Coronavirus and Parkinson’s Disease
Watch Dr. Michael S. Okun, chair and professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Florida, administrative director and co-director of the Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration within the McKnight Brain Institute, and national medical director for the Parkinson’s Foundation, along with UF infectious disease expert, Dr. Frederick S. Southwick, talk about […]
Certain Compounds May Block Coronavirus From Cells, UF Health Researcher Finds
Computer simulations run by a University of Florida Health researcher have shown that three compounds appear to have the potential to block cells from being infected by the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The next step involves validation of the findings by David A. Ostrov, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UF College of Medicine’s department of […]
Hub Client SmartSteward Aiding in Detection and Prevention of COVID-19
UF Innovate | The Hub resident client SmartSteward Inc. is releasing antimicrobial surveillance and an alert system called SmartSteward EYE. It works in real-time, tracking lab reports, symptoms, and clinical observations to detect illnesses and immediately alert the medical staff by text. SmartSteward has been validated in nursing facilities for more than a year, but […]
Algernon Announces Filing of U.S. FDA Pre-Ind Meeting Request for Ifenprodil Coronavirus Trial, Expanded Access, and Emergency Use
UF startup Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical development company, announced that it has filed its pre-IND (Investigational New Drug) meeting request with the U.S. FDA. This initiates formal communications with the U.S. FDA regarding the development of the company’s repurposed drug NP-120 (Ifenprodil) for the treatment and prevention of acute lung injury (ALI) and […]
SmartSteward Inc. Announces First Electronic Surveillance System for Early Detection of Respiratory Viruses Such As COVID-19 and Resistant Organism Outbreaks in Skilled Nursing Facilities
UF Innovate | The Hub resident client SmartSteward, Inc., a digital health company focused on advanced infection control and antibiotic stewardship software for skilled nursing facilities, is releasing new antimicrobial surveillance and an alert system called SmartSteward EYE™. In response to the current COVID-19 global outbreak, the company has modified its existing surveillance system, which […]
Will Coronavirus Disappear When Temperatures Heat Up? UF Virologist Responds
Temperatures fluctuate between hot and cold in Florida, just about as frequently as the idea that warmth might bring an end to the coronavirus disease, COVID-19. The disease, COVID-19, is produced by a virus known as SARS-CoV-2. While flu season does taper off toward the end of April, it’s unclear to health experts that the […]
Expert: Outbreak Transmission Dynamics
As the world grapples for answers and action on the new coronavirus outbreak, researchers who study the dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks are quickly digging into the data. It’s familiar territory for Derek Cummings, Ph.D., a professor of biology at the University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Emerging Pathogens Institute. Cummings […]
Algernon Explores the Use of NP-120 (Ifenprodil) as a Novel Treatment for Coronavirus
UF startup Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical development company, announced that it is exploring the potential of using NP-120 (Ifenprodil) as a novel treatment for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. A recent independent study found that Ifenprodil significantly reduced acute lung injury (ALI) and improved survivability in an animal study with H5N1 infected […]
Coronavirus Consultant
John Lednicky, Ph.D., is a research professor, microbiologist and molecular biologist at UF’s College of Public Health and Health Professions and the Emerging Pathogens Institute where he studies an array of disease-causing microorganisms. He has spent decades investigating coronaviruses that affect people, bats, birds, cats, cows, dogs, ferrets, mice, and even pigs. But some of this work […]
How to Mentally Cope With the Coronavirus
Beyond making people sick, the coronavirus has spurred anxiety and panic as it spreads across the globe and in the United States. But Sherry Benton, founder and chief science officer of online therapy provider TAO Connect, a UF startup, says the paranoia surrounding the potential pandemic is vastly overblown. “You’ve got to step back and […]