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Dmitriy Minond, Ph.D.
Dmitriy Minond, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the College of Pharmacy and a scientist at the Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute of Cancer Research (RGI) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). Minond’s research interests include drug discovery for various diseases.
Minond and his associates are currently conducting research into melanoma and developing a more effective therapy against this cancer.
Jose Lopez, Ph.D.
Jose Lopez, Ph.D. is a professor in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences at NSU. His research focuses on application of the latest technologies for DNA sequence analysis of microorganisms and marine invertebrates. One of the primary objectives of his research is characterization and understanding of genetic diversity and how it contributes to the understanding of genetic and evolutionary relationships between various species.
Jean Latimer, Ph.D.
Jean Latimer, Ph.D. is a cancer research scientist and an Associate Professor at NSU’s College of Pharmacy. Latimer also serves as the Director of NSU AutoNation Institute for Breast Cancer Research and Care.
Latimer's research has resulted in over 30 publications and two patents.
Currently she leads a team of researchers at NSU focused primarily on studying DNA damage in human breast tissue due to environmental causes. Some major areas of her lab’s research interest include DNA Repair, stem cells, breast cancer etiology, environmental causes of cancer, genomic instability, and mutation in breast tissue.
Farzanna Haffizulla, M.D.
Farzanna Haffizulla, M.D., MACP, FMWA is the Chair of internal medicine at NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. As a board-certified Internist, Dr. Haffizulla runs her own concierge, internal medicine hybrid private practice, which she founded in 2008.
Her current study, titled “Caribbean Diaspora Healthy Nutrition Outreach Project (CDHNOP),” is aimed at improving health and nutrition among Caribbean immigrants. The purpose of the CDHNOP study is to quantify “social determinants of health” relevant to the Caribbean population of Broward County, which would help identify the social and/or economic conditions that impact people’s health. This will build the foundation for developing culturally appropriate materials to distribute health information regarding proper nutrition among this demographic group.
Appu Rathinavelu, Ph.D.
Appu Rathinavelu, Ph.D., Executive Director, Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research (RGI) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has dedicated his research to the pursuit of developing a better understanding of solid tumors, identifying novel therapeutic targets, and finding effective cures. Rathinavelu joined NSU in 1992 and in addition to leading RGI, he also holds the position of Associate Dean for Institutional Planning and Faculty Development in the NSU College of Pharmacy.
Rathinavelu's research focuses on key therapeutic pathways for cancer, including eliminating or inhibiting solid tumors by cutting off the blood supply needed for tumor survival.
Travis Craddock, Ph.D.
Travis Craddock, Ph.D., is the Director of the Clinical Systems Biology Group at Nova Southeastern University’s Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine. He currently works in the drug development process as it is influenced by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Craddock and other members of his lab work to identify ideal drug candidates and understand potential interactions of therapeutic molecules with biological entities other than the intended target in the body. These considerations are essential for developing efficient and safe therapeutic intervention strategies for various diseases. Identifying appropriate targets is especially challenging in the case of complex diseases, which cannot be attributed to a single underlying cause and where the traditional concept of “one disease, one drug” does not apply. These complex diseases result from a combination of environmental, genetic, and lifestyle factors. Owing to this complex etiology, diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is even more difficult.
Using AI and Machine Learning to Identify Drug Target Candidates
Mark Cayabyab, Ph.D.
Mark Cayabyab, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Director of Virology and Mucosal Immunology at the College of Dental Medicine at Nova Southeastern University. Before joining NSU in 2020, Cayabyab was an Associate Research Investigator at The Forsyth Institute.
Cayabyab’s research is focused on developing innovative vaccine strategies and therapies against HIV, COVID-19, and other infectious diseases. His research on infectious diseases has resulted in publications in peer-reviewed journals and multiple patents. Currently Cayabyab’s lab at NSU is focused on exploring novel vaccines and potential therapies to treat HIV and COVID-19 infection.
Cristina Godoy, D.D.S.
Cristina Godoy, D.D.S., M.P.H., CCRP is an associate professor in the Public Health Department at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Director for Clinical Research and Predoctoral Research at the College of Dental Medicine. Godoy joined NSU in 2004 and has been conducting clinical trials in dental medicine.
Abigail Renegar, Ph.D.
Abigail Renegar, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. She joined NSU in 2015 as a Research Scientist in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences. Currently, she serves as the Director of the Coral Histology Laboratory, the Marine Toxicology Laboratory, and the Onshore Coral Nursery/SEACOR Coral System located at the NSU Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center. Her research is primarily focused on the acute and chronic impacts of land-based sources of pollution and climate change on coral reefs.
Robert Smith, Ph.D.
Robert Smith, Ph.D., is a research scientist and an Associate Professor at NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine. Smith also serves as the Chair of the Faculty Research Advisory Council and is a member of the Provost Research and Scholarship Award Committee. Currently at NSU’s Dr. Kiran C Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, his lab is focused on understanding how bacteria work together to regulate bacterial pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance.
Lisa Robison, Ph.D.
Lisa S. Robison, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Nova Southeastern University. She joined the faculty at NSU in 2021.
Research in Robison’s lab at NSU is primarily focused on understanding and developing therapies for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Her lab is interested in determining whether lifestyle factors influencing these disorders can be modified to prevent, delay, or treat these neurological ailments.
Maiko Suzuki, D.D.S., Ph.D.
Maiko Suzuki, D.D.S., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oral Science and Translational Research
at the College of Dental Medicine. Suzuki’s overarching objective in the dental-oral-craniofacial
field is to identify environmental factors related to craniofacial pathophysiology
and develop novel preventive and therapeutic strategies for environmental factor-associated
oral diseases.
Raymond Ownby, M.D., Ph.D., MBA
Raymond Ownby, MD, PhD, MBA, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine within
the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he is also a Professor
in the Public Health and Medical Informatics Programs.
His recent research includes two projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These included the development of a mobile app targeting older individuals with low health literacy and was designed to help them improve their ability to manage chronic health conditions. The other project investigated whether the use of neuromodulation in combination with computer-based cognitive training can improve cognitive problems in persons 50 years of age and older with HIV infection.
Digital Therapeutics to Address Social Determinants of Health and Issues of Health Equity and Access
Bahaudin Mujtaba, M.S.-Law, MBA, DBA, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP
Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, MS-LAW, MBA, DBA, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, is a professor of Management, International Management and Human Resources at NSU’s
H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Mujtaba’s research interests
include leadership, management communication, human resources management, management
development, leadership, and cross-cultural development.
Joana Figueiredo, Ph.D.
Joana Figueiredo, Ph.D., joined Nova Southeastern University in 2014 as an Assistant Professor and is currently
an Associate Professor in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the
Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. She also serves as the Executive
Director of the National Coral Research Institute (NCRI) https://hcas.nova.edu/research/ncri.html.
Her research at NSU focuses on understanding environmental factors that adversely influence coral populations and developing management strategies to improve this recovery rates.