USF Health’s IDPodcasts

Dr. John Greene, Professor of Medicine and Chief of Infectious Diseases at Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute, conducts this photo review of various human endemic fungal infections. Covered topics include mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis, phaeohyphomycosis, Sporotrichosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, and paracoccidioidomycosis. The presentation is suitable for infectious diseases board examination testing.

Dr. Ambika Eranki, Assistant Professor at the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, presents this review of infections associated with native and prosthetic joints, in addition to infectious of the spine and vertebrae. Dr. Eranki begins by presenting some case based examples of bone and joint infections. She then discusses the definitions and workup of infectious arthritis, septic arthritis, vertebral osteomyelitis, and prosthetic joint infections. A brief review of infections of the diabetic foot is also presented. Dr. Eranki closes by sharing recent important medical publications for bone and joint infections and the diabetic foot.

Dr. Sally Alrabaa, Co-Director of Transplant Infectious Diseases at the Morsani College of Medicine, presents an overview of infection issues surrounding the solid organ transplant patient. Dr. Alrabaa differentiates specific infections based upon the early, medium, and late transplant periods. She then covers infections associated with certain specific immunosuppressive regimens. Next, the speaker discusses infections characteristic of different transplant types, including kidney, heart, liver, and lung transplants. Lastly, Dr. Alrabaa briefly touches upon Covid-19 and transplantation.

Dr. Robert Castro, Infectious Diseases Clinician at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, presents this review on infections associated with vector-borne and zoonotic exposures. Dr. Castro begins by discussing vector -borne infections, dividing them into mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases. Syndromes discussed include Dengue, Chikyunguna, West Nile Virus, and Japanese Encephalitis. Next, Zoonotic infections such as Rabies Virus, Hantavirus, Orf virus, and B virus are covered. Dr. Castro closes by discussing vector control strategies.

Dr. Anthony Cannella, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, presents a board review session on parasitology, originally recorded in June 2025. (Please note that due to recording issues, some excessive slide cropping occurred for certain slides, and a few frames may not be completely legible. We apologize for the production errors.)

Dr. Rachel Irby, Senior Infectious Diseases Physician and founder of the Infectious Disease Team(TM) practice in Largo, Florida, reviews infections of cardiovascular devices. To begin, Dr. Irby defines the functions and patient types suitable for a Left Ventricular Assist Device, and how an LVAD integrates with a heart failure management program. Dr. Irby then reviews the types of infections that occur with an LVAD, along with the symptoms and signs of an infection. The work-up of LVAD/Driveline infections is then discussed, followed by the management steps for mild, moderate, and pump-related infections. Infections according to specific pathogens are then covered. Next, the speaker mentions how to prevent LVAD/Driveline infections. Lastly, Dr. Irby discusses the management steps utilized in heart failure management to get a patient to eventual heart transplantation.

Dr. Olga Klinkova, Assistant Professor at the USF Morsani College of Medicine, and Transplant ID Associate at Moffitt Cancer Center, presents this board review lecture on CMV infections in immunocompromised stem cell transplant recipients. Topics covered include the epidemiology of CMV infection, CMV pneumonitis, CMV GI disease, CMV diagnosis, CMV treatment post-transplant, resistant CMV infection, and CMV prophylaxis options, Interactive questions are included within the presentation.

Dr. Rajshri Joshi, Infectious Diseases fellow at the USF Morsani College of Medicine, reviews Measles, a previously eradicated disease that is now making a huge comeback across several areas of the US in recent months. Topics covered include its history, means of transmission, pathophysiology, clinical course, complications, and management. Also covered include measles vaccination/prevention, as well as prevention (vaccination) and other adjunctive therapies.

Dr. Kornblum, an Infectious Diseases fellow at the USF Morsani College of Medicine, reviews the rapidly advancing practice and integration of artificial intelligence technologies into mainstream medicine, with a focus on infectious diseases. Dr. Kornblum focuses on several central themes: (1) How good is the information provided by AI models, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini or xAI’s Grok, for diagnosing complex medial cases. (2) What are the pitfalls of relying on AI models for medical diagnostics? (3) Are there safety concerns with integrating AI models into a physician’s workflow? And (4) what are the future directions for this technology.

Dr. John Toney, Professor of Medicine at the USF Morsani College of Medicine, looks at the current landscape of Clostridioides difficile infection in the post-COVID environment. A great deal has changed in the years COVID-19 was a major health treat…including taxonomy, epidemiology, and disease prevalence and distribution, as well as treatment practices. Dr. Toney looks at the role of bile acids in C. difficile, as well as virulence mechanisms. Next, he describes the growing recognition for the need for two step testing to screen for true c. diff associated diarrhea. He then describes antimicrobial management, divided into first episode and subsequent recurrences. Also discussed are emerging biotherapeutic options for treatment and whether a C. difficile vaccine will ever be possible.

Dr. Patimavirujh, A PGY-2 resident at the USF Morsani College of Medicine, reviews the use of steroid medication in the management of infectious diseases syndromes. Following an introduction on the history of steroids in medicine, the speaker compares and contrasts steroid agents with mineralcorticoid and glucocorticoid activity. Next, the pharmacokinetics of steroids are discussed, as well as dose equivalencies for the different steroid molecules. Next, the use of steroids for various infectious diseases are discussed, including for pneumonia (including Pneumocystis infection), bacterial meningitis, TB meningitis, and cryptococcal meningitis.

Dr. Somboonwit, Professor of Medicine with the USF Morsani Division of Infectious Diseases, looks at important infectious diseases that have emerged over the last 20+ years, and the factors that have promoted their emergence. These include climate change, urbanization, international travel, and other factors. Syndromes examined include coronaviruses (SARS CoV1 and SARS CoV2), hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola), and vector-borne diseases (Zikavirus, Chikungunya, and Dengue). Future directions for managing emerging infectious diseases are also explored.

Dr. Jackie Sherbuk, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the USF Morsani College of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, presents a case-based discussion of gram positive organisms producing disease in humans. Infections discussed include Staphylococcus aureus, Coagulase negative Staphylococcus, Pneumococcus, Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus, Corynebacterium, Bacillus, and Erysipelothrix. Associated clinical syndromes are also discussed.

Dr. Rod Quilitz, infectious diseases pharmacotherapist at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, presents his talk regarding the infectious diseases syndromes likely to be encountered when managing ID complications in an immunocompromised population. Dr. Quilitz begins by discussing risk factors for infection. He then goes on to discuss neutropenic fever management. The contrast between low grade and high grade neutropenia is also differentiated. Next, Dr. Quilitz discusses strategies for prophylaxis of patients who have prolonged neutropenia, including the use of gram positive antimicrobial agents and antifungals. Other subjects covered include the spectrum of CART toxicities, immune reconstitution, prophylaxis for Pneumocystis, CMV disease/prophylaxis, and other viral infections in the immunocompromised population.

Dr. Vivian Vega, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the USF Morsani College of Medicine, presents a board review series on HIV drug resistance. Among the topics discussed include what constitutes a drug mutation, the specifics of having a high resistance barrier, when to obtain a genotype, and when to add an integrate inhibitor genotype. Lastly, specific classic mutations to memorize are discussed.

Dr. Arun Sunny, infectious diseases attending for ID Associates of Tampa Bay, discusses antibiotic related drug intolerances. Dr. Sunny begins by reviewing the mechanisms behind types 1 through 4 immune-mediated hypersensitivity. Next, he differentiates DRESS (Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms, TEN (Toxic Epidemial Necrolysis)/Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, and AGEP (Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis). Dr, Sunny then further characterizes Beta-lactam and Penicillin drug allergies. He then closes by describing antibiotic-related toxicities and provides several examples.

Dr. John Sia, Infectious Diseases Fellow at the Morsani College of Medicine, shares a grand rounds presentation on the national One Health Framework for addressing zoonotic diseases in the U.S. Dr. Sia introduces a clinical case involving a patient exposed to a zoonotic infection. Next, he covers different zoonotic pathogens and their vectors and focuses on Bartonella, Bacillus anthracis, and Brucella. Next, he describes how the One Health initiative helps teams of medical clinicians, scientists, and veterinarians to address disease threats in a collaborative fashion. After brief descriptions of two more cases, Dr. Sia closes with further examples of how the One Health Initiative is beneficial in combating antimicrobial resistance and connecting human, animal, and environmental health.

Dr. John Toney, Hospital Epidemiologist and Professor of Medicine at the USF Morsani College of Medicine, presents a basic review of hospital epidemiology and infection control in this presentation. Dr. Toney begins with defining the concept of hospital infection control, and presents a brief historical perspective. Next, he shares a step by step guide to investigating a hospital outbreak, including confirming the outbreak, forming a case definition, making a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and placing the plan into action. Dr. Toney then closes with a series of cases meant to reinforce the concepts presented during the first part of the lecture.

Dr. Suzanne Silbert, Microbiology Director for Tampa General Hospital, presents this introductory talk on the basics of the microbiology lab for 2025. Dr. Silbert begins with an overview of clinical microbiology, and then reviews the basic classification standards for bacterial organisms, viruses and fungi. She then goes on to discuss culture cultivation techniques, including the use of liquid, solid, or semi-solid media. The speaker then covers identification systems for bacterial organisms, including MALDI-TOF, Disk-Diffusion, and molecular diagnostic techniques.

Dr. Becca Bruning, Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialist at the Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute in Tampa, FL, takes a deep dive into the subject of resistance mechanisms for specific gram negative bacteria. Dr. Bruning begins her talk by discussing the primary resistance mechanisms, including porin channels, efflux pumps, and other target sites. Extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are next covered, including typical bacterial species, identification techniques, ESBL testing, and the use of Piperacillin-tazobactam and carbapenems. Next, Dr. Bruning mentions AmpC-type resistance, and identifies the “HECKYES” bacteria. Pharmacokinetic and phamacdynamic considerations are explored, and specific antimicrobial agents are discussed. Lastly, Dr. Bruning covers the use of carbapenemase testing including the modified hodge test and the Carba-R test.