Speakers

Keynote: Emerging Therapeutics

Jeff Nadler, MD, FACP is the Acting Director of the Therapeutics Research Program in the Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (DAIDS), at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is also currently a Professor of Medicine at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Previously, Dr. Nadler was a Professor of Medicine and Public Health, and Director of Clinical Research in Infectious Diseases at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Dr. Nadler is a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America as well as a member of the HIV Medicine Association. He is a graduate of the New York Medical College and is affiliated with the Internal Medicine Department of the New York Medical College Metropolitan Hospital. With over one hundred publications to date, and having conducted numerous lectures on AIDS and related topics, Dr. Nadler is considered a noted authority in the field of HIV medicine.

Jimmy Baumgartner, Director of research at St. Joseph's Hospital, Tampa.

Jeffrey Beal, MD, AAHIVS, Clinical Director, Florida/Caribbean AIDS Education and Training Center; Medical Director, Bureau of HIV/AIDS of the Florida Department of Health; Associate Professor, University of South Florida; and Medical Director, Ryan White Part C, Hendry/Glades County Health Departments, LaBelle, FL.

Belinda Beauchamp, MD, Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan. Co-investigator of Women-Infant Transmission Study, Natural History Study of Women with HIV Infection and their Offspring, and Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trial Unit (PACTU).

Aimee Bert-Moreno, RD, LD/N, Registered Dietitian, Berkeley HeartLab, a disease management program that focuses on metabolic complications. Prior, she worked in the HIV field with the HUG-Me program, providing Medical Nutrition Therapy. She also served as an AETC faculty member during this time, and helped to assist the American Dietetic Association on its development of nutrition guidelines for their Infectious Disease Dietetic Practice Group. She continues to work with local infectious disease practices by providing nutrition therapy on a consulting basis.

Beata Casanas, DO, Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. She is currently the Executive Medical Director of the Hillsborough County Health Department and responsible for developing clinical protocols, policies, and procedures, and supervision of the tuberculosis, HIV and STD clinics.

Amanda Cotter, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) in the Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami. Dr. Cotter also serves as Director of the Perinatal HIV Service within the OB/GYN Division of Research and Special Projects.

Patricia Emmanuel, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and head of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa. She is the Medical Director for the University of South Florida HIV Program for children and adolescents.

Luis A. Espinoza, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of the HIV/AIDS House Physician Program at the University of Miami School of Medicine; Director of Inpatient Adult HIV Services in the Department of Medicine at the University of Miami.

Thomas E. Freese, PhD, Director of Training for UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP) and the Director of the Pacific Southwest Addictions Technology Transfer Center (PSATTC). He has been a featured presenter at conferences and meetings nationally and internationally on the impact and treatment of methamphetamine. He has chaired two of the NIDA/SAMHSA Blending Teams, developing training products on the use of buprenorphine in treating opioid dependence. He has served as the Project Director on a number of studies including: research on methamphetamine use, HIV risk in gay/bisexual men, and smoking cessation interventions. Dr. Freese has worked in the substance abuse field since 1983. He has developed and conducted trainings and workshops in 40 states and internationally for clinicians-in-training at all levels.

Larry Friedman, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of the HIV/AIDS House Physician Program; Director of Inpatient Adult HIV Services in the Department of Medicine; Director of the Division of Adolescent Medicine, and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine.

Ana Garcia, MSW, LCSW, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology since 1986. She is the Pediatric Coordinator of the Ryan White Title IV Project at the Miami Family Care Program. Having lectured extensively and contributed to the literature on psychosocial issues affecting infants, children, youth, and their families, she will continue to focus her immediate goals on psychosocial/adolescent research, the transition of 200 perinatally infected youth into adulthood, and further program development.

Aditya Gaur, MD, Associate Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Translational Trials Unit at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Areas of interest include diagnosis and treatment of infections in immunocompromised children, pediatric HIV infection, and epidemiology of infectious diseases.

Maribel Gonzalez, MS, ARNP, FNP-C, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Practitioner at the Hendry County Health Department in LaBelle, FL. She has been providing primary and specialty care to HIV/AIDS patients in a rural setting for the past three years. During this time she has participated as Co-Investigator in the first clinical trials at the Hendry County Health Department, LaBelle, FL.

Ángel R. Guerra-Torres, MD, Private-practice psychiatrist in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico and clinician at the Migrant Health Center. He has been a speaker for the HIV Treaters Medical Association with topics related to psychiatric complications of HIV-infection including treatment with buprenorphine in this population. He also developed a measurement scale for the assessment of hope and hopelessness in HIV-positive women. He is certified in Buprenorphine Treatment / Opioid Dependence Treatment.

Lois Hall, ARNP, MSN, Florida/Caribbean AETC Clinical Consultant Trainer and Nurse Practitioner at St. Joseph’s Hospital Tampa CARE Clinic.

Jennifer Janelle, MD, Staff Physician, Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville; and Consultant, HIV Clinic Alachua County Health Department.

Dushyantha Jayaweera, MD, FACP, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami.

Michael D. Knox, PhD, Director, Florida/Caribbean AIDS Education and Training Center; Distinguished Professor at The University of South Florida (USF) in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Department of Internal Medicine, and Department of Global Health; Director, USF Center for HIV Education and Research, which he founded in 1988.

Don Kurtyka, ARNP, PhD, Director, HIV Services, Tampa General Hospital; Clinical Assistant Professor, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine; and Nurse Practitioner, Specialty Care Center, Hillsborough County Health Department, Tampa.

Ernesto J. Lamadrid, MD, AAHIVS, Director of HIV/AIDS Services, Alachua County Health Department, Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Nursing, Gainesville.

Michael Lauzardo, M.D., Deputy Tuberculosis Controller for the state of Florida and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville.

Robert M. Lawrence, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville. Dr. Lawrence is a specialist with 20 years of experience in Pediatric HIV, including participation with the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trial Group. He provides direct clinical HIV care for infants, children, adolescents and young adults in Gainesville and the surrounding counties as well as at satellite clinics in Tallahassee, Panama City and Pensacola. He participates in editing the Pediatric Antiretroviral Pocket Card, HIV clinical program evaluations and educational programs concerning primarily, pediatric HIV medical care, Adolescent HIV medical care and preventing HIV Perinatal transmission.

Luis C. Mejia-Rivera, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine in Basic Sciences in the BioChemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of the San Juan Batista School of Medicine, Puerto Rico. Dr Mejia Rivera is a founding member of the Puerto Rico College of Neuropsychopharmacology and received his MD and PhD in Clinical Pharmacology from Antioquia University in Medellin, Colombia.

Iván Meléndez-Rivera, MD, FAAFP, AAHIVS, Assistant Professor, Family Practice Department, Ponce School of Medicine; Family Practice Residency, Dr. Pila Hospital and Saint Luke’s Hospital Internal Medicine Residence Program; Principal Investigator and Medical Director of Centro ARARAT, Inc. a non-profit multidisciplinary HIV organization in Ponce, Puerto Rico; Clinical Consultant of the Ryan White Planning Council; ADAP Advisory Board, Puerto Rico Juvenile Institutions and Resistance Testing Consultation Florida/Caribbean AETC; Vice President, Puerto Rico HIV Treaters Association.

Swati Modi, MD, AAHIVS, Assistant Professor, University of Florida Center for HIV/AIDS Research, Education and Service (UF CARES); Pediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville.

Jose A. Montero, MD, FACP, Associate Professor in Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He treats HIV patients at Tampa General Hospital and the Hillsborough County Health Department.

Robert Norman, DO, Board-certified dermatologist who has been in practice for over 20 years. He is a faculty member of several medical schools and has been honored with numerous service and teaching awards, including being named Physician of the Year for 2005 in Hillsborough County, Tampa, and given the Distinguished Service Award in 2007.

Joanne J. Orrick, PharmD, AAHIVE, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Florida, Gainesville. She is heavily involved in writing and editing AETC resource materials.

Steve Palermo, RN, MBA, CPHQ, Outcomes Manager/Adherence Specialist at Hillsborough County Health Department, Specialty Care Center, Tampa. He is a member of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, the Ryan White Health Services Advisory Committee, and the Florida Association of Healthcare Quality.

Elizabeth Piantadosi, BSM, Clinical Research Nurse and Special Projects Coordinator, University of Florida, Jacksonville, Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease.

Gerald Pierone, Jr, MD, Founder and Executive Director of the AIDS Research and Treatment Center of the Treasure Coast in Fort Pierce, Florida. He is actively involved in clinical research efforts, though he holds a special interest in body shape changes and cardiovascular complications of HIV treatment. He is a Principal Investigator in the FACES trial of Sculptra® (poly-L-lactic acid) for HIV-related facial lipoatrophy. He is also involved in trials of streamlined antiretroviral treatment, such as FOTO (five days on, two days off), and has published a pilot study on the use of Kaletra® (lopinavir/ritonavir) monotherapy in AIDS Clinical Trials.

Mobeen Rathore, MD, Professor and Assistant Chair, Department of Pediatrics, and Chief of Infectious Disease and Immunology, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville.

Carina Rodriguez, MD, FAAP, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Dr Rodriguez is an author of over 20 scientific publications and book chapters. Her research interests include pediatric HIV, infections in patients with primary immunodeficiency and post-transplantation, pneumococcal pathogenesis, and viral and bacterial interactions. She participates in NIH and industry-sponsored HIV clinical trials including the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group and an NIH/NIAID RO1 studied entitled Impact of HIV-1 Genotype on Therapy Response in Children. She is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Disease.

Jorge L. Santana, MD, Principal Investigator/Program Director, AIDS Clinical Trial Unit and Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan.

Diane Straub, MD, MPH, Director, Adolescent Medicine and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of South Florida Department of Pediatrics, Tampa.

Vivian Tamayo-Agrait, MD, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, OB-Gyn Department, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan. She is the Clinical Sub-Director of the Center for Maternal-Infant Studies. She is also Sub-Investigator in multiple HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials and in the Puerto Rico Center for Health Disparities.

Michael Thompson, PharmD, BCNSP, Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs and Professor of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee.

John F. Toney, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Tampa. He is the Director of the Southeast Region STD/HIV Prevention Training Center, one of the CDC National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers, and the Medical Director of the Florida Infectious Diseases Institute, USF College of Medicine. Dr. Toney is Director of Healthcare Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases Clinical Research at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Tampa, and a past President of the Florida Infectious Diseases Society.

Scott Ubillos, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine, where he also completed his residency and fellowship. He is board certified in Internal Medicine as well as Infectious Diseases. He is the Medical Director of the TAMPA Care Clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he actively participates in the care of HIV patients and in research protocols associated with HIV and other infectious diseases.

Ines Velez, DDS, MS, Services Director of Pathology at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale; Associate Professor Department of Diagnostic Sciences; Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Courses Director.

Lynn Rothberg-Wegman, MPA, Project Officer, Florida/Caribbean AIDS Education and Training Center; Deputy Director, Division of Training and Technical Assistance and Chief, HIV Education Branch, HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Rockville.

Ron Wilcox, MD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Section of Infectious Diseases, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, and Medical Director of the Delta AIDS Education Training Center, New Orleans.

Todd S. Wills, MD, Associate Professor, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine, Tampa. He is Assistant Director, Florida STD/HIV Prevention Training Center: CDC National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Centers.

Carmen D. Zorrilla, MD, Professor, School of Medicine, OB-Gyn Department, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan. Principal Investigator, Center for Maternal-Infant Studies; and Woman-Infant HIV Transmission Studies; NIH Office of AIDS Research Prevention Science Working Group Member; US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Office on Women’s Health Research Work Group Member; Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal- Editorial Board Member; and ACTG OB, Subcommittee Member.