Read the bios for the following presenting doctors:
 
Kathryn Allen, MA, RD
 
Madelyn Butler, MD
 
Kathy Castor, US Congresswoman
 
James Edgar, MD
 
Giselle Ghurani, MD
 
Eric Harrison, MD
 
Lennox Hoyte, MD
 
Stephen M. Kreitzer, MD
 
Christine Laronga, MD, FACS
 
Mary Lien, MD
 
Dottie Berger MacKinnon, Keynote Speaker
 
Irene Maher, Guest Speaker
 
Steven L. Maskin, MD
 
Anthony Morrison, MD
 
Stacie Schaible, Emcee
 
David Shibata, MD
 
Joel Silverfield, MD
 
Lubomir Sokol, M.D., Ph.D.
 
Barry S. Verkauf, MD, MBA
 
Robert Wilson, DO
 

Kathryn A. Allen, MA RD
Kathy is a Registered Dietitian at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. She has been the project manager and Co-Investigator for several NCI funded research studies. In addition to her participation in development and implementation of the R.E.N.E.W. Program, Kathy is also the Manager for the Department of Nutrition. She has practiced in the field of dietetics for approximately 22 years and has extensive experience in the nutritional care of cancer patients, cancer prevention, wellness and health maintenance. While she now specializes in nutrition and breast cancer, Kathy’s prior work included diabetes education and weight management.

Return to top of page

Madelyn Butler, MD
Madelyn Butler was born in Cuba and came to the United States with her family at an early age. She spent her childhood in Georgia, then moved to Florida, where she completed high school. She attended the University of Florida and received both her undergraduate and medical degrees. She later completed her residency at the University of South Florida.

Since the beginning of her practice in 1994, Madelyn's contributions to the field have been recognized by both professional organizations and her peers. She has served as a leader in the Florida Medical Association (serving as Speaker), has provided public education as Channel 8's "Medical Expert in OB/GYN" and has received the "Outstanding Physician's Award". Recently named "The Best OB/GYN Group" by The Florida Medical Journal, Madelyn (and her fellow members of The Woman's Group) have seen their "best-in-class practice" vision come to fruition. In her spare time Madelyn loves to enjoy her family - Bill (married 20 years), Olivia, Christian and Donovan.

Return to top of page

Kathy Castor, US Congresswoman
Kathy Castor is a newly elected member of Congress. She represents the 11th congressional district of Florida, which covers parts of Hillsborough, Pinellas and Manatee counties.

In a rare move for a freshman, Speaker Pelosi asked her to serve on the powerful Rules Committee, which has jurisdiction over the rules and order of business of the House and authority to report at any time on such matters. She has also been appointed to the powerful House Armed Services Committee. Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi has also chosen Castor for a leadership position in the steering and policy committee, which assigns fellow party members to other House committees, and advises party leaders on policy. These powerful positions will allow Congresswoman Castor to work for the people of District 11 to solve the issues that are most important to them, including health care, education, ethics and transportation.

Castor was previously a Hillsborough County Commissioner, representing District 1, which covered much of Florida’s 11th Congressional District. Before joining the county commission she worked as an attorney to enforce growth management laws.

Kathy and her husband have two daughters, and she is the daughter of former Hillsborough County Judge Don Castor and former United States Senate candidate, USF President and Education Commissioner Betty Castor.

Return to top of page

James Edgar, MD
Dr. James Edgar is a board certified psychiatrist and psychoanalyst with over thirty years clinical experience. Dr. Edgar attended Louisiana State University and L.S.U. School of Medicine. He did his Residency in Psychiatry at the Langley-Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. He completed Psychoanalytic Training at the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute following his Psychiatric Residency. He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of South Florida and has a private practice of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy and psychiatry in South Tampa. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Edgar is Psychiatric Consultant to the Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, the Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, the Abbott, St. Leo Abbey, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department and Hillsborough County Schools. He is responsible for organizing the first post graduate training program in psychotherapy for mental health professionals in Tampa and the west coast of Florida and is a former Training Analyst in the Tampa Institute for Psychoanalysis. He was for many years Chairmen of the Committee on Continuing Education of the American Psychoanalytic Association and is a “Distinguished Fellow” of the American Psychiatric Association. He has been listed in all editions of Woodward and White’s “Best Doctors in America”. While President of the Florida Psychiatric Society he spoke frequently about the treatment of depression.

Return to top of page

Giselle Ghurani, MD
Dr. Giselle Barreau Ghurani is a practicing gynecologic oncologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. She received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Biology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and a Master of Science in Biophysics and Physiology from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University Of Miami School Of Medicine in Florida. Here she also completed her internship and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and her fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at Jackson Memorial Medical Center. She was Assistant Professor through the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine. She is board certified in gynecologic oncology and obstetrics and gynecology.

Return to top of page

Eric E. Harrison, MD
Dr. Harrison is the medical director of Cardiology at IASIS Memorial Hospital of Tampa. He is very experienced in all aspects of cardiology. He with the help of his colleagues started one of the first five paramedic services in the country, has done over 15,000 heart catheterizations, started echocardiography at Tampa General Hospital with the help of Dr. Feigenbaum, has been a transplant cardiologist, and has been very active in nuclear cardiology. He is the author of numerous medical articles and has contributed chapters to several books. He is a graduate of Kentucky Medical College and received his post graduate training at the University of South Florida.

He is a Level 3 SCCT Instructor and co-author of the internationally best selling DVD set “Practical Interpretation of Computed Coronary Artery Tomography on the Workstation” with Dr. Pim de Feyter who started coronary CT in Europe. Dr. Harrison’s specialty is advanced cardiac imaging i.e. coronary CTA, cardiac PET/CT, and cardiac MRI. Dr. Harrison is also co-author of the DVD set “Cardiac PET/CCT” with Marcelo DiCarli from Women & Brigham Hospital in Boston. He is currently editing a DVD set on Cardiac MRI featuring Dr. Gerald Pohost, the father of Cardiac MRI. He is one of the founding physician faculty of the University of South Florida Medical School which rotated cardiac fellows on imaging service at Memorial Hospital for advanced imaging training.

Return to top of page

Lennox Hoyte, MD
Dr. Hoyte is the director of the female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He is an attending Urogynecologist at Tampa General Hospital, and maintains an active clinical practice specializing in all types of female pelvic floor disorders, including prolapse, urinary and fecal incontinence, overactive bladder, childbirth related pelvic floor injury, and pelvic muscle dysfunction.

Dr. Hoyte received a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, an MD degree from Stanford Medical School, and completed OB/Gyn residency training at Brigham and Women's/Massachusetts General Hospital. He was fellowship trained in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. He is a board certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist, a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and an elected member of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons. He serves as editorial reviewer for several peer reviewed medical journals. Dr. Hoyte has been invited to speak nationally and internationally on Female Pelvic Anatomy and Biomechanics, Overactive Bladder Syndromes, Management of Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Incontinence.

Dr. Hoyte is an active clinical researcher, seeking to better understand why some women develop pelvic floor dysfunction after childbirth and others do not. Using live imaging, he has developed videos and images of MR-based 3D reconstructions to demonstrate normal and abnormal pelvic anatomy, many of which are available without charge on the internet.

Return to top of page

Stephen M. Kreitzer, MD
Stephen M. Kreitzer, MD, is a nationally known lecturer and educator in sleep medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and in Sleep Medicine. He has practiced in Tampa since 1978 and is Chief of Sleep Medicine at Memorial Hospital. He is also director of Pulmonary Medicine at Memorial Hospital, former Chief of Pulmonary Medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Return to top of page

Christine Laronga, MD, FACS
Christine Laronga, MD, FACS, is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Don & Erika Wallace Comprehensive Breast Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

Laronga was an assistant professor of surgery at the Eastern Virginia Medical School Department of Surgery. She received her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry-New Jersey (UMDNJ) Medical School and completed her research fellowship at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway. Laronga completed a surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center specializing in clinical/basic science research. She is board certified in general surgery.

Return to top of page

Mary Lien, MD
Dr. Mary Lien grew up in southern California and received her Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She completed her medical education at the Duke University School of Medicine, where she received her Doctor of Medicine degree. After completing her dermatology residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center and a melanoma fellowship at the University of Michigan Multidisciplinary Melanoma Clinic, Dr. Lien moved to Florida in 1996. Dr. Mary Lien is the Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the University of South Florida. Dr. Lien specializes in Cutaneous Oncology--specifically in melanoma and other skin malignancies.

Dr. Mary Lien is the Chief of Dermatology at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital and also practices dermatology in the Division of Cutaneous Oncology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. Dr. Lien is a member of numerous professional dermatologic societies.

Return to top of page

Dottie Berger MacKinnon
Dottie is a former Hillsborough County Commissioner and is presently Chair of Kids Charity of Tampa Bay, a foundation to help all foster kids in the Tampa Bay area. She is also one of the founders of Joshua House, a 60-bed residential group home for foster children. Dottie presently is spearheading a drive to build an emergency shelter in Brandon for children removed from their homes by the Sheriff’s Office.

Dottie is a breast cancer survivor of eight years and believes that we must take responsibility for our own health through exercise and proper diet, helping us to get through the myriad of issues you have to deal with when confronted with serious health problems.

Return to top of page

Irene Maher
Irene Maher joined the News Channel 8 staff in August of 1985 as health reporter and was promoted to co-anchor of the weekend news. Presently, she is the Managing Editor of Medical News.

Irene came to News Channel 8 from WAVY-TV in Portsmouth/Norfolk, Virginia where she was the weekend weather anchor and medical reporter. Prior to that, Irene held various positions in the broadcasting field, ranging from a country music disc jockey to a television talk show host.

A native of Hampton, Virginia, Maher attended the College of William and Mary and received a B.A. degree in Theatre and Speech. Irene has received numerous awards from various organizations including The American Cancer Society, The American Heart Association, The Edward R. Murrow Awards, The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and the Tampa Bay Society of Professional Journalists.

Irene resides in Tampa with her husband and springer spaniel.

Return to top of page

Steven L. Maskin, MD
Steven L. Maskin, MD specializes in solving difficult cornea, ocular surface and dry eye disorders with patients traveling from over 35 states and 5 continents for his evaluation. Dr. Maskin is a leader for managing these disorders using innovative medical therapies and surgical techniques, which have restored eye comfort to his patients. These breakthrough advances include the use of placenta derived amniotic membrane, the discovery of a topical cure for ocular surface cancer, and a new patent pending natural eye lubricant drop to provide relief for dry eye sufferers. Dr. Maskin has also recently pioneered a landmark procedure to unblock obstructed and swollen lid glands which is a major cause of dry eye. Dr. Maskin has furthermore now authored the first consumer book on dry eye for Yale University Press. Entitled, “Reversing Dry Eye Syndrome”, his book has ranked #1 on Amazon for all ophthalmology books. Dr. Maskin received his specialty fellowships at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

You can learn more by visiting his site on the web at www.drmaskin.com

Return to top of page

Anthony Morrison, MD
Anthony Morrison is a Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He is a Co-Director of the State of Florida funded Diabetes Center at that institution.

Return to top of page

Stacie Schaible, Emcee
Stacie Schaible anchors the evening news at 5:30 p.m. weeknights for News Channel 8 WFLA-TV. In addition to her anchoring duties, Stacie also leads the “Eight on Your Side” consumer problem solving unit. Hundreds of requests for help with consumer issues flood into Eight on Your Side each week. Schaible and the Eight on Your Side staff sort through the requests and assist as many viewers as possible.

Schaible makes a special effort to reach the community not only by reporting the news but by sharing consumer information as a guest speaker. She often emcees local charity events and enjoys the opportunity to meet viewers face-to-face.

Before arriving in the Tampa Bay area in January of 2000, Schaible was the main anchor at 6 and 10 p.m. weeknights at KXAN-TV in Austin, Texas. She also worked as the main evening news anchor at WDAY-TV in Fargo, N.D. and KDLH-TV in Duluth, MN. Stacie is a Minnesota native. She grew up in Mankato and graduated from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Among the many opportunities she has enjoyed since joining the News Channel 8 On Your Side team include serving as visiting faculty at Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg. The beach and golf courses appeal to Schaible in her spare time. Schaible lives in Tampa with her husband, son and daughter.

Return to top of page

David Shibata, MD
Dr. David Shibata is a Colorectal Surgical Oncologist and the Head of the Section of Colorectal Oncology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Shibata attended medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and received his General Surgery training at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. He completed a Research Fellowship in Cancer Biology at Harvard Medical School and a Surgical Oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Return to top of page

Joel Silverfield, MD
Dr. Joel Silverfield is a graduate of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. After completing an internship and residency at Emory, he continued his education with a Rheumatology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Silverfield is board certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. He has authored over twenty publications, including articles in The Journal of Rheumatology and The American Journal and has been rated on multiple occasions as one of the "Best Doctors in America". He has received the "Leader of the Year" Award by the Arthritis Foundation. Dr. Silverfield is married, has three sons, and loves to collect antiques and play tennis.

Return to top of page

Lubomir Sokol, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Sokol is an assistant professor in the Medicine and Interdisciplinary Oncology departments at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, and a member of the Malignant Hematology program at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

Earning his medical degree from Charles University in Prague, he completed a Residency in Radiation Oncology and Fellowships in Medical and Radiation Oncology before completing a Residency in Internal Medicine at Louisiana State University and a Fellowship in Medical Oncology/ Hematology at the University of South Florida. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and Charles University.

Dr. Sokol is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine with a subspecialty in Medical Oncology and Hematology, and by the Czechoslovak Board of Radiation Oncology.

His research focuses on testing new agents in the therapy of T/NK cell lymphomas and leukemias and investigating the role of miRNA in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes and leukemias.

Return to top of page

Barry S. Verkauf, MD, MBA
A native of Tampa, Dr. Verkauf established the first IVF program in Central West Florida. He has been practicing in the Tampa bay area since 1974. He received both his Gynecology/Obstetric residency and Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Clinical professor in the Department of OB/GYN at USF, Dr. Verkauf is a member of a number of medical societies for which he has served in leadership roles. He has published numerous papers regarding the treatment of various reproductive disorders and is a reviewer for such prominent journals as Fertility, Sterility, Obstetrics and Gynecology and The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Return to top of page

Robert Wilson, DO
Rob Wilson D.O. is a Board Certified Neurologist who is a partner of Tampa Neurology Associates and Axiom Clinical Research. Tampa Neurology Associates has had two decades of providing Neurological care to Tampa Bay. Dr. Wilson has been part of Tampa Neurology Associates for the past five years. Dr. Wilson was trained in Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System/Pennsylvania. He also completed a fellowship in Neuro-Oncology and Pain at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He was on staff at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as Neuro-Oncologist prior to moving to Florida in 2001. During his time at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia he developed an interest in research, and clinical care for neurological pain. His practice in Tampa Neurology is focused on migraines, headaches, Multiple Sclerosis, memory disorders, and hospital consultation. Also besides direct patient care he is involved in clinical research and teaching.

Return to top of page