Two UF Medicine faculty inducted into 2025 Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida

Drs. Azra Bihorac and Barry Byrne recognized as pioneers of AI tools and gene therapy treatments

By Emily Mavrakis

Sept. 25, 2025 — Two University of Florida College of Medicine faculty members are included among the 2025 inductees of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida.

The pair join six additional UF faculty and 25 faculty from other institutions recognized by the organization for their contributions to science, technology and engineering.

“We’re so proud to see our colleagues recognized by the academy,” said College of Medicine interim Dean Jennifer Hunt, M.D., M.Ed. “Their groundbreaking work shows the kind of innovation that truly changes lives. This honor reflects not only their accomplishments but also the incredible impact our faculty are making in science and medicine in Florida and beyond.”

Learn more about the College of Medicine’s two honorees and their work below.

 

Azra Bihorac, M.D., M.S.

Azra Bihorac. Azra Bihorac, M.D., M.S.
Bihorac is the college’s senior associate dean for research, the Glenn Davis Professor of Medicine in the departments of Medicine and Surgery and director of the Intelligent Clinical Care Center, or IC3. The academy recognized Bihorac for pioneering the use of artificial intelligence in clinical applications and for transforming clinical guidelines for acute kidney injury interventions, enhancing patient outcomes in acute and critical care.

Bihorac’s vision is to develop and implement AI tools for intelligent human-centered health care that delivers optimized care tailored to a patient’s “personal clinical profile” using digital data. Through the IC3 and UF’s world-class AI infrastructure, she is leading efforts to make Florida the nation’s hub for trustworthy, human-centered AI in medicine — building safer hospitals, training the next generation of AI-ready clinicians and setting global standards for responsible AI in health.

 

Barry Byrne, M.D., Ph.D.

Barry Byrne. Barry Byrne, M.D., Ph.D.
Byrne is the associate chair of pediatrics and director of the UF Powell Gene Therapy Center, as well as UF Health Advanced Therapeutics. He has been recognized as a trailblazer for the development of gene therapies to treat debilitating rare diseases.
A clinician-scientist, Byrne has a specific emphasis on developing therapies for inherited muscle disease. His research team has made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of Duchenne and Limb Girdle muscular dystrophy, Friedrich’s ataxia and Pompe disease, a type of muscular dystrophy resulting from abnormal glycogen accumulation in the muscle. His current research has focused on improving the efficacy and safety of gene therapy treatments for inherited myopathies using targeted immunotherapy.

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Azra Bihorac, Barry Byrne

About the Author

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Emily Mavrakis
Senior Writer, UF College of Medicine

Emily Mavrakis is the senior writer for the UF College of Medicine’s communications team, where she strategizes and produces content including written articles, videos and photography to highlight the achievements and initiatives of college faculty, students, staff and alumni. She also serves as the managing editor for the college’s award-winning Florida Physician magazine. Prior to joining the UF Medicine staff in 2021, she served as the business reporter for the Gainesville Sun newspaper and interned as a science writer with the Florida Museum of Natural History. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UF.

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