Dear Members of the College of Medicine Community,
I am delighted to announce several of our faculty members have recently been granted promotions or tenure.
Massimo "Max" Caputi, Ph.D.,
has been promoted to the rank of professor of biomedical science. Dr. Caputi holds a doctorate in molecular genetics from the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy. He came to FAU in 2003 from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he held a faculty position in the Department of Biology. His research examines the mechanisms that regulate the expression of eukaryotic and viral genes, focusing on factors that regulate both gene transcription and RNA processing. In addition, he has pioneered novel techniques to study the interactions between proteins and RNA and utilizes high throughput technologies to determine how cells respond to viral infection. His research on HIV replication has been funded by the NIH since 2002, generated several publications in high impact scientific journals and a patent for a novel type of anti-viral drug. More recently, Dr. Caputi has received funding by the NIH and the state of Florida for his work on the Zika virus and novel diagnostic devices.
Michelle Lizotte-Waniewski, Ph.D., has been promoted to the rank of associate professor of integrated medical science. Dr. Lizotte-Waniewski holds a doctorate in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She joined FAU in 2009. Dr. Lizotte-Waniewski has been involved in creating innovative medical curricular materials for first-year medical students and has been the co-director for the Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences integrated medical course. Currently, she is the director of student success and wellness and is leading college's new HealthFirst wellness initiative. Her basic science research interests include: the binding properties and activities of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases and the evolution of activity and mechanism of action of bacterial glycosyltransferase family 6 proteins and their impact on the human-commensal bacteria relationship.
Mahyar Nouri-Shirazi, D.V.M., Ph.D.,
has been promoted to the rank of professor of integrated medical science. Dr. Nouri-Shirazi holds a doctorate of veterinary medicine from the Tottori University School of Veterinary Medicine in Japan and a Ph.D. in immunology from the Chiba University School of Medicine, also in Japan. Dr. Nouri-Shirazi joined the Department of Integrated Medical Science in 2008. Previously, he held a faculty position at Baylor. Dr. Nouri-Shirazi is an immunologist with an interest in basic immunology, specifically the application of its principles to clinical settings. His research is focused on the dendritic cells based immunomodulation for treatment of cancer and allograft rejection and TLR agonists as adjuvants to augment vaccine efficacy in immunocompromised individuals. He has received funding from federal and private agencies, published in high quality journals and awarded several patents. Dr. Nouri-Shirazi has taught in both medical and graduate programs and received several teaching awards. He has facilitated small group cases and served as director of the M2 pathophysiology and therapeutics 4 course. Dr. Nouri-Shirazi has performed substantial service to the college and university by serving on various committees including a leadership role as chair of the College Faculty Assembly.
Andrew Oleinikov, Ph.D., an associate professor of biomedical science, has been granted tenure. Dr. Oleinikov holds a doctorate in biology from Moscow State University, Russia. Dr. Oleinikov joined FAU in 2013 from the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Wash. Dr. Oleinikov teaches problem-based learning (PBL) to medical students and a lecture course on molecular and cell biology to graduate students. His research interests include functions of surface proteins of human parasite Plasmodium falciparum and mechanisms of parasite-host interactions, identification of malaria vaccine candidates, molecular mechanisms of low birth weight in placental malaria, and screening of drugs that specifically prevent adhesion of malaria parasitized erythrocytes to the host endothelial and immune cells. In addition, he works on development of tools and technologies for single cell analysis and high throughput approaches, as well as functional role of a giant endocytic and signaling receptor megalin in various tissues. His current research "Mechanisms of dysfunction in placental malaria" is funded by an NIH R21 grant and his previous research has been funded by various NIH institutes and the Gates Foundation.
Howard Prentice, Ph.D., 
has been promoted to the rank of professor of biomedical science. Dr. Prentice obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1987 from the Institute of Neurology, University of London and then carried out postdoctoral research with Dr. Larry Kedes at Stanford University and at University of Southern California. From 1993 to 2000, Dr. Prentice held faculty positions in the Department of Genetics and the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, after which he took up his current position at Florida Atlantic University. He has more than 70 publications including papers in PNAS, EMBO Journal, Cell, Molecular Neurobiology and Molecular and Cell Biology. His principal research interests are in tissue hypoxia and ischemia and in molecular pathways of neuroprotection in stroke therapy. His recent investigations have included gene therapy strategies in models of retinal disease. In addition, he has investigated ischemic tissue protection including anti-apoptotic mechanisms and preconditioning pathways. His translational studies have resulted in recent patent awards and these investigations have included analyses of the mechanisms underlying novel stroke therapies.
Please join me in congratulating these faculty members on this important recognition of their scholarly contributions and service.
Sincerely,
Phillip M. Boiselle, M.D.
Professor and Dean
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