Studies target reducing low back injury and improving prosthetics for military Tampa, FL (Sept. 22, 2011) — The University of South Florida School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences has received a $1.59-million U.S. Department of Defense award for leading-edge musculoskeletal research intended to benefit active duty soldiers and veterans and improve military preparedness. The award will fund two major studies – one investigating whether a specific exercise training regimen may protect against low back injury in combat soldiers and the second evaluating the best prosthetic foot to accommodate soldiers […]

The National Institutes of Health awarded researchers in the USF College of Pharmacy $1.65 million to further study the mechanisms that cause cardiac arrhythmias and the roles potassium channels play in the heart. Srinivas Tipparaju, MPharm, PhD, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, is the principal investigator on the 5-year study from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Co-investigators are Aruni Bhatnagar, PhD, and Oleg Barski, PhD, both from the University of Louisville. The grant, titled “Redox Regulation of Kv channels,” aims to advance the understanding of how […]

Tampa, FL (Sept. 21, 2011) — Women whose first pregnancy ended in infant death are significantly more likely to have a subsequent stillbirth finds new research published today (21 September) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.  Black women experienced the highest rates of stillbirth in subsequent pregnancy, the U.S. study by researchers at the University of South Florida and the University of Rochester reports. “Our findings show that there are large disparities in infant mortality rates between white and black women and highlight the need for improved […]

Mouse-model study led by University of South Florida suggests potential new treatment target Tampa, FL (Sept. 15, 2011) — Decreasing expression of a protein associated with susceptibility to depression made old mice resistant to depressive-like behavior while improving their hormonal response to stress, a study led by researchers at the University of South Florida found. The lack of this protein, FKBP51, did not adversely affect their memory, learning, or basic motor functions. The study suggests that drug discovery efforts aimed at reducing levels of the protein FKBP51 may yield new […]

Elderly patients suffering from asthma are being overlooked when it comes to medical research and education. This is the conclusion of a team of physicians, including two from USF Health, whose proceedings from a recent workshop on asthma in older adults are published in the September issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, as well as appearing on the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website. Monroe J. King, DO, associate professor of medicine in the USF Division of Allergy and Immunology and chairman of the workshop, […]

Medical students who practiced on a patient simulator before assisting in real-life vaginal deliveries scored significantly higher on their final examinations than did students receiving a lecture only at the start of an obstetric clerkship. Results of the University of South Florida randomized, controlled trial appear in the September 2011 issue of the high-impact journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. From left, fourth-year medical students Krystle Hunt, Nathaniel Walsh, and Anna Wouters, and Dr. Shelley Holmstrom. The USF researchers also found that students receiving simulation training were initially more confident of their […]

Preliminary trial findings shared with FARA-USF research symposium participants For the first time, an investigative drug has significantly improved the neurological function of patients with Friedreich’s ataxia. The promising findings of a preliminary clinical trial testing the drug candidate known as EPI-A0001 was greeted with applause and cheers August 25 at the third annual scientific symposium hosted by the Friedrich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) and the University of South Florida Ataxia Research Center directed by Theresa Zesiewicz, MD, USF Health professor of neurology. Among the symposium attendees were Christopher Nercersian […]

Tampa, FL (Aug. 19, 2011) – Scientists, clinicians and patients will gather Aug. 25 at the University of South Florida to discuss research progress that may lead to therapies for Friedrich’s ataxia and related disorders. The scientific symposium “Cultivating a Cure” will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25, in the USF Marshall Student Center Ballroom, 4103 Cedar Circle, Tampa, FL 33620. The symposium, free and open to the public, is hosted by the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) and the USF Ataxia Research Center (ARC). […]

Researchers will examine in a rat model of stroke whether adult stem cells may repair leaky blood-brain barrier Tampa, FL (Aug. 11, 2011) – University of South Florida Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair faculty members have received a $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate whether cells derived from human bone marrow may improve post-stroke therapy by repairing the blood-brain barrier.  This barrier prevents harmful substances in circulating blood from entering the brain while allowing passage of needed substances. Current treatment for ischemic stroke is limited to one FDA-approved drug, […]

USF Health surgical oncologist a co-author on Journal of American Medical Association paper A new study shows that removing lymph nodes due to the presence of occult, or microscopic, cancer cells found in the sentinel lymph node – the one directly linked to the tumor — has no impact on survival outcomes of women with early-stage breast cancer. However, the presence of occult cancer cells found in bone marrow was significantly associated with decreased survival. The latest study, conducted by the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) and supported […]