Key Individuals
Dr. Ahmed El-Ghannam
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Ahmed El-Ghannam, PhD
Dr. Ahmed El-Ghannam holds a BSc in Chemistry, MSc in Glass Science and Technology, MSand Ph.D. in Bioengineering from University of Pennsylvania. He has 30 years of experience in Material Science and bioceramic engineering. He has six US patents and is the associateeditor for the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Dr. El-Ghannam’s lab focuses on the development of bioceramics for multifaceted applications in drug delivery to treat cancer and infection, augment soft tissue and reconstruct bone. Dr. El-Ghannam’s team includes clinicians and a molecular biologist and is widely published.
Vernon K. Sondak, MD
LEE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER
AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Vernon K. Sondak, MD
Dr. Sondak is a surgical oncologist and Chair of the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. He holds the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cutaneous Oncology there, and is also a Professor in the Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Surgery at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. Since 2004, when he came to Tampa, the Cutaneous Oncology Clinic at Moffitt has grown into one of the largest multidisciplinary treatment centers for melanoma and other skin cancers in the world, now seeing well over 2000 new patients each year.
Dr. Sondak serves as Principal Investigator of the Moffitt Skin SPORE, a major NCI-funded “team science” grant conducting translational research in melanoma and other cutaneous malignancies. His medical research interests include surgical treatment of melanoma in adults and children; surgical treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma and other rare cutaneous tumors, and evaluation of new therapies for patients with localized or disseminated melanoma. Dr. Sondak has been a leader in studies of surgical treatment of melanoma and other cutaneous malignancies, particularly in the application of sentinel lymph node biopsy and lymph node dissection to the staging and treatment of melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma, and has been instrumental in training many surgical oncologists over the years. The son of a pioneer in computer science education, Dr. Sondak has been a lifelong advocate for the use of computers and computer-assisted decision-making in medical care. He is the author or editor of two books on computers, including “Computers in Medicine” – a compilation of the state-of-the-art literature on medical computing published in 1979 while he was a medical student at Boston University School of Medicine.
In addition, he is author or coauthor of over 420 medical articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, as well as 6 books (5 on cancer and one on the ships of the Great Lakes) and 82 medical textbook chapters. Dr. Sondak did his surgical training at the University of California Los Angeles.
Prior to joining Moffitt in 2004, Dr. Sondak was a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Sondak has received numerous awards, including the Golden Scalpel Award (Outstanding Chief Resident) from the UCLA Division of General Surgery, a Distinguished Alumnus Award from Boston University School of Medicine, the William W. Coon Award for Outstanding Faculty Teaching from the University of Michigan Section of General Surgery, and the Rays of Hope Leadership Award from the Shade Foundation of America, devoted to skin cancer education and prevention for children. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Counselors for Clinical Sciences and Epidemiology, the group responsible for peer review and oversight of the NCI’s intramural research program.
Ali Fatemi, Ph.D. MCCPM
SpinTecx.LLC
Ali Fatemi, PhD
Dr. Ali Fatemi, is a clinical faculty medical physicist who joined the University Medical Center faculty as an assistant professor of radiology. After receiving his BS in science/biology from Tehran University, Iran, in 1998, and his BS in medical physics and applied radiation sciences from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, in 2006, Fatemi earned his Ph.D. in MRI physics at McMaster University in 2010. He had residency training in radiation oncology physics at Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, from 2010-13. Fatemi joined the staff of the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dr. Bliss Murphy Cancer Center, St. John's, Newfoundland, in 2013 as a clinical medical physicist and an assistant professor of radiation oncology. The following year, he moved to the Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Science, ON, Toronto, as a clinical faculty medical physicist and affiliated scientist. Dr. Fatemi is the author or coauthor of seven articles in peer-reviewed professional publications, one book chapter and 16 conference proceedings. Dr. Fatemi has given numerous presentations at scientific meetings and conferences internationally. His research interests include MRI-guided radiation therapy (MRIgRT), MRI microstructural imaging (SWI, QSM, DWI, DTI and STI), MRI neuroimaging, MRI cardiac imaging and automated quality assurance (aQA).
Laura Cavallone, MD
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
MEDICAL CENTER
Laura Cavallone, MD
Dr. Laura Cavallone is an Associate Professor and the Vice Chair for Research of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she has been on Faculty since October 2019. Dr. Cavallone initiated and advanced her career as a translational clinical researcher at Washington University in St. Louis where she was invited in 2004 as visiting professor after graduating from Medical School and specializing in Anesthesiology from the University of Milan, and working in Milan for the first few years of her career. During her career as a researcher she has been actively involved in several basic science and translational investigations, mainly focusing on mechanisms of central sensitization and brain plasticity. From 2004 until 2019 she worked in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Center of Washington University under the mentorship of and in collaboration with Dr. Robert W. Gereau, PhD. Her main focus has been on central nervous system plasticity in response to pain, and on human experimental pain models that may be suitable to study the clinical development of novel analgesics. As part of one of her projects, she was PI and sponsor of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the FDA to study the pharmacokinetic properties of the mGlu5 negative allosteric modulator fenobam and its effects on experimental pain.
Dr. Kenneth Butler
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
MEDICAL CENTER
Dr. Kenneth Butler
Dr. Kenneth Butler is a professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and laboratory director at the Gertrude C. Ford Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Research Center. He has been involved in biomaterials research for over 20 years and has primarily focused on the biocompatibility of ceramics materials by evaluating the tissue-implant response. Dr. Butler has served as research mentor to 30 residents and graduate students, post-docs, and junior faculty in the medical, graduate, and pharmacy schools. He has been an active member of both intramural and extramural grant review teams for both national and international organizations. Dr. Butler has served as a board member and officer in the Mississippi Academy of Sciences and the Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium. In 2014, he was elected a fellow of the AHA in the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. He has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and published more than 110 abstracts. His research interests include the evaluation of the tissue-implant response, biocompatibility of implantable materials, and development of machine learning protocols that may be useful in the prediction of material biocompatibility.
Rob Streeter
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
Rob Streeter, Ph.D. Candidate
Rob Streeter received B.S. degrees in Electrical as well as Computer Engineering from the University of Wyoming in 2011, and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the same school in 2013. He has worked on UAS decision-making algorithms and test protocols for the U.S. Air Force Academy as a Research Engineer; LMR and IP system design, deployment, and maintenance for public and private entities with Ryan Electronics, Inc.; and in 2017/18 was a winter-over Research Associate at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (under employment by Leidos for the Antarctic Support Contract, which is operated by the NSF). Rob started his PhD studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2019 and is focusing on the development of a passive, non-invasive internal temperature sensor leveraging a near-field surface probe and attached radiometer to determine tissue temperature based on measured thermal noise.
Dr. Michelle Tucci
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
MEDICAL CENTER
Dr. Michelle Tucci
Dr. Michelle Tucci, Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Tucci has been involved in a leadership role for various state, national and international organizations. After completing her undergraduate training at Seton Hill University, in Pennsylvania she completed a Master’s degree in Biology at the University of Dayton in Ohio. Following her move to Mississippi, she completed her PhD in pharmacology and toxicology in 2000. Aside from her work supervising and overseeing resident’s basic science research in orthopedic surgery for several years. She has served on over 60 doctoral dissertation committees, has published over 300 full journal publications (several in prestigious journals such as J. of Investigative Surgery, J. of Clin Investigation, Analytical Biochemistry, J. of Immunology, Infection & Immunity, Cancer Investigation, Microsurgery, Alcohol, Critical Reviews in Biomed Eng, J. of Gerontology, Pediatric Research, Annals of Pharmacotherapy, J. of Spinal Disorders and Techniques, J. Oral Pathol Med, to name a few), and published over 400 abstracts at state, regional, national and international meetings (Italy, France, Spain, Canada, Poland, and China). Her leadership role in various societies includes Director and program chair at the Rocky Mountain Biomedical Engineering Society; Program Chair at the Academy of Surgical Research, Program and conference organizer at the Southern Biomedical Engineering meetings, she served/serving on editorial boards in several journals as well as member of various NIH special review panels. She is serving as Chief Editor of Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation and Chief Editor for Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. Previously, she has been recognized for her work and service by the Academy of Surgical Research, the Mississippi Academy of Sciences Outstanding Contribution to Science, Peeler Dudley Outstanding Service Award, and Douglas Walker Award and recently was inducted as fellow in American Institute of the Biomedical and Biological Engineering.
Dr. Ibrahim Farah
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Ibrahim Farah
Dr. Ibrahim O. Farah is Professor of Biology, Director of the graduate program in Biology and Director of the JSU Animal Core Facilities, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Jackson State University. Dr. Farah graduated with a DVM (1977) and MVSc (1983) from the University of Khartoum in Sudan. He also earned an MS degree in Public health (1981) from the Royal University of Denmark and an MPH (1985) as well as a Ph.D. (1988) from the University of Minnesota, USA.
Dr. Farah is an academic editor, reviewer or member of the editorial board for more than 16 peer-reviewed journals including Annual Review and Research in Biology and advances in Biology and Biotechnology (Academic Editor), the International Journal of Experimental Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation (board member), the British and Saudi Medical journals as well as panel review member for proposals submitted to DOD, DOE, EPA and the American Biological Institute (ABI). He has received many awards and honors and is past President of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. Dr. Farah authored and co-authored more than 260 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and presentations as well as published abstracts in various journals, meetings, conferences and symposia.
Research Interests: Core interests include: Bioactive Compounds; Medical Microbiology; Food Microbiology; Environmental Microbiology, Health and Food Safety, Molecular and Cellular Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences and biotechnology Fermentation Technology and Animal Research. The current primary research focus has been to understand/exploit the metabolic differences between cancer and normal phenotypes in many organ-associated cancers including those of the lungs, breast, liver and the prostate. These include: (1) Implementing metabolic modulations of cellular homeostatic/energetic deregulation. (2) Understanding the differential metabolic/energetic deregulation mechanisms involved in the development of obesity as a chronic entity as well as in its relation to cancer phenotypes and (3) The experimental modulation and utility of natural biotherapeutics
Dr. Kenneth Butler
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
MEDICAL CENTER
Dr. Kenneth Butler
Dr. Kenneth Butler is a professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and laboratory director at the Gertrude C. Ford Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Research Center. He has been involved in biomaterials research for over 20 years and has primarily focused on the biocompatibility of ceramics materials by evaluating the tissue-implant response. Dr. Butler has served as research mentor to 30 residents and graduate students, post-docs, and junior faculty in the medical, graduate, and pharmacy schools. He has been an active member of both intramural and extramural grant review teams for both national and international organizations. Dr. Butler has served as a board member and officer in the Mississippi Academy of Sciences and the Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium. In 2014, he was elected a fellow of the AHA in the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. He has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and published more than 110 abstracts. His research interests include the evaluation of the tissue-implant response, biocompatibility of implantable materials, and development of machine learning protocols that may be useful in the prediction of material biocompatibility.
Dr. Hamed Benghuzzi
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
MEDICAL CENTER
Dr. Hamed Benghuzzi
Dr. Ham Benghuzzi is known nationally and internationally as a pioneer in Ceramic Drug Delivery Systems. He has over 280 PubMed indexed articles and over 700 abstracts detailing the release characteristics of various biologicals from the bioceramic carriers. He has trained more than 40 PhD students who are actively involved in academic careers. He has mentored students at all levels (from high school, undergrad, grad, post doc and faculty). He has served as a mentor for residents and faculty on more than 10 funded grants. He has been in research leadership roles in many organizations such President of the Academy of Surgical Research, President of Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium, President of MAS, Academy’s Executive Director, and also organized and chaired several regional, national and international society programs. He has also served on numerous NIH special emphasis panels including R-25, K01, KO8, T-35, and the P-60 center grants. In addition, he has received numerous awards from various organizations during his career. A few of his awards included: (1) The Presidential Award from the RMBS, (2) Presidential Award from SEM International, (3) the Endocrine’s Society Outstanding Investigator Award, (4) MAS Contribution to Science Award, (5) The MAS Dudley Peeler Award, and (6) HEADWAE Award, (7) C. Hall Award, Outstanding Contribution to Biomedical Engineering (32nd SBEC), and (8) ISCM Excellence Award from the International Society for Ceramics in Medicine. He was invited as a keynote/plenary to speak at state, national and international levels including recent invitations in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, China, Japan, Poland, Dubai and Canada. He is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) as well as an International Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE).
Dr. Joseph A. Cameron
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Joseph A. Cameron
Dr. Cameron is an Adjunct Professor and Co-Director of the Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program at Jackson State University. He is also a Board Member of the Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium (RMBS) and the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS). He has acquired and directed or co-directed funded intra and inter-institutional biomedical research and training grants from the NIH (NIGMS, NHLBI, NIMHD), NSF and the U. S. ARMY that resulted in the mentoring and training of hundreds of students, particularly minority, at the pre-college, bachelors, masters and doctoral levels. He served for many years in faculty and/or administrative roles at Grambling State University, Jackson State University and Michigan State University. Dr. Cameron has also been active in extracurricular activities including serving as President of the Mississippi Academy of Science, founding member and Director of Community Mobilization for the NIH funded Jackson Heart Study, Chair and/or member of NIH review panels for various grants including K01, K08, R-25, T-25, and others, He has served as an active member of several research societies such as the Endocrine Society and the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine. He has received many awards and recognition for his achievements, including the Sigma Xi award for "Meritorious Research", Outstanding Contributions to the MAS and inclusion in "Personalities of the South", and "Who's Who Among Black Americans". In addition, he has published extensively and presented research findings nationally and internationally.
Dr. Elena Oggero
VESTIBULAR TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Elena Oggero, Ph.D.
An Italian engineer who, after graduating from the Politecnico di Torino (Italy), got her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University. She is now manager of Vestibular Technologies, LLC (Cheyenne WY), a leading manufacturer of CAPS® computerized dynamic posturography systems. Previously, she worked for fourteen years as vice-president for research and development as well as quality control manager for the same company.
She is also Adjunct Professor at the University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY), and Professor of Biomechanical Engineering at the Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies (Cape Canaveral, FL), Member of the Board of Examiners of the American Board of Vestibular Rehabilitation – American College of Functional Neurology (Cocoa, FL), and co-chair of the Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium (RMBS - the oldest continuously rum biomedical engineering meeting in the world) Contest.
Winner of several awards, including the University of Wyoming Women of Distinction Award (2012), the President's Award for significant contributions to the RMBS (2009) and three RMBS - K.C. Rock Student Contest awards (1998, 1999, and 2000), her main interests are Functional Neurology (with special emphasis on the consequences of injuries/neurological deficits on brain function), Biomechanics (human locomotion and postural control), Mechanical Engineering (sensors and transducers design, car safety and crashworthiness, quality system control), and Computer Science (software documentation, medical user oriented software interface design, mathematical modeling of biological systems).
She has written several book chapters and published more than 50 papers on these topics. She is a reviewer for “Gait and Posture”, an associated editor for“Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation”, and holds the title to 4 US patents.
Dr. Guido Pagnacco
VESTIBULAR TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Guido Pagnacco, Ph.D.
An Italian engineer who graduated summa cum laude from the Politecnico di Torino (Italy) with a combined BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering and obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University while being the Technical director of the Human Performance Laboratory, division of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Medical Professions - The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
He is now a partner in Vestibular Technologies (Cheyenne, WY), a leading manufacturer of CAPS® computerized dynamic posturography systems. He is also Adjunct Professor at the University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY), Professor of Biomechanical Engineering at the Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies (Cape Canaveral, FL), Member of the Board of Examiners of the American Board of Vestibular Rehabilitation – American College of Functional Neurology (Cocoa, FL), and co-chair of the Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium (the oldest continuously rum biomedical engineering meeting in the world) Contest.
Winner of several awards, including the President's Award for significant contributions to the RMBS (2009) and three RMBS - K.C. Rock Student Contest awards (1998, 1999, and 2000), has been been Visiting Scholar at the Università degli Studi di Udine, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Architettura (Udine, Italy) as part of their “Visiting Scholars” program. His main interests include Biomechanics (human locomotion and postural control), Neuro-Physiology (neuromuscular control and brain function), Computer Science (software design and engineering, data acquisition, signal analysis, numerical methods, mathematical modeling of biological systems), and Mechanical Engineering (sensors and transducers design, car safety and crashworthiness).
He is a reviewer for major scientific journals including “Journal of Vestibular Research”, “ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control”, “Neuroscience Letters”, “Gait and Posture” (2015 outstanding reviewer), “Journal of Biomechanics” (2017 outstanding reviewer; 2014 recognized reviewer), “IEEE Sensors Journal”, "Biomedical Signal Processing and Control" (2016 and 2017 outstanding reviewer), “Medical Engineering & Physics” (2018 outstanding reviewer; 2017 recognized reviewer), an associated editor for “Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation”, and has authored several book chapters and more than 50 papers on these topics. He also holds the title to 4 US patents.
