantation, behavioral sciences and survivorship.

In addition to Dr. Tebbi, Dr. Juan Felipe Rico, USF assistant professor of pediatrics, and Mindy Kimpland, ARNP, were instrumental in helping the TGH Children’s Medical Center achieve COG institutional membership.

 -Tampa General Hospital-

 Tampa General Hospital is a 1,018 bed acute care hospital and is the only Level 1 trauma center on the west coast of Florida. It is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. It also serves as the region’s only burn center, adult solid organ transplant center and provides specialized rehabilitation services. Tampa General has established centers of excellence in the following clinical areas: cardiac, neurosciences, digestive disorders, orthopedics, infectious disease, high risk and normal obstetrics, and pediatrics. 

-USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu

Tampa, FL – (June 10, 2013) The USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute has teamed up with the Alzheimer’s Association for The Longest Day® to honor those living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.

On Friday, June 21, 2013, the Byrd Institute’s Longest Day® Team, the Byrd Brains, will partake in several activities about patience, strength and endurance to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s disease research and support programs.  Activities will last from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and begin with a run, softball game, sand volleyball and disc golf at USF’s Riverfront Park, on  East Fletcher Avenue in Tampa.

Team members will also offer free brain fitness training at USF’s School of Aging Studies in the Cognitive Aging Lab (by appointment only). The computer-based training helps exercise memory retention and the ability to process visual stimuli. To make an appointment, please call (813) 974-6703.

 Proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. To join or support the Byrd Brains team, please visit the team’s Web page at https://thelongestday.alz.org/home/team/94088.

For questions and details on how to participate, please contact David A. Boudreaux, Ph.D. at (813) 396-9922 or email dboudre1@health.usf.edu.

 -USF Health-

USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50^th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among

The mouse model study by USF researchers combined ketogenic diet and hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Tampa, FL (June 5, 2013) – A combination of nontoxic dietary and hyperbaric oxygen therapies effectively increased survival time in a mouse model of aggressive metastatic cancer, a  research team from the Hyperbaric Biomedical Research Laboratory at the University of South Florida has found.

The study, “The Ketogenic Diet and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Prolong Survival in Mice with Systemic Metastatic Cancer,” was published online today in PLOS ONE. 

Led by Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, principal investigator  in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the research shows the effects of combining two nontoxic adjuvant cancer therapies, the ketogenic diet and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, in a mouse model of late-stage, metastatic cancer. 

“Our study demonstrates the potential of these cost-effective, nontoxic therapies to contribute to current cancer treatment regimens and significantly improve the outcome of patients with advanced metastatic cancer,” D’Agostino said.

Study lead author Angela Poff, a doctoral student in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, is shown here in the USF Hyperbaric Biomedical Research Laboratory.

Metastasis, the spreading of cancer from the primary tumor to distant spots, is responsible for over 90 percent of cancer-related deaths in humans.  A lack of available therapies effective against metastatic disease remains the largest obstacle in finding a cure for cancer. 

In the study, mice with advanced metastatic cancer were fed either a standard high carbohydrate diet or carbohydrate-restricted ketogenic diet.  Mice on both diets also received hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which uses a special chamber to increase the amount of oxygen in the tissues.

The ketogenic diet forces a physiological shift in substrate utilization from glucose to fatty acids and ketone bodies for energy.  Normal healthy cells readily adapt to using ketone bodies for fuel, but cancer cells lack this metabolic flexibility, and thus become selectively vulnerable to reduced glucose availability.  Solid tumors also have areas of low oxygen, which promotes tumor growth and metastatic spread.  

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing 100 percent oxygen at elevated barometric pressure, saturating the tumors with oxygen.   When administered properly, both the ketogenic diet and hyperbaric oxygen therapy are non-toxic and may even protect healthy tissues while simultaneously damaging cancer cells, D’Agostino said. 

While both therapies slowed disease progression independently, animals receiving the combined ketogenic diet and hyperbaric oxygen therapy lived 78 percent longer than mice fed a standard high-carbohydrate diet.

The research, funded by a charitable donation from Scivation, was inspired by the research of Professor Thomas Seyfried of Boston College.  Dr. Seyfried has advanced the theory that cancer is a metabolic disease, inspiring the development of metabolic strategies to treat and prevent cancer. 

D`Agostino`s team is currently collaborating with Dr. Seyfried and other scientists to secure funding and develop protocols for establishing human clinical trials.

Article Citation:
“The Ketogenic Diet and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Act Synergistically to Prolong Survival in Mice with Systemic Metastatic Cancer;” A.M. Poff, C. Ari, T.N. Seyfried and D.P. D’Agostino; PLOS ONE, June 5, 2013: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0065522

Media contact:
Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
abaier@health.usf.edu or (813) 9745-3303