Martha Campbell-Thompson, D.V.M., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine

For more than three decades, Martha Campbell-Thompson, D.V.M., Ph.D., has examined aspects of pancreatic physiology and pathology, leading to significant outcomes in the study of Type 1 diabetes.

Campbell-Thompson established and directed the Breakthrough T1D, (formerly JDRF) Network for Pancreatic Organ donors with Diabetes, or nPOD, organ procurement and pathology core from 2006-2013, where she continues to serve as the lead pathologist.

Her research has quantified inflammatory cells in islet inflammation in at-risk prediabetic donors and patients with Type 1 diabetes, and she has conducted two clinical trials related to her research examining the relationship between pancreas size and diabetes risk for at-risk patients whose relatives have Type 1 diabetes. In addition to a current clinical trial studying pancreas volume, she is also collaborating with colleagues to develop artificial intelligence methods for whole slide image analysis and pancreas volume determinations from MRI.

Kelly Foote, M.D., Professor, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery

Co-director of the UF Center for Movement Disorders, Kelly D. Foote, M.D., has strong clinical and research interests in the application of computers and technology for neurosurgical problems. His areas of expertise include deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease and other disorders, stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, radiosurgery and brain tumors. His research investigating novel applications of deep brain stimulation, or DBS, is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and his work in the fields of DBS and radiosurgery has been extensively published.

He is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including the Congress of Neurological Surgeons annual resident award and the Charles Chuck Shank Award for Excellence in Neurosurgery at the University of Florida.

Robert McKenna, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Recruited to the UF College of Medicine in 1999, Robert McKenna, Ph.D., and his research lab team studies how the structure of a biological molecule affects its function. His lab has explored this relationship in various proteins, DNA and viruses to produce a structural map of the biological molecule in the context of its function. This helps researchers better understand the mechanisms of how the system works, enabling them to develop strategies to treat diseases attributed to the targeted biological molecules.

McKenna is renowned for his work on adeno-associated virus, or AAV, which is harmless to the human body but considered a safe and effective vector for the delivery of gene therapy for multiple diseases. His lab is currently developing AAV capsids to be more effective gene transfer vectors.

Anthony Yachnis, M.D., Professor, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine

Anthony Yachnis, M.D., is an expert in neuropathology, focusing on the on the diagnosis and understanding of diseases of the brain, nerves, muscles and eye by evaluating molecular data from patient specimens.

For more than three decades, his work has supported patient care and research for colleagues in pathology, neurosurgery, neurology, rheumatology and ophthalmology.

Yachnis credits the rich patient care environment at the UF College of Medicine for allowing him to pursue meaningful teaching and research with world-class educators and researchers. He has promoted neuropathology education and research with numerous organizations, including the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, the College of American Pathologists, the American Board of Pathology and the American Association of Neuropathologists — of which he was a past president.

Yachnis is also proud of having the privilege of teaching the next generation of physicians and the opportunity to train great doctors, many of whom are now leaders in their fields.