For their outstanding research contributions and innovations with consequential impacts in the fields of science, engineering or medicine, Dr. Maria L. Alcaide and Hudson J. Santos, Jr. at the University of Miami have been named along with 24 other Florida colleagues as 2025 inductees to ASEMFL, a nonprofit organization of top scholars and researchers from universities, public agencies, and industries statewide.
Alcaide, a professor of medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases), OB/GYN and public health sciences with the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and also interim vice provost for research and scholarship, was recognized for discovering behavioral and biological factors that affect HIV acquisition among women and for documenting how coinfection with HIV and SARS-CoV-2 affects the development of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Santos, dean, professor, and Dolores J. Chambreau RN Endowed Chair in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, was selected for his research that advances understanding of health origins and demonstrates how early adversity affects perinatal health and child development in diverse, high-risk populations.
Hortensia Amaro, president of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida and a member of the National Academy of Medicine, celebrated the new inductees for “their lifelong dedication, creativity, and talent that have resulted in critical and impactful advances in their fields with resulting benefits to society.”
Alcaide, a faculty member for more than 15 years, has served as a principal investigator on many NIH-funded studies. Her 2022 research portfolio, valued at over $10 million, earned her ranking among the top-funded NIH scholars. Cited for her exceptional leadership, she has served as director of Clinical Research at the Miller School since 2020; director of the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Miami Center for AIDS Research mentoring programs. She plays a critical role in mentoring junior investigators.
“I am deeply honored to be selected by ASEMFL in recognition of my work in infectious diseases, HIV, and women’s health. This acknowledgment reflects the dedication of my research team and collaborators, and the unwavering support of the University of Miami. Their commitment to advancing scientific excellence has been critical to improve the lives of those impacted by Infections Diseases,” Alcaide said.
As the interim vice provost for research and scholarship, Alcaide exercises oversight for the University’s burgeoning research portfolio and leads the development of University-wide scholarship initiatives.
Santos, who is also the immediate past president of the International Society of Nurses in Genetics, is the only nurse among the 2025 cohort’s 26 new members. He was elected for his significant societal impact in “advancing understanding of health origins and demonstrating how early adversity affects perinatal health and child development in diverse, high-risk populations,” according to the ASEMFL citation.
“As a nurse scientist, I am truly grateful to ASEMFL for including me among this prestigious group of my peers from around the state,” said Santos. “It has been my life’s honor to work with extraordinary researchers to understand the impact of early-life adversity on health outcomes and translate that knowledge into actionable clinical practice recommendations that are supported by evidence-based protocols.”
Santos is lead principal investigator on a multi-year initiative to establish the Miami cohort study site of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program—a National Institutes of Health program focused on understanding five pediatric health outcome areas: pre-, peri- and postnatal; upper and lower airway; obesity; neurodevelopment; and positive health, such as happiness and a sense of well-being.
The official induction ceremony will take place Nov. 7 at the ASEMFL annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. New members will be considered for their potential to be inducted into the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine.
