Postdoc Spotlight

USF Postdoc named National Postdoc association IMPACT fellow - 1 of 6 chosen internationally

Pierre Kawak, Ph.D. has just been selected by the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) as an NPA IMPACT Fellow (see Press Release). As a consequence, the NPA has designated USF as an NPA IMPACT Fellow Institution – one of only 18 IMPACT Fellow Institutions in the world.

He and USF were among only 6 selectees out of about 100 applicants from around the world. Just a few quotes on the program from their press release:

“IMPACT was launched in 2021 to empower postdoctoral scholars from underrepresented backgrounds to build skills, understand strengths and develop networks.”

“IMPACT Fellows also use the knowledge, tools and resources they gain from the program to implement innovative activities or initiatives at their institutions that amplify the impact of the fellowship as they contribute back to home communities.”

This is a highly select investment and vote of confidence in USF as an institution that supports postdoctoral scholars and others from diverse backgrounds. It provides support for Pierre to implement an IMPACT project that will benefit success of diverse postdoctoral researchers at USF. It is important to recognize the impact of our researchers on diverse workforce development at the college level and more broadly at USF. 
- via David S. Simmons, Ph.D Associate Professor

'Researcher Technology Transfer' (RTT) Initiative - (Kawak IMPACT Project)

RTT is envisioned as a knowledge exchange and skill enhancement program for early-career researchers at USF. The core structure involves two workshop-style events each month, targeting current interests in the wider research community. Topics could range from "leveraging AI in manuscript writing" to "pedagogical best practices."
One of the primary objectives of RTT is to bridge outcome disparities and bolster retention for researchers from marginalized backgrounds. By inviting speakers from our local community of early-career researchers, the initiative also aims to amplify their voices, providing a vital platform for connection, collaboration, and community-building.
- via Pierre Kawak, USF Postdoc

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Lashodya Dissanayake received the Dimitrios G. Oreopoulos Research Fellowship Award, as part of the Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program

This year, Lashodya Dissanayake received the Dimitrios G. Oreopoulos Research Fellowship Award, as part of the Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program organized by the American Society of Nephrology under the KidneyCure Foundation. The award is for $50,000.00 annually for up to two years. In addition, she has also been selected by the ASN for the Kidney TREKS (Tutored Research and Education for Kidney Scholars) Program.

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Developing new generation malaria vaccines at the University of South Florida

Ahmad Rushdi Shakri, Post-doctoral Research Fellow is a lead contributor to the new strategies being used to develop malaria vaccines in Dr Dipak Raj lab in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, University of South Florida. Dr Shakri highlighted the cutting-edge research on development of new generation of malaria vaccines at the 2023 March Malaria Madness Meeting (M4). The meeting was organized by the University of Florida. He displayed work on a novel malaria vaccine candidate, PfGARP, a parasite protein expressed on the surface of infected human red blood cells.

Ahmad Shakri presented the current progress on the vaccine development project and also displayed a poster at the conference.

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Halime Gulle receives $10,000 sports Med Research Grant

This year, Halime will receive a research grant from The American College of Sports Medicine Foundation Research Grant Program. They have awarded her with $10,000 for her side project titled "Can minimal footwear use reduce the inflammatory process in individuals with plantar fasciitis?"

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Felix Rodriguez Cardozo, Ph.D. at InSight Mission/NASA JPL conference

Felix recently attended a conference for the InSight Mission led by NASA’S Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Through his experience in late March, he was able to participate and interact with the InSight science team. During their annual meeting, they discussed their results and findings related to geophysical experiments on Mars.

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2023 Annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium awardees

On March 22, 2023, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs partnered with the Office of Graduate Studies to bring together researchers from all over campus to present their work at a poster competition. Postdoctoral scholars had the opportunity to present the scope and significance of their research in a concise and engaging manner without technical jargon. 

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is proud to announce the winners of the 2023 Annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium:

Best Posters:

 

Runner-Ups:

Everette Coffman

The Attachment Adaptation Process Model: Developing Attachment Security After Experiencing Addiction in the Family

College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
Child and Family Studies

Halime Gulle 

Detecting Changes in Varus Thrust Gait Using an IMU – A Pilot Study

USF Health
School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation