The text messaging/mobile video campaign promotes education on contraceptive options to the pill “Get reliable. Get forgettable. Get low cost… Get a new method.” That’s a key message of a new USF-directed mobile phone campaign that aims to educate college students about long-acting, reversible contraceptives (LARCs), which are highly effective in preventing unintended pregnancy but do not require daily user attention and can often cost less than birth control pills. The pilot project, known as Beyond the Condom, or BtC, is funded by a grant to USF College of Public Health […]

Eric R. Buhi, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of community and family health at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, has received the 2011 Darroch Award for Excellence in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research from The Guttmacher Institute. The award, presented once every two years, recognizes an emerging leader in the field of sexual and reproductive health, where scientific evidence is essential to guiding the policies and programs of the future. It includes a $2,500 prize. Dr. Buhi’s innovative research focuses on the impact of technology and social […]

Tampa, FL (Sept. 21, 2011) — Women whose first pregnancy ended in infant death are significantly more likely to have a subsequent stillbirth finds new research published today (21 September) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.  Black women experienced the highest rates of stillbirth in subsequent pregnancy, the U.S. study by researchers at the University of South Florida and the University of Rochester reports. “Our findings show that there are large disparities in infant mortality rates between white and black women and highlight the need for improved […]

Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health, was one of three recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The award was presented August 25, 2011, at a ceremony in Baltimore, MD. Those who receive the Distinguished Alumni Award typify the Johns Hopkins tradition of excellence and are recognized as having brought credit to the University by their personal accomplishment, professional achievement or humanitarian service. Dr. Petersen was recognized for her efforts to improve the quality […]

Ask Sherri Berger how she manages an $11 billion budget, and she’ll say: “Carefully. Slowly. Thoughtfully. Strategically.” In August, Berger took over as the new Chief Operating Officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with its 10,000 employees, 5,000 contractors, and yes, that $11 billion budget. “At every decision point, you have to ask: ‘How will this impact the science? What makes sense for making people safer and healthier?’” It’s her science and epidemiology background that drives those decisions, she says. And her love for creating the structures […]

The USF College of Medicine was one of 10 academic medical centers awarded 2011-2012 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Challenge Grants from the Picker Institute and the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. The grant is for $100,000 with the USF GME Office providing additional funds over the four-year grant. The GME Challenge Grants support research and development of successful patient-centered care initiatives and best practices in medical education. Funded proposals include those that demonstrate specific interventions and innovations in graduate medical education programs regarding patient-centered healthcare and/or humanism in medicine.    The challenge […]

As USF celebrated its first day of the fall semester, USF Health welcomed the first 53-strong charter class in its brand new College of Pharmacy. Earlier this month, the College of Medicine saw the largest class ever begin, with 19 additional students in the SELECT program. Ashley Connelly (left) from Tampa, and Jameica Dunscomb from the Bahamas are both entering students in the College of Nursing. USF Health First Day Highlights College of Pharmacy: Charter Class Charter class includes 53 students (68% female, 32% male, and 53% Caucasian, 46% minority […]

Dr. Amanda Smith, medical director of the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, is interviewed by Jessica Green, a reporter for The Villages. Members of a media team for The Villages Daily Sun and VNN- Channel 2 visited USF Health last week to interview some faculty members who will be speakers for the “Tomorrow’s Health Today” lecture series at The Villages. The crew filmed Dr. Amanda Smith, medical director of the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, and Dr. Jay Wolfson, distinguished service professor of public health and medicine, for advance stories […]

Dr. James Mortimer recognized as one of 17 world leaders in neuroscience by Panama’s President James Mortimer, PhD, FAAN, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, was recently honored as one of 17 world leaders in neuroscience by the Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli.  The award ceremony was held at the International Conference on New Discoveries in Brain organized by the National Secretariat for Science and Technical Innovation of Panama (SENACT).  In addition to Dr. Mortimer, two nobel laureates and 15 other scientists from […]

Mentoring can have such a significant impact on academic success, personal development and career guidance, which is why the USF College of Public Health has started a mentoring project that pairs its undergraduate students with public health professionals at the Hillsborough County Department of Health. This summer, 14 USF students will take part in the Learning through Experience and Academic Partnerships (LEAP), a program funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In addition to offering mentoring, the LEAP program has the […]