USF Health faculty, staff and students are making an enduring impact across the state and nation through their commitment to research, education, patient care and community service. Congratulations to the outstanding Bulls recognized this quarter for their achievements.
Faculty
Robert Bennett, MD, assistant professor of surgery in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Surgery, was selected as a member of the Society of University Surgeons. Membership is merit-based and reserved for leaders in academic medicine, research and surgical education.
Melissa Bogle, DNP, assistant professor at the USF Health College of Nursing, was selected as a Faculty Fellow by the University Psychedelic Education Program. The program advances evidence-based education on the therapeutic use of psychedelic medicines.
Laura Blair, PhD, associate professor of molecular medicine at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, was named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. This distinction honors faculty, scientists and administrators who have developed, patented and commercialized technologies that are making a meaningful impact on society and driving economic progress.
Andrea Efre, DNP, associate professor in the USF Health College of Nursing, was selected as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Fellows are selected for making significant accomplishments and contributions to advancing the role of nurse practitioners.
Pedram Hamrah, MD, professor and vice chair of academic medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology, was named to the 2026 Ophthalmology Power List, placing him among the top 50 ophthalmologists worldwide. This recognition ophthalmology leaders and influencers whose achievements have advanced or made a significant impact in the field over the last 12-18 months and will go on to shape its future.
Kami Kim, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, was named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. This distinction honors faculty, scientists and administrators who have developed, patented and commercialized technologies that are making a meaningful impact on society and driving economic progress.
Yelizaveta Lysakova, MD, earned a National Multiple Sclerosis Society Clinical Care Physician Fellowship. The fellowship is a specialized training program for doctors who want to become experts in treating multiple sclerosis and related neurological conditions.
Catherine Nadeau, PhD, DNP, director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at the USF Health College of Nursing, was selected as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Fellows are selected for making significant accomplishments and contributions to advancing the role of nurse practitioners.
Greg Sullivan, MD, was elected as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. This is one of the highest honors the APA awards to members who have made exceptional sustained contributions to the field.
Hana Totary-Jain, PhD, associate professor of molecular pharmacology and physiology at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, was named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. This distinction honors faculty, scientists and administrators who have developed, patented and commercialized technologies that are making a meaningful impact on society and driving economic progress.
DaZhi Wang, PhD, professor in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and director of the USF Health Heart Institute, was selected to receive $25,000 from the Florida High Tech Corridor’s Early-Stage Innovation Fund, in partnership with USF Research, for his project “Use of Nox4 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cardiac Fibrosis.” The award is a seed-funding program designed to help university-based innovations move from concept to real-world application.
Staff
Janelle Hanson, administrative specialist at the USF College of Public Health, was selected as the University of South Florida Staff Member of the Year. The honor recognizes her exceptional service, leadership and commitment to supporting students and colleagues across the college. She also earned a USF Outstanding Staff Award.
Students
Gabriella Niedbala-Rodrigues, a student at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, was named a 2025 Better Living for Seniors Hillsborough Scholarship recipient. The scholarship is awarded to students in recognition of academic achievements and dedication to improving the lives of older adults while pursuing a career in nursing or senior care.
Angeline Saint Fleur, PhD candidate at the USF Health College of Nursing, received the William R. Jones Outstanding Mentor Award at the 2026 McKnight Annual Fellows Meeting, and Research and Writing Conference. She was recognized for her exceptional mentorship and commitment to supporting McKnight scholars while pursuing her doctoral degree.
Institutional
The USF Health College of Nursing Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic received the 2026 Insight into Academia Civic Engagement and Community Service Award. The national award recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding work in community engagement and public service. The college also received a $2 million gift from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust to establish the Second Degree Nursing Success Scholarship. The new scholarship will provide critical financial support for students in the Accelerated Second Degree BSN Program, expanding access to nursing education and helping address Florida’s growing nursing workforce needs.
Award recipients from the MedEd Symposium 2026
Innovation in Medical Education: Poster: Olivia Brennan
Innovation in Medical Education: Research: Kenneth R. Walker, Jr., Enola Okonkwo, MD, Noah Huff, Marissa Jaishankar, Susan Jacob, MD, Teagen Smith, Sonia Brickley, Cherith Lugo, Helen Hansel, Hailey Kramer, Lacy Bryant, Grce Silva, Nidhi Bhide, Vernon Volante, Adriana Baez, Chloe Chose, Robert Baldwin, Yosef Nafii, Sarah Moffitt, Christopher Guske, Noah Devolve, Alexandra Varnum, Joshua Alvior, MD, Shreya Narayanan, MD
Ace Pitch! Seed Fund Competition: Karim Hanna, MD, Aditya Grover, MD, Allison Hales, DO
Award recipients from Research Day 2026
USF Health Award for Outstanding Oral Presentation presented by Tampa General Hospital: Evan-Angelo Buttig (Doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Best Poster in the Field of Physical Therapy: Alexie Alcantara (Physical Therapy)
Best Poster in the Field of Pharmacy: Xinran Zhu (Pharmacy)
The Dr. Christopher P. Phelps Memorial Fund Annual Morsani College of Medicine Neuroscience Student Travel Award: Marsilla Gray (Doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Matar Family Endowment for Medical Innovation: Michael Martin (Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine)
Outstanding Research Innovation Award: Minh Tran (Doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Outstanding Medical Resident/Fellow presented by Tampa General Hospital: Madison Tyle, MD
Global Research Award: Christopher Dukes (Public Health)
Basic Science Award: Doctoral Student Research: Jingling Wu (Doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Health Services Award: Doctoral Student Research: Greg Lehr (Doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Health Services Award: Undergraduate Student Research: Thanvi Narapareddygari (Public Health)
Clinical and Translational Sciences Award: Doctoral Student Research: Jillian Grall (DNP, Nursing)
Medical Students Years 1 and 2 Research: Jasmine Sturn (Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine)
Medical Student Years 3 and 4 Research: Nicholas Chin (Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine)
Master’s Student Research Award: Rachel Kehoe (Public Health)
Post-Doctoral Scholar Research Award: Prerana Sharma (Post-doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Best Poster in the Field of Cardiovascular Biology: Xueling Ma (Post-doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Best Poster in the Field of Health Services Research: Amjad Alsultan (DNP, Nursing)
Best Poster in the Field of Immunology and Microbiology: Gabriela Pinero-Crespo (Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine)
Best Poster in the Field of Molecular and Cellular Biology: Murat Akkurt Arsian (Post-doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Best poster in the Field of Neuroscience: Kristine McDermott (Post-doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine)
Best Poster in the Field of Other Clinical Research: Madeline Jones (Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine)
Best Poster in the Field of Other Research: Amy Wu (Medicine)
Case Study/Review Award: Rahul Jain (Medicine)
16th Annual Joseph Krzanowski, PhD, Invited Oral Presentations Award: Natasa Billeci (Doctoral, College of Nursing), Mega Patel (Doctoral, College of Pharmacy), Emma Underwood (Doctoral, Public Health), Hannah Chao (Medicine), Adriana Baez (Medicine), Willow Goff (Medicine), Haider Ghuman, MD, Mohd Rihan (Post-doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine), Mary Ruth Joyce (Doctoral, Public Health), Alka Rani (Post-doctoral, Morsani College of Medicine), Melissa Newsome (Post-doctoral, Public Health)
College of Public Health Specific Awards from Research Day
Basic Science/Clinical or Translational Research Award – Masters Student: Anusha Parajuli
Health Services Research Award – Masters Student: Hayzley Irwin
Basic Science Research Award – Doctoral Student: Biwei Cao
Health Services/Clinical or Translational Research Award – Doctoral Student: Olivia Galler
Health Services/Clinical or Translational Research Award – Undergraduate Student: Annabelle Zielinski
Health Services Research Award – Undergraduate Student: Savannah Nguyen-Meyer
College of Nursing Specific Awards from Research Day
Community Based Research Award: Hanin Alawwas
Basic/Clinical Research Award: Delaney Meek (Undergraduate), Kylie Slaton (Undergraduate), Christina Hersh (DNP)
Health Systems Award: Julia Hedge (DNP), Michael Boyer (DNP)