As we move forward into the new fiscal year, I have another significant leadership announcement. I am very happy to announce that Dr. Tara M. Randis will be our new Lewis A. Barness, M.D. Endowed Chair of Pediatrics and chair of the in the . Dr. Randis will also be a professor of Pediatrics, with additional appointments in the Departments of Molecular Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Tara M. Randis
Dr. Randis joined USF Health in 2019 and has been serving as the Pamela and Leslie Muma Endowed Chair, chief of the Division of Neonatology and vice chair of Research in the Department of Pediatrics. I am pleased to elevate such a strong leader within the department who will help continue the department’s growth and success across its patient care, research, and education missions.
Dr. Randis earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Scranton and received her medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine. She served her pediatric residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, where she also served as chief resident, followed by fellowship training in neonatal-perinatal medicine at Columbia University. During her fellowship, she also obtained a Master of Science in Biostatistics from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. Over the past year, she completed the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program, a national fellowship dedicated to advancing faculty in health science leadership roles, at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Before joining USF Health, she held faculty positions and leadership roles at New York University School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, and Columbia University Medical Center. She is board certified in both general pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine.
Dr. Randis is a physician-scientist who leads a robust translational research program investigating host-pathogen interactions at the maternal-fetal interface, with a primary focus on Group B Streptococcus and other pathogens that contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes and neonatal morbidity and mortality, including preterm delivery and sepsis. Supported by the National Institutes of Health, industry partners, and other funding sources, her laboratory explores the key mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of both early- and late-onset neonatal sepsis. She has authored dozens of peer-reviewed publications, contributed to leading academic journals, and delivered invited lectures and scientific workshops across the U.S. and around the world.
A fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Randis is also an elected member of the Society for Pediatric Research, the American Pediatric Society, and the Perinatal Research Society. She currently serves on the Program Planning Committee for the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, the Sunshine Genetics Steering Committee, and is a member of the Full Executive Committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. She serves on the board of directors of Group B Strep International and is a member of the Gamma Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha.
I’m delighted that we have found such a worthy successor to Dr. Patricia Emmanuel, who provided 14 years of outstanding leadership, and I am confident that Dr. Randis will help us continue to improve the lives and health of children across Florida and beyond. Please join me in congratulating her.