Landmark study of adolescent brain development renewed for 7 years

–By JoAnn Adkins for FIU News The National Institutes of Health awarded a seven-year continuation of  the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, providing FIU and 20 other study sites the funding to continue the largest long-term study of brain development and child health ever conducted in the United States. The renewal provides $290 million for an additional […]

FIU to recruit 8 additional professors to program committed to diversity, mentorship

–By Ashley Garcia for FIU News President Mark B. Rosenberg and Provost and Executive Vice President Kenneth G. Furton recently committed eight more faculty positions to the Diversity Mentor Professor Program. Offered by the Office to Advance Women, Equity & Diversity (AWED), the Diversity Mentor Professor Program is a special initiative to recruit excellent faculty to FIU who […]

College of Medicine appoints interim dean of diversity

–By Ileana Varela for FIU News Dr. Cheryl Holder has been named interim associate dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Community Initiatives for the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM). Holder is a highly respected clinician, educator and community leader who has dedicated her medical career to serving underserved and vulnerable populations. “I am truly […]

Global FinPrint, first-of-its-kind global survey led by FIU researchers, reveals sharks are functionally extinct from many reefs

–By JoAnn Adkins for FIU News A landmark study by Global FinPrint reveals sharks are absent on many of the world’s coral reefs, indicating they are functionally extinct — too rare to fulfill their normal role in the ecosystem.  Of the 371 reefs surveyed in 58 countries, sharks were not observed on nearly 20 percent, indicating a […]

Professors receive NSF grant to develop app to mitigate impact of COVID-19

–By Diana Hernandez-Alende for FIU News The health care system has been impacted significantly due to the rapidly growing number of COVID-19 cases. A shortage of basic medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical technology has been a major challenge for health care professionals around the world.  Researchers from the College of Engineering & Computing […]

Science of memory could improve COVID-19 contact tracing

–By Ayleen Barbel Fattal for FIU News FIU researchers are studying how to improve contact tracing by tapping into people’s memory. Psychologists Deborah Goldfarb, Jacqueline Evans and Ronald Fisher are leading a new study funded by an NSF Rapid Response grant to identify a more effective way to conduct contact tracing. The FIU team will test whether memory for contacts can be […]

Computing professor creates dashboard for COVID-19 prediction, visualization

–By Diana Hernandez-Alende for FIU News Organizations around the world have created coronavirus-tracking tools to monitor COVID-19 cases through real-time analytics. An FIU professor, who specializes in theoretical optimization and learning algorithms, and his research team at FIU, have created a dashboard that can predict the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 using data analytics. The tool, created […]

University breaks ground on second phase of Green School building

–By Amy Ellis for FIU News Pointing to three flags waving in the breeze just a short distance behind him, FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg reflected back on the first groundbreaking event at the university in 1971. United Nations Secretary General U. Thant was the guest of honor that day and he spoke about the important […]

New automated device could assess DNA damage, repair

–By Jessica Drouet for FIU News DNA damage—caused by environmental agents or the body’s normal processes—plays a critical role in the development of many major human diseases, with profound public health implications. Marcus S. Cooke, professor at Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences, has been awarded $149,846 from […]

Scientists developing new method to combat prostate cancer

–By Chrystian Tejedor for FIU News Scientists are advancing on the battle against prostate cancer. A team of researchers from FIU’s Biomolecular Sciences Institute will soon expand tests of their novel approach to killing castration-resistant prostate cancer by cutting off its ability to repair damage to its own DNA. To date, there is no known cure […]