Irene Davis, PhD, PT, FACSM, FAPTA, FASB, professor in the USF Health School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, is trying to understand the intricate relationship between lower extremity mechanics and overuse injuries in runners. With a focus on transforming the way runners experience pain and preventing injury, Dr. Davis and her team are researching gait retraining for injury prevention. 

Subject crossing the force plate at a constant velocity to test the three-dimensional components of force being produced on their joints.

At the heart of their research is a force plate used at the center of an elongated runway. This allows individuals to simulate a complete running cycle, starting from acceleration, and crossing the force plate at a consistent velocity. The force plate captures not only vertical forces but also forces in all three dimensions, offering a clearer picture of the intricate nature of the forces exerted when landing. This three-dimensional analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of how alignment and mechanics contribute to the risk of injury.

Reflective markers attached to a subject’s body which supply data with a multi-dimensional perspective on joint movement. Essential for understanding the mechanics involved in running.

To access this data, the research team attaches reflective markers to the subjects’ bodies, which are then tracked by multiple cameras. These complex algorithms decipher the markers’ movements, enabling the researchers to see the angles at the ankle, knee, and hip joints. This approach supplies a multi-dimensional perspective on joint movement, essential for understanding the mechanics involved in running.

The integration of force plate data and marker tracking empowers the team to calculate joint loads and torques, giving a complete picture of the forces experienced by various joints during a runner’s gait cycle. This holistic approach enables Dr. Davis and her team to identify problematic mechanics and design interventions that could alleviate pain and reduce the risk of injury. 

By applying their findings, her team is pioneering an innovative approach to runner rehabilitation. Through a series of sessions involving real-time feedback and targeted practice, the research team has started receiving results. A notable example is a study focused on addressing knee pain, in which participants underwent a tailored gait retraining program. Participants experienced improvements in their alignment and mechanics, easing the persistent pain that they have dealt with for years. 

This groundbreaking research challenges the traditional notion that gait patterns are fixed and unalterable. By bridging the gap between scientific understanding and medical practice, Dr. Davis and her team have proven that gait retraining is not only possible but also effective in alleviating pain and preventing future injuries. The success of their interventions underscores the transformative potential of multidimensional biomechanical analysis in sports medicine. 

The researcher is analyzing data provided by the force plate.

In a field where innovation meets application, Dr. Davis and her team are revolutionizing the way we think about running mechanics and their impact on injuries. This has not only raised awareness but also instilled hope for countless runners who want to run free of pain. Dr. Davis hopes that science and medicine can work hand in hand to reshape runners’ lives.

“We hope our clinic and our research will offer injured runners a solution so they are able to continue to run pain-free,” Dr. Davis said. “We really have pioneered this idea of retraining gait patterns.”  

Story, photos, and video by Ryan Rossy.

The Taneja College of Pharmacy has enhanced its foundational, didactic, and experiential curriculum to accommodate the diversity of students entering pharmacy school, many with diverse backgrounds in study, work, and life experiences. The curriculum includes components that allow students to pursue their passions, become workforce-ready, and pursue nontraditional pharmacy career paths.

As the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy’s (TCOP) new 30,000-square-foot home in downtown Tampa continues to progress, plans include a Maker Space/Creativity Lounge, a space that will connect students, faculty, and staff with leaders and innovators to promote creativity as part of professional development.

“The key to this vision is the ITEHC Academy (Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship in Healthcare). What originally started as a student-developed organization has grown to become the foundation for initiatives focused on advancing our student’s creativity, innovative and disruptive mindsets. It is now the pinnacle of the pillars and strategic plan of the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy,” said Kevin M. Olson, MBA, PharmD, CPh, assistant professor at the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy and director of the ITEHC Academy.

To help elevate and advance pharmaceutical education further, the new space will include virtual and augmented reality, a multitaction video wall, CAD drawing software, 3D printing, and holographic technology.

The space will allow various student groups, such as ITEHC, to develop innovative ideas and prototypes for health-related devices.

“Envision a space where students, faculty, staff, and community partners can come together and collaborate, a space where they can discover new ways of creating value that will advance pharmacy practice, differentiate pharmacist career opportunities, and reshape the future of pharmacy and health care,” Dr. Olson said.

Story and video by Ryan Rossy, USF Health Communications and Marketing

Rendering of the Student Commons outside the Creativity Lounge.

Rendering of the Creativity Lounge.

USF Connect – Student Innovation Incubator Orientation.

Two students in the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy (TCOP) launched a company that may have the newest innovation in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, and their work opened the way for acceptance to USF Connect, the university’s premier technology and design incubator.  

TCOP pharmaceutical doctoral students Siegrid Pregartner and Laura Borgerding founded Janus AI (Artificial Intelligence), which designed a tool that aims to aid in the early detection of Alzheimer’s using AI technology.

The goal of their company is to give patients with Alzheimer’s disease the opportunity to take control of their lives and make the best healthcare decisions they can before the disease progresses too far.

“There are treatments coming out every single month for Alzheimer’s disease and the amount of money for research increases every single year but, we still do not have a way to know who does and who does not have the disease before symptom onset. Our tool will be able to diagnose patients for when more effective treatments come out to give people extra years to their lives when they are comfortable and in control,” said Pregartner.

USF Connect – The Business Incubator Program.

Recently, their health care startup company won first place and $15,000 at the Florida Blue Health Innovative Challenge, and has been accepted into USF Connects cohort.

“Winning the challenge will not only help us to develop our business but, also it made us realize that this could be a genuine business that could change lives,” Pregartner said.

Students who join a cohort through the USF Connect Incubator will be able to gain access to an abundance of resources such as business experts, legal, and investors. That will assist them in growing their business, concept, and product.

“USF Connect is going to help build a cohesive model and connect us with mentors that will help us with the implementation of our prototype and how to move forward as a business,” Borgerding said.

By utilizing their artificial intelligence tool, they could also contribute to further research and prove that certain drugs have a preventative effect on Alzheimer’s.

“Having the dean and our professors support us from the start at The USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy, has been more than them just doing their job… that is them caring about our future and I think that has been the most important factor in our success,” Borgerding said.

(Left to right): Siegrid Pregartner and Laura Borgerding

Story and photos by Ryan Rossy, USF Health Communications and Marketing 

The Class of 2026 looks on as Edwing Daniel, PhD, MCOM dean of admissions, gives his presentation about who makes up the class.

Excitement and anticipation filled the atmosphere at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute today as the medical students of the Class of 2026 celebrated their first official day of class.

The admission team, led by Edwing Daniel, PhD, sorted through more than 5,600 applicants to select the best and brightest candidates that come from a wide variety of backgrounds including an Olympic fencer, an Indian folk dancer, and a few NCAA athletes from five Division 1 sports.

In his address to the class, Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM, dean of MCOM and USF Health senior vice president, told the students how much the school has grown since he joined eight years ago.  The number of research grants has nearly tripled, clinical revenue has nearly doubled, performance on the USMLE Step 1 and 2 exams are well above the national average, and USF Health has strengthened its relationship Tampa General Hospital, its primary teaching hospital.   Dr. Lockwood also reiterated to the group the resources available to them as they navigate the next four years transforming from student to doctor.

Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM, MCOM dean and USF Health senior vice president addressing the medical students of the Class of 2026.

“You have joined us at a momentous time in our history, a period when our medical school is making great advances in all three of our core missions of education, research, and patient care,” Dr. Lockwood said.  “But you are also joining us during a transformative moment for the field of medicine, coming off of a major public health crisis of the past century with long-lasting implications for the practice of medicine across the globe.”

Class of 2026 profile:

177 students – 121 Core, 56 SELECT

54% Female, 46% Male

18% Under-represented minorities

Undergraduate Education:  58% Out of State, 42% In State

3.91 average GPA*

More images from the first day of class:

*This story was updated with more current info that includes GPAs.

Early treatment with the FDA-approved antiparasitic drug nitazoxanide prevents mild or moderate COVID-19 symptoms from progressing to severe illness and hospitalization, a clinical study co-led by USF Health’s Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, indicates.

The Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial, conducted at 36 centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, was led by Jean-Francois Rossignol, MD, PhD, executive chairman of Tampa-based Romark LLC, and Christian Brechot, MD, PhD, president of the Global Virus Network; associate vice president for International Partnerships and Innovation at USF; and professor, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The findings posted April 20 to medRxiv, a preprint server for health sciences.

USF Health’s Christian Brechot, MD, PhD, co-led the multicenter clinical study.

“Combining safe, potent therapies with vaccination programs will be critical to controlling this pandemic,” study principal investigator Dr. Brechot said. “Despite the remarkable advances in developing effective COVID-19 vaccines, we still urgently need new treatments to help prevent severe disease and hospitalizations.”

This is particularly the case earlier in the disease – before the COVID-19 virus replicates extensively and infection spreads from the lungs, potentially triggering an immune system-induced “cytokine storm” that damages other organs. Monoclonal antibodies, while achieving promising results when infused early enough, are costly, prone to resistance by viral mutations, and must be administered in a hospital or clinic, Dr. Brechot added.

Nitazoxanide, an existing drug widely prescribed to treat intestinal parasites, has a proven safety record in children and adults. In cell culture studies, it has been shown to inhibit replication of several different respiratory viruses, including the human coronavirus MERS, influenza viruses, and rhinoviruses. Researchers attribute the drug’s broad-spectrum antiviral activity to its interference with cell pathways that the virus exploits to multiply. Recently, nitazoxanide was identified as a promising candidate for early treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

With this in mind, the team led by Dr. Rossignol and Dr Brechot investigated whether nitazoxanide, could be repurposed to stop mild or moderate COVID-19 from worsening.

In the latest clinical trial, the researchers tested the effectiveness of nitazoxanide in 379 outpatients, ages 12 to 83, with laboratory-confirmed mild or moderate COVID-19. Study participants (whose COVID respiratory symptoms began no more than 72 hours before entering the trial) were randomized into one of two groups, both treated for five days. One group received 300 mg. extended release nitazoxanide tablets twice daily (a 600 mg dose); the second group received placebo tablets matching the real drug’s appearance twice daily.

Monoclonal antibodies, which have shown promise for early COVID-19 treatment, are costly, administered at a hospital or clinic, and prone to resistance by viral mutations.

Among the findings of the efficacy analysis:

• Time to sustained response (a measure of how long COVID mild or moderate symptoms lasted) was not reduced by nitazoxanide.

• Nitazoxanide treatment was associated with an 85% decrease in progression to severe illness, compared to placebo. Only one of all 184 outpatients in the nitazoxanide group progressed to severe disease (a rate of 0.5%), while seven out of 195 (3.6%) in the placebo group did.

• A subgroup of 238 study participants (63% of the total 379) were at high risk of developing severe COVID illness based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria (age, underlying medical conditions, etc.). Of these higher-risk individuals the rate of progression to severe disease was significantly lower for the nitazoxanide-treated group (0.9%), than for the placebo group (5.6%).

• Treatment reduced the rate of hospitalization by 79% in the nitazoxanide group (0.5%), compared to the placebo group (2.6%).

The researchers emphasize that larger studies are needed to confirm their results.

New, easily accessible antiviral treatments are still urgently needed to prevent the progression of mild or moderate COVID-19 to severe illness and hospitalizations.

“The availability of a safe, oral, scalable, host-directed antiviral for the early treatment of COVID-19 in persons at high risk of severe illness could play an important role in reducing the number of severe illnesses and hospitalizations during this ongoing major public health crisis,” they concluded.

The study was funded by the Romark Institute for Medical Research.

Experts in airway bitter taste receptors and medicinal chemistry team up to advance a potential asthma and COPD treatment that works differently than existing bronchodilators

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TAMPA, Fla (Jan 4, 2021) — Despite the progress made in managing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), poorly controlled symptoms for both respiratory diseases can lead to severe shortness of breath, hospitalizations or even death.

“Only about 50 percent of asthmatics, and an even lower percentage of people with COPD, achieve adequate control of lung inflammation and airway constriction with currently available medications,” said Stephen Liggett, MD, vice dean for research at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and a USF Health professor of medicine, molecular pharmacology and physiology, and biomedical engineering. “So, we’re clearly missing something from our drug armamentarium to help all these patients.”

Dr. Liggett’s laboratory has discovered several subtypes of bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) — G protein-coupled receptors expressed on human smooth airway muscle cells deep inside the lungs. In asthma and COPD, tightening of smooth muscles surrounding bronchial tubes narrows the airway and reduces air flow, and Dr Liggett’s lab found that these taste receptors open the airway when activated. They are now looking for new drugs to treat asthma and other obstructive lung diseases by targeting smooth muscle TAS2Rs to open constricted airways.

A promising bronchodilator agonist rises to the top

In a preclinical study published Nov. 5 in ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science, Dr. Liggett and colleagues identified and characterized 18 new compounds (agonists) that activate bitter taste receptor subtype TAS2R5 to promote relaxation (dilation) of human airway smooth muscle cells. The cross-disciplinary team found 1,10 phenanthroline-5,6-dione (T5-8 for short) to be the most promising of several lead compounds (drug candidates). T5-8 was 1,000 times more potent than some of the other compounds tested, and it demonstrated marked effectiveness in human airway smooth muscle cells grown in the laboratory.

For this drug discovery project, Dr. Liggett’s laboratory collaborated with Jim Leahy, PhD, professor and chair of chemistry at the USF College of Arts and Sciences, and Steven An, PhD, professor of pharmacology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

In an extensive screening conducted previously, another research group identified only one compound that would bind to and specifically activate the TASR5 bitter taste receptor – although apparently with limited effectiveness. Using this particular agonist (called T5-1 in the paper) as a starting point, the team relied on their collective disciplines to devise new activators, aiming for a much better drug profile for administration to humans.

USF Health’s Stephen Liggett, MD

“The two key questions we asked were: ‘Is it possible to find a more potent agonist that activates this receptor?’ and ‘Is it feasible to deliver by inhalation given the potencies that we find?’” said Dr. Liggett, the paper’s senior author. “T5-8 was the bronchodilator agonist that worked best. There were a few others that were very good as well, so we now have multiple potential new drugs to carry out the next steps.”

The researchers developed screening techniques to determine just how potent and effective the 18 compounds were. A biochemical test assessed how well these new agonists activated TAS2R5 in airway smooth muscle cells isolated from non-asthmatic human donor lungs. Then, the researchers validated the effect on airway smooth muscle relaxation using a technique known as magnetic twisting cytometry, pioneered by Dr An.

“Team science” solves a structural problem

“The biggest challenge we faced was not having a 3-D crystal structure of TAS2R5, so we had no idea exactly how agonist T5-1 fit into this mysterious bitter taste receptor,” Dr. Liggett said. “By merging our strength in receptors, pharmacology, physiology, and drug development, our team was able to make the breakthrough.”

T5-8 was superior to all the other bronchodilator agonists screened, exhibiting a maximum relaxation response (50%) substantially greater than that of albuterol (27%). Albuterol belongs to the only class of direct bronchodilators (beta-2 agonists) available to treat wheezing and shortness of breath caused by asthma and COPD. However, this drug or its derivatives, often prescribed as a rescue inhaler, does not work for all patients and overuse has been linked to increased hospitalizations, Dr. Liggett said. “Having two distinct classes of drugs that work in different ways to open the airways would be an important step to help patients optimally control their symptoms.”

The ACS Pharmacology paper highlights the importance of translational research in bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and new therapies to improve human health, he added. “This study yielded a drug discovery that successfully meets most of the criteria needed to advance the compound toward its first trial as a potential first-in-class bronchodilator targeting airway receptor TAS2R5.”

The study was supported by a grant from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

As we move into 2021, let’s recap some of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s top research news stories of 2020.

It’s probably no surprise that COVID-19-related research accounts for quite a few stories. The ongoing blog by USF Health’s Dr. Christian Brechot, president of the Global Virus Network, holds the #1 spot. Since March, the blog has offered a global perspective on new coronavirus findings and the scientific community’s response to the unprecedented pandemic.

Check out the following Top 12 list. The ranking is based on the number of page views for online stories amplified via Facebook and Twitter:

1. Dr. Brechot’s COVID-19 blog

2. Coronavirus Q& A with USF Health virologist Michael Teng

3. USF Health team invents 3D printed nasal swab used worldwide to facilitate COVID-19 testing

4. USF Health and Tampa General Hospital selected to participate in COVID-19 vaccine trial

5. New vaccine targeting toxic amyloid-β could help halt Alzheimer’s disease progression, preclinical study finds

6. USF Health celebrates 30th Research Day with record number of poster submissions

7. Clinical trial shows first 3D printed nasal swabs work as well as commercial swabs for COVID-19 diagnostic testing

8. Tampa General Hospital, USF Health announce joint Office of Clinical Research to build upon research excellence

9. USF Health among top U.S. medical centers to test new ALS treatment shown to significantly benefit patients

10. Beta-arrestin2 increases neurotoxic tau driving frontotemporal dementia

11. New study identifies inflammatory molecules controlling capillary loss common in many diseases

12. Compounds halt SARS-CoV-2 replication by targeting key viral enzyme

The following were 2019-20 strategic hires for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM):

Hiram Bezerra, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine, MCOM
Director of Interventional Cardiology, USF Health and Tampa General Hospital
Before USF: University Hospitals of Cleveland
Expertise:  Minimally invasive transcatheter procedures in the heart and structural heart disease. TAVR, mitral therapies, LAAO, advanced coronary intervention, CTO, protected PCI, complex coronary, cardiogenic shock and mechanical support — all supported by advanced imaging and physiology; cardiac CTA, cardiac MRI, intravascular imaging, OCT, IVUS, and coronary physiology assessment.

Rafael Carrion, MD
New MCOM Position: Chair, Department of Urology; Director, Urology Research
Expertise:  Sexual medicine; management of Peyronie’s disease, erectile dysfunction, male factor infertility, genital pain syndromes, hypogonadism, and female sexual dysfunction.

Douglas Haladay, DPT, PhD, PT, MHS, OCS, CSCS
New MCOM Positions: Associate Professor and Director, MCOM School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences;
Associate Dean, USF Health MCOM
Expertise:  Examination and management of low back pain; patient preferences, values, and goal setting; outcomes measurement in low back pain; measurement of abdominal muscle performance

Ganesh Halade, PhD
Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences, USF Health Heart Institute
Before USF: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Expertise:  Inflammation and resolution in cardiac repair after heart attack; cardiometabolic defects; unresolved inflammation in ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure

James Grichnik, MD
Professor and Chair, Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery
Before USF:  Cleveland Clinic, University of Miami, Duke
Expertise: Melanoma, cutaneous oncology, imaging, early tumor detection, genetics, tumor stem cell biology and innovation

Bradlee L. Heckmann, PhD
Assistant Professor of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Center
Before USF: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
Expertise:  Novel use of autophagy proteins in regulating brain immune function; microglia modulation and LC3-associated endocytosis; targeting neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease

Loree Heller, PhD
Associate Professor of Medical Engineering
Before USF: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Expertise:  Nonviral gene therapy development for cancers and infectious disease vaccines; activation of nucleic acid-specific pattern recognition receptors by gene therapies; in vivo electroporation

Richard Heller, PhD
Professor of Medical Engineering (MCOM liaison to Dept. of Medical Engineering)
Before USF: Old Dominion University Center for Bioelectrics, Norfolk, VA
Expertise:  Drug and gene Delivery; immunotherapy for cancer; DNA vaccines; protein replacement therapy; cardiovascular applications

Ji Li, PhD
Professor of Surgery, USF Health Heart Institute
Before USF:  University of Mississippi Medical Center
Expertise:  Aging; ischemic heart disease; hypertension-related heart failure; glucose transport in diabetes; signal transduction; redox biology; cardiac inflammation; energy metabolism; cardiovascular pharmacology

David Lominadze, PhD, FAHA, FAPS
Professor of Surgery, and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology
Before USF: University of Louisville School of Medicine
Expertise:  Integrative physiology, microcirculation, biorheology, cellular biology, cerebral blood flow, neuroinflammation, vascular cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury

Lucian Lonzonschi, MD
Professor of Surgery and Chief, MCOM Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Tampa General Hospital Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Research
Associate Director, USF Health & TGH Heart & Vascular Institute
Associate Director, Transplant Institute
Before USF: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Expertise:  Robotic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, transcatheter valve therapies, heart transplantation, and mechanical assist devices

Judette Louis, MD, MPH
New MCOM Position: Chair and the James M. Ingram Endowed Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
(Dr. Louis is President of the Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine)
Expertise: High-risk pregnancy, sleep disorders, sleep apnea, maternal mortality, and pregnancy as a window to future health

Gaetane Celine Michaud, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director, MCOM Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Before USF: New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center
Expertise: Interventional pulmonology; diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer (non-small cell lung and neuroendocrine tumors), pleural effusion, mesothelioma, tracheal stenosis, mediastinal disease and tumors, and various pulmonary infections

Guilherme Oliveira, MD, MBA
Professor of Medicine and Chief, MCOM Division of Cardiovascular Sciences
Executive Director, USF Health and TGH Heart & Vascular Institute
Before USF:  University Hospitals Health System and Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Expertise: Heart failure, heart transplant, cardiac amyloidosis, and the cardiovascular effects of cancer and cancer therapies

Tapan Padhya, MD
New MCOM Position: Professor and Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Director, Division of Head and Neck Oncology
Co-director and Founder, USF Health ENT Sleep and Snoring Center
Expertise:  Advanced surgical head and neck/skull-base oncology, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, advanced sleep apnea surgery, and clinical outcomes research

Angele Parent, PhD
Associate Professor of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Center
Before USF: University of Chicago
Expertise: Cellular and molecular events associated with brain plasticity, synapse formation, and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease

Tara Randis, MD
The Pamela and Leslie Muma Endowed Chair and Associate Professor and Director, MCOM Division of Neonatology, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Medicine
Vice Chair of Pediatric Research, USF Health
Before USF:  New York University School of Medicine
Expertise: Attending neonatologist at Tampa General Hospital NICU whose research is driven by patient care experience; mechanisms by which maternal infections contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes, neonatal morbidity and mortality; designs novel animal models of microbial colonization and infection during pregnancy to examine specific pathogenic factors and host immune response to intra-amniotic infection (chorioamnionitis), preterm delivery and neonatal sepsis.

Saulius Sumanas, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, USF Health Heart Institute
Before USF: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center/University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
Expertise: Vascular developmental biology; using zebrafish to model human vascular disorders

Gopal Thinakaran, PhD
Professor of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Center
Bagnor Endowed Chair in Alzheimer’s Research
Associate Director of Research, Neuroscience Institute
Associate Dean for Neuroscience Research
Before USF:  University of Chicago
Expertise: Alzheimer’s disease — cellular and molecular biology of the disease; molecular pathology; advanced microscopy; translating discoveries to promote therapeutic strategies

Brendan Walker, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, and Molecular Medicine
Before USF:  Washington State University
Expertise: Neurobiology of addictive and psychiatric disorders; genetic and pharmacological therapeutics; precision medicine

USF Health has agreed to provide Certified Athletic Trainers  to Hillsborough County Schools through its SMART Institute, a comprehensive sports safety program in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

The School Board voted Aug. 20 to allocate $270,000 to place Certified Athletic Trainers (ATs) at all high schools in the county year-round who will be on-site for all practices, training sessions and games.

In partnership with the School District, USF Health is among several programs providing the certified ATs, who will staff all 27 high schools in Hillsborough County. In total, USF Health is providing 11 ATs to the District, who will report to the Department Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

“USF Health and our SMART Institute are thrilled to be a part of this plan to help support Certified Athletic Trainers  at Hillsborough County Schools,” said Renee Dubault, Chief Operating Officer and Associate Executive Director of Business Operations for USF Health. “We felt that, if the schools are going to have coverage, it is important they have full-time coverage.”

High school athletes in Hillsborough County Schools will have Certified Athletic Trainers on the field. 

In the approved plan, the District is spending $10,000 -$270,000 per high school – and three organizations are providing the additional funding that will pay for the 27 ATs. In addition to USF Health, Select Physical Therapy, and PT Solutions Holdings, LLC, are supporting the AT effort for Hillsborough County Schools.

USF Health’s SMART (Sports Medicine & Athletic Related Trauma) Institute  is a sports safety program that uses a multidisciplinary approach with a team of professionals through the use of education, research, and injury care and prevention thereby elevating the standard of care for the youth, recreational, high school, collegiate and professional athlete. In addition to providing ATs to local schools, the program provides on-site coverage for community events, ranging from Florida High School Athletic Association State Tournaments to non-profit fund-raising sporting events. SMART personnel also educate coaches, parents and student athletes in the community on key injury prevention advice on topics such as concussions, heat illness, lightning safety, and sports training programs designed to minimize the incident and severity of injuries.

“Athletic trainers are critical to athlete safety”, said Jen Farrant, MSEd, ATC, administrator in the Department Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in MCOM.

“Athletic trainers offer student-athletes of all ages a safe and successful environment,” said Farrant, who is an athletic trainer. “ATs are often the first to recognize when there is an emergency happening, even a life-threatening situation. If there’s a medical situation, the AT is the first responder. That’s what parents want and that’s what coaches want on their sidelines – someone with the training to handle that responsibility.”

Article by Sarah Worth, USF Health

Amanda Tritsch, PhD, ATC, CSCS, had a busy 2018. The director of USF Health’s Professional Athletic Training Program and her team spent months making sure they met all 110 standards required by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Their diligence paid off in January when the program received full accreditation for the next 10 years.

Having that designation is important, Dr. Tritsch said, because “when athletic trainers sit for the board of certification exam they have to graduate from an accredited program.”  The program received its initial accreditation in 2003.

Athletic trainers are vital for assessing and treating orthopedic and general medical conditions of patients. Often noticed only when seen running onto the field to treat an injury, athletic trainers also are deeply involved in practice and conditioning sessions as well as helping patients rehabilitate those injuries later.

“We care for the physically active (with) immediate treatment, long-term rehab, prevention of injury (and) assessment,” Dr. Tritsch said. “The goal is to keep our patients as healthy and active as they can possibly be.”

The need for board-certified athletic trainers at sporting events and on practice fields is often tragically apparent. For example, heat was the largest cause of weather-related deaths nationwide last year, according to National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration, and athletes are often at risk.

“If we appropriately treat exertional heat stroke, death is 100 percent preventable,” Dr. Tritsch said. “Certified athletic trainers are the first line of defense for the majority of high school and collegiate athletes.”

Students seeking a Master of Science in Athletic Training degree from the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine must complete an intensive, 24-month program. In addition to normal coursework, the students spend whole weeks in clinical settings, Dr. Tritsch said.

“People who generally get involved in athletic training are people who want to help keep people healthy or get people healthy as quickly as possible following an injury or illness,” she said.

Laura Lee “Dolly” Swisher, PT, MDiv, PhD, FAPTA, the associate dean of USF Health and director of the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, congratulated the Athletic Training Program for achieving and being able to continue partnerships in education, practice, and research.

Amanda Tritsch, PhD, program director of the Professional Athletic Training Program, smiles recently in one of her classrooms. USF Health Athletic Training Program recently received a 10-year accreditation.

“Athletic training faculty and students are outstanding partners in interprofessional education, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with them,” Dr. Swisher said.

USF Health’s Athletic Training Program is part of the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, one of the few programs nationwide to be housed in medical school.

“This gives us many amazing opportunities to work with other professions in the College of Medicine,” said Anne McGrath, a second-year student in the athletic training master’s program.

Like many athletic training students, McGrath has experienced a clinical rotation with Tampa’s numerous professional, collegiate, and high school teams.

McGrath said she was attracted to athletic training because of her desire for a career in medicine. Also, she said she enjoys being part of a profession she describes as a “tight-knit community.”

“I have always loved playing and watching sports so working with athletes is a lot of fun for me,” she said. “I also love to solve problems and be creative, which you have to do a lot of in this field.”