UF Team Plays Major Role in Success of Newly Approved Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Drug
Duchenne muscular dystrophy families, advocates and healthcare providers celebrated a milestone in March with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the first nonsteroidal drug for the treatment of Duchenne. The University of Florida's expertise in magnetic resonance imaging provided objective, measurable results in the drug's clinical trials.
UF-Led Study Could Lead to New Way To Detect Brain Changes Associated With Alzheimer’s Risk
New research suggests there may be a link between abnormal blood levels of amyloid — a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease — and subtle changes in the brain microstructures.
The researchers found, through a new MRI method called diffusion MRI, or "free-water imaging", an association in those with abnormal amyloid levels in the blood and structural abnormalities in the brain.
Osteoarthritis Gene Therapy Research Honored With OREF Award
The founders of Genascence, a UF Innovate | Accelerate gene therapy startup, have been awarded with the 2024 Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Award for their research on local gene therapy for osteoarthritis (OA). Over the past 30 years, the team has spearheaded research from the lab to human critical trials. This award recognizes outstanding clinical research related to musculoskeletal disease or injury.
UF Health Recognized As National Leader for Treatment of Rare Inherited Disorder
UF Health has become one of only 40 VHL Alliance Clinical Care Centers in the United States.
The VHL Alliance is made up of leading healthcare organizations that specialize in treating von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome, a rare inherited disorder associated with tumors.
Hans Shuhaiber, M.D., a clinical assistant professor in the department of neurology in the UF College of Medicine and a member of the UF Health Cancer Center, said this recognition will ensure patients have access to the best treatment when they come to UF Health.
Motivating Luddites Toward AI-Augmented Healthcare
Dr. Parisa Rashidi, an associate professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida is advocating congress to fast-track broader AI use in the healthcare sector.
She presented her expert insights twice during congressional briefings on regulating use of AI in healthcare last summer. In these presentations, she presented her opinion that medical AI should receive unfettered support. This comes from her experience as the co-director of the Intelligent Clinical Care Center (IC3) at UF where she works with AI and the human-centered healthcare system.
Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit Comes to UF Health Surgeon’s Rescue
UF Health's Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit came to the rescue for Paul C Dell, MD, when he suffered a stroke at his home. Dr. Dell, an orthopaedic hand surgeon working at UF Health for 46 years, was sitting in a chair, unable to speak coherently or say his own name.
The MSTU was at the scene in under 10 minutes, as their unit is wired into 911 dispatch. The team conducted a CT scan of Dr. Dell's brain in the driveway and assessed him for treatment while en route to the UF Health Neuromedicine Hospital.
New Tool for Assessing Dehydration Is Built for Global Deployment
UF Health researchers teamed up with Brown University and researchers in Bangladesh to create FluidCalc, a tool that utilizes an algorithm to determine a patient's dehydration and calculates how much fluid they need. This tool is aimed at treating dehydration caused by diarrhea, which kills more than 1 million people each year. Until now, there hasn't been an easy-to-use tool for assessing dehydration.
Michael S. Okun, M.D., Receives Honor for Leadership and Lasting Impact in Neurology
Michael S. Okun, M.D., has been named a University of Florida Distinguished Professor. This is the highest faculty honor awarded at UF and represents Okun's dedication to leadership and his lasting impact on the field of neurology.
Okun joins seven other faculty across campus selected for the designation this year. He is only the fifth faculty member from the College of Medicine to receive this honor.
UF Neuro Research Ranks No. 2 Nationally in NIH Funding
Neuroscience and neuromedicine research at the University of Florida ranked No. 2 in NIH funding among all public universities in the U.S., according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research’s 2023 rankings. With $31.8 million in NIH funding, UF neurosciences — a combined ranking of the departments of neuroscience and neurology — ranked No. 2 among public universities and No. 3 overall. In 2022, UF neurosciences ranked No. 3 among public universities and No. 5 overall.
Decoding the Genes Behind Dolastatin 10 Paves the Way for New Cancer Therapeutics
Researchers at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy have identified the genes responsible for the creation of dolastatin 10, a marine natural product that has led to six FDA-approved cancer drugs since 2011. The research team used genomic library screening and genome sequencing to identify the genes responsible for producing the marine natural product.
