Department of Medicine Annual Report 2023

Page 1

A Global

Gateway Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2023


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor Laura J. Pinzon Director, Business Operations Photography UM Biomedical Communications Jenny Abreu Design, Editorial and Project Management Spark It Communications, Inc. Published by the Chairman’s Office of the Department of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. All contents, ©2023 University of Miami. Reproduction in whole or in part without previous written permission by the editor is prohibited.

Chair’s Message

1

Closing the Cancer Care Gap

2

Becoming Breathless

6

Training Tomorrow’s Global Health Leaders

10

By the Numbers

14

Residents and Fellows

16

Division Highlights

18

Philanthropy

50

UHealth Locations

52

Leadership

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CHAIR’S MESSAGE The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is committed to advancing health equity by promoting an inclusive environment, one where differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation and identity, age, disability, and socioeconomic status are celebrated. Our mission is to spread our influence globally, which is evident by our commitment to the health and wellbeing of humankind represented by the very diversity of our faculty and residents. From here, learners and faculty take the knowledge they’ve gained and go out and improve the world. Whether it’s COPD research in Africa or catalyzing a world-wide symposium at the annual Miami Valves Conference, we are building a better world while solving complex and evolving challenges. We are a global department, a gateway into the world. We are the Department of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Welcome to our 2023 Annual Report. All my best,

Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Medicine Chair, Department of Medicine Kathleen & Stanley Glaser Distinguished Chair in Medicine Rabbi Morris I. Esformes Endowed Chair in Medicine and Endocrinology University of Miami Miller School of Medicine


Closing the Cancer

T

he University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in partnership with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been pioneering global oncology initiatives for nearly a decade.

With Gilberto de Lima Lopes, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.S.C.O., Chief of the Division of Medical Oncology in the Department of Medicine, at the helm, more than 30 UM/Sylvester and Department of Medicine researchers have teamed up with members of the international healthcare community to fund and conduct projects that have studied differences in cancer biology, disparities and access in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

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Care Gap

Dr. Gilberto de Lima Lopes

The Department of Medicine’s global oncology reach is attributed to three factors: its geographical location (Miami is the gateway to Latin America), the population being served, and the diverse team of highly skilled physicians and researchers addressing the problem. “UM/Sylvester was one of the first cancer centers to dedicate a formal global oncology program,” says Dr. Lopes, who is also the Medical Director for International Programs and Associate Director for UM/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Leadership has a lot to do with that because the president of the University of Miami has had an international global health career as well. That commitment to global health literally comes from the top.” Just like University of Miami President Julio Frenk, Dr. Lopes brings a worldliness to his work. The loss of several family members to cancer sparked an early interest in oncology. Several mentors would later go on to encourage him throughout his medical education and into a career in the field. Over the last 20 years, the Brazilian-born physician has become a leader in public health service and cancer research. Dr. Lopes came to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 2016. Currently, he serves on the board of directors for the Union

International for Cancer Control (UICC) and as Editor-in-Chief for the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s JCO Global Oncology, as well as founding co-chair for the Access to Oncology Medications (ATOM) Coalition. He was assistant professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University and senior consultant and associate director for clinical research at Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Center. He served as Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for the Oncoclinicas group, the largest oncology provider in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. He has published more than 250 papers and book chapters in journals, such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer, Nature Reviews, Lancet, Lancet Oncology and Health Affairs. His policy and health economics studies have been referenced by decision makers in healthcare systems around the world. Global oncology, as Dr. Lopes defined in the 2017 ASCO Daily News, is a collaborative movement that “addresses disparities and differences in cancer biology, prevention, care, research, education, and the disease’s social and human impact around the world. It includes a full spectrum of activities ranging from epidemiology to implementation science and including public health policy, outcomes research and health economics.” Dr. Lopes led efforts in global oncology even before the United Nations held a landmark, highlevel meeting with member countries in 2011, Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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brought up by the NCD Alliance, of which UICC was a founding member. This high-level meeting marks the official realization by member nations that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 63 percent of deaths worldwide, and 80 percent of those deaths occurred in lowresource nations. Despite these findings, most global health initiatives continued to focus on communicable diseases (CDs) such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, measles, and hepatitis. But once the UN formally recognized NCDs’ staggering global costs (both economic and societal), institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) concentrated on combatting NCDs, too, and established relationships with likeminded organizations. “The WHO truly is the global institution within the United Nations system that guides what countries should be looking into and focus on,” says Dr. Lopes. In accordance with WHO’s agenda, the University of Miami connected with international entities dedicated to leveling cancer care inequities. The University of Miami became one of the first WHO collaborating centers in the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, aiming to eradicate the disease that kills more than 300,000 women annually. The University later stepped in to power the Pan American Organization in its efforts to vaccinate adolescent boys and girls against human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes cervical cancer.

Funding Cancer Research To move science forward, it is just as essential to secure adequate funding as it is to form collaborations. In 2016, Dr. Lopes launched a series of pilot grants—three per year for three years—to show researchers and colleagues the possibilities for supporting research in the global oncology arena. He raised $25,000. Pilot grants fund ideas that are too new to garner support or lack data to attract peer-reviewed funding. These preliminary efforts generate enough information to form a basis to build on, thereby attracting more significant grants sponsored by the NIH, NCI, and private foundations. 4

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“Pilot grants are not just for global oncology, but for many initiatives within the cancer center. Although our catchment area is South Florida, we also serve patients from many different countries. Part of our mission is to research cancer not just in South Florida, but in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa, which might provide insights into the cancers our patients develop,” says Dr. Lopes, who has served as a co-principal investigator or steering committee member in 150-plus studies and clinical trials covering breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and thoracic cancers. Investigators have leveraged the pilot grants to obtain independent funding for a number of international projects, beginning in 2018. Sophia George, M.D., Matthew Schlumbrecht, M.D., and Camille Ragin, Ph.D. (Fox Chase Cancer Center), received $1.65 million through a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant to interpret genomic differences in breast, fallopian, and prostate epithelial cells across populations in Africa and the Caribbean. Juan Carlos Ramos, M.D., oversees a U54 grant in collaboration with the University of Miami Center for AIDS Research and several scientific institutions in Argentina to pursue research in AIDS-related malignancies. Dr. Lopes designed, conducted, and led clinical trials that have resulted in the approval of two drugs in three indications: pembrolizumab in PDL1 positive non-small cell lung cancer and pralsetinib in the treatment of RET positive lung and thyroid cancers.

Widening Access to Care The last 50 years certainly have seen astounding growth in cancer prevention and treatment options, but increased availability has not always guaranteed access—especially in low- to middle-

Dr. Lopes (left) with Cizino (right), chief and medicine man for a group of Karitiana Amerindians in the Brazilian Amazon region. Now 73, he was 16 when his tribe initially had contact with civilization. After seeing two of his children develop gastric cancer, he is working with cancer researchers to improve care.


Dr. Lopes, left, with other Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) board members

The University of Miami became one of the first WHO collaborating centers in the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, aiming to eradicate the disease that kills more than 300,000 women annually. income countries (LMICs). In a 2013 review for www.nature.com, coauthors including Dr. Lopes, Jonas A. de Souza, M.D., M.B.A., and Carlos Barrios. M.D., cited a study that showed only 15 percent of patients in six low- to middleincome Southeast Asian countries had access to medications for colorectal cancer, metastatic lung cancer, advanced-stage liver cancer, and early HER2-positive breast cancer. “By contrast, 55% of patients in Singapore, a high-income country in Southeast Asia, had access to these treatments,” wrote Dr. Lopes. Myriad factors account for the poor distribution of essential cancer treatments in lowto middle-income countries: fragile healthcare

systems, insufficient infrastructure, a lack of regulatory frameworks, inefficient procurement practices and supply chains, inadequate diagnostics and pathology, and a lack of trained health professionals. A systemic dearth of preventive care, health education programs, and physical/financial access to advanced therapies have also contributed to the high rate of cancerrelated deaths in these regions. Even if medicines are in-country, the cost to individuals to procure those medicines can be a huge factor in determining whether a patient receives care. This is where Dr. Lopes directs much of his energy. As a founding co-chair of the ATOM coalition—a UICC-led initiative of more than 40 institutions aiming to increase access to essential and innovative cancer medications in lower resource settings—he addresses the reasons for the disparities and, more importantly, finds solutions. For instance, substituting certain name brands with generics and biosimilars can mitigate costs by 80-90 percent. Many patients, however, could benefit from medications that are still patent-protected. For these, the Atom Coalition hopes to obtain voluntary licenses for the lowest income countries in the world, as these could reduce the cost of innovative anticancer drugs and make them more accessible in lower resource settings. Today, it can take 20 years or longer for new medications to reach these patients. That needs to change. None of this progress would be possible without continued communication and cooperation across the global healthcare community. “The most important advice I’ve received is to treat oncology as a team sport: make friends, collaborate, and share,” says Dr. Lopes. Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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BECOMING

Breat Department of Medicine Researcher Sheds Light on COPD’s Growing Global Health Scare

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thless TRISHUL SIDDHARTHAN, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine, has been studying a disturbing trend over the past decade. Ninety percent of global morbidity and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occurs in low- and middle-income countries. “The majority of disease is actually related to biomass fuel exposure,” says Dr. Siddharthan. “It’s related to cooking over charcoal and wood, and the subjects are predominantly female.” It’s a shocking revelation about a disease that has generally been associated with tobacco smoke, specifically within higher-income North American and European populations. “There are no previous reports describing the therapeutic needs in low- and middleincome (LMIC) countries populations with COPD identified through screening,” writes Dr. Siddharthan and fellow researchers in a June 2023 article for the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. “We found a significant missed opportunity to reduce the burden of COPD in LMIC settings, with most cases undiagnosed.” COPD is a progressive, inflammatory lung disease that obstructs airflow. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and excess phlegm. People with COPD are at risk for developing cancer, heart disease, and other

associated illnesses. Long-term exposure to particulate matter (microscopic solid particles or liquid droplets in the air that can be inhaled) causes COPD, but, as Dr. Siddharthan’s research shows, those particulates are not exclusive to cigarette smoke. Ten years ago, as a Yale medical resident, Dr. Siddharthan traveled to Uganda to study noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. The growing phenomenon of patients living longer yet presenting NCDs at a much earlier stage fascinated him. His work evolved into studying the risk factors of COPD in low- and middleincome countries. He was interested in etiology — the cause of disease, the distinct natural

Dr. Siddharthan, seated center, reviewing spirometry results conducted in Uganda.

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Above left: Dr. Siddharthan, far left, in a debriefing with local community health workers in Nakaseke, Uganda. Above center: Enrollment of a participant at their house in Nakaseke. Far right: Patient undergoing a spirometry breath test.

Dr. Siddharthan, right, analyzing spirometry results.

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histories of disease, potential therapies, and treatments. He wanted to comprehend how diseases seen in places like Uganda were different from those found in high-income settings. He also wanted to understand how to treat such diseases with limited access to resources.

COPD’s Unsuspecting Victims

Dr. Siddharthan traveled back and forth to Uganda often, as a chief resident, on a Fulbright scholarship, and then followed by a two-year Fogarty Global Health fellowship. He continued his work in Uganda, adding Peru and Nepal to the itinerary, throughout his pulmonary fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. He began conducting spirometry tests (a test that measures how much air an individual can breathe in and out of their lungs), using other screening instruments (when spirometry is not available), to detect, diagnose, and determine the cause of lung disease. “About 20 percent of the population I surveyed in Uganda have some component of respiratory disease. Women in household settings have very distinct courses of disease development,” he explains. “It’s a completely underrepresented population. None of these people had ever participated in clinical trials that guide treatment guidelines. My hypothesis is that the disease process is distinctly different and perhaps has different treatment modalities.”

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When Dr. Siddharthan started his work in Uganda, there had been few investigations focusing on COPD there, or in any low- and middle-income countries for that matter, because the disease had always been linked to heavy smokers in the United States and European countries — high-income areas where people could afford cigarettes. “Studies had only been conducted in the U.S. and Europe, so guidelines and treatment options, everything we understood about COPD, were linked to a small segment of the global population,” he says. “Without data and insight on healthcare needs in low- and middleincome countries, the disease, for all intents and purposes, didn’t exist there, so facilitating treatment was moot. In fact, the disease known as COPD in the West was so foreign to Ugandans, they didn’t even have a term for it in the Lugandan dialect; they had to invent one. “ Now that clinicians know that COPD thrives where household pollutants are unavoidable, the healthcare landscape has started to change. Funding, clinical trials, and research are now being used to better understand these underrepresented populations. “We need to redesign our understanding of this disease, as well as how to prevent and manage it, to be truly applicable for a global setting. We have a moral obligation to do so,” Dr. Siddharthan says. In 2017 and 2019, Dr. Siddharthan received two National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants: the first to study the reduction of air pollution through a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) intervention trial to improve pulmonary health and the second for investigating the effectiveness of low-dose theophylline (a medication used to


“The science being conducted abroad and the information being disseminated from these areas can inform the types of treatment we provide patients in our own backyard.” treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) for the management of biomassassociated COPD in Peru. He’s also been awarded funding from the CHEST Foundation and the Department of Defense to support his research endeavors.

Expanding Screening Efforts

Dr. Siddharthan is working to implement lung ultrasound capabilities in critical care settings to diagnose acute respiratory diseases. In 2019, he cofounded the Uganda Bronchoscopy and Pleural Program, which provided equipment and trained clinicians for the first bronchoscopy program at Uganda’s Makerere University Lung Institute. He encouraged one of his trainees and the lead of Makerere’s lung infection and immunity working group, Alex Kayongo, M.D., to use the institute’s bronchoscopy equipment in his research. The procedure allowed Dr. Kayongo to look at the distal airways of Ugandans living with HIV and COPD and identify the microbial composition that is unique to this population. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2022, Dr. Siddharthan and other researchers found that lay workers in low- and middle-income countries were capable of conducting simple screenings for COPD. The results proved that local leaders and investigators could help their own community when provided with the proper training and tools.

Part of the equation, too, has been to raise awareness within the medical and scientific community about the prevalence of COPD in these parts of the globe. “If the modalities or disease processes are different, there must be a fundamental mental reorientation in terms of how we are diagnosing the disease. Tobacco is not always the screening risk factor. Biomass fuel exposure effects a huge segment of the population,” says Dr. Siddharthan. While the risk factors for COPD in low- and middle-income countries are unique to those areas, the disease is still a global problem that requires all hands on deck. Data gathered in one country can benefit the rest of the world, and this process exemplifies the clinical mission of the Department of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “One of the most important takeaways from the research is that the prevalence of COPD is not necessarily isolated to countries like Uganda or Peru. We have many similar cases of COPD here in Miami (caused by risk factors other than tobacco),” explains Dr. Siddharthan. “The science being conducted abroad and the information being disseminated from these areas can inform the types of treatment we provide patients in our own backyard.”

Dr. Siddharthan, right, in a briefing with a local research assistant.

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Training Tomorrow’s

Global Health Leaders William J. Harrington, Sr., M.D., former chairman of the University of Miami Miller School’s Department of Medicine, once said: “The best way to help provide care in Latin America and the Caribbean is to train medical thought leaders and educators.” Dr. Harrington believed students and physicians across the globe should learn from one another and use that knowledge to improve the health and welfare of their communities.

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His passion for global connectivity was realized in 1967 when he established the William J. Harrington Internal Medicine Residency Training Program at the Miller School of Medicine to train internal medicine specialists. The program enrolled students and physicians from across Latin America and the Caribbean to train at the University and return to their native countries with new knowledge, insights, and skills.

A Gateway to Medical Training Today, the program’s reach is far greater than its founder could have imagined. In addition to the Residency Program for Internal Medicine, the Harrington Program offers several additional components, including a Global Observership, which offers qualified foreign medical students and physicians one- to three-month rotations at the University; a Virtual Observership, which offers “virtual rounds” through a single sign-on platform to access an interactive live e-learning experience that simulates the in-presence observership; as well as the International Interventional Structural Heart Disease Fellowship Program. “Being a hemispheric leader has always been a part of the University of Miami’s mission. And that mission has expanded to include being a global leader in healthcare education,” said Eduardo J. de Marchena, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Associate Dean for International Medicine, and Program Director of


the International Structural Heart Interventional Training Program. The Harrington Training Program is housed within the University of Miami International Medicine Institute, the international component of the University of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Students and clinicians accepted into the program hail from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean—areas where limited access to subspecialty training forces physicians to find instruction in the United States or Europe. The

beauty and genius of recruiting individuals from these parts of the world is that they can relate deeply with Miami-Dade County residents. “The greater Miami area is made up of people from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean,” says Stefanie Brown, M.D., M.B.A., Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Section Chief for Med-Peds, and Program Director for Internal Medicine Residency. “It’s really important to have doctors that patients can identify with, who understand the culture, who understand the struggles, who understand Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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when patients say they’re from a particular area what that means with regards to access to healthcare or what they might have been exposed to.” Another benefit to recruiting internationally is that participants can share a unique perspective on healthcare with their North American counterparts enrolled in the training program. “Typically, Latin American graduates complete one year of social service to ‘give back’ to the country where they’re from, usually by working in either a rural or an urban underserved area. They work independently and see a much higher volume of patients with far fewer resources than a U.S. graduate might see,” said Dr. Brown. “As a result, they add a really different experience and dynamic to the program. It’s an opportunity for our residents to meet people from different cultures and walks of life. It makes them more well-rounded and knowledgeable human beings.”

The goal of the program is for these international participants to land, learn, and leave, however, some do choose to stay in the U.S. In those cases, Dr. Brown says they are encouraged to either partner with the medical school back home or with someone from their home country to conduct research or to mentor students there. Regardless of where a physician ultimately practices, people benefit. Currently, the Harington Training Program specifically focuses on Internal Medicine residency training. In the Global Observership, students and physicians from throughout the world seeking further knowledge can complete clinical rotations in all different specialties and subspecialties on our medical campus.

Pivoting During the Pandemic COVID-19 prompted the creation of the Virtual Observership—the online version of the Global Observership. While heeding social distancing

International Medicine Institute Medical Training Programs Participants

534

9

2,699

3,997

1,186

336

547

The William J. Harrington Medical Training Program for Internal Medicine 1967-2023

International Structural Heart Disease Fellowship Training

Elective Program for Latin American Physicians 1975-2023

Medical Student Program Latin America 1975-2023

Global Observerships Electives Program for Physicians 2007-2023

Global Observerships Program for Medical Students 2007-2023

Virtual Observership Program June 22, 2020-2023

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“This program is completely unique. These are postgraduate (year-eight) trainees, so they’ve already completed specialty training in internal medicine, cardiology, and interventional cardiology, and are now doing a specialty in transcatheter procedures to treat valvular and structural abnormalities in the heart. The program was designed to make these graduates future global thought leaders and innovators in the field.” – Dr. de Marchena protocols, the University of Miami continued to educate and train via HIPAA-compliant Zoom rounds. Distance learning proved relevant even after the pandemic, so the University maintained virtual observational rotations in the Internal Medicine Ward, Cardiovascular Intensive Care, Cardiac Catheterization Lab Elective, Surgical ICU at the University of Miami, Hematology/ Stem Cell Transplant, Pathology, Infectious Diseases, and Ophthalmology. The Harrington Residency Program for Internal Medicine—which Dr. de Marchena describes as “a jewel”— offers 12 of the 39 yearly Internal Medicine Residency positions specifically for some of the best and brightest applicants from our southern neighbors. All our full-time Internal Medicine faculty members supervise all the trainees with the same personalized attention.

Forging International Collaborations The University also has formed affiliations with medical centers around the world to further learning opportunities in internal medicine and its subspecialties. “We’ve entered into educational agreements in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East, where our residents can potentially rotate. The sites are chosen based on where they can get the greatest amount of diverse medical knowledge, supervision, and safety,” said Dr. de Marchena. Dr. de Marchena oversees the International Interventional Structural Heart Disease Training Fellowship. Fellows spend nine months at the University of Miami, followed by two months in Latin America (usually Cali, Colombia and a month at the Thorax Center of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. “This program is completely unique,” said Dr. de Marchena. “These are postgraduate (yeareight) trainees, so they’ve already completed

specialty training in internal medicine, cardiology, and interventional cardiology, and are now doing a specialty in transcatheter procedures to treat valvular and structural abnormalities in the heart. The program was designed to make the graduates future global thought leaders and innovators in the field. To date, representatives from more than 30 countries have graduated from the Harrington Internal Medicine Training program. Graduates who have returned home have become heads of major cancer centers, important cardiovascular programs, research groups, and NIH-type programs in places like Peru, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil. Those who have opted to stay in the United States contribute to global and local healthcare education by hosting or participating in medical conferences in the U.S. or their home countries and launching medical missions where appropriate. “We’re an extremely diverse faculty. Everybody’s very committed to enhancing education around the world and to help their home countries,” said Dr. de Marchena. “When we bring any of these international programs forward, our faculty members embrace it because they strongly believe that healthcare is a global problem and that it should be addressed with all our passion.”

Dr. Eduardo de Marchena and Dr. Camilo Gomez, Interventional Cardiologists, co-edit first major textbook on managing structural heart disease.

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BY THE NUMBERS

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE AT A GLANCE

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CLINICAL ACTIVITY AND CARE OVERVIEW FY22

DIVISIONS

FY23

% Change

Net patient revenues

$87,391,720 $92,359,924

6%

Cardiovascular Medicine

Medical Oncology

Work RVUs

1,450,750

1,548,968

7%

Clinical Pharmacology

Myeloma

Outpatient visits

323,169

342,673

6%

Digestive Health and Liver Diseases

Nephrology and Hypertension

Inpatient visits

220,746

232,012

5%

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Population Health and Computational Medicine

Procedures

14,560

15,786

8%

Telehealth Visits

78,123

65,979

-16%

General Internal Medicine

Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine

New patient visits

51,863

53,882

4%

Rheumatology and Immunology

CLINICAL PROCEDURES

Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

FY22

FY23

% Change

UM Hospital

9,899

10,329

4%

Lennar Foundation Medical Center

4,661

5,457

17%

Total

14,560

15,783

8%

Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Hematology Hospital Medicine Infectious Diseases Internal Medicine-Pediatrics

409

FACULTY MEMBERS

Professors

25%

Associate Professors

14%

Assistant Professors

45%

Staff Physicians

16%

UHEALTH CLINICAL PARTICIPATION In-Person Encounters

24% Department of Medicine

76% All Other Departments

Tele-Medicine Encounters

33% Department of Medicine

67% All Other Departments

Total Revenue

16% Department of Medicine

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84% All Other Departments


RESEARCH

FY22 TOTAL: $39,377,373

RESEARCH FUNDING SOURCES

65.4% Federal

FACULTY GENDER

4.2% State

30.3% Private

FY22 $37,744,252

FY19 $28,114,356

37% Female

63% Male

FACULTY ETHNICITY

RESEARCH SPENDING

FY20 $29,577,856

FACULTY DEMOGRAPHICS

FY23 $39,377,373

FY21 $32,012,727

42% White

35% Hispanic or Latino

14% Asian 6% Black or African American

4% Other

FACULTY BY DIVISION

In Millions

DIVISIONS, GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

Cardiology

37

Clinical Pharmacology

1

Digestive Health & Liver Diseases

24

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

31

General Internal Medicine

37

Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine

10

FY23

% of Total

Cardiovascular

$3,148,889

8.3%

Hematology

35

Clinical Pharmacology

$1,465,066

3.8%

Hospital Medicine

40

Digestive Health and Liver Diseases

$9,223,097

24.5%

Infectious Diseases

31

Endo-Diabetes

$7,449,054

19.7%

Medical Oncology

46

General Medicine

$3,907,193

10.3%

Medicine-Pediatrics

13

Hematology

$1,117,086

2.9%

Myeloma

7

Infectious Diseases

$4,602,701

12.3%

Nephrology & Hypertension

23

Katz Center

$613,348

1.6%

Population Health and Computational Medicine

1

Medical Oncology

$1,732,148

4.4%

Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine

55

Nephrology

$163,787

0.4%

Rheumatology and Immunology

8

Pulmonary Medicine

$5,345,727

14.2%

Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

10

Rheumatology

$609,277

1.6%

Total Faculty

409

Total

$39,377,373

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RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS LEARNER DEMOGRAPHICS RESIDENT GENDER

RESIDENT ETHNICITY

57% Female

43% Male

34% Hispanic or Latino

18% White

24% Asian

8% Other

16% Black or African American

2023 RESIDENTS

CHIEF MEDICAL RESIDENTS

16

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1 Jennifer Denike, M.D., Jackson Memorial Hospital 2 Andrew McBride, M.D., Jackson Memorial Hospital 3 Antonio Ocejo, M.D., Primary Care/Jackson Memorial Hospital 4 Nicole Parellada, M.D., Miami VA Medical Center 5 Kyle Sutherland, M.D., Miami VA Medical Center 6 Michael Dangl, M.D., University of Miami Hospital 7 Nathan Wooding, M.D., Chief Resident in Quality and Safety (CRQS), Miami VA 8 Greisy Martinez Harvell, M.D., Chief Resident in Quality and Safety (CRQS), Miami VA

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FELLOW DEMOGRAPHICS FELLOW GENDER

51% Female

FELLOW ETHNICITY

49% Male

43% Hispanic or Latino

20% White

25% Asian 5% Other 7% Black or African American

2023 FELLOWS

130

TOTAL FELLOWS IN 16 SPECIALTIES

PROGRAM DIRECTORS RESIDENCIES Stefanie Brown, M.D., M.B.A. Internal Medicine Jonathan Tolentino, M.D. Internal Medicine-Pediatrics

FELLOWSHIPS Carlos Alfonso, M.D. Cardiovascular E. Joseph Bauerlein, M.D. Cardiovascular – Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant

Raul Mitrani, M.D. Cardiovascular – Electrophysiology Michael Dyal, M.D. Cardiovascular – Interventional Cardiology Eduardo de Marchena, M.D. Cardiovascular – Interventional Structural HD Violet Lagari-Libhaber, D.O. Endocrinology

Morgan Sendzischew-Shane, M.D. Gastroenterology Iriana Hammel, M.D. Geriatrics Janaki Sharma, M.D. Hematology/Oncology Eric Martin, M.D. Hepatology Khin Zaw, M.D. Hospice and Palliative Care

Jose Gonzales-Zamora, M.D. Infectious Diseases Michele Morris, M.D. Transplant Infectious Disease Oliver Lenz, M.D. Nephrology David De La Zerda, M.D. Pulmonary/Critical Care Carlos Lozada, M.D. Rheumatology

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE CLINICAL The Division of Cardiovascular Medicine began numerous crucial clinical operational reforms during FY2023, including completing the blueprint for the Cardiac and Vascular Center, which will integrate new outpatient clinics and non-invasive testing (echocardiography, rhythm monitoring). The division also finalized plans for a new cardiac catheterization lab at UHealth Tower. Advanced equipment and state-of-the art software have been installed in the echocardiography and catheterization labs. To enhance patient access and unify all UHealth sites, a centralized scheduling system for outpatient clinic

appointments and procedures was developed and launched. Additionally, clinic navigators and nurses were added to the ranks of our clinic staff. Ambulatory clinic volume increased by 17% while providers saw 30,000 patients across the UHealth system, including 7,500 new patient visits. Patient fill rates increased from 81% to 92%, due to the improvements in the clinic scheduling system, while the volume of atrial fibrillation ablations rose by 61% after the opening of new atrial fibrillation center.

Robert J. Myerburg, M.D. Rafael Sequeira, M.D. (Emeritus) PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Carlos E. Alfonso, M.D. Luanda Grazette, M.D., M.P.H. Maureen H. Lowery, M.D. Claudia Martinez, M.D. Raul Mitrani, M.D. RESEARCH PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE Lina Shehadeh, Ph.D.

YIANNIS S. CHATZIZISIS, M.D., PH.D. Chief PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Yiannis S. Chatzizisis, M.D, Ph.D. Simon C. Chakko, M.D. (Emeritus) Eduardo J. de Marchena, M.D. Chunming Dong, M.D. Jeffrey Goldberger, M.D., M.B.A. Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D. (Emeritus) Joshua M. Hare, M.D.

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ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE Martin S. Bilsker, M.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Eugene J. Bauerlein, M.D. Litsa K. Lambrakos, M.D. Alan H. Schob, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Sharon N. Andrade-Bucknor, M.D. Michael Dyal, M.D. Joseph Esterson, M.D. George Marzouka, M.D. Mrudula Munagala, M.D.

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RESEARCH The division collectively raised close to $20 million in grants in 2023. Yiannis S. Chatzizisis, M.D., Ph.D., founded the R01-funded Center for Digital Cardiovascular Innovations. The center, located in Converge Building, is home to a multidisciplinary team of engineers, medical doctors, and vascular

Anita Phancao, M.D. Nikolaos Spilias, M.D. Robert B. Stang, M.D. Alex Velasquez, M.D. RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Jose Manuel Condor, Ph.D. Martin Liu, M.D., Ph.D. Wei Wu, Ph.D. Shijia Zhao, Ph.D. STAFF PHYSICIANS Beteal Ashinne, M.D., M.P.H. Antonio Barquet-Leon, M.D. Andrew Browley, M.D. Hoda Butrous, M.D. Murry Drescher, M.D. Thanh Duong-Wagner, M.D. Mehrdad Ghahramani, M.D. Zachariah Zachariah, M.D. FELLOWS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

First Year

Marina Byer, M.D. Trevor I. Eisenber g, M.D. Ali M. F. Elamin, M.D. Nayrana C. Griffith, M.D. Rafael J. Hernandez, M.D. Beatriz P. R. Rodriguez, M.D. Francisco J. Romeo, M.D.

Dr. de Marchena (left) with Dr. Chatzizisis, accepting the 2023 Myerburg Trailblazer of the Year Award Second Year

Victor G. B. Gonzales, M.D. Urvashi Hooda, M.D. Fatima Lakhani, M.D. Victor Y. Razuk, M.D. Phillip Rubin, M.D. Rahul B. Sheth, M.D. Avinash A. Vernekar, M.D. Louis T. Vincent, M.D. Third Year

Matthew M. Borkovich, M.D. Miguel A. M. Correa, M.D. Bertrand F. Ebner, M.D. George L. Leonor López, M.D. Boyangzi Li, M.D. Faithful Osawe, M.D. Daniel Ruiz, M.D. CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

First Year

Yaniv Gura, M.D. INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

First Year

Som A. Bailey, M.D. Usman Sarwar, M.D. Ruthvik Srinivasamurthy, M.D. INTERVENTIONAL STRUCTURAL HEART DISEASE

Diego H. González-Bravo, M.D.


biologists who study the role of AI, computational simulations and extended reality in clinical decision-making, cardiovascular device research and development (R&D), and training and education for cardiovascular healthcare providers. Claudia Martinez, M.D., received a $2.8 million R01 grant to study the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in HIV patients. Chunming Dong, M.D., received a $1.9 million R01 grant to study the role of extracellular vesicle-associated microRNAs in HIV-associated cardiovascular disease. Lina Shehadeh, Ph.D., received a $1.1 million grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs to study the role of low-density lipoprotein receptor in COVID-induced myocarditis. Jeffrey Goldberger, M.D., M.B.A., received a $3.5 million R01 grant to use a new technique, known as electrogram morphology recurrence, to identify the electrical sources of atrial fibrillation and target these electrical sources using either ablation or gene therapy. Joshua M. Hare, M.D., through the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, obtained an $8 million grant from the Department of Defense to assess the efficacy of single or repeated intravenous administrations of human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells in patients with ischemic heart failure. Dr. Hare also secured a $1.1 million UO1 grant to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of repeated systemic administrations of a nanotherapeutic agent in a murine myocardial infarction model.

EDUCATION The division redesigned the general cardiology fellowship curriculum. Lectures enriched with board-like questions,

Post-doctoral fellows at the Center for Digital Cardiovascular Innovation Awards at the UHealth Converge Building.

Innovation in the cardiac catheterization laboratory: The first angiographic fractional flow reserve performed in South Florida.

active polls, guidelines, and the latest advances enable our general and subspecialty fellows to have access to the latest in the field of cardiovascular medicine Additionally, the Wolfson Foundation funded Michael Dyal, M.D., and Lina Shehadeh, Ph.D., to explore patientphysician interaction.

HIGHLIGHTS In January 2023, Dr. Chatzizisis was appointed as Chief of the Cardiovascular Division. The 2023 Heart Month Campaign was a huge success with 1,696 people

completing the coronary artery calcium score test, a 200% increase from the previous year. The 2023 Miami Valves Conference, organized by Eduardo J. de Marchena, M.D., attracted more than 400 specialists from the United States, Latin America and Europe. The first edition of the 52-chapter textbook titled Mastering Structural Heart Disease: A Comprehensive and In-Depth Guide to Managing the Treatment of Structural Heart Disease, authored by Dr. de Marchena and Camilo A. Gomez, M.D. (and more than 75 international coauthors) was published in February 2023.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY RESEARCH Researchers from the Division of Clinical Pharmacology continue work on several pivotal research studies. One such study examines a receptor antagonist that offers a new option for pain management. Pain management is a global concern. Current treatment options for pain are limited and many patients are left without adequate pain control. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can produce gastrointestinal kidney toxicity with chronic use. Opioids are a limited option due to the high rate of abuse and addiction. Opioids were involved in more than 70,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2020. The majority of approved analgesic drugs either act on the opioid receptor system or are NSAIDs. A newly characterized receptor antagonist plays a critical role in pain signaling. Division researchers are investigating a new selective blocker of

this receptor that has shown promise in patients who experience moderate and severe pain. This compound has the potential to address an unmet need for safe and effective pain treatment. Approximately 4.5 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with liver disease. The liver is central to the elimination of many drugs. The purpose of this study, which has now completed enrollment in our Clinical Pharmacology Research Unit, is to determine the safety and pharmacokinetics of this new NaV1.8 inhibitor in patients with liver disease. Final results from the study will be available in Q4 2023 or Q1 2024. Another study is investigating a promising new medication for a global viral hepatitis. The hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is the most severe form of viral hepatitis, affecting approximately 10 to 20 million people globally. Hepatitis D infection only occurs in people who also are infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HDV infections are highly prevalent

in low- and middle-income countries, with the highest rates in Brazil, Mongolia, and parts of Africa. Chronic hepatitis D infection is associated with high rates of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, approximately nine times higher than in those patients with HBV infection alone. The division is initiating a study of potent, highly selective blocker of HDV entry into liver cells. Because the liver

RICHARD A. PRESTON, M.D., M.S.P.H., M.B.A. Division Chief PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE Richard A. Preston, M.D., M.S.P.H., M.B.A.

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Division of Clinical Pharmacology team member Nadine Francois documents sample collection and study procedures for a pharmacokinetic investigation

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is the target of HDV, many patients with chronic HDV infection will have chronic liver disease. Liver dysfunction can produce changes in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of medication. These changes are especially important in patients with moderate and severe impairment of liver function. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics, and ultimately, the correct dosing schedule of this promising new compound in patients with liver disease. Final results from the study are expected to be available in Q3 2024.

IN MEMORIAM We are deeply saddened to announce that Barry J. Materson, M.D., a renowned nephrologist, educator, and mentor to many, passed away on September 21, 2023. He was 85 years old. Dr. Materson graduated from the University of Miami in 1959 with a degree in chemistry and went on to attend medical school, where he graduated in 1962. He also was a member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. In 1963, he joined the United States Air Force Medical Corps as a Commissioned First Lieutenant and was quickly promoted to Captain. After his service, Dr. Materson returned to Miami as a resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital and years later would become a senior resident and fellow in nephrology at the Miami Veterans Administration Hospital. He later earned an MBA from the University of Mami, graduating as valedictorian of his class. Dr. Materson returned to the University of Miami as a professional in 1975, where he became a tenured Senior

Professor of Medicine and Medical Director for managed care at the University of Miami Medical Group. He worked for the Miami Veterans Administration Hospital for more than 25 years, where he retired as the Associate Chief of Staff for Education. He also was an Attending Physician at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami Medical Center and continued to contribute to the University as an Emeritus Professor. Over his lifetime, Dr. Materson received many honors and awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consortium of Southeastern Hypertension Control in 2020, Best Doctors in America 20112012, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Miller School of Medicine in 2004. Dr. Materson is survived by his wife of 60 years, Biruta Donins Materson; his daughters Sandra (Eddie) Vidal and Debra (Marty) Materson; his five grandchildren Alexa, Adrianna, Nathan, Jay, and Ava; and his sister Suzanne Bottorff.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

DIGESTIVE HEALTH AND LIVER DISEASES CLINICAL The Division of Digestive Health and Liver Diseases continues to innovate and expand, with several new clinicians joining its growing consultation practice over the past year. The division is a national resource for many clinical areas in gastroenterology and hepatology, including advanced endoscopy, pancreatic disease, hepatology, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and functional bowel disease. Maria Abreu, M.D., and Oriana Damas, M.D., have initiated the use of intestinal ultrasound to manage complex patients with IBD at the Miller School of Medicine’s Crohn’s and Colitis Center. Intestinal ultrasound is an effective, painless, and noninvasive imaging tool to assess and monitor IBD instead of the traditional method of endoscopy and/or colonoscopy. Morgan Sendzischew Shane, M.D., is now the Director of the

Comprehensive Women’s Health Alliance. This unique alliance is an individualized healthcare program made up of a multidisciplinary team of women’s healthcare specialists who communicate and collaborate to provide women with the best possible care.

RESEARCH The division has a robust research portfolio comprised of federal, foundation, and pharmaceutical support research grants. As a result of their innovative research into the genetic causes of IBD in immigrants, Dr. Abreu, in collaboration with Jake McCauley, Ph.D., from the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics (HIHG), has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant titled Understanding the Genetic Architecture of IBD in the LatinX Community. The division is a leader in studying IBD in Hispanic and LatinX populations.

PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Kalyan Bhamidimarri, M.D. Amar Deshpande, M.D. Cynthia Levy, M.D. Christopher B. O’Brien, M.D. Jeffrey B. Raskin, M.D. (Emeritus) Daniel Sussman, M.D., M.S.P.H ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE David Goldberg, M.D., M.S.C.E.

PAUL MARTIN, M.D. Division Chief PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Maria T. Abreu, M.D. Jamie S. Barkin, M.D. (Emeritus) Paul Martin, M.D. Jeffrey Raskin, M.D. (Emeritus) Eugene R. Schiff, M.D.

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ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Sunil Amin, M.D., M.P.H. Jodie Barkin, M.D. Oriana Damas, M.D., M.S.C.T.I. Jose Garrido, M.D. Patricia Jones, M.D., M.S.C.R. David Kerman, M.D.

UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Dr. Damas received the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials, Career Development Award. The mission of this award program is to increase the diversity of patients in clinical trials to ultimately enhance therapeutic outcomes for all patient populations. David Goldberg, M.D., was awarded a seven-year, $2.7 million grant from the NIH to study the topic of early liver transplant for alcoholassociated liver disease. Along with principal investigator Natasha Schaefer Solle, Ph.D., Eric Martin, M.D. and Paul Martin, M.D. are co-investigators on this multi-center study. Patricia Jones, M.D., is a hepatologist whose research focuses on identifying and eliminating disparities in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which disproportionately affects Latino, Black, and Asian individuals. Dr. Jones received a career development award from the National Cancer Institute to examine how genetic

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Leopoldo Arosemena, M.D. Sean Bhalla, M.D. Shria Kumar, M.D., M.S.C.E. Emory Manten, M.D. Eric Martin, M.D. Il Joon Paik, M.D. Siobhan Proksell, M.D. Morgan Sendzischew Shane, M.D., M.S.C.T.I. Ami Panara Shukla, M.D. Joshua Turkeltaub, M.D. FELLOWS First Year

Chaitra Banala, M.D. Nisa Desai, M.D. Lauren L. Johnson, M.D. Rahil H. Shah, M.D. Shyam Vedantam, M.D.

Second Year

Camilo J. Acosta, M.D. Joseph H. Cioffi, M.D. Stephanie Ioannou, M.D. Smriti Kumar, M.D. Elaheh Niroomand, M.D. Sunny Sandhu, M.D. Third Year

Sarah Altajar, M.D. Nathaly C. Bazan, M.D. Isabel G. Martinez, M.D. Reza Milano, M.D. Muhammad Us. Mirza, M.D. Andrew R. Scheinberg, M.D. FELLOW – TRANSPLANT HEPATOLOGY First Year

Sally Condon, M.D.


DREAM award recipients Dr. Ruby Greywoode, Dr. Florence-Damilola Odufalu, Dr. Oriana Damas, Dr. Philip Okafor, and Dr. Julius Wilder

ancestry influences racial disparities in HCC. Shria Kumar, M.D., is a gastroenterologist who conducts research related to gastrointestinal (GI) cancer prevention. She is particularly interested in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which can lead to gastric carcinogenesis. Dr. Kumar is currently conducting two studies related to H. pylori infection.

EDUCATION The division continues presenting its comprehensive teaching conferences for its accredited gastroenterology and hepatology programs. These conferences attract not only Miller School of Medicine faculty, fellows, and staff but also outside clinicians interested in receiving a comprehensive update on the current practice of gastroenterology and hepatology. Dr. Paul Martin continues to serve as counselor-at-large for the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease. Other faculty members, including Amar Deshpande, M.D., also

Dr. Maria T. Abreu (second from left) was selected and honored as the 30th inductee into the University of Miami’s Hall of Fame. From left to right: Dr. Henri Ford with awardees Dr. Maria Abreu, Dr. Jerry Nadler, and Dr. Alberto Mitrani

have roles within the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Abreu, the incoming president of the American Gastroenterological Association, is increasingly involved at the national and international level with policy pertaining to the practice of gastroenterology.

HIGHLIGHTS Hajar Hazime, M.S., B.S., a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Abreu, received an AGA student abstract award at Digestive Disease Week, in Chicago in May 2023.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM CLINICAL The Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism’s clinical practice continued to expand during FY2023 with the addition of Diana Soliman, M.D., Anu Thekkumkattil, M.D., and Rodolfo Galindo, M.D. Dr. Galindo is the new Director of the Comprehensive Diabetes Center at the Lennar Foundation Medical Center. The division’s clinical footprint also grew to include multiple satellite locations throughout Broward County. Furthermore, the division was ranked in the top 50 endocrinology divisions in the country by U.S. News and World Report, an increase in overall rank by more than 500 hospitals in the last decade. The diligent efforts of our committed faculty have been instrumental in advancing a center of excellence focused on neuroendocrine diseases and neoplasms. Division faculty actively participated in the Endocrine Tumor Site Disease Group and thyroid and pituitary tumor boards. This commitment has Dr. Bernal-Mizrachi, left, with division faculty

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strengthened our multidisciplinary collaboration with colleagues across multiple specialties, including endocrine surgery, ENT, neurosurgery, pathology, nuclear medicine, oncology, and radiation oncology. Over the past year, faculty members have worked closely with the Department of Neurological Surgery to provide expert, integrated, timely, and efficient care to post-surgical pituitary adenoma patients. This effort was led by Carmen Villabona, M.D. Last March, several division faculty participated in a virtual town hall to discuss innovations in type 1 diabetes research. During this forum, Dr. Matthias von Herrath, Dr. Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi, and Dr. Galindo discussed how medicine and technology are being used to advance groundbreaking diabetes research.

RESEARCH With the support of ten new grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private foundations, our faculty continued to demonstrate outstanding performance in both basic and clinical

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research. Direct funding totaled more than $2.8 million. Division faculty received four new R01 awards and published 87 total papers and several publications were in high-impact journals such as PNAS, Cell Reports, JCI insight, Diabetes Care, eLIFE, Diabetes, Circulation and Lancet. As a result, the division now ranks second in grants awarded to the Department of Medicine’s sections and centers. Matthias von Herrath, M.D., joined the division as the newly appointed Scientific Director of the Diabetes Research Institute. Joana Almaca, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, was invited to speak at the Gordon Research Conference on Pancreatic Diseases: Understanding Cell Behavior and Communication. Julia Panzer, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Alejandro Caicedo’s laboratory, was invited to speak at the 2023 Endocrine Society Annual Meeting. Dr. Galindo also was invited to speak at the symposium titled “Continuous Glucose Monitors: Are You Using Them Correctly” at the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting.


Jennifer Marks, M.D. (Emeritus) Alberto Pugliese, M.D. (Emeritus) Jay Skyler, M.D. Jay Sosenko, M.D. Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D. PROFESSOR Alejandro Caicedo-Vierkant, Ph.D. PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Gianluca Iacobellis, M.D., Ph.D.

ERNESTO BERNALMIZRACHI, M.D. Division Chief PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Rodolfo Alejandro, M.D. Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi, M.D. Ronald Goldberg, M.D.

RESEARCH PROFESSOR Ricardo Pastori, Ph.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Rodolfo Galindo, M.D. Zeina Hannoush, M.D. Violet Lagari-Libhaber, D.O. Francesco Vendrame, M.D., Ph.D.

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Armando Mendez, Ph.D.

Rayner Rodriguez-Diaz, Ph.D. Joao Saar Werneck De Castro, Ph.D.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE David Baidal, M.D.

STAFF PHYSICIANS Ashley Engel, M.D. Silvia Gra Menendez, M.D. Bresta Miranda, M.D. Anu Thekkumkattil, M.D. Carmen Villabona, M.D.

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Ayse Canturk, M.D. Mark Jara, M.D. Jason Levine, D.P.M. Diana Soliman, M.D. Ron Varghese, M.D. RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSORS Joana Almaca, Ph.D. Rene Barro-Soria, Ph.D. Manuel Blandino, Ph.D. Lisa Rafkin, Ph.D.

FELLOWS First Year

Hery A.Mejia, M.D. Alejandra Razzeto, M.D. Susana B. Sacco, M.D. Renato R. Savian, M.D. Second Year

Maria J. P. Borja, M.D. Monica P. Lieberman-Ulm, M.D. Maria A. Yanez-Bello, M.D.

EDUCATION

HIGHLIGHTS

During this past year, the Endocrinology Fellowship Program welcomed Violet Lagari-Libhaber, D.O., as its new Program Director. Dr. Lagari-Libhaber seamlessly transitioned into this position after serving nearly eight years as Associate Program Director. In her new role, she will continue to foster excellence in research, academics, and humanism in the field of endocrinology. Our endocrine fellows passed their board exams last year, showcasing the dedication of both our trainees and faculty. Additionally, our fellows have excelled in research, presenting posters at national conferences including the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), the American Thyroid Association (ATA), and the Endocrine Society. Fellows have also been prolific in publishing results of their research along with case reports. significantly to the field.

Joana Almaca, Ph.D., was awarded the 2022 Stanley J Glaser Foundation Research Award. Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi, M.D., was appointed as Associate Director, Research for the Miami Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), which is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Roy Weiss attending Endocrinology Clinic Night at The division welcomed guest the Miami Rescue Mission Clinic. speaker Gerald I. Shulman, M.D., from Yale School of Medicine, McKenzie Lecture Series was Peter to participate in the Fishman Lecture, Butler, M.D., from the David Geffen an annual lecture series presented School of Medicine at UCLA. He by the Lawrence M. Fishman Visiting presented a lecture titled “Beta cell loss Professor in Endocrinology, Diabetes, underpins both type 1 and 2 diabetes.” and Metabolism at the Miller School. The 2023 Lawrence M. Fishman Dr. Shulman’s lecture was titled “Cellular M.D. Endocrine Fellows’ Guest Speaker Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance: was Tobias Else, M.D., from the Implications for Obesity, Lipodystrophy, University of Michigan. His lecture was Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer.” titled “A Practical Approach to Millions The guest speaker for the Maxwell of Adrenal Nodules.” Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE CLINICAL The Division of General Internal Medicine is reimagining the delivery of global primary healthcare by considering both present and anticipated evolutionary changes in healthcare needs. Faculty member Elizabeth Greig, M.D., Assistant Professor and CoDirector for the Global Institute for Community Health and Development, leads the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s interprofessional education initiative in disaster preparedness and response to climate change. Her efforts, in partnership with the Ministry of Health in the Bahamas, led to the creation of a landmark $1.3 million education and training facility in the Abaco Islands and the outfitting of two primary care clinics in the Abacos’ outer islands. Dr. Greig’s expertise in global healthcare has been recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative for Global Health Leaders where she was invited to act as an instructor on disaster

management at École des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique (EHESP) in Paris, France. Collaborating with Anjali Saxena, M.D., from the Division of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, and Barry Issenberg, M.D., and Ross Scalese, M.D., of the Miller School of Medicine’s Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education, these dedicated physicians are aiming to develop programs in emergency responses and disaster management funded through a proposed future gift to the University’s Global Institute for Community Health and Development.

RESEARCH Two thousand twenty-three was a year of achievement for faculty member, Sonjia Kenya Harris, Ph.D. She earned a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant for her work to embed community health workers into HIV clinical teams striving to improve medication adherence among black people living with HIV. She also received a Pfizer Foundation grant to support community

PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Olveen Carrasquillo, M.D., M.P.H. Steven Cohn, M.D. (Emeritus) Laurence Gardner, M.D. Kenneth Goodman, Ph.D. S. Barry Issenberg, M.D. Richard Tiberius, M.D. (Emeritus)

ALEJANDRO D. CHEDIAK, M.D. Interim Division Chief

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PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Panagiota Caralis, M.D., J.D. Daniel Lichtstein, M.D. (Emeritus) Erin Marcus, M.D., M.P.H. Joan St. Onge, M.D. Ross Scalese, M.D. PROFESSOR, EDUCATOR Sonjia Kenya, Ph.D.

UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

engagement activities increasing awareness of COVID-19 prevention and treatment options in historically black communities. Additionally, in partnership with the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dr. Kenya negotiated a research training program with funding to start in 2024. She served on two NIH study sections where she advocated for minority scholars and community-based science addressing health disparities. Dr. Kenya’s research, educational endeavors and community outreach earned her the honor of being one of South Florida’s Top Black Educators of 2023 with her story prominently featured in Legacy Magazine. She also was featured in the article “Inside America’s HIV Epicenter” in Vice News. Ross Scalese, M.D., Director of Educational Technology Development at the Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education, has overseen and directed faculty development courses and workshops at international conferences and leading universities in Spain, France, and Peru.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Mark Gelbard, M.D. (Emeritus) ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Yvonne Diaz, M.D. Hilit Mechaber, M.D. Paul Mendez, M.D. Frederick Williams, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Gauri Agarwal, M.D. Howard Anapol, MD Stephanie Clauss, D.O. Gregory Coleman M.D. Janelle Cuervo, D.O. Nemer Dabage-Forzoli, M.D. Janelis Gonzalez, M.D.

Elizabeth Greig, M.D. Lilliam Guzman M.D. Brian Hagenlocker, M.D. Melanie Helfman, M.D. Margarita Llinas M.D. Anita Sikha, M.D. Katelin Snow, M.D. Sabrina Taldone, M.D. Jacobo Wajner M.D. STAFF PHYSICIANS Alexandra Calandriello, M.D. Manuela Calvo, M.D. Grettel Garcia, M.D. Janella Leon, D.O. Sudha Lolayekar, M.D. Marie Normil, M.D. Hiram Rodriguez, M.D. Nisha Verma, M.D.


Dr. Ross Scalese and Dr. Barry Issenberg directed the inaugural faculty development program in India for the Improving Simulation Instructional Methods Course developed by the University of Miami Gordon Center.

Recently, Dr. Scalese traveled to India with Barry Issenberg, M.D., Director of the Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education and Professor of Medicine and Medical Education at the Miller School of Medicine, where they met with government officials and educational leaders to discuss applications of simulation and other technologyenhanced educational methods to augment training for healthcare professionals in an effort to improve patient safety and global health. Drs. Ross Scalese and Barry Issenberg directed the inaugural faculty development program in India for the Improving Simulation Instructional Methods course developed by the University of Miami Gordon Center. Dr. Barry Issenberg met with Dr. Bharti Pravin Pawar, Honourable Minister of State, Department of Health and Family Welfare, in Delhi, India, to discuss how simulation can be adopted in Indian medical education and healthcare sectors.

At the 2023 Alliance of Academic Internal Medicine meeting, Erin Marcus, M.D., Professor of Clinical Medicine, presented a poster describing the MD/MPH public health seminar she oversees. The American Medical Association Women Physicians Section honored Dr. Marcus with its 2022-2023 Inspiration Award for her unrelentless commitment to training the next generation of medical professionals.

EDUCATION Division faculty members continue to make meaningful contributions to community health and education, including house officers and fellows. Gauri Agarwal, M.D., Associate Dean for Curriculum, plays an important role in medical education. At the institutional level, Dr. Agarwal was a co-recipient of the 2023 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award for The KIND Program: Kindle Inclusion through Narratives of Diversity. The KIND Program aims to foster a culture of inclusive education and diversity within

the University’s faculty and student body. Nationally, Dr. Agarwal was recognized by the Harvard Macy Institute with its National Gold Humanism Faculty Scholar Award for her project The HUMANN Project: The Humanities Underpinning Machines and Artificial Neural Networks. The work purports the creation of a curriculum for medical and nursing students using humanities to cultivate empathy by addressing applications and limitations of artificial intelligence in clinical practice. Part of the division’s mission is to promote teamwork. Our clinicians support our educators and researchers by providing the necessary clinical resources, including identifying processes and protocols vital to providing world-class healthcare to our patients and delivering cutting-edge education to our younger colleagues. We also acknowledge and appreciate the sizable contribution all faculty and staff put forth. Their efforts fuel the continued success of our division.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

GERIATRICS AND PALLIATIVE MEDICINE CLINICAL The Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, led by Division Chief Marcio Rotta Soares, M.D., continues to provide exceptional patient care to the South Florida elderly population as well as patients suffering from serious illness. The division is considered a regional leader in clinical care and education in the areas of geriatric medicine, hospice, and palliative medicine. It also was listed as one of the high-performing specialties in the U.S. News and World Report 2023 ranking.

The outpatient geriatric medicine service line continues to administer comprehensive geriatric assessments on older patients at the medical campus in downtown Miami and the Lennar Foundation Medical Center in Coral Gables. To meet the needs of patients suffering with serious illness, our palliative medicine team continues to expand its outpatient network. With a presence in a greater number of geographic locations, we are able to further expand high-quality symptom

management and patient-centric palliative care to patients in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Our physical outpatient locations include Downtown Miami, South Miami, Coral Gables, Deerfield, and Plantation. Consults also are available via telemedicine. The inpatient palliative medicine consult service provides care to patients admitted to University of Miami Hospital and Clinics, located in UHealth Tower in downtown Miami. The consult service focuses on symptom management and transitions of care in patients with serious, complex, and/or terminal illnesses.

RESEARCH (PALLIATIVE MEDICINE)

(Above) From left to right: Michael Huber, M.D., M.S.; Mariana Khawand- Azoulai, M.D.; Bruno Urrea, M.D.; Khin Zaw, M.D.; Collin Rush, M.D.; Julia Sanchez, M.D.; Elisse Kavensky, M.D. at the 9th Annual Eugene J. Sayfie, M.D. Research Day. (Left) From left to right: Laura Llabre, M.D.; Yandi Garcia-Brito, M.D.; Iriana Hammel, M.D.; and Dominique Tosi, M.D. at the American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting in Long Beach, CA with award-winning poster in the geriatric syndromes category. 28

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Mariana Khawand-Azoulai, M.D., is a co-investigator in a V Foundation-funded research project, which partners with community health workers to increase advance care planning among black, Hispanic and Latina women with cancer. The research study titled “EHRintegrated patient-reported outcomes in ambulatory oncology: A critical opportunity for timely and targeted palliative care” was published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network in January 2023. Michael Huber, M.D., published a review of quality measurement in palliative care in the Journal of Palliative Medicine and published his work on interdisciplinary management of patients with cancer, pain and opioid use disorder in Current Problems in Cancer. Dr. Huber was also granted a Leadership Scholars Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and was selected to serve on their quality committee. Dominique Tosi, M.D., and Iriana Hamme, M.D., published research on


the association between frailty and CPR outcomes in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Stuti Dang, M.D., and Maria Hendrika Van Zuilen, Ph.D., in collaboration with colleagues from the New England and San Antonio Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Centers, published their work on focusing competencies for video telemedicine with older adult patients in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

EDUCATION (GERIATRICS) In May 2023, geriatricians and geriatric medicine fellows from the division presented eight posters at the Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. One poster examined vaccination as a protective factor for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) in frail, pre-frail and robust veterans during the omicron wave. It was included in the Presidential Poster Session and won the Outstanding Poster Award for the Geriatric Syndromes category.

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Enrique Aguilar, M.D. Iriana Hammel, M.D. Michael Huber, M.D. Mariana Khawand-Azoulai, M.D. Luis Samos-Gutierrez, M.D. Julia Sanchez, M.D. Marcio Soares, M.D. Khin Zaw, M.D. FELLOWS COMBINED GERIATRIC & HOSPITALPALLIATIVE CARE

MARCIO ROTTA SOARES, M.D. Division Chief

First Year

Jerry Bradley, M.D. Second Year

Armando Sarasua, M.D.

PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Stuti Dang, M.D., M.P.H. Silvina Levis, M.D. (Emeritus) Michael Mintzer, M.D. (Emeritus) Bernard Roos, M.D. (Emeritus) Bruce Troen, M.D. (Emeritus)

GERIATRIC MEDICINE

First Year

Anabel Alonso, M.D. Zeina Najib Georges, M.D. Mohamad Hosni, M.D. Raiyan Islam, M.D. Nabeel Khan, M.D. Laura Llabre, M.D.

RESEARCH PROFESSOR Guy Howard, Ph.D. RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Carlos Perez-Stable, Ph.D.

HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE MEDICINE

First Year

Michael Basir Jalisa Carvalho, M.D. Oxana Harlamova, M.D. Heba Waseem, M.D.

Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine fellows at 2023 graduation dinner Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

HEMATOLOGY CLINICAL Doctors and advanced practice providers in the Division of Hematology provide highly specialized diagnoses and treatments that are personalized to each specific hematologic disorder. To further meet the needs of patients with hematologic diagnoses throughout our network, two physicians joined our staff. Daniel Tannenbaum, M.D., will provide care at the Lennar Foundation Medical Center and Ashley Rose, M.D., will be based at UHealth at Kendall. At the end of 2022, our division opened a new satellite clinic in Doral, Florida. Erika Correa, M.D., now provides hematology care at this site.

RESEARCH Hematology faculty authored 75 publications in FY2023, half of which were in notable, high-impact (>10) journals. Terrence Bradley, M.D., was part of a collaborative study on the benefits of

the drugs venetoclax plus gilteritinib for FLT3-mutated relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Justin Taylor, M.D., participated in a study on the long-term outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia treated with vemurafenib monotherapy. That research was published in the journal Blood. Dr. Taylor also was awarded several grants for translational hematology science, including an NIH R35 grant for his research titled “The role of XPO1 in nuclear export of RNA;” an Edward P. Evans Foundation Discovery Research Grant for the study titled “Discovering the role and therapeutic targeting of nuclear RNA export in myelodysplastic syndromes;” and an American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant for his research titled “Single-Cell Resolution of Clonal Heterogeneity in Understudied Myeloid Neoplasms.”

Stephen Nimer, M.D. Joseph Rosenblatt, M.D. Mikkael Sekeres, M.D., M.S. PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Juan Carlos Ramos, M.D. Gerald Soff, M.D. RESEARCH PROFESSOR Ramiro Verdun, Ph.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Jack Temple, M.D. (Emeritus)

MIKKAEL SEKERES, M.D., M.S. Division Chief PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Yeon Soong Ahn, M.D. (Emeritus) John Byrnes, M.D. Izidore Lossos, M.D. Craig Moskowitz, M.D.

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ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Juan Alderuccio, M.D. Alvaro Alencar, M.D. Jonathan Schatz, M.D. Justin Watts, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Ney Alves, M.D. Terrence Bradley, M.D.

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Juan Alderuccio, M.D., led a study on the predictive value of staging PET/ CT to detect bone marrow involvement and early outcomes in marginal zone lymphoma, which was published in Blood. Jonathan Schatz, M.D., received a grant from the Department of Defense for the study titled “The Role of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Genome Complexity in Shaping Immune Responses to AntiCD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapies.” Division faculty members are continuously conducting innovative clinical and translational research to refine the diagnosis of blood and bone marrow disorders, provide more accurate prognoses, and pave the way for treatments to improve the health and quality of life for all patients affected by hematologic conditions. Justin Watts, M.D., led international clinical trials on olutasidenib for

Diana Byrnes, M.D. Roberto Cano, M.D. Namrata Chandhok, M.D. Jonathan Cohen, M.D. Thomas Harrington, M.D. Georgios Pongas, M.D. Justin Taylor, M.D. Michele Stanchina, D.O. Sangeetha Venugopal, M.D., M.S. Steven Weiss, M.D. RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSORS Xiaoyu Jiang, Ph.D. Jun Sun, Ph.D. Yu Zhang, M.D. STAFF PHYSICIANS Diogenes Alayon, M.D. Mayda Arias, M.D. Erika Correa, M.D. Douglas Faig, M.D. David Lessen, M.D.

Ashley Rose, M.D. Daniel Tannenbaum, M.D. FELLOWS First Year

Ali Al Sbihi, M.D. Palash Asawa, M.D. Chinmay Jani, M.D. Traci King, M.D. Amrit Paudel, M.D. Second Year

Maryam Alasfour, M.D. Raleigh Fatoki, M.D. Gil Hevroni, M.D. Deborah Soong, M.D. Toufic Tannous, M.D. Third Year

Priscila B. Coelho, M.D. Samuel Kareff, M.D. Jose M. O. Novaes, M.D. Thomas Platé IV, M.D. Asaad Trabolsi, M.D.


(Left) Dr. Ramos and Dr. Pongas presented interim results of the investigator-initiated clinical trial titled “Safety and Efficacy of Belinostat Trial with Zidovudine Plus Interferon for HTLV-1 Related Adult T-Cell Leukemia-Lymphoma” at American Society of Hematology 2022. (Right) From left to right: Dr. Ney Alves, Dr. Stephen Nimer, Dr. Namrata Chandhok, Dr. Maria “Ken” Figueroa, Dr. Mikkael Sekeres, Dr. Justin Watts, Dr. Sangeetha Venugopal, and Dr. Justin Taylor at the Miami Leukemia Biennial Conference in Miami, Florida.

the treatment of adults with IDH1 mutated acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes, which led to FDA approval of the drug. The study was published in Lancet Haematology. Mikkael Sekeres, M.D., M.S., authored an international, Phase 3 study on the FLT3 inhibitor quizartinib for the treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with the mutation, which also led to FDA approval of the drug. This research was published in The Lancet. Dr. Alderuccio and Izidore Lossos, M.D., developed a new prognostic index for extranodal marginal zone lymphomas. Results were published in the American Journal of Hematology.

EDUCATION Our faculty is committed to educating and mentoring trainees and junior and senior faculty at all levels locally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Schatz teaches graduate courses in the Cancer Biology Graduate Program, and Joseph Rosenblatt, M.D., works with junior faculty in career development as Associate Director for

Faculty Development at UM/ Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Gerald Soff, M.D., leads a weekly online hematology course to an international audience of medical students from more than 90 countries with close to 15,000 visits in 2023 and averaging 40 to 50 presentation views per day. Alvaro Alencar, M.D., From left to right: Jessica MacIntyre, A.P.R.N., M.B.A.; continues to chair SINTOMA, Dr. Sekeres; Dr. Nimer; and Vaughn Edelson, M.P.A., the annual malignant hematology M.P.H. at the Dolphins Challenge Cancer bike ride. meeting. More than 1,300 hematology specialists and physicians MDS International Foundation. from across the Americas attended the Justin Watts, M.D., Maria Figueroa, sixth gathering in São Paolo, Brazil last M.D., and Dr. Sekeres chaired the May. internationally acclaimed Miami Biennial Stephen Nimer, M.D., and Dr. Leukemia Conference in March 2023. Sekeres hosted the First International Dr. Sekeres and Dr. Taylor wrote a Workshop on Myelodysplastic review on myelodysplastic syndromes, Syndromes (iwMDS) held in Miami in published in the Journal of the American June 2022. Medical Association (JAMA). Namrata Chandhok, M.D., Dr. Alderuccio, Dr. Moskowitz, and organized the first-ever conference on Dr. Lossos reviewed clinical trial design equitable and inclusive care for patients in marginal zone lymphoma for the with bone marrow failure conditions, American Journal of Hematology. partnering with the Aplastic Anemia and Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

HOSPITAL MEDICINE CLINICAL

a scorecard for each of our physicians. The Division of Hospital Medicine In reviewing the data, we observed made several key clinical improvements that Hospital Medicine was able to in FY2023 by decrease the assembling average length and launching of stay by an a dedicated entire day over admissions the course of team. This move FY2023. This streamlined the was a huge win admissions process and a testament and allowed to the excellent faculty and staff and efficient physician teams to patient care focus on delivering delivered by our quality patient physicians and care. APRNs. To measure and Marcio Rotta benchmark clinical Soares, M.D., performance, the Division Chief Marcio Soares, M.D., outside was appointed division developed the division’s office at UHealth Tower as Division Chief.

He had served as Interim Chief since 2022. Maria Antonietta Mosetti, M.D., continued to serve as the division’s Medical Director during FY2023 and played a foundational role by assisting in the onboarding and training of all new physicians. Laura Traini-Mongelli, D.N.P., A.P.R.N., F.N.P.-C., continued to serve as the Director of Advanced Practice Providers. She was instrumental in the management, recruitment, and retention of our large APRN team that supports our physicians and patients. A number of new senior-level administrative personnel joined the division. These individuals are overseeing divisional operations and providing ongoing support for our hardworking providers.

A group of our providers working to deliver excellent patient care. Pictured left to right: Vijay Mehta, M.D.; Tony Zimbrek, A.P.R.N.; John Herrera, A.P.R.N.; Oneiris Cobas, A.P.R.N.; Iryna Radchykava, A.P.R.N; Oxana Harlamova, M.D.,; Olga Tarasova, M.D.; Dunia Gomez-Alejo, A.P.R.N.; Laura Traini-Mongelli, D.N.P., A.P.R.N.; and Zafiye Leon, A.P.R.N. 32

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PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Kathleen Schrank, M.D. (Emeritus) ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Efren Manjarrez, M.D.

MARCIO ROTTA SOARES, M.D. Division Chief

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Juan Serralles Allongo, M.D. Candido Anaya, M.D. Scott Berger, M.D. Aldo Pavon Canseco, M.D. Maria Carolina DelgadoLelievre, M.D. Armen Henderson, M.D. Joshua Laban, M.D. Bryan Leyva, M.D. Ahmed Luqman, M.D.

Vijay Mehta, M.D. Maria Antonietta Mosetti, M.D. Deepak Mummidavarapu, M.D. Ayoola Olayiwola, M.D. Rafael Enrique Hernandez Oquet, M.D. Zakia Rauf, M.D. Ankita Saxena, M.D. Marcio Soares, M.D. Sebastian Suarez Zarate, M.D. Pulkit Taunk, M.D. Pamela Trotter, M.D. Gilberto Velazco, M.D. Jessica Zuleta, M.D. STAFF PHYSICIANS Fayzan Ahmad, M.D. Madiha Ahmed, M.D. Alberto R. Arancibia, M.D. Daniel Franco, M.D.

Rafael Garces, M.D. Taaha Mendha, M.D. Allan Rubinfeld, M.D. Jonathan Salter, M.D. Faryal Shaikh, M.D. Glenda Sosa, M.D. Reubender Randhawa, M.D. William Winter, M.D. Liana Woodley-Pearson, M.D. Jorge Diaz Valdes, M.D. STAFF PHYSICIANS PER DIEM Roberto Andino, M.D. Kunal Gawri, M.D. Oxana Harlamova, M.D. Muhammad Khan, M.D. Andrew Scheinberg, M.D. Olga Tarasova, M.D. Bruno Urrea, M.D.

EDUCATION The division made strides in reinforcing our educational mission by developing a monthly educational seminar for faculty and staff physicians. These seminars showcased expert speakers from the University of Miami as well as from outside the institution. Stakeholders from the Society of Hospital Medicine also presented lectures during the seminar, highlighting several best practices for hospitalists around the nation and the world. Dr. Soares also started a weekly journal club where a new article is distributed to the entire team each week. This practice ensures division hospitalists keep up with evidence-based practices and spread innovative ideas while fostering collaboration among colleagues.

HIGHLIGHTS Efren Manjarrez, M.D., was elected as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Maria Delgado-Lelievre, M.D., was chosen as one of the recipients of the 2023 UHealth/Miller School of Medicine Faculty Award for Service Excellence. Looking forward to 2024, our division will continue to play a key role in the institutional mission of delivering high-quality, compassionate healthcare.

Hospital Medicine faculty and staff

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

INFECTIOUS DISEASES CLINICAL Jose Camargo Galvis, M.D., led a revision of our immunization protocol for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) patients to ensure proper monitoring and dosing of varicella zoster virus (VZV) and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines. Lilian Abbo, M.D., implemented a taskforce to reduce methicillinresistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia across the Jackson Health System (seven hospitals). Since launching the taskforce, there has been a reduction in hospital-onset MRSA infections. David Serota, M.D., M.Sc., implemented an injectable buprenorphine program and protocol for the University of Miami’s IDEA Exchange, the only syringe exchange in Florida. Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, M.D., relocated the Ryan White HIV Treatment Clinic from the Elliot Building to a new facility in Converge Miami. Dr. Doblecki-Lewis has integrated the

clinic with the division’s HIV prevention efforts, including rapid start (sameday) treatment for people with a new HIV diagnosis or those in need of reengagement in care.

RESEARCH Isabella Rosa-Cunha, M.D., site principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Anal Cancer HSIL Outcomes Research (ANCHOR), was an author on a landmark New England Journal of Medicine research study titled “Treatment of anal highgrade squamous intraepithelial lesions to prevent anal cancer.” Maria Alcaide, M.D., was awarded an R01 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) as part of a multi-PI project titled “A Phylodynamic Artificial Intelligence Framework to Predict Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in Immunocompromised Persons with HIV (PhAI-CoV)” to study HIV+ participants with acute COVID.

Margaret Fischl, M.D. Michael Kolber, M.D. Mario Stevenson, Ph.D.

SUSANNE DOBLECKILEWIS, M.D. Division Chief PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Maria Alcaide, M.D. Gordon Dickinson, M.D. (Emeritus)

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PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Lilian Abbo, M.D. Gio Baracco, M.D. Jose Castro, M.D. Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, M.D. Dushyantha Jayaweera, M.D. Paola Lichtenberger, M.D. Michele Morris, M.D. Allan Rodriguez, M.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Laura Beauchamps, M.D. Catherine Boulanger, M.D. Jose Camargo Galvis, M.D. Yoichiro Natori, M.D. Isabella Rosa-Cunha, M.D.

UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Dr. Tookes speaking at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) ceremony

Mario Stevenson, Ph.D., was awarded a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) R01 grant to study the contribution of myeloid cells in the liver and kidney to viral persistence in individuals on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART).

David Serota, M.D. Bhavarth Shukla, M.D. Jacques Simkins-Cohen, M.D. Stephen Symes, M.D. Hansel Tookes, M.D. Jose Gonzales Zamora, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Shweta Anjan, M.D. Folusakin Ayoade, M.D. Jovanna Bertran-Lopez, M.D Alexis Powell, M.D. Mohammed Raja, M.D. Antoine Salloum, M.D. Candice Sternberg, M.D. RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Mark Sharkey, Ph.D.

FELLOWS First Year

Joseph Berger, M.D. Maria Del Pilar Morel Almonte, M.D. Divya Pandya, M.D. Carlos Eduardo Plazola, M.D. Ruth Graciela Ramon Tapia, M.D. Second Year

Adrian Estepa, M.D. Paola Frattaroli, M.D. Andres Martinez, M.D. Angel Porras, M.D. Aliya Rehman, M.D. INFECTIOUS DISEASES TRANSPLANT FELLOWSHIP First Year

Raul Ignacio Rodriguez, M.D.


During a 2023 retreat, several faculty crafted a new vision statement: “The division will foster a diverse and collegial environment for excellence in research, clinical care, and education that is recognized as impactful, interdisciplinary, and prepared for a changing world.”

Dr. Alcaide, Dr. Doblecki-Lewis, Michael Kolber, M.D., Ph.D., and Hansel Tookes, III, M.D., M.P.H., are mentors for the Culturally Focused HIV Advancements Through the Next Generation for Equity (CHANGE) Training Program T32.

EDUCATION

Dr. Doblecki-Lewis was granted the Heroes Helping Heroes award by the Miami-Dade County Commission. Gio Baracco, M.D., was appointed to the VHA Monkeypox Response Team and as Chair of the Office of the VA Undersecretary for Health in Washington, D.C. Paola Lichtenberger, M.D., has

retained her position as an International Consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO) and works as a member of the antimicrobial stewardship roster to support global action plans to optimize the use of antimicrobial agents. Dushyantha Jayaweera, M.D., has retained his position on the executive committee of One Florida Research Consortium, a statewide, collaborative research consortium of communitybased healthcare professionals, patients and researchers with the mission of supporting clinical and translational research across Florida. Division members had a productive 2023 retreat and developed a new vision statement: “The Division of Infectious Diseases will foster a diverse and collegial environment for excellence in research, clinical care and education that is recognized as impactful, interdisciplinary and prepared for a changing world.” The group also developed goals and working groups to make progress toward this vision.

The accredited Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program welcomed seven new fellows in 2023. The division also hosted a delegation of physicians and scientists from various Nigerian universities, establishing future research and educational collaborations with these institutions.

HIGHLIGHTS Numerous faculty members received recognition for their expertise and clinical/community efforts. Dr. Tookes was named to the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) and joined the board of directors for the HIV Medical Association. He also presented a lecture at the National Academy of Medicine.

Division faculty meeting with Nigerian delegates Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

INTERNAL MEDICINE–PEDIATRICS CLINICAL The Division of Internal MedicinePediatrics (Med-Peds) is one of the newest divisions in the Department of Medicine. The division houses dually boarded physicians who care for adults and children in both inpatient and outpatient settings within the UHealth and Jackson Health systems. The division opened its first MedPeds UHealth-based outpatient practice this year and added one new faculty member, Bryan Leyva M.D. UHealth Primary Care at Palmetto Bay is a stateof-the-art practice offering high-quality, family-centered care. The practice boasts three Med-Peds physicians: Tobenna Ubu, M.D., Victor Cueto, M.D., and Stefanie Brown, M.D., M.B.A. Our physicians are joined by a family nurse practitioner, Diana Villazon, A.P.R.N., and Victoria GuerreroGorman, M.D., from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Med-Peds is the only division within the Department of Medicine to offer transitional care to adolescents and

young adults with chronic medical conditions. The PATH (Progression Across Transition in Healthcare) Clinic is an innovative program, offering primary care for adolescents and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

published in Latina/o/x/e, Hispanic, or of Spanish Origin+ (LHS+) Identified Student Leaders in Medicine: More Than 50 Years of Presence, Activism, and Leadership.

RESEARCH Division members conduct research in multiple arenas – educational, public health, and transitional care. Matthew Imm, M.D., published articles on assessment in the Medical Teacher and the AAMC MedEd Ribbon-cutting ceremony for UHealth Primary Care at portal. Palmetto Bay Jonathan Tolentino, M.D., published two book chapters EDUCATION in Care of the Adult with Chronic Our Med-Peds residency program trains Childhood Conditions: A Practical residents for careers in primary care, Guide. Dr. Cueto’s chapters are hospitalist Med-Peds, global health, as

At far left: Dr. Kendra Van Kirk and Dr. Samantha Gonzalez with children from the Abaco Islands, Bahamas At left: UHealth Global Institute’s Wonderful Floating Library - From left to right: Elizabeth Greig (GIM) and Dr. Samantha Gonzalez, Dr. Anjali Saxena, and Dr. Kendra Van Kirk from Med-Peds 36

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well as felowships. The program houses the Global Health Track, led by Anjali Saxena, M.D. In the past year, residents participated in global health educational experiences in the Navajo Nation and Roatan, Honduras. Stephanie Ross, M.D., published a perspectives piece in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education titled “Avoiding Unethical Altrusim in Global Health: Revisiting Ethics Guidelines for International Rotations for Medical Residents,” with Kenneth W. Goodman, Ph.D., from the Division of General Internal Medicine.

HIGHLIGHTS The division is actively involved in global health efforts. Dr. Saxena is the director for the Global Health Track for Internal Medicine and MedPeds residencies. This year, residents completed rotations in India, Mexico, Honduras, Indian Health Services in New Mexico, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Bahamas, Spain, as well as tropical medicine certification courses in Minnesota. Dr. Saxena is also the Associate

Director of Strategic Initiatives and Programs for the UHealth Global Institute and served as an expert panelist for the National Hurricane Conference and the Governor’s Hurricane Conference in Florida, advocating for children to be incorporated into government disaster preparedness plans. The Global Institute launched the Wonderful Floating Library – a longitudinal community program to promote resiliency and recovery amongst children who survived Hurricane Dorian. Dr. Saxena was joined by division members Kendra Van Kirk, M.D., Samantha Gonzalez, M.D., and Jennifer Denike, M.D., to provide trauma-informed lessons on disaster preparedness. They also provided hurricane prep kits to 110 children at local and private schools. Books and library cards were distributed at each lesson and excess books were used to stock classrooms. This was done in partnership with local school leaders and government officials in the Bahamas Ministry of Education.

STEFANIE BROWN, M.D., M.B.A. Division Chief ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Stefanie Brown, M.D., M.B.A. Jonathan Tolentino, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Victor Cueto, M.D. Christina DeBenedictus, M.D. Chadwick Flowers, M.D. Samantha Gonzalez, M.D. Tiffani Houston, M.D. Matthew Imm, M.D. Bryan Leyva, M.D. Anjali Saxena, M.D. Kendra Van Kirk, M.D. STAFF PHYSICIANS Madeline Mlynczak, M.D. Tobenna Ubu, M.D.

Above: The UHealth Global Institute’s Wonderful Floating Library opening in the Abaco Islands, Bahamas. At right: A young boy enjoying the library. Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

MEDICAL ONCOLOGY CLINICAL In September 2022, UHealth opened a satellite location to care for cancer patients in Doral, Florida. The clinic opening marked the first phase of a twophase project that aims to serve patients close to where they live. Jose Suarez, M.D., Raja Mudad, M.D., and Leonel Hernandez Aya, M.D., currently offer a broad array of cancer services at this location. Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., and various Sylvester leaders, met with White House officials to discuss ways to reduce cancer rates. Dr. Kobetz spoke about the Firefighter Cancer Initiative (FCI) and its work to help reduce the cancer burden on firefighters. The FCI is developing programs and tools to inform firefighters on how to

clean and remove harmful carcinogens from their bodies and gear. Dr. Kobetz also spoke about Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, Ph.D., D.O., M.P.H., and his involvement in the World Health Organization team last summer to reclassify firefighting as a carcinogenic-risk profession.

RESEARCH Earlier this year, Peter Hosein, M.D., was a co-author on a study that uses a real-world database with matched genomic-transcriptomic molecular data to characterize the distinct molecular correlates underlying clinical differences between young-onset pancreatic cancer and average-onset pancreatic cancer patients. Carmen Calfa, M.D., presented

PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Marijo Bilusic, M.D., Ph.D. Judith Hurley, M.D. Gilberto Lopes, M.D., M.B.A. Jose Lutzky, M.D. RESEARCH PROFESSOR Niramol Savaraj, M.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Tracy Crane, Ph.D., R.D.N.

GILBERTO LOPES, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.S.C.O. Division Chief PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Bach Ardalan, M.D. Pasquale Benedetto, M.D. Lynn Feun, M.D. Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H. Marc Lippman, M.D. (Emeritus) Jaime Merchan, M.D. Stephen Richman, M.D. (Emeritus) Jonathan Trent, M.D., Ph.D.

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ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Carmen Calfa, M.D. Aman Chauhan, M.D. Gina D’Amato, M.D. Peter Hosein, M.D. Chukwuemeka Ikpeazu, M.D. Alejandra Perez, M.D. Catherine Welsh, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Leonel Hernandez Aya, M.D. Emily Jonczak, M.D. Lawrence Negret, M.D. Coral Olazagasti, M.D. Agustin Pimentel, M.D.

UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

From left to right: Dr. Calfa; Jessica MacIntyre, A.P.R.N., NP-C, AOCNP; Frank J. Penedo, Ph.D.; and Matthew Schlumbrecht, M.D.

the multidisciplinary care model in use at Sylvester’s Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute. Dr. Calfa emphasized that survivorship starts at the time of

Pearl Seo, M.D. Janaki Sharma, M.D. Gretel Terrero, M.D. Frances Valdes-Albini, M.D. Luis Villa, M.D. RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSORS Akina Natori, M.D. Natasha Solle, Ph.D. STAFF PHYSICIANS Steven Bialick, M.D. Richa Dawar, M.D. Milena Elimelakh, M.D. Mauricio Escobar, M.D. Nkiruka Ezenwajiaku, M.D. Gustavo Fernandez, M.D. Elisa Krill Jackson, M.D. Vinay Minocha, M.D. Raja Mudad, M.D. Joseph Pizzolato, M.D. Estelamari Rodriguez, M.D. Rakesh Singal, M.D. Jose Carlos Suarez, M.D. INSTRUCTORS Rui Gong, M.D. Dionysios Watson, M.D.

FELLOWS First Year

Ali Al Sbihi, M.D. Palash Asawa, M.D. Chinmay Jani, M.D. Traci King, M.D. Amrit Paudel, M.D. Second Year

Maryam Alasfour, M.D. Raleigh Fatoki, M.D. Gil Hevroni, M.D. Deborah Soong, M.D. Toufic Tannous, M.D. Third Year

Priscila Barreto Coelho, M.D. Samuel Kareff, M.D. Jose Monteiro de Oliveira Novaes, M.D. Thomas Plate, M.D. Asaad Trabolsi, M.D.


diagnosis, continues throughout a person’s lifetime, and includes a patient’s caregivers. She also highlighted the value of comprehensively addressing a patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, by working collaboratively as a team under one roof. Dr. Alejandra Perez, left, with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at The model, which is UM/Sylvester being expanded to other locations and cancer types, uses HIGHLIGHTS conventional medicine as well as Coral Olazagasti, M.D., is the cancer music, exercise, nutrition, acupuncture, center’s newest K12 Calabresi massage, and yoga to promote better Clinical Oncology Research Career physical and emotional health in an Development award scholar. effort to reduce the risk of new cancer The K12 program is currently funded and cancer recurrence. It also aims by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to improve patients’ quality of life and and prepares early-career faculty survival. for independent research careers in “Although no one model is perfect, clinical and translational oncology. It the risk-stratified approach that we is designed to be a comprehensive are taking at Sylvester aims to offer a training program that emphasizes personalized and coordinated approach the bench-to-bedside translation of to cancer survivorship,” said Dr. Calfa. promising treatment and/or biomarkers In a recent visit to Sylvester in clinical trials. Comprehensive Cancer Center in This funding will help propel Dr. Plantation, Florida, First Lady Jill Biden Olazagasti’s research, which examines addressed the significance of early lung cancer screening in Hispanics, the detection, clinical research, and the largest-growing minority in the United delivery of quality care in honor of States, who face barriers to healthcare Breast Cancer Awareness Month. access, including cancer screenings. During a tour of the facility, the First Lung cancer is the leading cause of Lady spoke with Alejandra Perez, M.D., cancer-related death in men who are Medical Director of the Braman Family Hispanic/Latino, and the second most Breast Cancer Institute at Sylvester at common cause of cancer-related death Plantation, about the emphasis doctors in women in this population. put on risk reduction strategies while Dr. Olazagasti goal is to continue serving a diverse community. developing and conducting lung cancer screening initiatives that will positively EDUCATION impact the Hispanic population by The division continues to host monthly improving the rates of early detection of meetings with faculty and staff, weekly lung cancer, and overall mortality. grand round teaching conferences, and Aman Chauhan, M.D., who has ad hoc meetings to discuss timely topics. devoted his career to neuroendocrine

From left: Dr. Erin Kobetz, Dr. Stephen D. Nimer, Dr. Danielle Carnival of the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, and Shreya Kuntawala, Assistant Vice President for Government Relations, during meeting with White House officials.

UHealth Doral is the ninth satellite location to deliver quality cancer care to South Florida residents.

cancer research and clinical care, has joined Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center as leader of the cancer center’s Neuroendocrine Tumor Program. Elisa Krill-Jackson, M.D., opened a breast cancer clinical trial called IIT Free-HER. This trial follows patients with HER 2 positive metastatic breast cancer who have been in remission for at least three years with ct-DNA while they go off their anti-her-2 maintenance therapy to see if they remain in remission. Dr. Alejandra Perez was recognized by the U.S. Congress as a Hispanic leader in South Florida for her team’s ongoing care in the community.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

MYELOMA CLINICAL Multiple myeloma is a rare blood malignancy that affects approximately 35,000 individuals in the United States annually, while more than 150,000 patients are living with the disease. Although there is no established cure for multiple myeloma, the overall survival rate is more than 10 years, thanks to accessible newer therapies. The Division of Myeloma has continued to advance its clinical care, research, and educational activities in several ways. The division witnessed a total of 5,963 outpatient clinic visits for patients with multiple myeloma. Out of these, 628 were new patients. In comparison, the total number of patient visits for

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multiple myeloma patients at UM three years ago was 2,443, and of those, 262 were new patient visits. The division’s FY2023 patient data revealed that 42% of the multiple myeloma patients were of Hispanic/ Latino(a) background and 26% were Black. These numbers are highly reflective of the catchment area for UM/ Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and exemplifies how the division offers world-class care to multiple myeloma patients across Miami-Dade County and beyond. In fact, a large number of patients from the Caribbean and Latin America are currently being treated at the division. Under the leadership of C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D., the division has

UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

a policy to see a new patient within five business days. Currently, myeloma faculty practice in Miami, Deerfield, and the Lennar Foundation Medical Center in Coral Gables. The plan is to expand the faculty size and locations to meet the community’s increasing needs.

RESEARCH Much of the research being conducted by divisiond faculty focuses on genomicand host-immune-profiling. Numerous papers have been published in highimpact journals and faculty have presented several key observations at larger national and international meetings. The number of clinical trials for


multiple myeloma patients also has been increasing over the years. In 2023, there were over 2,000 patients on clinical trials, compared to 1,127 patients in 2022. The clinical trials portfolio include phase 1, phase 1/2, and phase 2 studies; 30 percent of the trials are investigator-initiated studies. Through its participation in clinical trials, the division offer patients some of the newest and novel immunotherapies and FDA-approved drugs for multiple myeloma. After a competitive process, in June 2023, the inaugural advanced myeloma fellow, Mina Meseha, M.D., was selected for a unique one-year fellowship position with the division.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Landgren, Dickran Kazandijan M.D., and the entire faculty, Dr. Meseha is being trained to become a myeloma specialist.

EDUCATION James Hoffman, M.D., co-leads the fellowship program. In 2023, several fellows expressed interest in joining the division during their rotations. The division is paying close attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards set by the University of Miami to ensure its faculty and staff are reflective of the multicultural community we serve. Furthermore, the division continues to support research and educational activities geared towards Latin America.

C. OLA LANDGREN, M.D., PH.D. Division Chief PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D. PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Dickran Kazandijan, M.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MEDICINE James Hoffman, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Marcella Ali Kaddoura, M.D. David Coffey, M.D. Benjamin Diamond, M.D. Francesco Maura, M.D.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

KATZ FAMILY DIVISION OF NEPHROLOGY AND HYPERTENSION CLINICAL The Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension is known for delivering consistent, high-quality patient care. We have continued to expand our outpatient care focus, allowing for a 25 percent increase in outpatient volume and a dramatic reduction in patient noshow rates. Our advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) added a discharge clinic and an educational telehealth clinic for patients requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine was recognized as one of the few autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) centers of excellence in the country. Additionally, the division expanded the rate of home dialysis from 8 percent in 2018 to 15 percent in 2022. To continue delivering outstanding care, the division will participate in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting (CKCC) Model.

The Miami Transplant Institute, one of the world’s leading transplant centers, in partnership with DaVita, a provider of home and in-center dialysis modalities, is currently evaluating 1,204 current transplant patients. Of those, 566 patients are actively on the transplant waitlist. So far in 2023, a total of 227 patients have successfully received transplants.

examine hypertension in Hispanic populations, has been invited to join the American Heart Association Committee on Hypertension and Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease for two years. Alla Mitrofanova, Ph.D., received the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Pilot Award. She also received the Chernowitz Medical Research Foundation RESEARCH Student Haley Gye and postAward. In addition to 12 doctoral associate Rachel Njeim Sandra Merscher, ongoing clinical at the 9th Annual Eugene J. Sayfie, Ph.D., received a trials, both NIH and M.D. Research Day series of prestigious industry-sponsored, the awards in 2023, division added multiple grants, awards, reflecting her important contributions and publications to an already strong to the field. Notably, Dr. Merscher’s research presence in 2023. accomplishments encompass the Division faculty foster career University of Miami SIP 2023-3 development opportunities for several Scientific Awards Committee (SAC) junior faculty members. Tali Elfassy, Interdisciplinary Team Science (ITS) Pilot Ph.D., recipient of a K01 grant to Award, where she serves as principal

PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Murray Epstein, M.D. (Emeritus) Alessia Fornoni, M.D., Ph.D. Leopoldo Raij, M.D. (Emeritus) David Roth, M.D. PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Gabriel Contreras, M.D., M.P.H. Giselle Guerra, M.D. Warren Kupin, M.D. Oliver Lenz, M.D., M.B.A.

ALESSIA FORNONI, M.D., PH.D. Division Chief

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RESEARCH PROFESSOR Sandra Merscher, Ph.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Marco Ladino Avellaneda, M.D.

UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Juan Duque, M.D. Adela Mattiazzi, M.D. Jair Munoz Mendoza, M.D. Zain Mithani, M.D. Mariella Ortigosa-Goggins, M.D. Marie Anne Sosa, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Franco Cabeza, M.D. Efren Chavez Morales, M.D. Adriana Dejman, M.D. Yelena Drexler, M.D. Javier Pagan, M.D. Shobana Sivan, M.D. RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSORS Tali Elfassy, Ph.D. Alla Mitrofanova, Ph.D.

RESEARCH INSTRUCTOR Jin-Ju Kim, Ph.D. FELLOWS First Year

Shawn Michael Alonso, M.D. Derek Casey, M.D. Nicole Cassandra Fernandez, M.D. Gretchen Neymar Marrero Lozada, M.D. Gina Gabriela Suarez Corujo, M.D. Second Year

Margarita Almeida Nephrology Zachary Kornblum, M.D. Christopher Naranjo, M.D. Mary Samia Sifain, M.D. Chavely Valdes Sanchez, M.D.


investigator (PI) focusing on MRI imaging of renal fat content in patients with Alport syndrome. Yelena Drexler, M.D., transitioned from studying biomarkers in glomerular disorders to acting as Dr. Merscher’s co-investigator in an R01 grant and a Department of Defense grant; the review of her K23 is ongoing. Jin-Ju Kim, Ph.D., remains on a K01 grant for her work on extracellular matrix biology. Alessia Fornoni, M.D., Ph.D., continues to lead a natural history study for patients affected by Alport syndrome, which is sponsored by the NIH and the Alport Syndrome Foundation. She also secured a new R01 grant and a co-development agreement with Pfizer, aimed at investigating the role of apolipoprotein M deficiency in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and developing an innovative therapeutic approach. Division faculty participated in many peer-reviewed publications, with 68 between June and December 2022 and 79 publications through Q3 of 2023. Giselle Guerra, M.D., Medical Director of MTI, participated in the NIHfunded “Hep C + Donors into Hepatitis C Negative Recipients” under THINKERNEXT. She also is participating in the HOPE Trial, exploring the optimization of high-risk donor integration. Mariella Ortigosa Goggins, M.D., is investigating APOL1 outcomes in both living donors and recipients through a NIKKD-funded APOLLO study.

EDUCATION The division’s fellowship training program, led by Oliver Lenz, M.D., M.B.A., and Zain Mithani, M.D., continues to attract a highly diverse and competitive group of fellows. In collaboration with the Division of Hospital Medicine and the Gordon

Center for Research in Medical Education, the program uses simulation training to enhance patient safety, starting off the academic year with simulation training for central line placements. Dr. Mithani received a faculty award for his teaching efforts in internal medicine, helping train future healthcare professionals. Warren Kupin, M.D., at the Miami Transplant Institute, focuses on the educational mission of the division, which encompasses a comprehensive approach, starting from the pre-med years through to clinical training. David Roth, M.D., continues to mentor junior faculty members in both general nephrology and transplant nephrology. Javier Pagan, M.D., continues to act as the director of the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship and the lead for multi-organ transplant care. Shobana Sivan, M.D., actively engages with the division in overseeing medical students’ Objective Structured Clincal Examinations (OSCE) for the Department of Medicine on a voluntary basis.

HIGHLIGHTS

(Top) From left to right: Judith Molina; Sandra Merscher, Ph.D.; Jin Ju Kim, Ph.D.; Mengyuan Ge, Ph.D.; Shamroop Mallela; Jeffrey Pressly, Ph.D.; Alexis Sloan, Ph.D.; and Rachel Njeim, Ph.D. at the Peggy & Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center. (Bottom) From left to right: Charu Malik, Ph.D., Executive Director of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN); Dr. Masaomi Nangaku, President of the ISN; Antonio Fontanella, MSTP student; and Dr. Fornoni at the ISN TRANSFORM meeting in Belgium.

Marie Anne Sosa, M.D., Dr. Mithani, and Dr. Duque were promoted to Associate Professors of Clinical Medicine. Sandra Merscher, Ph.D., was promoted to Research Professor. Marco Aurelio Ladino, M.D., was selected as the Internal Medicine Consultant for the Surgeon General in the United States Army Reserve Medical Department. The UM-KIIMERA T35 training grant, a nephrology-focused research course,

graduated its third class of medical students from its summer research program. Due to its success, UM-KIIMERA now is being used as a template for other divisions that foster interest in specialtyspecific, physician-scientist careers. Dr. Fornoni was elected to chair the World Congress of Nephrology 2024. She also became the Editor of UpToDate and Deputy Editor of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

PULMONARY, CRITICAL CARE AND SLEEP MEDICINE CLINICAL Over the past year, the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine has achieved numerous clinical milestones that have significantly enhanced patient care at UHealth. Most notably, the division underwent a sizable expansion with the addition of several highly accomplished physicians, including Abigail Koch, M.D., Morgan Carbajal, M.D., Cody Adkinson, M.D., Susan Vehar, M.D., and Daniel Gorman, M.D. This infusion of new talent and expertise has invigorated the division’s capabilities and deepened its clinical depth and breadth.

One of the most significant developments in FY2023 was the expansion of the division’s footprint in subspecialty care, which was accomplished by establishing a cutting-edge multidisciplinary interstitial lung disease clinic. This innovative clinic, featuring collaboration with specialists in rheumatology, radiology and pathology, has elevated patient care standards and fostered comprehensive treatment strategies that span various medical disciplines across the UHealth system. At Jackson Health System, the division introduced a groundbreaking interventional pulmonology service line

Daniel H. Kett, M.D. Andrew Quartin, M.D. Shirin Shafazand, M.D., M.S.

NARESH PUNJABI, M.D., PH.D. Division Chief PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Horst J. Baier, M.D. (Emeritus) Robert M. Jackson, M.D. Naresh Punjabi, M.D., Ph.D. Matthias A. Salathe, M.D. (Emeritus) Roland M. Schein, M.D. Adam Wanner, M.D. Philip Whitney, Ph.D. (Emeritus) PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Michael A. Campos, M.D. Alejandro Chediak, M.D. Hayley B. Gershengorn, M.D.

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ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Alexandre Abreu, M.D. Sixto Arias, M.D. David De La Zerda, M.D. Elio Donna, M.D. Tanira Ferreira, M.D. Gregory Holt, M.D., Ph.D. Diane Lim, M.D. Andres Pelaez, M.D. Juan Salgado, M.D. Trishul Siddharthan, M.D. Neeraj Sinha, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Brian Adkinson, M.D. Saramaria AfanadorCastiblanco, M.D. Kori Ascher, D.O. Jonathan Auerbach, M.D. Yaroslav Buryk, M.D. Jorge Cabrera, D.O. Morgan Carbajal, M.D. Juan Cesar Fernandez Castillo, M.D. Imran Chishti, M.D. Oveimar De La Cruz, M.D. Lisa Domaradzki, M.D. Lesley Farquharson, M.D.

UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

by working seamlessly with both cancer and transplant groups. This integration has helped to streamline patient care and has opened new avenues for interventional procedures in challenging cases. Another commendable achievement involves the pioneering efforts of Sergey Gerasim, M.D., and Yaro Buryk, M.D., who initiated the first national Percutaneous Ultrasound Gastrostomy (PUG) Center of Excellence. Their invaluable contributions, which involved performing PUG procedures within our step-down units, have showcased our division’s commitment to

Hannah Ferenchick, M.D. Brian Garnet, M.D. Sergey Gerasim, M.D. Daniel Gorman, M.D. Adhiraj Gosine, M.D. Abigail Koch, M.D. Eric Lang, M.D. Isabella Lupe, M.D. Christopher Mallow, M.D. Suresh Manickavel, M.D. Erick Palma, M.D. Yoslay Perez, M.D. Rene Rico Tresgallo, M.D. Andrea Shioleno, M.D. Waleed Sneij, M.D. Maria Tupayachi Ortiz, M.D. Susan Vehar, M.D. Martin Zak, M.D. STAFF PHYSICIANS Andrew Calzadilla, M.D. Hyasil Gonsalves-Barriero, M.D. Christopher Jordan, M.D. Sajid Kadir, M.D. Laiqua Khalid, M.D. Bianca Sarmento, M.D. Jeffrey Scott, D.O. Andres Sosa, M.D. Moe Zaw, M.D. FELLOWS First Year

Felipe De Andrade Arnaud, M.D.

Bianca Maria Dominguez, M.D. Farhad Ghamsari, M.D. Matthew Edward Hodge, M.D. Eduardo A. Lopez Gonzalez, M.D. Kelly O’Boyle, M.D. Lauren Michele Pascual, M.D. Guil Rozenbaum Lerner, M.D. Lee Seifer, M.D. Second Year

Ankur Aneja, M.D. Irina Yuseth Gutierrez Puentes, M.D. Alda Daisy Huang, M.D. Justin Norman Krautbauer, M.D. Michaela Lynne Murphy, M.D. Dipan Nishikant Karmali, M.D. Mauricio Tellez, M.D. Jeany Paola Villamizar Rivero, M.D. Third Year

Sama Al-Bayati, M.D. Linda Vanessa Bocanegra English, M.D. Victoria Isabel Gonzalez, M.D. Barbara Daniela Mantilla Sandoval, M.D. Nisha Nataraj, M.D. Vinay Sandeep Padbidri, M.D. Anita Singh, M.D. Riddhi Upadhyay, M.D. Keerthi Yarlagadda, M.D.


Faculty and fellows at the ATS Conference in May.

pushing medical boundaries while also helping establish our faculty as leaders in this specialized field.

RESEARCH Trishul Siddharthan, M.D., a prominent researcher in the field, secured an NIHfunded grant to spearhead global health initiatives targeting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among non-smokers worldwide. Notably, his recent Department of Defense funding has propelled ultrasound research in Uganda, Cambodia, and Thailand, with groundbreaking results published in journals such as the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and Lancet Global Health. Dr. Siddharthan’s influential leadership extends to directing the American Thoracic Society Methods in Epidemiological, Clinical, and Operations Research (MECOR) program. Other distinguished faculty include Phabiola Herrera, M.D., who secured a CHARM grant to investigate the impact of sleep in women with HIV. Naresh Punjabi, M.D., Ph.D., received a National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)-funded P50 grant to help

advance multilevel interventions for sleep apnea disparities, particularly in minority communities. Dr. Punjabi’s insights into sleep apnea metrics also received accolades, alongside a $1.2 million Australian Lung Health Initiative Grant shared with Dr. Siddharthan for groundbreaking functional lung imaging research. The NIH-supported work on ICU staffing models that is being conducted Hayley Gershengorn, M.D., is proving instrumental for enhancing patient safety and healthcare efficiency. Christopher Mallow, M.D., who is playing a pivotal role in investigating respiratory viruses in the acutely Ill (IVY) network, which spans 25 medical centers in 20 U.S. states, underscores the division’s nationwide influence. Additionally, Diane Lim, M.D., is conducting pioneering research at the Miami VA Medical Center, which is shedding light on the relationship between intermittent hypoxia and cancer. The leadership of Greg Holt, M.D., in establishing a lung cancer screening and precision oncology program at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Miami VA) serves as a model for VA medical centers nationwide.

The division’s collective accomplishments extend to presentations at esteemed events such as the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society conferences.

EDUCATION As a group, the faculty has recently attained a NIH T32 Mentored Research Training Grant, which is a testament to the division’s commitment to nurturing physician-scientists in respiratory medicine. This program establishes a collaborative platform that links investigators and post-doctoral fellows, fostering interdisciplinary growth and facilitating new initiatives, particularly in global health and bench science. The postdoctoral fellowship program also has witnessed remarkable advancement with the appointment of four distinguished associate program directors – Lisa Domaradzki, M.D.; Brian Garnet, M.D.; Abigail Koch, M.D.; and Susan Vehar, M.D. Each of these faculty members brings a unique and enriching perspective to the program, underscoring the division’s dedication to shaping the next generation of skilled clinicians and academicians within an environment of diverse and comprehensive training.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

RHEUMATOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY CLINICAL The Division of Rheumatology and Immunology has expanded its services and the number of faculty with the addition of Kelly Corbitt, M.D., and Cecilia P. Chung, M.D., M.P.H., who joined to become Division Chief. The division now is comprised of eight physicians and four fellows. Since joining in July 2023, Dr. Corbitt has taken on her clinic duties and also plans to open a new connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease clinic. Known as the Rheumatology-ILD Clinic, this multispecialty clinic is a collaboration with Susie Vehar, M.D., from the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, and will offer coordinated care to patients who can be evaluated by both a

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rheumatologist and a pulmonologist on the same day.

RESEARCH Dr. Chung’s research efforts focus on the pharmacogenomics of immunosuppressants and the comparative safety of non-opioid analgesics. Her work is funded by two R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a merit award from Veterans Affairs. The research conducted by Eric Greidinger, M.D., focuses on mixed connective tissue disease and Raynaud’s syndrome. Over the years, Dr. Greidinger has built a strong collaboration with Wasif N. Khan, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, as well as with Glen N.

UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Barber, Ph.D., FRS, Chair and Professor in the Department of Cell Biology. Dr. Corbitt has completed two research studies. The first is titled “Identifying and Addressing Disparities in Health Literacy in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases Through Point of Care Distribution of Patient Education Materials.” This study helps identify and fix barriers in patients’ understanding their diagnoses and medications. The second study, titled “Evaluation of Fibromyalgia, Clinical/Serologic Activity, and Patient Reported Outcomes in a Racially/Ethnically Diverse SLE Patient Cohort,” examines how to better classify those lupus patients who also have fibromyalgia. She presented this work at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting - ACR Convergence in November 2023.


EDUCATION Maria F. Carpintero, M.D., is the Faculty Director and Mentor for the rheumatology pathway for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. This curriculum is designed for internal medicine residents and aims to mentor the next generation of researchers and clinical educators in rheumatology. Currently, there is one second-year resident pursuing this pathway. Ozlem Pala, M.D., received the Academy of Medical Education Scholars Award for her project “Establishing Interdisciplinary Mind-Body Medicine Services at the University of Miami to Address Stress, Trauma, and Burnout.” Silvio dos Reis Junior, M.D., who is currently specializing in rheumatology through a medical residency at the Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM) in São Paulo, Brazil, spent a month rotating with our rheumatologists to gain insight into the U.S. healthcare system and how the management of rheumatologic disorders differs between Brazil and the United States.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS Eric Greidinger, M.D. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Elaine C. Tozman, M.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF MEDICINE Maria F. Carpintero, M.D. Kelly Corbitt, M.D. Ozlem Pala, M.D., M.P.H. STAFF PHYSICIANS Schartess Culpepper-Pace, M.D. Elena Oberstein, M.D.

CECILIA CHUNG, M.D., M.P.H. Division Chief

FELLOWS

PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE Cecilia Chung, M.D., M.P.H.

First Year

PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Carlos J. Lozada, M.D.

Second Year

Jose A Cano, M.D. Miriam Maria Marti, M.D. Francisco Javier Brito-Aleman, M.D. Emmanuel Pardo, M.D.

HIGHLIGHTS Carlos Lozada, M.D., was elected president of the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR) for the 2020-2022 term. Under his leadership, PANLAR organized the 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting in Miami. The meeting was attended by rheumatologists and related specialists from more than 25 countries from around the world, including Europe and the Americas. Today, Dr. Lozada sits on PANLAR’s executive committee as past president and is president of PANLAR’s Science and Education Committee. Dr. Carpintero serves as a member of the PANLAR Board of Directors for the northern region.

Ozlem Pala, M.D., is a member of the fundraising committee for the Whitetulip Health Foundation, which has raised more than $320,000 for Turkey’s earthquake victims. Dr. Pala also was invited to speak at the 24th Pan American Congress of Rheumatology, where she provided updates on rheumatoid arthritis with her presentation titled “Are We Close to Prevent It?”

Dr. Chung won the 2022 Leon I. Goldberg Early Investigator Award from the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology and the 2022 Henry Kunkel Award by the American College of Rheumatology. Elaine Tozman, M.D., celebrated her 40-year anniversary at the University of Miami, while Dr. Lozada celebrated his 29th anniversary.

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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DIVISION HIGHLIGHTS

TRANSPLANTATION AND CELLULAR THERAPY CLINICAL

RESEARCH

The Division of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy continues to provide excellent clinical care in the areas of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and T cell immunotherapies. During the past year, division faculty performed 246 procedures and executed 70 cellular therapy (CAR-T and TIL) infusions. We further solidified our Survivorship and Graft Versus Host Clinic under the leadership of Trent Wang, D.O., and expanded our clinical presence beyond Miami and Plantation. Patients can now seek care in Doral and at the Lennar Foundation Medical Center in Coral Gables.

Division faculty have been working on several research projects across multiple areas of expertise and in collaboration with other divisions within the Department of Medicine as well as other departments across the Miller School of Medicine. There were a significant number of research studies published by division faculty in the field of adoptive cellular immunotherapy, including standard of care use of brexu-cel in mantle cell lymphoma (Trent Wang, D.O., in the Journal of Clinical Oncology), a study of tumor microenvironment as a predictor of response to CAR-Ts (Lazaros Lekakis,

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UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

M.D., in Nature Medicine), and a study of tab-cel for EBV+PTLD following transplant after failure of rituximab-based therapy (Amer Beitinjaneh, M.D., in Transplantation and Cellular Therapy). Denise Pereira, M.D., published a study on a new stem cell mobilization regimen using Metixiform and G-CSF in Nature Medicine. Dr. Pereira, and Cara Benjamin, Ph.D., published a study on the first-ever trial of CAR-T therapy in myasthenia gravis in the journal Lancet Neurology. Antonio Jimenez, M.D., published a study on three-year outcomes in mismatched unrelated bone marrow transplants using post-transplant


cyclophosphamide in the Journal of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Under the leadership of Lazaros Lekakis, M.D., and Jay Spiegel, M.D., the first University of Miami Miller School of Medicine investigator-initiated CAR-T trial for relapsed and refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas took place. Dr. Spiegel also became the leader of the multidisciplinary Cellular Therapy Interest Group at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Lastly, Eric Weider, Ph.D., Dr. Spiegel, and Dr. Wang received funding from the Applebaum Foundation for a grant titled “Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Translational Research Program.”

EDUCATION Our faculty remains committed to the mission of education at both the medical school and postgraduate medical education levels. The division hosted several international visiting physicians who traveled here to observe and learn from our Cellular Therapy Program faculty. Amer Beitinjaneh, M.D., has been selected to join the Florida Medical Association Council on Medical Education. Dr. Jimenez has been invited to present at the Korean Bone Marrow Association Meeting and at the Instituto Catalan de Hematologia in Spain. Dr. Benjamin spoke at two events for the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).

DENISE PEREIRA, M.D. Interim Division Chief PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE Krishna Komanduri, M.D. (Emeritus) ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Amer Beitinjaneh, M.D. Mark S. Goodman, M.D Antonio M. Jimenez, M.D. Lazaros J. Lekakis, M.D. Denise L. Pereira, M.D. RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Eric Wieder, Ph.D. ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Noa G. Holtzman, M.D. Jay Y. Spiegel, M.D. Trent Wang D.O. RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Cara Benjamin, Ph.D.

Transplantation and Cellular Therapy faculty retreat

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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PHILANTHROPY

ENDOWED CHAIRS Through generous philanthropic donations and financial gifts, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine has established several endowed chairs to fund research excellence and the advancement of novel ideas in a growing number of medical specialties and academic disciplines, including cardiovascular medicine, endocrinology, gastroenterology, immunotherapy, medical education, medical oncology, nephrology, and pulmonary diseases. Below is a list of our current endowed chairs.

MARIA T. ABREU, M.D. Martin H. Kalser Endowed Chair in Gastroenterology

PASQUALE W. BENEDETTO, M.D. Courtelis Distinguished Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology and Robert J. and Marian G. Fewell Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology Research

ALESSIA FORNONI, M.D., PH.D. Peggy & Harold Katz Family Chair for Kidney and Vascular Disease Research

JEFFREY GOLDBERGER, M.D., M.B.A. Elaine & Sydney Sussman Endowed Professorship

JOSHUA M. HARE, M.D. Louis Lemberg Chair in Cardiology

S.BARRY ISSENBERG, M.D. Michael S. Gordon, M.D. Chair in Medical Education

ERIN KOBETZ, PH.D., M.P.H. John K. and Judy H. Schulte Senior Chair in Cancer Research

C. OLA LANDGREN, M.D., PH.D. The Paul J. DiMare Endowed Chair in Immunotherapy

CYNTHIA LEVY, M.D. Arthur H. Hertz Endowed Chair in Liver Diseases

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UHealth|University of Miami Miller School of Medicine


PAUL MARTIN, M.D. Sol C. Mandel Chair in Gastroenterology

ROBERT J. MYERBURG, M.D. American Heart Chair in Cardiovascular

NARESH PUNJABI, M.D., PH.D. Mary Jane and Lino Sertel Professorship in Pulmonary Diseases

JOSEPH ROSENBLATT, M.D. William Harrington Chair in Hematology

DAVID ROTH, M.D. Dr. David Roth Endowed Chair in Transplant William Way Anderson M.D. Chair in Nephrology

MARIO STEVENSON, PH.D. Raymond F. Schinazi and Family Endowed Chair in Biomedicine

ADAM WANNER, M.D. Joseph Weintraub Family Foundation Endowed Chair

ROY E. WEISS, M.D., PH.D. Kathleen and Stanley J. Glaser Chair in Medicine and Rabbi Morris I. Esformes Endowed Chair in Medicine and Endocrinology

Department of Medicine Chairman’s Report 2022

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UHEALTH LOCATIONS Department of Medicine Locations in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties 1.

West Palm Beach 1

UHealth at West Palm Beach 185 Banyan Boulevard, Suite 200 West Palm Beach, FL 33401

2. UHealth at Boca Raton 3848 FAU Boulevard Boca Raton, FL 33431 3. Sylvester at Deerfield Beach 1192 E. Newport Center Drive Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

PALM BEACH COUNTY

4. Sylvester at Coral Springs 8170 Royal Palm Boulevard Coral Springs, FL 33065 5. Sylvester at Fort Lauderdale 5700 N. Federal Highway, Suite 5 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

Boca Raton 2 3

Coral Springs 4 BROWARD COUNTY

Deerfield Beach 5 6

Fort Lauderdale

Plantation 7

8

Hollywood

9

Aventura

6. UHealth at Fort Lauderdale 4800 N.E. 20 Terrace Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 7.

UHealth at Plantation 8100 S.W. 10 Street Plantation, FL 33324

8. Sylvester at Hollywood 3850 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, FL 33021 9. Sylvester at Aventura 2801 N.E. 213 Street, Suite 1101 Aventura, FL 33180 10. UHealth at Doral 8375 N.W. 53 Terrace Doral, FL 33166 11. University of Miami/Jackson Medical Campus 1400 N.W. 12 Avenue Miami, FL 33136

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

Miami

Doral 10

13 14

Kendall

12

Coral Gables

15 16

12. UHealth at Fisher Island 41214 Fisher Island Drive Miami, FL 33109

11

Palmetto Bay

Fisher Island

13. UHealth at LeJeune 351 N.W. 42nd Avenue Miami, FL 33126 14. The Lennar Foundation Medical Center 5555 Ponce de Leon Boulevard Coral Gables, FL 33146 15. UHealth/Sylvester at Kendall 8932 S.W. 97 Avenue Miami, FL 33176 16. UHealth at Palmetto Bay 9380 S.W. 150 St Palmetto Bay, FL 33176

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LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI LEADERSHIP Julio Frenk, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. President Joseph J. Echevarria Chief Executive Officer, UHealth and E.V.P. of Health Affairs Dipen J. Parekh, M.D. Chief Operating Officer, UHealth Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A. Dean and Chief Academic Officer

DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP Roy Weiss, M.D., Ph.D. Chair Anna Carol Herman-Giddens, R.N., B.S.N. Senior Administrative Officer Maureen Lowery, M.D., F.A.C.C. Vice Chair of Faculty Development and Diversity

Iliana Vera, M.B.A. Director, Department Planning and Operations Jannet Yern, B.S.A. Executive Director, Employee and Student Health Services

DIVISION CHIEFS Yiannis S. Chatzizisis, M.D., M.P.H. Cardiovascular Richard Preston, M.D., M.S.P.H., M.B.A. Clinical Pharmacology Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi, M.D. Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Paul Martin, M.D. Digestive Health and Liver Diseases Alejandro Chediak, M.D., F.A.A.S.M., F.C.C.P., F.A.C.P. (Interim) General Internal Medicine

DIVISION ADMINISTRATION Francisco M. Rodriguez, M.S. Cardiovascular Cristina Calderon-Parra Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Carol Cottrell Digestive Health and Liver Diseases Joanne Alonso, M.B.A. General Internal Medicine

Marcio Soares, M.D. Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine

Joanne Alonso, M.B.A. Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine

Mikkael A. Sekeres M.D., M.S. Hematology

Ali R. Ismail Hematology

Amar Deshpande, M.D. Vice Chair for Education

Marcio Soares, M.D. Hospital Medicine

Austin Ambrose Hospital Medicine

Maria Abreu, M.D. Vice Chair for Research

Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, M.D. Infectious Diseases

Lily Ferrer, M.B.A., C.R.A. Infectious Diseases

Khemraj Hirani, M.D. Associate Vice Chair for Research Regulatory Compliance

Gilberto de Lima Lopes Junior, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.M.S Medical Oncology

Ingrid V. Rodriguez, M.B.A. Medical Oncology

David H. Kerman, M.D. Chief Medical Officer

Stefanie Brown, M.D. Medicine-Pediatrics

Rolando J. Briceno, M.B.A. Director, Strategic Operations

C. Ola Landgren, M.D., Ph.D. Myeloma

Christina Villanueva Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension

Carlos Prieto Executive Director, Clinical Operations

Alessia Fornoni, M.D., Ph.D. Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension

Austin Pitts, M.H.A. Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Naresh M. Punjabi, M.D., Ph.D. Pulmonary, Critical Care,and Sleep Medicine

Angelique Lima Rheumatology and Immunology

Michael Kolber, M.D., Ph.D. Vice Chair of Compliance, Quality and Care Transformation

Ivelisse Rodriguez Executive Director, Finance Laura J. Pinzon, M.B.A. Director, Administrative Operations Megan Martin Senior Director, Sponsored Research

Cecilia Chung, M.D., M.P.H. Rheumatology and Immunology Denise Pereira, M.D. (Interim) Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Frances Castellvi Senti, M.B.A. Medicine-Pediatrics

Debra Chinquee, R.N., M.S.N., A.P.R.N.-B.C., O.C.N. Transplantation and Cellular Therapy


1120 NW 14 Street, Suite 310 Miami, FL 33136 305-243-9120 med.miami.edu/departments/medicine


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