More than 125 faculty from 9 colleges and 26 departments are represented at the UF Diabetes Institute. Learn more about faculty interests and areas of expertise below.
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Director, UF Diabetes Institute
Mark Atkinson, Ph.D.
Pathogenesis/Type 1 Diabetes, Immunology, Microbiome, Prevention Studies

Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics
Rhonda Bacher, Ph.D.
Statistical Genomics

clinical assistant Professor, DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM
Diana Barb, M.D.
Diabetes, Obesity, Thyroid Diseases

Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Program Director, Pediatric Endocrine Fellowship
Angelina Bernier, M.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Pediatric Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, Pediatric Diabetes Education

Clinical Associate Professor, DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM
Antonella Bianchi, M.D.
Hormonal Regulation of Lipogenesis, Molecular Mechanism(s) of Insulin and other Hormones, Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL), Hepatic Lipoprotein Lipase (HLPL), Sex Hormones

professor emerita, Department of Family, youth, and community sciences
Linda Bobroff, Ph.D., RDN
Type 2 Diabetes, Prevention, Management Extension Programs

assistant Scientist, DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM
Fernando Bril, M.D.
NAFLD, Fatty Liver, Type 2 Diabetes, NASH, Insulin Resistance, Obesity

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Todd Brusko, Ph.D.
Diabetes, Immune Studies, Type 1 Diabetes, Treg Cell Therapy, Vaccine Development

Spec Diabetes Education, Department of Nursing Professional practice
Gladys Bruno-Rodriguez
Type 2 Diabetes, Gestational Diabetes, Prevention, Diabetes Education

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PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Martha Campbell-Thompson, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Pancreas Imaging, Diabetes, Beta Cell Regeneration

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OUTCOMES & BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS
Michelle Cardel, Ph.D.
Obesity, Nutrition, Health Disparities

ASSOCIATE SCIENTIST, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Jing Chen, Ph.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Mitochondrial Function, T-Cell Function, Genetics

assistant Professor, Department of Food science and human nutrition, ifas
Zhiyong Cheng, Ph.D.
Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes

DIRECTOR, UF GENETICS INSTITUTE; PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Patrick Concannon, Ph.D.
Genetics, Autoimmune Diabetes, Translational Medicine, Prevention

PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY & CELL SCIENCE
Anna Conesa, Ph.D.
Gene Expression, Functional Genomics, Bioinformatics

eminent scholar, CENTER FOR NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES
Robert Cousins, Ph.D.
Nutrition, Zinc, Metabolism, Molecular Experimentation, Modeling

DIVISION CHIEF, DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM
Kenneth Cusi, M.D.
Type 2 Diabetes, NASH, NAFLD

CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS
Kristin Dayton, M.D.
Metabolic/ Type 2 Diabetes, Youth Gender

CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM
William Troy Donahoo, M.D.
Obesity

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL AND HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
Kimberly Driscoll, Ph.D.
Adherence, Health Outcomes, Type 1 Diabetes

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCES
John Driver, Ph.D.
Diabetes, Development, Immunology, Juvenile

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Associate Professor, DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM
Catherine Edwards, M.D.
Fine Needle Aspiration of the Thyroid, Thyroid Cancer, Thyroid Ultrasound

Professor, Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and General Internal Medicine; INTERIM CHIEF, DIVISION OF MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE,
Robert Egerman, M.D.
Diabetes and Pregnancy

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Ruogu Fang, Ph.D.
Big Data Analytics, Brain Informatics, Medical Image Analysis

professor and chief, division of gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition
Chris Forsmark, M.D.
Diabetes, Pancreatitis, Chronic, Acute, Pancreatic Function, Pancreatic Cancer

Clinical assistant professor, Department of pediatrics
Elizabeth Fudge, M.D.
Pediatrics, Delayed Growth, Turner Syndrome

Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
Timothy Garrett, Ph.D.
Mass Spectrometry Techniques

Research Assistant Scientist, Department of biomedical engineering
Kerim Gattás Asfura, Ph.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Islet Transplantation, Devices, Bioactive Scaffolds, Encapsulation

section chief, DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM
Hans Ghayee, D.O.
Metabolism

associate professor, department of small animal clinical sciences
Chen Gilor, Ph.D., D.V.M.
Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, Gastrointestinal Endocrinology, Adrenal diseases

Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology; Associate Chair, Department of Ophthalmology; Medical Director, Ophthalmology Trauma Service; Clerkship Director
Sandeep Grover, M.D.
Diabetic Retinopathy, Diabetes Education, Diabetes Research

professor and associate chair, department of health outcomes and biomedical informatics
Matthew Gurka, Ph.D.
Biostatistics, Research Design, Data Analysis, Pediatric Research, Metabolic Syndrome

Research Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Jacksonville
Michael Haas, Ph.D.
Diabetes, Lipids, Atherosclerosis

professor and chief, division of endocrinology
Michael Haller, M.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Intervention, Combination Therapy, Prevention, Endocrinology, Internal Medicine

ASSociate PROFESSOR & J. CRAYTON PRUITT FAMILY TERM FELLOW, DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Gregory Hudalla, Ph.D.
Nanomaterials, Implants, and Immunotherapies

Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology Research
Christhian Ildefonso, Ph.D.
Diabetic Retinopathy

Professor & Chief, department of medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
Charles Heilig, M.D.
Diabetic kidney disease and the progression of chronic renal failure

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS
Laura Jacobsen, M.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Prevention, Intervention, Immunology, Pediatric Endocrinology

professor, department of clinical and health psychology
David Janicke, Ph.D.
Diabetes, Intervention, Pediatric, Obesity

clinical assistant professor, department of health services, research, management & policy
Ara Jo, Ph.D.
Type 2 Diabetes, Prevention, Body Compositions, Obesity

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Clinical Assistant Professor, DIVISION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES AND METABOLISM
Amita Kathuria, M.D.
Hormone Physiology, Diabetes, Obesity

professor, department of biomedical engineering
Benjamin Keselowsky, Ph.D.
Immune Cell Interaction, Biomaterials

Professor, Department of food science and human nutrition
Mitchell Knutson, Ph.D.
Iron Metabolism

Associate professor, Department of microbiology & Cell science
Joseph Larkin III, Ph.D.
Autoimmune Diseases, Regulatory T-cells, Type 1 Diabetes, Prevention

Assistant professor, Department of microbiology & Cell Science
Graciela Lorca, Ph.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Prevention, Probiotic, Lactobacillus Johnsonii

Professor and chair, DEPARTMENT of health services research, management & Policy
Arch G. Mainous III, Ph.D.
Diabetes, Respiratory Infections, Cardiovascular Disease, Iron Disorders

associate professor, Department of food science & human nutrition
Anne Mathews, Ph.D.
Diabetes, Lifestyle Behaviors, Nutrition, Genetics, Treatment

Professor, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Clayton Mathews, Ph.D.
Genetics, Type 1 Diabetes, Immunology, Islet Biology, Clinical Therapeutics

Dean and Linda Harman Aiken Professor, Department of Family, Community, and Health Systems Science, College of Nursing
Anna McDaniel, Ph.D., R.N.
Prevention and Behavior change

Associate professor, department of pediatrics
Jennifer Miller, M.D.
Diabetes, Idiopathic Early-Onset Obesity, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Genetics, Pediatrics

Professor and Vice Chair For Research and Academic Affairs, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine
Laurence Morel, Ph.D.
Autoimmunity, Immunopathology

assistant research scientist, department of health outcomes &biomedical informatics
Heather Morris, Ph.D.
Type 2 Diabetes, Goal Setting, Health Outcomes, Health Communications, Adolescents

Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Harry Nick, Ph.D.
Gene Regulation, Inflammation, Neurogenetics Specifically Channelopathies, Type 1 Diabetes

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Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
Allison O’Kell, D.V.M.
Canine Diabetes Mellitus, Naturally Occurring Animal Models of Human Disease

Assistant Professor and Health and Wellness Extension Specialist, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, IFAS
LaToya O’Neal, Ph.D.
Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Prevention, Minority Health, Health Disparities

professor, DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Kevin Otto, Ph.D.
Neural Engineering, Device-Tissue Interfaces, Neurostimulation

professor and Interim Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology
David Pascual, Ph.D.
Type 1 Diabetes Immune Therapeutics

professor and dean, college of public health & health professions
Michael G. Perri, Ph.D.
Health Promotion, Nutrition, Obesity, Exercise, Rural Populations

Research Assistant Scientist, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Daniel Perry, Ph.D.
Immune Function, Autoimmunity, Type 1 Diabetes

professor, department of pediatrics
Bryon Petersen, Ph.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Progression

Assistant professor, department of biomedical engineering
Edward Phelps, Ph.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Prevention, Treatment, Islet Biology, Regenerative Medicine, Biomaterials

clinical assistant professor, department of pediatrics and Associate Director, Pediatric Residency Program
Henry Rohrs, M.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Pediatrics

Adjunct Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, department of pediatrics
Arlan Rosenbloom, M.D.
Diabetes, Pediatrics, Endocrinology, Clinical Research, Education, Treatment

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Associate Professor of Medicine and Physiology, Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Renal Transplantation
Yuri Sautin, Ph.D.
Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, Adipocyte Biology, Renal Biology

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, COLLEGE OF NURSING
Lisa Scarton, Ph.D.
Type 2 diabetes Self-Management, Family Interventions, Health Disparities, Health Promotion in American Indian Populations

PROFESSOR AND interim CHAIR, PEDIATRICS
Desmond Schatz, M.D.
Prediction/Type 1 Diabetes, Natural History, Genetics, Immunopathogenesis, Prevention

Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutics & Associate Director of the Center for Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology
Stephan Schmidt, Ph.D.
Translational Science, Aapplication of Quantitative Data Analysis, PBPK Modeling

Professor of Medicine; Chief of the Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Renal Transplantation
Mark Segal, M.D., Ph.D.
Cardiovascular Disease, Endothelium, Circulating Endothelial Cells, Acute Kidney Injury

clinical Professor and Chair, department of Community Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine
Nipa Shah, M.D.
Diabetes, Obesity, Prevention

PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS
Janet Silverstein, M.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Obesity, Pediatrics, Psychosocial Issues

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICS
Sihong Song, Ph.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Gene Therapy, Gene Regulation, Cell Biology

PROFESSOR & ASSOCIATE CHAIR FOR GRADUATE STUDIES, DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Cherie Stabler, Ph.D.
Biomaterials, Controlled Release, Regenerative Medicine, Diabetes

RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, Department of Agricultural Education and Communication
Kathryn Stofer, Ph.D.
Free-Choice Learning, Public Engagement with Science

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Professor, Department of Pathology, Immunology & Laboratory Medicine
Naohiro Terada, M.D., Ph.D.
Stem Cell Biology

professor and chair, department of microbiology & Cell Science
Eric Triplett, Ph.D.
Microbial Diversity, Ecology, Endophytic Bacteria

Professor and Nutrition specialist, department of pathology
William Winter, M.D.
Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Islet Autoantibodies

assistant professor, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE
Clive Wasserfall, Ph.D.
Immunopathogenesis, Type 1 Diabetes, Prediction, Disease Onset/Progression

Assistant professor, Department of health services research, management & policy
Ashby Walker, Ph.D.
Health Disparities, Diabetes, Pediatrics, Social Identity

Professor & Associate Dean for Research, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing
Michael Weaver, Ph.D.
Prevention, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity

clinical assistant professor, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology
Sarah Westen, Ph.D.
Type 1 Diabetes, Youth, Adherence, Coping

professor and associate chair, department of radiology
Jon Williams, M.D.
Pancreatic Volume
