University of South Florida / Byrd Institute
Amanda Smith, MD
Internal Advisory Board Co-Chair: IDEA-CT
Dr. Amanda G. Smith is the Director of Clinical Research at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute and a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree from Emory University and her medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College. She completed her residency in Psychiatry and fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of South Florida. Dr. Smith is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, with subspecialty certification in geriatric psychiatry. She is a clinician, researcher, and educator committed to promoting brain health, preventing dementia, and finding new treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease. For over 20 years, her work has focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of memory disorders, clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease, and education of both caregivers and health professionals. She serves on the steering committees of the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Consortium, the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, and serves as the co-chair of the IDEA-CT outreach and policy committee and has been a faculty member and member of the selection committee for IMPACT-AD since its inception. She was appointed to the State of Florida Health Improvement Plan priority area 9 subcommittee and has also served the state as a reviewer for the Ed & Ethel Moor grant program in Alzheimer’s disease. She has acted as a site principal investigator on over 50 clinical trials, and has pioneered the first mobile clinical trial unit for Alzheimer’s research in the United States. She serves on the Science Advisory Board of HFC (Hilarity for Charity) and is also a Forbes Health Advisor on the topics of aging, memory, and dementia.
Ram Bishnoi, MD
Site Co-PI
Ram Bishnoi, MD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the University of South Florida, specializing in geriatric psychiatry with a focus on Alzheimer's and dementia care. Serving as the Co-Principal Investigator at the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute's ACTC site, Dr. Bishnoi leads research efforts, notably as the site principal investigator for the START trial and as a sub-investigator for multiple Alzheimer’s clinical trials. He is also an alumnus of ACTC’s IMPACT-AD program. Dr. Bishnoi serves as the chair of the Early-Career Project Evaluation Committee (EC-PEC) at ACTC, fostering collaboration and innovation. He collaborates extensively with researchers from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing early identification and therapeutic interventions for Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Bishnoi's interests extend to exploring blood biomarkers for early Alzheimer’s detection. He directs a memory disorder clinic at USF, where he oversees clinical care, education, and research initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes in Alzheimer’s and related disorders.
Anna Sladky, BA, CIP, CRA-USF
Site Liaison
Anna Sladky is a Sr. Clinical Research Associate at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute in Tampa, Florida. Anna obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Gerontology from USF in 2011 and began working in Alzheimer’s clinical research in 2010. She currently serves as a coordinator, cognitive rater, and study start-up specialist for the Byrd Institute.
