Pediatrics faculty members recognized with Top 10 abstract award at conference

Saminathan Anbalagan, MBBS, M.D., presents at the American Academy of Pediatrics conference.

By Casandra Andrews

Original research by Whiddon College of Medicine faculty members Saminathan Anbalagan, MBBS, M.D., and Gangajal Kasniya, MBBS, FAAP, was recently selected as one of the Top 10 Section of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine abstract awards at the 2025 National Conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Denver.  

The abstract, titled "National Survey of Neonatologists on the Use of Postnatal Steroids for the Prevention and Treatment of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)," was chosen from a field of more than 200 submissions. The physicians earned a $1,000 cash prize and Anbalagan presented the research at the conference. 

Both neonatologists serve as assistant professors of pediatrics at the Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama and neonatologists at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, which is home to the region’s only level III neonatal intensive care unit. 

“We are incredibly honored to receive this highly prestigious award from the American Academy of Pediatrics,” said Anbalagan. “It was a great experience to present our findings to so many other neonatologists from across the nation.”   

With 67,000 pediatrician members, the AAP remains committed to the optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Throughout its 95-year history, AAP members have responded to the needs of the times through education, policy, and advocacy.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound curriculum begins at Children's & Women's Hospital

By Casandra Andrews

To better serve the growing healthcare needs of patients and more fully prepare physicians-in-training, faculty members in the Department of Pediatrics at the Whiddon College of Medicine have launched a new Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum for pediatric residents. 

“Currently, fewer than 10% of pediatric residency programs nationwide offer a structured Point-of-Care Ultrasound curriculum, so this will be a significant and impactful addition for our residents,” said USA Health neonatologist Gangajal Kasniya, MBBS, FAAP, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Whiddon College of Medicine. “As healthcare continues to move toward safer, faster, and more efficient models, POCUS empowers providers to make real-time clinical decisions with greater accuracy.”

In May, USA Health physicians and healthcare providers took part in a hands-on POCUS workshop. This summer and fall, USA Health rolled out a longitudinal POCUS curriculum for pediatric residents. Each resident will participate in six hands-on ultrasound sessions during their training — two per year. The program integrates simulation-based education at the SIM Center with bedside training during clinical rotations.  

While some hospital departments, including the Pediatric Emergency Center and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), already have ultrasound machines, additional units are being acquired to further support training. 

Kasniya serves as program director for this initiative, while neonatologist Saminathan Anbalagan, MBBS, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, is assistant program director. Expert instructors from other pediatric subspecialties including radiology, cardiology, emergency medicine, pediatric anesthesia, neonatology, and Whiddon College of Medicine faculty, are also helping residents to learn the skills and build confidence to integrate POCUS into their daily clinical workflows. 

The course covers diverse topics including foundational knowledge and high-yield procedural applications tailored to pediatric practices. The final training session for 2025 is planned for Oct. 24. Other sessions will be held Jan. 23, Feb. 13, and Feb. 20. 

USA faculty awarded NIH grant to advance pulmonary hypertension research

Troy Stevens, Ph.D., is principal investigator of the NIH-funded research project.

By Lindsay Hughes

Researchers at the University of South Alabama have been awarded a four-year, $609,730 Research Project Grant (R01) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance research into pulmonary hypertension.

Troy Stevens, Ph.D., professor and Lenoir Louise Locke Chair of Physiology and Cell Biology at the Whiddon College of Medicine and director of the USA Center for Lung Biology; and Dhananjay T. Tambe, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical, aerospace and biomedical engineering and a member of the Center for Lung Biology, are leading the research. 

Dhananjay T. Tambe, Ph.D., is co-investigator

of the project.

The project, “Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cell Endotypes and the Role of Anoikis Resistance in Pulmonary Hypertension,” is being conducted in collaboration with colleagues at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Together, the teams are exploring a new approach that could help physicians better diagnose, monitor and treat patients with this life-threatening condition.

Pulmonary hypertension, a disease marked by high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, is typically diagnosed through a right heart catheterization. In this procedure, a catheter is advanced through the right ventricle and into the pulmonary artery, allowing physicians to measure blood flow and pressures.

“It turns out,” Stevens explained, “that when you retrieve the catheter, it has cells from the vessel wall on it. These cells can be expanded in a culture dish and their molecular signatures and function assessed.” 

By analyzing these patient-derived cells, researchers hope to gain novel insights into the nature of each patient’s disease, their hemodynamic status, and how they may respond to therapy.

“We are characterizing these cells and assessing just how informative they are in helping us understand the patient's functional status,” Stevens said. “I think it will be very insightful as we move forward.” 

The clinical team at Brown University is directing the patient-focused portion of the study. At USA, Stevens, Tambe, and research technicians Linn Ayers and Lauren Jackson are conducting the cell biology investigations.

The findings from this work could pave the way for improved diagnostic tools and personalized treatments for pulmonary hypertension, offering new hope for patients facing a disease that often carries a poor prognosis.

Stevens earned a Ph.D. in physiology from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. He completed post-doctoral research in respiratory physiology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. He joined the faculty at USA in 1996 and became the founding director of the USA Center for Lung Biology in 2002. 

Tambe earned a Ph.D. at Brown University and completed post-doctoral training at the Harvard School of Public Health. He joined the faculty at USA in 2014. The Stevens and Tambe labs have worked together to study lung endothelial cell function in health and disease for several years. 

Medical student presents research at trauma surgery annual meeting

Medical student Keegan Musaalo presents research on the financial impact of firearm-related injuries.

Keegan Musaalo, a third-year medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine, presented research in September at the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) annual meeting in Boston. 

The presentation, titled “The Financial Impact of Firearm-Related Injuries: A One-Year Single-Institution Cost Analysis,” examined the financial impact of firearm-related injuries on both patients and the hospital system.  

“None of us needs to read any of the current literature to understand that victims of gun violence suffer severe physical, mental and emotional wounds,” Musaalo said. “But I had never considered the financial burden they might bear after being treated for such an injury.” 

Musaalo said individuals most at risk of sustaining firearm-related injuries are often negatively affected by several social determinants of health, including low socioeconomic status. “Likewise, the financial burden of healthcare has an incredible socioeconomic impact, especially on victims who are uninsured, contributing to a vicious cycle,” he said. “I was motivated to work on this project to highlight the reality and unfairness of this cycle and advocate for these patients and for additional support for level 1 trauma centers that also bear significant financial burden in saving lives every day.” 

Musaalo expressed his gratitude to USA Health trauma surgeons Jon Simmons, M.D., and Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., for their mentorship and to presentation co-author Carlysle Salter, a fellow third-year medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine. 

The AAST is the premier academic trauma surgery organization in the United States and has approximately 2,100 members from 130 countries. The group's annual meeting attracts about 750 physicians and scientists whose primary interest lies in the investigation and the treatment of various forms of trauma and the application of surgical critical care. 

USA Research & Technology Showcase set for Oct. 21

The 2025 USA Research & Technology Showcase will be held Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. at the MacQueen Alumni Center, highlighting research and innovation at the University of South Alabama. A reception with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and networking will follow from 5 to 6:30 p.m. 

Robin Hayes, chairman and chief executive officer of Airbus in North America, will serve as the guest speaker.

The program will also recognize four USA faculty members for their outstanding research, with each introduced with a video. Among this year’s honorees are Glen Borchert, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, and Aishwarya Prakash, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, both from the Whiddon College of Medicine.

Attendance is anticipated to range from 80 to 200 guests, including members of the business community, legislative representatives, and USA faculty and staff.

RSVP on the event registration form, or email techshowcase@southalabama.edu.

Medical student presents at national emergency medicine conference

Caroline Molins, M.D., Carlysle Salter, and

Carmen Martinez, M.D.

Carlysle Salter, a third-year medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine, represented the college as a medical student delegate at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Scientific Assembly, held in September in Salt Lake City, Utah.

While at ACEP, Salter presented a medical education research project conducted with faculty mentors from the Department of Emergency Medicine, Caroline Molins, M.D., and Carmen J. Martinez, M.D. Their presentation highlighted an innovative educational intervention designed to teach emergency medicine residents how to perform pericardiocentesis, a life-saving procedure to remove fluid that accumulates in the sac surrounding the heart. The training method integrates spaced repetition, simulation, and a cost-effective, high-fidelity model to strengthen procedural competency.

“We got great feedback on how innovative the pericardiocentesis model we created was, and it was a joy to share it with other residency programs to use in simulation to improve the education of emergency medicine residents,” Salter said.

ACEP is one of the premier gatherings in emergency medicine, offering medical students the opportunity to connect with mentors, network with residency program directors, and explore career pathways within the specialty. For emergency physicians, the conference provides a chance to learn new approaches, envision the future of the field, and share knowledge with colleagues.

Salter expressed her gratitude to the Whiddon College of Medicine and the Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting medical student research and to Molins and Martinez for their mentorship.