An article by USF Health rheumatologist Dr. John D. Carter was selected as one of the top eight 2010 research studies in the medical subspecialty of rheumatology by the Annals of Internal Medicine. The annual “Update in Rheumatology,” appearing in the Annals of Internal Medicine April 5, 2011 issue, “highlights important articles and promising findings published in 2010 that are likely to affect practice or lead to larger-scale trials.” The update describes each of the studies chosen, explains why they are important and the implications of the findings. Dr. John […]

TAMPA, FL (May 13, 2011) — The Hearing the Ovarian Cancer Whisper (H.O.W) organization announced today that they have awarded a $100,000 fellowship grant to a team of researchers at USF Health and Moffitt Cancer Center. Doctors Mitchel Hoffman, Nadim Bou Zgheib and Johnathan Lancaster will study a genetic pathway that causes ovarian cancer cells to stop responding to chemotherapy. “Ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynecologic cancer,” said Dr. Hoffman, USF professor, director of Gynecologic Oncology, and associate vice president for Cancer Services. “Patients lose their battle with the […]

The neurosciences — one of the University of South Florida’s signature research programs — just got a virtual space in which to be showcased. The USF Neuroscience Collaborative website has been launched at: http://usf-nsc.health.usf.edu/ In keeping with the mission of the Collaborative to promote new neuroscience research collaborations across the entire USF campus, the new site includes the following features: • A searchable USF Neuroscience Collaborative Membership Directory of approximately 250 USF faculty members with interests in the neurosciences, from addiction and aging to stroke and traumatic brain injury. • […]

University of South Florida College of Public Health student Jordan B. Markel, 22, was invited earlier this spring to travel to the Cleveland Clinic, where he presented his original research project “Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Complex Spinal Surgery: Impact of a Protocol Change at Children’s Hospital.” He was awarded third place and a $250 scholarship. The presentation was a part of Cleveland Clinic’s 4th Annual Aspiring Physicians and Research Scientists Conference (APRSC) representing students from all over the United States. The three-day program seeks to increase participation in research and medicine […]

Excess beta amyloid leads to abnormal cell division and defective neurons Tampa, FL (May 2, 2011) — A protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease clogs several motors of the cell transport machinery critical for normal cell division, leading to defective neurons that may contribute to the memory-robbing disease, University of South Florida researchers report. In a new study published online in the journal Cell Cycle, scientists at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute. the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and Indiana University also suggest that the protein beta amyloid (amyloid protein) […]

Tampa, Fla. (April 29, 2011) –  Dr. Paul Sanberg, Distinguished University Professor and senior associate vice president for research and innovation at the University of South Florida, received the Everfront Award at the 4th Pan Pacific Symposium on Stem Cell and Cancer Research held earlier this month in Taichung, Taiwan. The Everfront Award honors outstanding research contributions in stem cell and cancer research, including pre-clinical, clinical and translational work, and is presented to a researcher at the forefront of his or her field. Dr. Sanberg, who also serves as executive […]

VA-USF study finds cotinine reduces the brain plaques associated with dementia Tampa, FL (For immediate release) — Cotinine, a compound derived from tobacco, reduced plaques associated with dementia and prevented memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, a study led by researchers at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and the University of South Florida found. The findings are reported online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in advance of print publication. “We found a compound that protects neurons, prevents the progression of Alzheimer’s disease pathology, enhances memory and […]

USF-led study shows that non-Hispanic black and Hispanic  infants with specific types of heart defects have poorer survival rates in the first five years of life than non-Hispanic white infants Tampa, FL (April 18, 2011) — Non-Hispanic black infants born with heart defects are more likely to die within the first five years of life than their non-Hispanic white and Hispanic peers.  For certain types of congenital heart abnormalities, Hispanic children as well as non-Hispanic black children fare worse than non-Hispanic white children. These findings, detailed in a new study by […]

Medications lose effectiveness for many with longstanding tremors Tampa, FL — Deep brain stimulation, a surgical procedure to suppress faulty nerve signals, allowed 77 percent of patients to stop the medications used to treat their essential tremors within one year following the surgery, University of South Florida researchers report. “It’s a significant finding demonstrating that patients see a lot of symptom improvement with this treatment option,” said Andrew Resnick, a research assistant in the USF Health Department of Neurology. Resnick will present results of the limited retrospective study April 12, […]

Hayward, CA (March 15, 2011) — The ADVANCE-Parkinson’s Disease Phase III clinical study has demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of extended release carbidopa-levadopa (investigational drug IPX066) versus immediate release carbidopa-levodopa, Impax Pharmaceuticals announced today. The ADVANCE-PD results demonstrated that, in several measures of patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, extended release carbidopa-levadopa (CD-LD) produced significantly improved control of motor symptoms compared to immediate release CD-LD, currently the gold standard for treating advanced Parkinson’s. USF Health’s Dr. Robert Hauser was a study investigator. The primary endpoint of this comparison study of extended […]