Message from the Interim Chair

The Department of Public Health Sciences continues to thrive as a dynamic community of scholars, educators, and professionals united by a shared commitment to advancing health and well-being locally and globally. Over the past year, our department has demonstrated remarkable progress across every facet of our mission, expanding research productivity, strengthening academic programs, and deepening partnerships that translate science into practice. Our faculty have secured more than $21 million in new grants and contracts, reflecting the department’s growing impact in areas ranging from chronic disease prevention and cancer survivorship to data science and health policy. With more than 380* graduate students enrolled across our M.P.H., M.S., and Ph.D. programs, we continue to train the next generation of public health leaders through rigorous, evidence-based education. This year also marked the second full year of our seven-year CEPH accreditation term, affirming the department’s continued excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Across divisions, our teams are fostering innovation, advancing interdisciplinary research, and building a culture that values collaboration, mentorship, and inclusion. As we look ahead, our focus remains clear: to accelerate discovery, strengthen community partnerships, and ensure that our work meaningfully improves lives. I am deeply grateful to our faculty, staff, students, and partners whose dedication and creativity drive this department forward. Together, we are shaping a healthier, more equitable future for all.

Kathryn E. McCollister, Ph.D. Interim Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

AT-A-GLANCE

The Department of Public Health Sciences continues to build on its foundation of collaboration, innovation, and community impact. Faculty, students, and staff work together to advance research, education, and service that promote health equity and improve lives locally and globally.

FACULTY ACCOLADES

Faculty in the Department of Public Health Sciences continue to distinguish themselves through research, teaching, and mentorship that advance population health and strengthen the department’s academic leadership locally and globally.

National

— Dr. Adriana Jimenez, President-elect 2024, Florida Professional in Infection Control. — Dr. Alberto Caban-Martinez, Inducted Fellow, American College of Epidemiology. — Dr. Ana Palacio received a Service Award from the Miami VA Healthcare System. — Dr. WayWay Hlaing was the recipient of the Noel Weiss and Tom Koepsell Excellence in Education Award. — Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal, Elected Fellow, American Psychosocial Oncology Society.

International Awards

— Dr. Elahe Nezami, Medal of Merit, Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH). — Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal, Invited Member Candidate, International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement.

Academic and Editorial Distinctions

— Dr. Adriana Jimenez, Limited Submission Reviewer, Office of the Vice-Provost for Research and Scholarship.

• Admissions Committee, Online MPH Program.
• Council Representative for Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical Faculty Council, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
• Reviewer, Division of Prevention Science, Doctoral Student Recruitment Application Screening and Selection.
• Faculty Member, Department of Public Health Sciences Student Recruitment Committee.
• Internal Peer Review Member, Copeland Foundation Pilot Grant Application.
• Career Champion, University of Miami, Career Champions Network.

— Dr. Alberto Caban-Martinez, Ad-Hoc Study Section Reviewer, Fundación Bancaria Caixa d’Estalvis i Pensions de Barcelona, La Caixa Foundation (Spain) Research Program Health Call. — Dr. Ana Palacio, Editor, NIHR Open Research.

• Manuscript Reviewer, BMC Gastroenterology.

— Dr. Ariana Johnson, Thesis Committee Member, Diana Mercado, MPH, Department of Public Health Sciences.

• Advisor, Jon Martins, MPH, Department of Public Health Sciences.
• Advisor, Nicolle Acuna, MPH, Department of Public Health Sciences.
• Dissertation Chair, Sophie Cen, MSPSCH, Department of Public Health Sciences.
• Reviewer, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Admission Committee.

— Dr. Edda Rodriguez, Guest Editor, American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). 

• Pre-Submission Internal Review Member, National Center for Education
• Research: Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences.

— Dr. Eric Brown, Ad-hoc Invited Reviewer, Epidemiology. — Dr. Farren Briggs, Editor, Neurology Journal. 

• Personnel Awards Reviewer, MS Canada.
• Research Grant Reviewer, ParkinsonNL, Netherlands.
• Doctoral Fellowship Reviewer, Willy Gepts, Research Foundation, Belgium.
• Guest Topic Editor, Frontiers in Psychiatry.
• Advisor, Curriculum Development and Integration of Ethics in Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs in Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

— Dr. James Shultz, Online MPH Admissions Committee, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. 

• External Advisory Committee Member, CARIB-CARES (NIH P-20 Cancer Control grant), University of Puerto Rico.
• Member, Medical School Admission Committee, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
• Member, Recognition of Educational Contributions (REC) Committee, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
• Scientific Judge, University of Miami Graduate Research Symposium.

— Dr. Jose Szapocznik, Member, UCLA Data Safety and Monitoring Board for Addiction Medicine. 

• Ad Hoc Reviewer, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Study Section, Special Emphasis Panel ZHD1 DSR-L (50), “The Road to Prevention of Stillbirth.”

— Dr. Lily Wang, Grant Reviewer, NS1 SRB-P (15), Center for Scientific Review, NIH. 

• Standing Member, NIH, Center for Inherited Disease Research Access Committee (CIDR).
• Ad Hoc Reviewer, Department of Defense (CDMRP), Multiple Sclerosis Research Program – SM.
• Ad Hoc Reviewer, Department of Defense (CDMRP), Multiple Sclerosis Research Program – AP1.

— Dr. Luciano Garofano, Reviewer, Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering. 

• Reviewer, Precision Oncology.

— Dr. Mariano Kanamori, Member, Population and Public Health Approaches to HIV/AIDS Study. — Dr. Michele Ceccarelli, Member, NIH Study Section, Genomics, Computational Biology and Technology. — Dr. Min Lu, Associate Editor, Journal of Translational Medicine.

• Associate Editor, Scientific Journal of Biology & Life Science.
• Review Editor, Frontiers in Genetics.

— Dr. Patricia Moreno, Associate Editor, Psycho-Oncology.

• Convention Program Chair, APA Division 38 Society for Health Psychology.

— Dr. Paulo Pinheiro, Manuscript Reviewer, Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.

• Manuscript Reviewer, Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.
• Manuscript Reviewer, Cancer Medicine.
• Undergraduate Training Program Reviewer, Society for Prevention Research.
• Conference Abstract Reviewer, IAPAC Continuum.

— Dr. Shari Messinger, Member, NIDDK ZDK1GRB-J(M4) Special BST-R Special Emphasis Panel 2025. — Dr. Taghrid Asfar, Second Reviewer, Miller School of Medicine.

• Reviewer, Copeland Foundation Pilot Grant Award at the Department of Public Health Sciences.
• Judge, Eastern-Atlantic Student Research Forum (ESRF) Symposium.
• Reviewer, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Peer Review Committee for the Community Partnerships in Advancing Health Equity in Cancer Care Pilot Award.
• Committee Member, Scientific Awards Committee (SAC) at the Miller School of Medicine.

— Dr. Tulay Koru-Sengul, Member, Evaluation Panel, Portugal.

• Member, Society for Prevention Research Awards Committee.
• Member, Computational Biology Advisory Committee, Office of the Dean, Miller School of Medicine.

— Dr. Tyler Bartholomew, Avant Garde/Avenir Review, National Institute on Drug Abuse.

• Special Emphasis Panel, NIDA/NIH: Models of Integrated HIV/AIDS, Addiction, and Primary Care Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• Ad Hoc Reviewer, Center for Research on HIV and Mental Health (CHARM) Pilot Grant Program.

— Dr. Victor Rosenthal, Editor in Chief, Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. Infusion Nursing Society. — Dr. Viviana Horigian, Member, Secondary Analysis Task Force of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network.

• Reviewer, Addiction ADD-25-022208; Manuscript ID ADD-25-0222.
• Reviewer, Annals of Internal Medicine Comparison of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems with Nicotine Replacement Therapies: Associations with Stopping Smoking or Relapsing Among Current and Former Smokers in the Cancer Prevention.
• Reviewer, NIH Peer Review Committee.
• Co-Chair & Ad-Hoc Invited Reviewer, Special Topics in Social Influences and Environmental Determinants of Health.
• Ad-Hoc Invited Reviewer, Social & Environmental Determinants of Health (SEDH).
• Ad-Hoc Invited Reviewer, Community Influences on Health Behavior (CIHB).
• Member/Advisor to ACE Scholars, Working Group to develop guidelines and toolkit on ethical research practices in epidemiology, Ethics and Policy Committee, American College of Epidemiology (ACE).

— Dr. Wayway Hlaing, Member, FL-Wide Collaboration on Research and Service to Aging Populations. — Dr. Wendy Lichtenthal, Co-editor, Frontiers in Public Health, Research Topic on Public Health Implications of Family Caregiver Bereavement.

• Disaster Public Health Lead, Global Institute for Community Health and Development.

— Dr. Yue Pan, Member, Department of Public Health Sciences Pilot Grant Program Committee. 

• Study Section Reviewer, American Cancer Society (ACS-IRG) Pilot Project Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
• Standing Member, Miami Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI); Scientific Awards Committee.

AWARDS & HONORS

This year, faculty were recognized through institutional and professional awards celebrating excellence in research, teaching, and leadership across multiple disciplines.

Nominations and Recognitions

— Dr. Raymond Balise was nominated for the Provost Teaching Award for Innovation in Teaching at the University of Miami. — Dr. Taghrid Asfar received a recognition of Educational Excellence Contributions at the University of Miami. — Dr. Tulay Koru-Sengul received the Recognition for Educational Contributions (REC). — Dr. Viviana Horigian received the University of Miami Provost Teaching Award-Nomination in the Interdisciplinary category for Culturally focused HIV Advancements through the Next Generation for Equity (CHANGE).

Appointments and Leadership Roles

— Dr. Alberto Caban-Martinez Appointed to New Committee Formed by NASEM. — Dr. Kathryn McCollister was appointed as Interim Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences.* — Dr. Victor D. Rosenthal is the Director of the M.P.H. and M.S.P.H. Programs.*

• Named Editor-in-Chief of the U.S. Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice.*

— Dr. Viviana Horigian was named Vice Chair of Education of the Department of Public Health Sciences.

Education and Mentorship

— Dr. Mariano Kanamori Nishimura received the Luis Glaser Graduate Mentorship Award from the University of Miami.

• Awarded Provost Award for Mentorship from the Department of Public Health Sciences.

— Dr. Patricia Moreno was awarded the Mentor Appreciation Award from the University of Miami NCI-funded R25 Summer Undergraduate Fellowship (SURF). — Dr. WayWay Hlaing was the recipient of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health’s Distinguished Mentorship Award.

Research

— Dr. Patricia Moreno was awarded the Outstanding Population Science Researcher of the Year from the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. — Dr. Teresa Noviello received a Postdoc Association Travel Award from the University of Miami.

NEW GRANTS & AWARDS

This year’s new research awards reflect continued success in securing competitive funding that advances discovery across every division.  Faculty are leading projects that explore topics ranging from cardiovascular health and diabetes prevention to cancer care, mental health, substance use treatment, and environmental exposure. Others are developing family- and community-based interventions, digital health tools, and innovative methodologies in biostatistics and epidemiology—all aimed at improving health outcomes and addressing disparities across diverse populations.

Biostatistic

• Ye, Fei, Circulating Proteomics to Phenotype the Development and Reversal of Myocardial Remodeling in Aortic Stenosis, Project Start Date: 5/1/2025, $76,151.
• Messinger, Shari, Precision Administration of Anti-Thymocyte Globulin With or Without Verapamil in Adolescents and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes, Project Start Date: 4/1/2025, $343,276.
• Feaster, Daniel, Carryover (UM Budget )-CTN121-Revision-16, Project Start Date: 9/1/2024, $884,373.

Health Services Research and Policy

• Horigian, Viviana, CTN-0100: Optimizing Retention, Duration and Discontinuation Strategies for Opioid Use Disorder Pharmacotherapy (RDD), Project Start Date: 3/1/2025, $312,948.
• Horigian, Viviana, CTN0152: Evaluation of Tirzepatide as an Adjunct to Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: A Pragmatic, Multi-Site, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Trial (TAB), Project Start Date: 3/1/2025, $74,266.
• McCollister, Kathryn, (MA-JCOIN) Massachusetts Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) Clinical Research Center, Project Start Date: 5/1/2025, $23,885.
• Szapocznik, Jose, The Florida Node Alliance of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network - INFRA, Project Start Date: 3/1/2025, $5,191,556.

Epidemiology and Population Health Sciences

• Briggs, Farren, SMART2 UNIV OF IOWA, Project Start Date: 9/30/2024, $4,603.
• Briggs, Farren, Metabolomic Biomarkers for Multiple Sclerosis in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Whites, Project Start Date: 5/1/2025, $586,926.
• Jimenez, Adriana, Copeland Foundation Project Initiative, Project Start Date: 2/1/2025, $12,500.
• Lee, David, Conference Series on Aging in the Americas: Mexico and the United States, Project Start Date: 1/1/2025, $60,001.

Environment and Public Health

• Caban-Martinez, Alberto, Fire Investigator Comprehensive Occupational (FICO) Health and Safety Assessment, Project Start Date: 9/1/2024, $1,500,005.
• Caban-Martinez, Alberto, Per- and PolyfluoroAlkyl Substances (PFAS), HIV, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Project Start Date: 9/1/2024, $100,000.

Prevention Science and Community Health

• Lichtenthal, Wendy, Impact of Parental Bereavement on Social Connection, Isolation, and Health, Project Start Date: 9/1/2024, $434,598.
• Lichtenthal, Wendy, Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy to Meet Palliative Care Needs of Cancer Caregivers (Transfer from MSK to Mt Sinai), Project Start Date: 9/9/2024, $641,864.
• Lichtenthal, Wendy, Copeland Foundation Project Initiative, Project Start Date: 2/1/2025, $12,500.
• Kanamori, Mariano, LatiNET-II, A Mixed Methods and Multilevel Social Network Approach to Examine and Address HIV, Mental Health, and Substance Misuse Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories in Low-Income Latinx Communities, Project Start Date: 2/1/2025, $247,596.
• Moreno, Patricia, Quality of Life and Symptomatic Toxicities among Diverse Individuals Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Metastatic Cancer, Project Start Date: 12/1/2024, $6,463,656.
• St. George, Sara, Efficacy Trial of Healthy Juntos: A Family-Based Digital Lifestyle Intervention for Hispanic Adolescents and their Parents, Project Start Date: 6/1/2024, $3,850,818.
• St. George, Sara, Expected Expenses PhD Prevention Science and Community Health PhD Program (Vital Strategies_Christopher Laurie), Project Start Date: 8/1/2024, $186.800.

Students

• Casanova, Felicia, Addressing Disruptions and Displacement Response for Equitable and Sustainable Systems (ADDRESS) of HIV Care in Puerto Rico, Project Start Date: 9/1/2024, $573,956.
• Craker, Lacey, Exploring Acceptability and Potential Reach of Game-Based and Social Network Strategies for Improving Prep and HIV Self-Testing Uptake Among Latinx Sexual Minority Men Living in an EHE Priority Jurisdiction, Project Start Date: 7/1/2024, $95,388.

GRANTS + CONTRACTS PERFORMANCE

The department secured more than $21 million in new grants and contracts, demonstrating the strength of its research enterprise and commitment to advancing public health through collaboration, discovery, and community engagement.

$21,677,666 NEW AWARDED TOTAL GRANTS & CONTRACTS