Travel grants offer scholars chance to explore Cuban culture

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For more than 10 years, FIU Libraries, the Cuban Research Institute (CRI), and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center have offered Díaz-Ayala Library travel grants to scholars interested in studying the university’s special collections related to Cuba and Cuban Americans. The grants provide the opportunity to conduct research on Cuba and the Cuban diaspora, an opportunity […]

Nanotechnology-based gene editing study seeks to eradicate HIV in brain of drug abusers

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Madhavan Nair
Opiate abuse is a significant risk factor for HIV infection, and in combination they can have a devastating effect on the brain. Scientists at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) are studying new therapies that can short circuit HIV infection and mitigate the damaging effects that opiate addiction has on the central nervous system. […]

High schoolers create ‘zines for progress’ with Wolfsonian–FIU

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Miami artist Deming Harriman
  Students from eight local high schools are finding their voices on social issues and expressing their creativity through the Wolfsonian–FIU’s Zines for Progress community outreach program. Zine artists combine creative writing, journalism, photography, and art to produce small-circulation, self-published works, often dealing with controversial or niche topics that may not make it into mainstream […]

Aerial drones reveal sharks in shallow water

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FIU Researcher Jeremy Kiszka
  Answers about shark populations could come from the skies, new research finds. Using drones, a team of researchers from FIU recently completed a survey of sharks and rays in a shallow coral lagoon along the island of Mo’orea in French Polynesia. The project could be a game-changer for scientists and conservation agencies that often […]

Florida scientists take aim at Zika with launch of new center

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Matthew DeGennaro
Four Florida universities are joining forces in the fight to stop Zika. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded $10 million to a new center that brings together scientists from FIU, University of Florida, University of Miami, and University of South Florida. With Florida often being an entry point into the United States […]

Students push storytelling boundaries using virtual reality

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SCJ student Nomi Hernandez-Leiva
As news media becomes increasingly digital-first and technology continues to evolve, journalists continue to look for new and engaging ways to push the boundaries of storytelling. Among the latest emerging trends: Placing users directly into the story using virtual reality. Investment in augmented reality and virtual reality (VR) reached $1.1 billion in 2016, according to […]

Dean Guilarte appointed to county Opioid Addiction Task Force

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bottle with pills
Amid nationwide concern about the growing epidemic of opioid addiction, Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, has been chosen by leaders of Miami-Dade County to serve on a new Opioid Addiction Task Force. The community-wide assemblage brings together experts in the field with state and county […]

Researchers learn how to take an idea from lab to market

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DeNovo Biodevice
Sharan Ramaswamy designed a device that mimics human circulation in which cells and tissues can be grown. The technology enables researchers to study three-dimensional human tissues, and as a result, identify new, more effective treatments for cardiovascular diseases. Currently, the medical community relies on animals for testing, but this innovative device has the potential to […]

Biologist rounds up lizards on the loose

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FIU biologist James Stroud and kids
Lizards are on the loose in South Florida, and FIU biologist James Stroud needs local middle-schoolers to help him keep track of the reptiles. Stroud is training middle school students to collect information on anole lizards, including species, size, and where they are found. To help the young ecologists, he has created a Field Identification […]