The USF Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence was honored on Feb. 11 in Orlando as “awesome warriors in the fight against Huntington’s Disease” by the Central Florida Affiliate of the HDSA. Plaques commemorating the honor were given to each of the members of the HDSA CoE at USF, including Dr. Juan Sanchez-Ramos, director of the Center; Dr. Cynthia Cimino, neuropsychologist; Kelly Elliott, Nurse Coordinator; Nancy Braswell, social worker; and Dr. Tom Mueller, Medical Geneticist. From left, Kelly Elliott, J. Sanchez-Ramos, Cynthia Cimino, Nancy Braswell (not pictured […]

With strategic leadership, the college attained its ambitious five-year goal in two Tampa, FL (Feb. 27, 2012) — The University of South Florida College of Nursing has joined the ranks of the top 25 nursing schools nationwide receiving National Institutes of Health research funding. There are more than 600 colleges of nursing nationwide. The college attracted a record $1.99 million from NIH in 2011* — a 16-percent jump from the $1.71 million received in 2010. That increase propelled USF to a 25th place ranking on the NIH nursing school list, […]

USF public health leader involved in the FDOH investigation comments Florida’s rate of ectopic pregnancy deaths jumped in 2009-10 – an increase that may be associated with delays in obtaining care and illicit drug use, according to a new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The state’s rise in ectopic pregnancy deaths, published in the CDC’s Feb. 17 issue of Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, runs counter to the national trend of steadily declining deaths. “It was surprising,” said one of the report’s co-authors Dr. William Sappenfield, […]

A nicotinic drug approved for smoking cessation significantly improved the walking ability of patients suffering from an inherited form of ataxia, reports a new clinical study led by University of South Florida researchers. The randomized controlled clinical trial investigated the effectiveness of varenicline (Chantix®) in treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, or SCA3. The findings were published online earlier this month in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neuroscience. Lead author Dr. Theresa Zesiewicz and colleagues at the USF Ataxia Research Center collaborated with researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess […]

The study will be conducted at three community health centers across Florida Tampa, FL (Feb. 8, 2012) — A new $1.2-million federal grant to USF Health will help disseminate evidence-based psychological treatments for anxious children to three community mental health centers across Florida. The three-year grant from the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research will allow University of South Florida pediatric clinical psychologist Dr. Eric Storch and colleagues to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a computer-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy protocol in community mental health centers. The three federally and […]

Repeated injections of human umbilical cord blood cells improved motor neuron survival, delayed disease progression, and increased lifespan Tampa, FL (Feb. 3 , 2012) – Repeated, low-dose injections of mononuclear cells derived from human umbilical cord blood (MNC hUCB, tradename: U-CORD-CELL™) have been found effective in protecting motor neuron cells, delaying disease progression and increasing lifespan for mice modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, report University of South Florida researchers and colleagues from Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., and the Ribeirao Preto School of […]

The Department of Defense grant may lead to better treatments, readjustment skills for veterans Tampa, FL (Jan. 31, 2012) — The University of South Florida has received a $1.57 million U.S. Department of Defense grant to conduct translational research on traumatic brain injury and other battlefield related injuries and diseases. The studies, many in collaboration with James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, are intended to improve the quality of life for military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is known as the signature injury of soldiers […]

The Tampa Bay Business Journal recently highlighted the University of South Florida School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences for receiving a $1.59 million dollar award for musculoskeletal research. To read more about this media coverage, please click here.      

Healthcare reform’s effect on emergency department services could be substantial, researchers say Tampa, FL (Jan. 10, 2012)  — The jury is still out on how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will affect safety-net institutions such as emergency departments, but a new University of South Florida study suggests that growth in Medicaid populations expected under the new health care reform act may aggravate current challenges of providing emergency eye care in Florida. A substantial proportion of emergency department eye care in Florida is reimbursed through Medicaid or paid out of […]

For years Joyce Whidden suffered with heartburn and acid reflux. When an endoscopy revealed little more than mild redness, Whidden filled the prescription she was given for an acid reducer and resigned herself to living with the condition. But things got worse for the Zellwood, FL resident. “There was more regurgitation, more heartburn,” Whidden recalls. “I started sleeping on two pillows; eventually I migrated to the chair.” Joyce Whidden’s acid reflux got so bad she was afraid to eat. A new doctor diagnosed the now 65-year-old Whidden with achalasia, a […]