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UF Health University of Florida

MD - PhD Training Program

College of Medicine

Welcome Letter from Our Directorate

As the leadership of the University of Florida MD-PhD Training Program, we share a passion for the training of the next generation of physician-scientists who can integrate cutting-edge science with state-of-the-art clinical care. We are eager to introduce you to our distinguished faculty mentors and laboratories on the campus of UF Health, one of the largest academic healthcare systems in the Southeast U.S.

Our Program emphasizes several unique aspects of physician-scientist career development, including team science, team learning, and leadership training. Our access to the entire University of Florida allows selection of PhD Programs for performance of dissertation research across a wide breadth of disciplines. Our close collaboration with our Clinical and Translational Science Institute offers numerous opportunities for application of basic science to clinical medicine. Our Transitions Program provides clinical mentoring and care experiences integrated with dissertation research.

Mark Segal, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs & Professional Development
Associate Director of the CRC
Director, UF MD-PhD Training Program

Wayne McCormack, PhD
Professor of Pathology in the College of Medicine
Co-Director, UF MD-PhD Training Program

Ali Zarrinpar, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Director of Research for the Division of Transplantation Surgery
Co-Director, UF MD-PhD Training Program

Kristianna Fredenburg, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Pathology
Co-Director, UF MD-PhD Training Program

Meet our directorate!

director, md-phd training program

Mark Segal, MD, PhD

Dr. Segal has been appointed as Interim Director of the MD-PhD Training Program, effective July 1, 2021. He received a B.S. degree in Biology from MIT in 1984. As an undergraduate he did research in the laboratory of Dr. Monty Krieger studying the alteration in the glycosylation pattern of a cell line defective in LDL receptor endocytosis.

Dr. Mark Segal

Co-Director, MD-PhD Training Program

Wayne McCormack, PhD

Dr. McCormack is a Professor of Pathology in the College of Medicine. He directs the Office of Biomedical Research Career Development (OBRCD) of the UF CTSA Program and the CTSA TL1 Program. r dual-degree program trainees.

Wayne McCormack

Co-Director, MD-PhD Training Program

Kristianna Fredenburg, MD, PhD

Dr. Fredenburg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology. She has a PhD in Cell Biology and Toxicology from NC State University, followed by postdoctoral training at Duke University, and an MD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kristianna Fredenburg

Co-Director, MD-PhD Training Program

Ali Zarrinpar, MD, PhD

Dr. Zarrinpar is an Associate Professor of Surgery and the Director of Research for the Division of Transplantation Surgery. He received his MD-PhD in Biochemistry in 2005 from UCSF. He then completed residencies in General Surgery and Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery at UCLA where he received a CTSA KL2 Award.

Ali Zarrinpar

did YOU KNOW…

In a basement lab in 1965, a University of Florida nephrologist and three of his research fellows worked through the night trying to get the sodium and glucose mixture just right.

The midnight science had started off with a simple enough question: Why did athletes lose so much weight on the field? And how did it affect their performance? After collecting samples from football players on the 1965 UF football team, Dr. Robert Cade and his three fellows made a startling observation: Athletes were losing electrolytes and their blood sugar was dropping significantly during the course of a game.

And this is how it all started…

According Cade’s calculations, his basement-brewed concoction would hydrate athletes, meanwhile increasing the body’s rate of absorption to restore electrolytes lost during sports and activity. Add in a little lemon juice for taste, and a little drink known as Gatorade was born. Armed with Gatorade, the 1966 football team went 8-2 and observant reporters took note of the beverage in players’ cups.

By 1967, Gatorade had gone commercial and was on NFL sidelines. Gatorade spawned a multi-million dollar sports beverage industry and has become a staple for parents and pediatricians too, by helping to keep sick children hydrated. Since its invention in 1965, UF has received more than $150 million in royalties from Gatorade, and these dollars have helped fund numerous initiatives within the UF College of Medicine.

see what is happening at uf COM!

MD-PhD Calendar

Upcoming Events

  1. Jun 28

  2. Jul 05

  3. Jul 08

  4. Jul 12

  5. Jul 19