Office: HLS 668
Phone: 305-348-0570
or 305-348-0610
Fax: 305-348-0123

Sanford.Markham@fiu.edu

Sanford Markham, M.D.
Executive Associate Dean of Student Affairs

Dr. Markham, the former assistant dean of student affairs at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, has more than 40 years of experience as a researcher, teacher, administrator and practicing physician at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, Cornell University, University of Iowa and at multiple medical care and teaching facilities in the U.S. Air Force.

An obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Markham earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Kansas and went on to obtain his medical degree at the same institution. He did his residency at the New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center and then completed a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Before joining the University of Iowa College of Medicine as director of the Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinical Clerkship Program and assistant dean for Student Affairs & Curriculum, he was chairman of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, MD., from 1995-1999. At the same time, he also held an appointment at Johns Hopkins University.

From 1990-1995, he was vice-chairman in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. Markham assumed his duties at FIU College of Medicine in April 2007. Once the first class enrolls, he will be responsible for enrollment management, including the orientation of incoming students; guidance, counseling and mentoring of medical students during their four years of training; financial, emotional and stress counseling; and for documenting each student’s progress and providing guidance and support in the process of their residency application.

Office: HLS 368
Phone: 305-348-0570
Fax: 305-348-0123
Iveris.Martinez@fiu.edu

Iveris Martinez, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Molecular and Human Genetics

An alumna of FIU’s College of Arts and Sciences and former research assistant of the university’s Center on Aging, Dr. Martinez serves as assistant professor of molecular and human genetics and as course director for medicine and society in the FIU College of Medicine.

Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Martinez was an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology of the School of Medicine based at the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health.

She received a joint Ph.D. in anthropology and public health (with a concentration in demography) from Johns Hopkins University. Her interdisciplinary research combines qualitative and quantitative methods to address health disparities and evaluate community-based interventions and her areas of interest include immigration, cross-cultural aging, gendered experiences, social participation and health as a human right.

Dr. Martinez has extensive experience working in multi-disciplinary environments, including academic research centers and local and international governments. She is a founding member of the Health Committee of the Latino Provider’s Network of Baltimore City.  She also has served as a research consultant on aging and health at the Pan American Health Organization and Oregon’s Senior and Disabled Services and was appointed as a commissioner for Baltimore City’s Commission on Aging and Retirement Education.

Renée Martin, Ph.D.

Professor, Molecular and Human Genetics

Professor Martin, a fully certified medical geneticist who counsels the full range of genetic disorders, brings years of experience to her post as master teacher of molecular and human genetics in the FIU College of Medicine.

A native of Ontario, Dr. Martin received her Ph.D. in medical genetics from the University of British Columbia. She remained there for post-graduate training in human and medical genetics in one of North America’s major premiere genetics unit and later joined the faculty.

She is considered among the world’s most renowned medical geneticists and sperm cytogeneticists. Dr. Martin has devised novel ways to analyze sperm chromosomes and studies recombinational events in spermatogenesis, especially when altered by chromosomal rearrangements. She has developed and applied state-of-the-art cytogenetic techniques and immunofluorescence to study the effects on gametes of toxins like griseofulvin.

She has 191 peer reviewed publications, on most of which she is first or last author, holds designation as the Canada Research Chair in Genetics and is an elected fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, analogous to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine.

Office: HLS 419C
Phone: 305-348-0629
Fax: 305-348-2913
Kalai.Mathee@fiu.edu

Kalai Mathee, Ph.D.

Interim Chair, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

Professor Mathee is the first founding faculty member and chairman of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology.

A native of Malaysia, Dr. Mathee is a dedicated and demanding teacher who has received high praises from her students. She received bachelor of science and master of science degrees in genetics from the University of Malaya and went on to complete her Ph.D. in molecular microbiology at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. In 1999, she joined the Department of Biological Sciences at FIU as an assistant professor of pathogenic microbiology.

Dr. Mathee has established a multi-faceted research program focused on molecular pathogenesis in the model organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa that is responsible for the high morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis. She is well-respected nationally and internationally by researchers in multiple fields, including Pseudomonas pathogenesis, microbial biofilm development, regulation of prokaryotic transcription and phage molecular biology.

She has published more than 40 articles and several book chapters in the fields of molecular microbiology, forensic science and bioinformatics – many of which are recognized as seminal and have been selected for journal highlights.

Office: HLSII 664
Phone: 305-348-0644
Fax: 305-348-0650
Betty.Monfort@fiu.edu

Betty L. Monfort, M.P.H.

Director, Admissions and Records

Mrs. Monfort comes to FIU with over 20 years of experience in Student Affairs at institutions such as Columbia University, University of Miami and Cornell University.  A native of Cuba, Mrs. Monfort grew up in New York City, received her Masters in Public Health from Columbia University, and a Certificate in Enrollment Management in Higher Education from the University of Miami.

Prior to arriving at FIU, she was the founding Director of the Registrar’s Office for Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. Mrs. Monfort is a strong student advocate who has received high praises and numerous awards from faculty, students and colleagues.

Office: HLS 693
Phone: 305-348-0570
Fax: 305-348-0123
JPatrick.Oleary@fiu.edu

J. Patrick O'Leary , M.D.
Executive Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs

Dr. O’Leary is responsible for the development of the clinical faculty and practice sites for the fledgling FIU College of Medicine. Dr. O’Leary has written more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is the author of four editions of the Physiologic Basis of Surgery Textbook. He is an authority in the field of surgical gastroenterology.

He comes to FIU from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, where he had been the Isidore Cohn Jr., M.D., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at LSU Medical Center since 1989. He is a former associate dean of
Clinical Affairs and former interim dean of LSU Health Sciences
Center. He remains Emeritus Professor and Emeritus Chairman of the Department of Surgery. From 1984-1989 he was Seeger Professor of Surgery at Baylor University Medical Center, in Dallas, Texas.

A graduate of the University of Florida College of Medicine,
Dr. O’Leary completed his residency in General Surgery at Shands Teaching Hospital at UF. He has earned nearly a dozen teaching awards from the students and faculty of the University of Florida, Vanderbilt University and LSU School of Medicine.

He is active in a number of regional and national professional organizations. He has held several leadership positions with the National Board of Medical Examiners, has served as the president of the Southeastern Surgical Congress, the Association of Program Directors of Surgery and as the first vice president of the Southern Surgical Association. Most recently he has been Chairman of the Board of Governors and the first vice president of the American College of Surgeons.

Office: HLS 693
Phone: 305-348-0570
Fax: 305-348-0123
Carol.Packard@fiu.edu

Carol B. Packard , Ph.D.
Director of the Office of Medical Education

Carol B. Packard (Ph.D., University of Illinois) is the founding Director of the Office of Medical Education at the Florida International University College of Medicine. She is part of the leadership team that guided the College of Medicine towards initial LCME accreditation. Dr. Packard has 20 years of experience in Human Resource and Organizational Development, with specializations in evaluation, teaching, and team development. She recently came from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, where she served as Associate Director for Clinical Affairs, consulting on performance evaluation, faculty development, and cultural competencies. Prior to that, Dr. Packard was Manager of Leadership Development at Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Illinois. Dr. Packard has led and participated in many organizational change efforts, teaching and consulting on varied leadership and team development skills such as strategic planning, quality improvement, communication skills, negotiations and conflict management.

Dr. Packard’s research is in cross-cultural relations and international teams. Over the past 35 years, she has taught in a wide variety of cultural environments, and has conducted studies on the impact of culture on health care, decision-making, learning, and team dynamics.

FIU’s Office of Medical Education is responsible for managing the College of Medicine’s program evaluation process, teaching effectiveness, and medical education research. Dr. Packard is available to assist all College of Medicine personnel in course development, performance evaluation plans, professional development goals, and development of evidence-based teaching strategies. Carol can be reached at carol.packard@fiu.edu.

Office at Doctors

Hospital

Phone:   305-663-7001
mannypenalver@aol.com

Manuel A. Peñalver, M.D.

Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Recently named Doctor of the Year by Baptist Hospital Surgical Services for 2007, Dr. Peñalver chairs the FIU College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Peñalver, who has been in private practice for the past three years at both Baptist and Doctors hospitals, received his M.D. from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1977.

He went on to complete gynecologic oncology fellowship training at the UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center and joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UM Medical School, where he became chairman in 1999.

He is the recipient of numerous awards for teaching excellence and his work has been published in a long list of peer review journals, textbooks and chapters.

Georg Petroianu, M.D., Ph.D.

Chairman, Cellular Biology

As a longtime educator who has taught extensively using a variety of formats, both traditional and problem- and case-based, Professor Petroianu serves as chairman of the Department of Cellular Biology in the FIU College of Medicine.

He has been on exam committees and written several Q&A books for residents preparing for certification exams. Dr. Petroianu has received multiple teaching awards, such as Best Lecturer Awards at University of Heidelberg at Mannheim and the Excellence in Teaching Award at the United Arab Emirates University twice.

Dr. Petroianu received his Ph.D. (1985) and M.D. (1986) from the University of Heidelberg at Mannheim. He has worked in anesthesiology and emergency medicine and has board certifications in pharmacology and toxicology (Germany) and Clinical Pharmacology (American Board of Clinical Pharmacology). He also is a diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management.

He remained on the faculty at University of Heidelberg at Mannheim and rose through the ranks until 2002, when he became chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the United Arab Emirates University. He is now leading a large department with multiple research and educational responsibilities and remains active at the faculty level, serving on numerous committees.

 
He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed research papers, 67 other non-abstracted publications and several books. His most recent research is on cholinesterase protection and reactivation in relation to organophosphate exposure.

For his contribution to pharmacology, Dr. Petroianu was awarded the Issekutz Medal of the Hungarian Society of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Robert J. Poppiti, M.D.

Chairman, Pathology

As chairman of the Department of Pathology, Dr. Poppiti provides the pathology curriculum for the FIU College of Medicine.

Dr. Poppiti studied medicine at the Universidad Nacional Pedro Herniquez Ureña R.D. and the University of Miami and completed residency training as the chief resident in pathology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. His primary interest and specialization is breast disease and has published extensively in this field.

He is the chair of the A.M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center of Florida and a voluntary professor of pathology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.

  
He directs the pathology residency program at MSMC and has been rewarded for excellence in teaching in the undergraduate curriculum at UM. He has been named Teacher of the Year and was nominated to the A.O.A. alumni by his students. He has received awards of merit from several national professional organizations, including the Radiological Society of North America, ACGME, American Roentgen Ray Society and Top Doctor recognition in Miami.

Dr. Poppiti contributes leadership services for numerous national and regional professional organizations. He also serves on hospital management committees, in roles such as ambassador-at-large for the Unites States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, deputy state commissioner for Florida for the College of American Pathologists and delegate to the House of Delegates of The College of American Pathologists.

C. V. Rao, Ph.D.

Professor, Cellular Biology

Professor Rao brings years of experience to his post as master teacher of cellular biology in the FIU College of Medicine. He received undergraduate veterinary medical education in India and in 1964 joined Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., for graduate studies.

He received a master of science degree in 1966 and in 1969, a doctor of philosophy degree in animal physiology and biochemistry. 

He then worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y., from 1969-70, and Cornell University Medical College, N.Y., from 1970-1972. He joined the University of Louisville in 1972 as assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and was promoted to associate professor in 1976 and professor in 1979. 

Dr. Rao’s main research interests are determining the biological and clinical importance of nongonadal actions of LH/hCG. He has published more than 240 peer-reviewed journal articles, 350 abstracts and 36 book chapters. 

He is a member of the editorial board of numerous scientific journals, is involved as an organizing committee member of numerous national and international scientific meetings and has lectured extensively at universities in the United States and abroad. He also has participated in national and international scientific meetings and was a member of the National Institutes of Health’s Human Embryology and Development 1 Study Section from 1998-2002. 

Dr. Rao is a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health, biochemistry and molecular biology and a Distinguished University Scholar at the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center.

Office: HLS II 665
Phone: 305-348-0644
Fax: 305-348-0650
Barbra.Roller@fiu.edu

Barbra A. Roller, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean, Student Affairs

Highly recognized for her student advising as well as her innovative teaching, Professor Roller is the founding assistant dean for Student Affairs (Admissions and Records) of the FIU College of Medicine.

Dr. Roller grew up in Manhattan, attended the Bronx High School of Science and graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University, with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She subsequently earned her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Pennsylvania, where her research in cell physiology concentrated on membrane transport mechanisms and changes in virally infected cells.

She continued her research and teaching while completing post-doctoral fellowships in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine as well as in the Department of Human Genetics at Yale University School of Medicine.

Since 1994, Dr. Roller has been a faculty member in the FIU Department of Biological Sciences. She also has been the director of the Pre-Health Professions Advising Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, where she developed and implemented pipeline programs for premedical preparation.

She serves on a wide variety of departmental and university committees, particularly those which are concerned with student issues. She has won several FIU Faculty Senate awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Excellence in Undergraduate Advising and is an active member in the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions.

Office: HLS 693
Phone: 305-348-0570
Fax: 305-348-0123
Joe.Simpson@fiu.edu

Joe Leigh Simpson, M.D.
Executive Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

A member of the National Academy of Sciences’ (NAS) Institute of Medicine since 1994, Dr. Simpson is responsible for the hiring of faculty and helping to lead the College’s accreditation process. He is overseeing areas such as curriculum development, research and faculty development in these roles.

Dr. Simpson has done substantial research in genetics. He comes to FIU from Baylor College of Medicine where he taught in both the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics. He is a former chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

He earned his medical degree at Duke University and completed post-graduate work at several institutions including Cornell University Medical College. From 1975-1986 he was the head of the Section of Human Genetics at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. He was also chair of the University of Tennessee’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 1986-1994 before joining Baylor.

A prolific author, Dr. Simpson has published or edited 27 books and more than 650 original articles, chapters and other publications. Most of those have been in the areas of genetics and obstetrics-gynecology and have emphasized reproductive genetics, obstetrics and the impact of genetic advances on society.

Office: HLS II 693
Phone: 305-348-0570
Fax: 305-348-0123
Fernando.Valverde@fiu.edu

Fernando J. Valverde, M.D.

Assistant Dean for Community and Clinical Affairs

A South Florida managed care systems pioneer, Dr. Valverde has focused on patient access for primary care, prevention and educational services in the local community for the past 20 years.

The internist, who will serve as the College of Medicine’s assistant dean for community and clinical affairs, has led several physician practice management organizations, both locally and nationally, responsible for more than 100 employed physicians, 70 primary care centers and 500,000 primary care patient visits a year in South Florida.

In his role as CEO and medical director of South Florida Prepaid Health Clinics, LLC, he has brought together approximately 30 primary care centers and 300 medical specialists to provide guaranteed care to South Florida’s uninsured.