Robert Frisina

Robert Frisina is a Distinguished University Professor and Department Chair of Medical Engineering at the University of South Florida (USF), affiliated with the College of Engineering and Morsani College of Medicine. He holds leadership roles as Director of the Global Center for Hearing & Speech Research (GCHSR) and the USF Biomedical Engineering Program. His education includes a Ph.D. in Bioengineering/Neuroscience from Syracuse University and postdoctoral training at the University of Rochester.

Research Focus: Frisina’s work spans neuroengineering, biomedical engineering, and audiology, with emphasis on age-related hearing loss (ARHL), ototoxicity from cancer therapies, and drug delivery systems. Key areas include hormonal interventions (e.g., aldosterone’s role in ARHL prevention), genetic factors in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity, and novel cochlear drug delivery via micropumps. His NIH-funded Program Project Grant since 1991 has generated over 150 publications on auditory neural mechanisms.

Grants & Awards: He leads NIH grants on drug delivery (R01 NCI) and hearing loss (NIDCD R21). Honors include AAAS and BMES Fellowships, National Academy of Inventors Senior Membership, and the USF Distinguished Professorship (awarded to top 0.15% faculty). He holds patents on cochlear drug delivery systems and plasmonic neural stimulation.

Team & Mentoring: His lab includes postdocs and students researching hormone therapy, genetic biomarkers, and nanotechnology. Notable trainees include Parveen Bazard (plasmonic stimulation) and Nicole Febles (chemotherapy ototoxicity prevention). The GCHSR collaborates globally to translate findings into clinical treatments, such as FDA Phase 2 trials for ARHL drugs.

Publications: Over 300 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact studies in Nature Scientific Reports, Journal of Neuroscience, and Cancer Medicine. Recent work addresses cisplatin’s auditory impacts and aldosterone’s protective effects in aging.