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 […]

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 […]

CCF on Front Line Addressing Child Mental Health Issues

It’s a staggering statistic: An estimated 20 percent of children in the United States suffer from a mental health disorder, and half of all adult mental health disorders begin in childhood. But through early intervention and effective strategies employed by families, professionals and educators, children can be helped, and most mental health issues in adulthood […]

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 […]

Ph.D. student designs wearable antennas for medically underserved communities

–By Diana Hernandez-Alende for FIU News Clothing is embroidered with designs and logos using a sewing machine and threads. Dieff Vital, an electrical and computer engineering doctoral student, is using the same sewing machine and conductive threads to embroider antennas and electronic circuits on regular clothing. Why? Vital, a survivor of the catastrophic 2010 Haiti earthquake, is […]

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 […]

FIU among top 15 universities granted U.S. patents in 2018

For FIU News FIU was ranked 15th in the nation among public universities and 33rd globally that were issued utility patents. “This recognition was only possible because of our hard-working faculty and researchers,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. “Every day, they turn ideas into groundbreaking solutions that change lives. They are committed to changing our world […]