Five faculty honored with College of Medicine research awards

Feb. 27 ,2023 — During this year’s two-day Celebration of Research event, four College of Medicine faculty members received recognition for their contributions as outstanding or rising star researchers in their respective fields. An additional faculty member was also honored with an award that acknowledges the crucial role mentors play in research achievements. Congratulations to the following UF Medicine faculty who received the 2023 College of Medicine faculty research awards:

Todd M. Brusko, Ph.D.

Todd M. Brusko, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine, research director for the UF Diabetes Institute and the 2023 recipient of the Outstanding Research Scientist Award in Basic or Translational Sciences. His lab studies the genomic structure of type 1 diabetes to develop drugs that target specific pathways, in an effort to create new therapies for patients.

Michael Haller, M.D.

Michael Haller, M.D., a professor and chief of pediatric endocrinology, in the department of pediatrics, is the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Research Scientist Award in Clinical, Data or Artificial Intelligence Sciences. He leads a lab that focuses on the development of Type 1 diabetes immunotherapeutics, including Teplizumab, which was recently approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Haller and his colleagues are working to determine if similar treatments that are easier for patients to access and less expensive can offer similar benefits.

Olga Guryanova, M.D., Ph.D.

An assistant professor in the department of pharmacology and therapeutics, Olga Guryanova, M.D., Ph.D., is the 2023 recipient of the Rising Star Researcher Award in Basic or Translational Sciences. Guryanova is distinguished for her team’s work in developing therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance to existing anti-cancer therapies for acute myeloid leukemia. She is also a renowned expert in genetic animal models of AML and her models have been distributed nationally and internationally to the benefit of the field.

Coralie de Hemptinne, Ph.D.

An assistant professor in the department of neurology, Coralie de Hemptinne, Ph.D., is the 2023 recipient of the Rising Star Research Award in Clinical, Data, or Artificial Intelligence Sciences. With her team at the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute at UF, de Hemptinne is working with AI to maximize the efficiency and minimize side effects of deep brain stimulation therapy in movement disorders. Her technology, which received UF Innovate’s 2022 Invention of the Year award, predicts the best implant setting for each individual patient and allows patients and physicians to make real-time adjustments to the implants for the greatest benefit.

Barry Setlow, Ph.D.

Barry Setlow, Ph.D., a professor in the department of psychiatry, is the 2023 recipient of the Dr. Mavis Agbandje-McKenna Distinguished Research Mentoring Award. Over his three decades in the field, Setlow has helped generations of students and trainees find their passions in scientific research and pursue success however they define it. With an open-door policy and familial lab environment, Setlow has fostered a love and excitement for research in his mentees while modeling how to give back and mentor others as they leave his lab and launch their careers. In addition to his renowned mentorship, Setlow is also an expert investigator of the interactions between cognition, motivation and addiction.