Rayner partners with center of excellence in vector-borne diseases

In this pre-pandemic file photo, Jonathan Rayner, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the USA College of Medicine, studies vector-borne diseases. 

Jonathan Rayner, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, was highlighted this week for his partnership with the CDC Southeastern Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (SECVBD).

A story about Rayner, who is also the director of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at USA, was published by the Gateway Program at the Southeastern Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. Read the story here: http://cdcsercoevbd-flgateway.org/meet-our-team-jonathan-rayner-phd/

The center, based at the University of Florida, is composed of research- and physician-scientists specializing in the study of vector-borne diseases. Goals for the center include its staff and partners working as a multidisciplinary team in search of new knowledge and strategies on how to recognize, prevent, and control vector-borne diseases in the Southeastern United States.

Vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 700,000 deaths annually. They can be caused by parasites, bacteria or viruses.

The SECVBD consists of dozens of stakeholders throughout the southeastern United States and four universities: Florida International University, the University of Florida, the University of Miami and the University of South Florida. The Southeastern Regional Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases is supported through a cooperative agreement between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the University of Florida.

Before joining USA in 2017, Rayner worked in public and private industry for more than two decades, an experience that allowed him to help create and advance research projects on preclinical drug and vaccine development as well as preclinical efficacy trials. He also has experience in securing research support, garnering more than $600,000 in funding in the last three years since joining the USA College of Medicine.

Chang featured in AAMC News

Michael Chang, M.D., associate vice president of medical affairs at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, was featured in the lead story in the Oct. 1 edition of AAMC News, a weekly newsletter that shares information about North America’s 172 accredited medical schools and 400+ teaching hospitals. Chang also serves as chief medical officer for USA Health.

Founded in 1876, the Association of American Medical Colleges serves and leads the academic medicine community to improve the health of all. Based in Washington, D.C., the AAMC is a not-for-profit association dedicated to transforming health care through medical education, patient care, medical research, and community collaborations.

The AAMC collaborates with its members, including those at the USA College of Medicine, and their community partners to make progress towards health equity, address public health crises, and ensure that all people can get the care they need from a diverse, inclusive, and culturally responsive physician workforce.

The article featuring Chang was about challenges faced by academic medical centers weathering natural disasters such as Hurricane Sally. 

Read more here: https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/hurricanes-wildfires-and-ongoing-pandemic-how-academic-medical-centers-are-coping-competing-crises 

Mark your calendar: Upcoming grand rounds

Mark your calendar for the following grand rounds:

OB-GYN Grand Rounds
"Evaluation of Child Abuse Cases"
Jessica Kirk, M.D., FAAP, Medical Director of the Mobile Child Advocacy Center; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, USA College of Medicine
7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2
Zoom: https://southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuf-Gsrz0oH9PNDQgKTE4Fh6h_j4keBDJL
Contact: Nichelle Bradley at 251-415-1566 or nbradley@health.southalabama.edu

Cardiology Grand Rounds
"The Entrust AF-PCI Trial"
Nikky Bardia, M.D., Resident in Internal Medicine/Cardiology, University Hospital
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2

Heart Center Conference Room, University Hospital
Contact: Angela Hunt at 251-471-7923 or arhunt@health.southalabama.edu

Surgery Grand Rounds
"Aortic Dissections"
Allison Beckett, M.D., Resident in Department of Surgery, University Hospital
7 to 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9
Zoom: https://usahealthsystem.zoom.us/j/94304025968
Contact: Tyronda Rogers at 251-445-8230 or tmrogers@health.southalabama.edu

Alumni Grand Rounds
"Why Diversity Matters in Healthcare"

Franklin Trimm, M.D., Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion and Assistant Vice President for Medical Affairs

6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14
Zoom: https://medicalalumni.southalabama.edu/pages/why-diversity-matters-in-healthcare-
Contact: Ann Eleece Kouns at aekouns@southalabama.edu

Student’s experience as an EMT eventually led to medical school

Second-year medical student Aidan Gilbert, right, is with his wife, Laura Stowe, their daughter, Agnes, and their dog.

A few years ago, during his first shift as an emergency medical technician, Aidan Gilbert had a life-changing experience in a Tuscaloosa emergency department.

“We had a patient who had been beaten and stabbed,” Gilbert recalled. “We were in the trauma bay. My job was to hold his hand and support him. I was talking to him and trying to keep him calm while the physicians and nurses did a quick check for other injuries.”

The new EMT introduced himself and spent the next 20 minutes speaking with the patient, soothing his fears. After he recovered, the only person the patient remembered and thanked by name was Gilbert. Research shows that assigning one healthcare team member to communicate with a trauma patient in the emergency room ultimately improves outcomes. 

Still an undergrad, Gilbert said he was struck by the impact he could have on someone by doing something so simple: “That’s when I thought, ‘Imagine the impact I could have with the skill set as a physician.’ That stuck with me for a really long time.”

Now a second-year medical student at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Gilbert said he’s determined to keep the whole patient in mind on his journey to becoming a physician. “The human aspect of being a doctor and having empathy and sympathy, it’s something that’s really important to me,” he said.

The son of a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Gilbert grew up around the world. His father was stationed in Turkey when his younger sister was diagnosed with cancer. Her diagnosis, he said, during his formative years influenced his ultimate decision to pursue medicine.

After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama, Gilbert received a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Then, he went to work as a biostatistician in the division of hematology and oncology at UAB before eventually deciding to apply for medical school.   

One round of interviews with faculty at USA cemented his decision to attend medical school in Mobile. “It was like catching up with an old friend,” he said. “It was three hours of great conversation. As soon as I finished my interview, I thought, ‘I have to come to this school.’ The people and the opportunities are unparalleled.”

Gilbert said his close proximity to patients is one of the great things about USA’s medical program. From the first year, he said, the teaching physicians worked to get students out in the community to see patients. With more than two years left in medical school, Gilbert said he’s thinking about specializing in cardiac and thoracic surgery or becoming an obstetrician/gynecologist. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic moved medical school classes exclusively online in the spring of 2020, Gilbert said his professors strived to make the experience as good as it could be. The ability to attend school remotely became even more meaningful when Gilbert and his wife, Laura Stowe, welcomed a daughter to their family in June. 

Daniel receives Rising Star Award

Casey L. Daniel, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been selected as one of five recipients of the Young Alumni Rising Star Award from the University of Alabama at Birmingham National Alumni Society. 

Daniel, an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, recently was appointed director of epidemiology and public health at USA.  She also works in the cancer prevention and control program at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute, where she conducts epidemiological research and mentors undergraduates, graduate students and medical students. 

Daniel’s research focuses on the prevention of human papillomavirus-associated cancers, particularly through adolescent HPV vaccination in rural and underserved populations. She also is assessing vaccine attitudes and hesitancy related to COVID-19 as well as long-term health outcomes of patients who have tested positive for the virus. 

The Rising Star Awards honor young UAB alumni who have demonstrated an ability to excel personally and professionally while committing time and energy in service to their alma mater and the local community.

Daniel earned her master’s degree in 2009 and her doctoral degree in 2013, both from the UAB School of Public Health. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cancer prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health before joining USA Health.

She is the current chair of the Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition and lead of the Data Work Group for the Alabama Adolescent Vaccination Task Force.

Med School Café video online: 'Female Urinary Incontinence'

Charles R. Hanes II, M.D., adjunct assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a urogynecologist with USA Health, presented the Med School Café lecture for September.

Hanes discussed the different types of urinary incontinence, which includes stress, urge and mixed incontinence, as well as various treatment options such as surgical repair.

Watch the lecture on YouTube or below.