Would You Use an App To Talk to Police After You Get Pulled Over?
Dr. Juan Gilbert, an engineering professor at the University of Florida, has developed an app called Virtual Traffic Stop. This innovative solution aims to de-escalate tensions during traffic stops and reduce nervousness on both sides, ultimately creating a safer environment for all parties involved. The app is designed to be inclusive, making it particularly beneficial for individuals who are hearing impaired or deaf.
“It began with my students, actually,” Gilbert told News4JAX from his office on campus. “One day I was in the lab and talking to my students, and they were a little frustrated with interactions between law enforcement and drivers. I said, ‘Well, let’s do something about that.’”
Gilbert has already created what he calls the most secure way to vote and in his spare time rolled out the app called Virtual Traffic Stop. President Joe Biden recently honored him with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation at the White House.
“The idea from a driver’s perspective is that I can de-escalate tensions between law enforcement and myself, bring down the nervousness that a driver may have,” he said. “The idea is that by having the virtual traffic stop, we can have an icebreaker.”
David B. Tanner Wins Top US Prize in Experimental Particle Physics
Distinguished Professor of Physics DAVID B. TANNER has been awarded the American Physical Society (APS) 2024 W.K.H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics for his innovative contributions to the field.
The prestigious award underscores Tanner’s exceptional standing within the scientific community. Since joining the UF faculty in 1982, he has not only excelled as an educator and mentor but also served as a forward-thinking department chair. Additionally, Tanner continues to make an impact through his experimental research on dark matter axions, an endeavor that began over 40 years ago.
Nci Grant Funds Study of Cancer Cachexia
Sarah Judge, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, has received a $2.4 million, five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute to study the role of a key protein in driving cancer cachexia.
Cancer cachexia, which is highly prevalent in cancers of the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract, is a frequent complication of cancer involving muscle wasting and weakness. The breakdown of muscle tissue reduces patients’ physical function and worsens their quality of life. It also often negatively impacts their ability to withstand aggressive conventional cancer treatments and contributes to decreased survival. There are no known effective therapies to preserve or reverse the loss of muscle mass in patients with cancer.
USAID With Feed the Future Funding Awards UF/IFAS $2 Million To Strengthen One Health Research in East Africa
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will lead a three-year, up to $2 million project to enhance understanding of the burden of brucellosis and main modes of disease transmission, as well as behavioral risk factors and gender dimensions in livestock and human populations in East Africa. Research results will help inform health policy options for disease prevention and control using a “One Health” approach. This initiative will target Rwanda and Kenya, with selected capacity to strengthen activities in Uganda.
Air Force Awards $5M to FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, UF Collaboration on New Research Center of Excellence
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida will collaborate on a new Air Force Office of Scientific Research Center of Excellence focused on high-speed flight and morphing aerospace vehicles, which can change shape while in flight.
A New Way To Capture Cancer Cells’ Symphony
A team of UF researchers has shed new light on the functional mechanisms of spontaneous calcium waves in human colon and prostate cancer cells. These findings could contribute to the development of innovative therapies for tumor suppression.
Can Milk Cure COVID-19? Not Exactly, but a New Treatment Shows Promise
College of Medicine researcher Dr. David Ostrov wrote this opinion piece for The Hill after his discovery of a potential therapy or preventative for COVID became public knowledge:
“Got milk? Cure COVID” was a meme that started circulating after one of our discoveries from the University of Florida went public. It playfully highlighted a major medical milestone: We had found a combination of two over-the-counter products that could inhibit 99 percent of SARS-CoV-2 replication in human lung cells, and one of them was milk-based.
Sparian Biosciences Awarded $19 Million Five-Year NIH/ NIDA Grant to Fund Development of SBS-518 for Stimulant Use Disorder Through Phase 1 Clinical Development
Sparian Biosciences, Inc., a clinical-stage CNS-focused biopharmaceutical company, announced it has been awarded a $19 million, five-year grant to fund the development of SBS-518 from IND submission through Phase 1 clinical development.
Breakthrough Polymer Research Promises to Revolutionize Recycling
UF-led research makes major leap toward greener future.
UF Researchers Receive NCI Grant to Study microRNA Degradation in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
A team of University of Florida researchers has received a five-year $2.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study gene regulation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
