Research Faculty

Camillo Ricordi, M.D.

Professor of Surgery and Medicine, Cellular Transplantation

Biography: Camillo Ricordi, M.D. is Professor of Surgery, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami (UM), Florida, where he serves as Chief of the Division of Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Director of the Cell Transplant Center and Director Emeritus of the Diabetes Research...
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Norma Sue Kenyon, Ph.D.

Vice Provost for Innovation, University of Miami and Chief Innovation Officer, Miller School of Medicine, Cellular Transplantation
Publications
Biography: Norma Sue Kenyon, Ph.D. is The Martin Kleiman Professor of Surgery, Microbiology & Immunology, Biomedical Engineering and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami. Dr. Kenyon and her research team have focused on ways to transplant insulin producing cells, in both clinically relevant islet transplant models and in...
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Midhat H. Abdulreda, M.S, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Surgery, Cellular Transplantation
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Midhat H. Abdulreda, MS, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Surgery, Microbiology and Immunology, and Ophthalmology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. His lab is located at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and his research focuses on the immunobiology of diabetes and islet transplantation. He has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)...
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Juan Dominguez-Bendala, Ph.D.

Research Professor of Surgery, Cellular Transplantation
Publications
Biography: Dr. Domínguez-Bendala obtained his undergraduate degree (BSc) in Biological Sciences at the University of Seville (Spain) in 1993. After his graduation, he served as an officer (second lieutenant) in the Spanish Air Force, in the context of a special military service program for outstanding college students. He got an MSc degree from University College London (UCL)...
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Chris Fraker, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor of Surgery, Cellular Transplantation

Biography: Dr. Fraker began his career in diabetes research building fully implantable glucose sensors. In 1997, he moved to South Florida with the goal of working in cure-based research at the Diabetes Research Institute and under the mentorship of Drs. Camillo Ricordi and the late Marcos Mares-Guia. While at the DRI, Dr. Fraker was encouraged and aided in pursuing graduate degrees...
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Per-Olof Y. Berggren, Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor of Surgery, Cellular Transplantation
Publications
Biography: Dr. Berggren is also Visiting Professor in the Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea; Visiting Professor at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine/Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Senior Research Investigator in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Imperial College, London,...
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Medhi Wangpaichitr, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery

Biography: Dr. Wangpaichitr’s area of expertise is focused on tumor metabolism and mechanisms of drug resistance, as well as the development of new tumor models for clinical use. He is currently an Associate Professor of Research at the University of Miami, Department of Surgery/Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He also holds a full time appointment in the Research Service at the...
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Sabita Roy, Ph.D.

Professor of Surgery, Oncology Molecular Therapeutics (OMT)
Publications
Biography: Sabita Roy is a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Surgery, at the University of Miami. She received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Kansas and pursued postdoctoral training in Pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco. After completion of her post-doctoral training, she was recruited as an Assistant Professor and rose...
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Rajinder Dawra, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor
Publications
Biography: Perturbations in molecular homeostasis form the basis of many human diseases. Understanding the mechanism can provide novel targets for intervention. It is difficult to obtain diseased human pancreatic tissue for laboratory investigations. Therefore, development of experimental models of the disease is important. Using these experimental models including those developed...
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Shamsudheen Moidunny, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor
Publications
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Sundaram Ramakrishnan, Ph.D.

Professor, Oncology Molecular Therapeutics (OMT)
Publications
Biography: Dr. Ramakrishnan (Ramki) received his Ph.D. from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. He received his post-doctoral training in Immunotoxins at the University of Kansas and subsequently moved to Cetus, a biotechnology company in the Bay area of California. He then joined the faculty of the Duke University Medical Center. After three years, moved...
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Nipun Merchant, M.D.

Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology, Surgical Oncology
Clinical Profile
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Karoline J. Briegel, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor, Surgical Oncology
Publications
Biography: 1995 Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics, University Vienna and Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna, Austria
1995-2000 Postdoctoral Studies in Developmental Genetics, Skirball Institute, New York University Medical Center
2001-2002 Instructor, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Texas at Austin
2004 - 2012 Assistant...
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Anthony Capobianco, Ph.D.

Professor of Surgery, Surgical Oncology

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Ravindran Caspa Gokulan, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology
Publications
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Rumela Chakrabarti, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Rumela Chakrabarti joined the Department of Surgery in the Miller School of Medicine in January 2022 as an associate professor. She is a full member of the Tumor biology program in Sylvester Cancer Center and is also a co-director of Surgical Breast cancer research group. Before this position, she was an Assistant Professor in University of Pennsylvania for 6 years...
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Zheng Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology
Publications
Biography: I am currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Miami, with a long-term research goal focused on understanding the tumorigenesis of human esophageal and gastric cancers. My aim is to develop translational approaches that enhance diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic options for these life-threatening diseases. The proposed research, a groundbreaking discovery...
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Jashodeep Datta, M.D.

Associate Professor of Surgery, Surgical Oncology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Datta is the DiMare Family Endowed Chair in Immunotherapy, Associate Professor of Surgery, and a hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgical oncologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is also the Associate Director of Translational Research at the Sylvester Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute, and a surgeon-scientist...
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Wael El-Rifai, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Surgical Oncology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Wael El-Rifai is a Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, as well as the Associate Director of Basic Science and Co-Leader of the Tumor Biology Program. Dr. El-Rifai holds the John and Judy Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. Dr. El-Rifai has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles...
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Dunfa Peng, M.D., Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology
Publications
Biography: Born in China and got my MD degree from Wannan Medical College in 1987, my MS degree from Zhejiang University in 1992 and my Ph.D. degree from Shiga University of Medical Science Japan in 2003. I practiced two years as a surgeon and many years as a pathologist in China.

I have been involved in the research on the tumors of gastrointestinal tract and...
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Nagaraj Nagathihalli, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Surgery, Surgical Oncology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Nagaraj Nagathihalli, Ph.D., is a cancer biologist at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, an Associate Professor (Tenure Track) in the Department of Surgery, graduate faculty in the Cancer Biology Program, and a faculty member in the Surgical Oncology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. He is also the Assistant Director of Basic Science Research at...
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Alexander Zaika, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Surgery, Surgical Oncology

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Jose Estrada, M.D.

Research Assoc. Professor

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Jeffrey Gaynor, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor of Surgery, Transplant Surgery

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Sergio Santiago, M.D.

Research Assistant Professor

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Alfred J. Tector, M.D.

Professor of Clinical, Transplant Surgery

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Patricia M. Byers, M.D.

Professor of Surgery, Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care
Clinical Profile
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Kenneth G. Proctor, Ph.D.

Professor of Surgery, Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care
Publications
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Carl Schulman, M.D., Ph.D., M.S.P.H.

Professor of Clinical Surgery, Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care
Clinical Profile
Biography: Carl Schulman, MD, PhD, MSPH, earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine in 1995. He completed his training in general surgery and received additional training in trauma and surgical critical care at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. Certified by the American Board of Surgery in general surgery and surgical...
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Jorge Rey, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Clinical Profile
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Zhao-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Surgery, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Liu is Professor and Director of Vascular Research Laboratory at Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Director of Vascular Biology Institute. He obtained his PhD. from Osaka University, Japan. His research interests span both vascular biology and cancer biology. His interest in the field of vascular biology...
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Laisel Martinez, Pharm.D., M.S.

Research Assistant Professor, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Laisel Martinez was born in Cuba and immigrated to the United States at the age of 17. She pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, followed by a Master’s in Biology with a track in molecular biology and population genetics at the same institution. Her undergraduate and graduate research focused on genetic...
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Roberta Lassance-Soares, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery

Biography: I have been conducting research since 2002, when during my college period I joined a research lab at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). At that time, I was awarded with a scholarship and actively participated in research projects studying the regulation of collagen expression during lung mechanical stress. After my undergraduate degree, I applied for a Master’s...
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Roberto I. Vazquez-Padron, Ph.D.

Professor of Surgery, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Publications
Biography: I am a Tenured Professor of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Senior Research Scientist at the Miami VA. My research goal is to make a highly significant scientific contribution to the field of vascular biology that will accelerate the discovery of effective therapies to treat and prevent proliferative vascular diseases. Early in my career,...
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Omaida C. Velazquez, M.D., FACS

Professor of Clinical Surgery, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Clinical Profile
Biography: Omaida C. Velazquez, M.D., F.A.C.S., Professor of Surgery, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine; David Kimmelman Endowed Chair in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Miami
Dr. Omaida Velazquez is a nationally and internationally renowned surgeon-scientist, recognized within her field and the broader community of physician scientists,...
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