Twenty Florida State University graduate programs and specialties rank among the top 25 public universities according to the U.S. News & World Reports "Best Graduate Schools" 2023 edition.

FSU's College of Medicine rose two spots to No. 7 among public medical schools in the publication's ranking of direct patient care programs in professional shortage areas; No. 11 nationwide

Meaghan Kane, a second-year student at the Florida State University College of Medicine, participated in Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's 2021 Summer Institute for Medical Students program. Kane shares how her week shadowing clinicians and patients at Hazelden Betty Ford in Newberg, Oregon, deepened her understanding of how she can best help future patients and their families.

Read More

John Turner (M.D. Class of 2015), a Tallahassee native, family physician at Tallahassee Primary Care Associates, husband and father of three, spent three days last week at the Poland/Ukraine border. There he offered medical aid, clothing and support to refugees crossing the border; mostly women and children. 

It was a faith-fueled trip for the College of Medicine graduate, who has always felt called to help people in need, having previously traveled to Africa and Nicaragua on missionary trips.

"You look in the eyes of the kids...," Turner said. "It's hard for me to explain, but every single kid I saw anywhere had the same exact expression. Imagine a child having to leave everything they had, their families, friends and wondering if they'd ever see their Dad alive again. That is basically the look of every single kid; like thousands of kids." 

Florida State University is set to receive $125 million from the Legislature for a proposed project to build an academic health center in Tallahassee.

The funding will help plan and build the Florida State University Health Science Tallahassee Center, a five-story, 137,700-square foot building. The facility will be focused on clinical care, research, biomedical innovation and education and will co-locate FSU's medical and nursing education with clinical and translational research.

Florida State University College of Medicine Eminent Professor Zucai Suo has made a discovery that alters the understanding of how the body's DNA repair process works. It may lead to new chemotherapy treatments for cancer and other disorders.

Florida's proposed budget, scheduled for a vote on March 14, includes an unprecedented $101 million in recurring annual funds for community mental health and substance abuser services.

"There's just a huge need for mental health services here," said Shannon Smith, director of psychology training at FSU College of Medicine's family medicine residency program at Baycare in Winter Haven. "There's a lot of underserved communities in this area."

The 27th annual Dance Marathon raised $1.5 million to local children in need of specialized pediatric and medical care, as revealed at the March 6 conclusion of the event at the Donald L. Tucker Center.

Florida State University's largest student-run organization continued its year-long fundraising mission, which began in 1995, and benefits the Children's Miracle Network at Shands Children's Hospital and the FSU College of Medicine Pediatric Outreach Program. The popular event has raised more than $18 million in its history.

Dr. Alma Littles' commitment to service was born in her hometown of Quincy, Florida, long before she came to the Florida State University College of Medicine, 

Myron Rolle (MD Class of 2017) shares his thoughts on Black History Month, systemic racism and how applying the "2% percent way" can affect change.

All it took was an overnight stop in Valentine, Texas for Christie Alexander to find love for what she called "the fullest scope of family practice I've ever experienced" as the lone physician and clinical director in nearby Marfa.

Alexander, who is on a one-year sabbatical from the College of Medicine, shares her story.

College of Medicine fourth-year student Abigail Schirmer was one of five medical students to offer thoughts about their medical future having trained during COVID.

College of Medicine fourth-year student Abigail Schirmer was one of five medical students to offer thoughts about their medical future having trained during COVID.

College of Medicine students from the Pediatric Interest Group (PIG) provided teddy bears to the children at the FSU Childcare and Early Learning Program and used them to explain the basics of a health exam. PIG President Taylor Posey explained that it's important to teach children not to fear a trip to the doctor at an early age.

Heather Flynn, professor and chair of the College of Medicine’s Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, has been appointed to the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Created in 2021 by the Florida Legislature, the commission will operate under the Florida Department of Children and Families. It will examine the current methods of providing mental health and substance abuse services in the state and seek to improve the effectiveness of current practices, procedures, programs and initiatives.

Flynn, a clinical psychologist, was appointed by commission chair Bill Prumell and will serve on the 10-member Data Analysis Subcommittee in an advisory role. Chaired by Jay Reeve, president and CEO of the Apalachee Center, the subcommittee will make recommendations for a statewide blueprint for a model behavioral health delivery system.
 

PANAMA CITY BEACH — For Becca Hardin, president of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, having a hospital on the beach will be nothing short of "game-changing."

During the EDA's January investor's meeting Wednesday, officials gave an update on the upcoming health care campus slated to be built in Panama City Beach through a joint venture partnership between the St. Joe Co., Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare and Florida State University. The project was first announced in April last year.

"There are some game-changing projects that are happening in Bay County," Hardin said during the meeting. "There are many other examples (of this), but one...is the new hospital complex that is being built on Highway 79 in Panama City Beach. We have seen the artist renderings of the campus and I'll tell you, it's impressive," she added. "It's going to be such a great (addition) not only for our community, but for the entire region."

Florida State University researchers have identified a link between two key parts of the brain that play significant roles in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and depression.

Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Wen Li and psychology doctoral candidate Kevin Clancy found that stimulating the system in the brain that deals with attention and imagery also enhances the efficiency of what’s called the default mode network, a key part of the brain’s functional organization. The default mode network is disrupted in a host of neurological disorders.

Li is also a clinical associate professor in Biomedical Sciences with the College of Medicine.

Their study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Related: New understanding of brain sheds light on neuro conditions | NRTimes

The new Panama City Beach hospital - a joint venture between Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, Florida State University College of Medicine and the St. Joe Corporation - which is scheduled to come online in 2024, may be called FSU Health.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Lee Health’s newest internal medicine clinic in Cape Coral will soon be filled with new patients, physicians, and opportunities for healthcare.

Dr. Maja Delibasic, program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health/Cape Coral and associate professor of Clinical Sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine says the clinic is part of Florida State University’s internal medicine residency program.

Lee Health is opening its new internal medicine residency clinic in Cape Coral on Jan. 11. The facility will be the primary home to the Florida State University College of Medicine Internal Medicine residency program, which is in the process of recruiting its first class of residents, who will begin training there on July 1.

College of Medicine professor of Biomedical Sciences Michael Blaber, who co-founded Trefoil Therapeutics and developed a treatment for corneal disease, answered five questions about his research and its future.

Cloth, surgical or N95? There are many kinds of masks to choose from but, this semester, Florida State University is expecting its students to opt for medical grade N95s.

Dr. Daniel Van Durme, chair of FSU’s Medical Advisory Committee, says the school is recommending N95s because they offer better fit and protection.

“The thought behind it is that there’s no question that an N95 mask is more effective than all of the ad hoc masks that we have seen,” Dr. Van Durme said.

A new, first-of-its-kind, psychiatry residency program is coming to Tallahassee. The program is spearheaded by Florida State University, Tallahassee
Memorial HealthCare, and the Apalachee Center.

According to FSU's College of Medicine, nearly one in five people in the country have a mental health condition that affects their daily life. On top of
that, there are not enough psychiatrists to meet the growing demand for mental health services.

To address that need, FSU, TMH and the Apalachee Center are working together to create a top-of-the-line program to train the next generation of
mental health professionals.

According to the Florida State University College of Medicine, one in five Americans struggle with a mental health condition which impacts their life. Many people face challenges finding access to the care they need.

A new psychiatry residency program launched by the College of Medicine in conjunction with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and the Apalachee Center - the first of its kind in the panhandle - will help address that.

The Florida State University College of Medicine, Apalachee Center and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare have signed an agreement to establish and operate a psychiatry residency program, addressing a critical area of need for the training of additional mental health-care providers for the region and the state.

A study presented by FSU College of Medicine fourth-year student Brandon Price at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting demonstrated the importance of using racially diverse datasets while training artificial intelligence (AI) systems to ensure fair outcomes.

Amy Wetherby, distinguished research professor and Director of the Florida State University College of Medicine Autism Institute, is the senior author on this article published by the Society for Research in Child Development.

A new study documents that observable social-communication differences for infants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) unfold by 9 months, pointing to a critical window for targeted intervention.

"If a parent or caregiver is aware of differences in social communication, they can learn how to use intervention strategies that create opportunities for social interaction and communication development early on," Wetherby said. "This can provide parents or caregivers with support to enrich the language environment that may help shift developmental trajectories for infants with ASD."

Jordan Rogers (M.D. Class of 2012) and second-year medical student Nicholas Thomas were among 19 young alumni recognized for significant contributions to their professions, communities and alma mater at Friday's Young Alumni Awards ceremony.

Zucai Suo, professor of Biomedical Sciences, said Florida health officials will need to be aggressive in sequencing positive test results to catch a new variant or more infectious sublineages of a variant since the U.S. has dropped its pandemic travel ban of international travelers.

The fundraising event directly impacting the FSU College of Medicine Pediatric Outreach Program, had a goal of raising $404,000 for children born with congenital heart defect. Much of the 26.2-hour event was held on Landis Green, with the total reveal scheduled for Nov. 10 at 12 p.m.

Faced with an aging population and a physician shortage, hospitals create geriatric collaborations to manage patients and raise the elder care skills of all doctors.

“We will never have enough geriatricians” to meet the rising need, says Lisa Granville, MD, associate chair of the Department of Geriatrics at Florida State University College of Medicine.

In Florida, where 21% of the population is age of 65 or older, state law requires FSU College of Medicine to teach geriatrics across all four years for medical degrees. 

Caseloads of Alzheimer’s disease are expected to soar in coming years, with experts warning diagnoses could triple by 2050. These alarming figures have boosted efforts to understand the disease in a bid to find an effective cure.

Caseloads of Alzheimer’s disease are expected to soar in coming years, with experts warning diagnoses could triple by 2050. These alarming figures have boosted efforts to understand the disease in a bid to find an effective cure.

Often when it comes to disease, the sexes are not equal. Dementia, chronic kidney disease, and many other conditions disproportionately affect one sex or another. Heart disease is a complex case: Males are more likely to suffer heart attacks at a younger age; females who suffer heart attacks have more difficulty recovering.

Sex hormones can help explain differences in heart health. 

A study from Florida State University researchers has found that two common personality traits may have a link to Alzheimer’s disease.

FSU’s College of Medicine discovered changes in the brain associated with the most common form of dementia. They discovered that certain personality traits might be associated with
Alzheimer’s disease — and that they are frequently visible early on in certain individuals.

The Capital Medical Society Foundation awarded $45,500 in scholarships to eight FSU College of Medicine students at a special presentation held at the Tallahassee Regional Campus earlier this month.

The impacts of racism can be deadly—especially in the field of healthcare where disparities highlight health inequities between white and minority communities. A group
of Florida State University Researchers has received a $3-million grant through the National Institutes of Health to help change that.

Sylvie Naar says when she found out she and her team had received the grant, she was in tears, "because it was like we were actually getting funded to do something about
racism in the world."
 

Previous research has found that some personality traits are risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. However, scientists have been unable to find a causal link.

The development of amyloid plaques and insoluble tangles of tau proteins in the brain is likewise associated with the disease and related dementias. Now, a new study explores a possible link between personality traits and these health issues.

The College of Medicine has been awarded two National Institutes of Health grants which center on racial inequities. A $12.8 million award will center on building a diverse community of early career researchers and will be led by the College of Nursing and College of Arts & Sciences. Sylvie Naar will serve as the principal investigator on a $3.1 million Transformative Research Award tackling racial inequities in the nation's health care system.

The College of Medicine is partnering with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare and the St. Joe Company to fill the medical needs of Bay County, centering around the primary care needs for the over-55 Latitude Margaritaville development. 

Researchers from the Florida State University College of Medicine found that physiological changes in the brain due to Alzheimer's disease are common in some people with specific personality traits.

Alzheimer's disease is one of the common causes of dementia among the elderly. It is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the irreversible destruction of neural networks in the brain that affects memory. The potential of non-biological factors is beginning to be discovered; an example is the current study that suggests certain personality traits have higher risks of developing the condition.

New research led by Florida State University (FSU) has found a link between an individual’s sense of purpose in life, cognitive function, and autobiographical memory. The study suggests that individuals with a higher sense of purpose in life experience more vivid autobiographical memories. While both a sense of purpose and cognitive function make memories easier to recall, only the sense of purpose seems to increase memories’ vividness and coherence.

Jacob Goetz, Staff Writer

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and Florida State University has many programs and resources that provide tools and resources in spreading awareness. 

With suicide being declared a health epidemic by the World Health Organization, experts at Florida State shared their input and the accessibility of suicide prevention resources offered at FSU. Many of these resources are free and available at any time. 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, suicide among college students is the second leading cause of death. College students are affected by suicide for many different reasons, some of the most common being depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, sexual assault and financial stress. 

Looking for the signs of poor mental health or suicidal tendencies can be an important factor as well. According to the Center for Disease Control, individuals who are experiencing suicidal tendencies have similar indicators. These include increased alcohol or drug use, extreme mood swings, visible signs of anxiety, withdrawal from a class or other social engagements and giving away valued possessions.  

With college being a high-stress environment, these individual units of measurement for a change in mental health can occur almost instantaneously. To prevent these negative thoughts and behaviors, FSU offers many tools and resources for suicide prevention.  

According to the Noles C.A.R.E. page, a suicide prevention program both online-based and in-person, FSU students have several different tools and resources available for them. 

Resources available for confidential communication include the FSU Counseling and Psychology Services, who are available to talk 24/7 at 850-644-8255. University Health Services can be reached at 850-644-6230. Students in an emergency are encouraged to contact the Florida State Police Department at 850-644-1234. These resources for mental health and suicide prevention can be used to refer a friend as well. 

An expert of mental health at Florida State University shared his insight on the services offered at Florida State University for depression and suicide prevention. Dr. Andrew Kozel is a Professor and the Mina Jo Powell Endowed Chair in Neurological Sciences at Florida State University who works in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine. Dr. Kozel first shared his insight on the causes of suicidal thoughts and helpful prevention techniques.  

“Depression as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors do not have a single cause," Kozel said. "They are the result of a complex mixture of biology, psychology and environment. Sometimes these episodes appear to have clear precipitants like a trauma or significant loss but can occur without these obvious precipitants as well.” 

Dr. Kozel then went on to share helpful tools and techniques for preventing depression and suicidal thoughts. Dr. Kozel said that several tools have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing a person's likelihood of experiencing negative thoughts. 

“Engaging in healthy behaviors will benefit your brain similar to the rest of your body," Kozel said. "These include regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, keeping a regular sleep-wake cycle, maintaining social connectedness, limiting toxins such as alcohol or marijuana, and seeking help when symptoms occur.” 

Dr. Kozel was able to add insight on the effectiveness of the mental health resources Florida State University offers. 

“FSU provides many effective tools for treating depression and dramatically reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Depression cannot currently be cured but can be managed so that people can live very productive and happy lives". Dr. Kozel said that many of the free or reduced cost resources available at Florida State are effective in reducing depression and suicide prevention. 

"These treatments such as psychotherapy and medications will work for the majority of patients. There are some patients, however, who cannot either tolerate these treatments or for whom they are not effective. We are leading several research efforts to study new treatments at FSU including various forms of neuromodulation.”

According to the association, treating your mental health is just as important as treating your physical health. Many different resources and techniques proven by the association have been successful in helping others prevent suicidal tendencies. 

Individuals who want to prevent suicidal tendencies in others also have access to many mechanisms. Five suggestions according to the Center for Disease Control are to ask someone about their mental health and regularly check-up with friends to ensure they are okay, keep them safe by trying your best to reduce triggers of depression or limit their access to lethal objects, listen to their experiences and what they need at that moment, help them connect and socialize and stay connected and follow up on their mental health status.

The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic can take its toll on mental health. The Apalachee Center and Florida State University have teamed up to help bring the necessary mental health to better serve the community.

The FSU Behavioral Health at Apalachee Center clinic is the first of its kind in the state and helps provide mental health services to anyone in the community.

Two physicians with ties to the Florida State College of Medicine were honored at the Capital Medical Society's Celebration Awards Dinner. Dr. Sergio Ginaldi, a former clinical assistant professor, was posthumously presented the I.B. Harrison, M.D. Humanitarian Award. Dr. David Saint, who taught cardiac physiology to Program in Medical Sciences (PIMS) students at FSU, was presented the Outstanding Physician Award at the Sept. 14 event held at the FSU University Center Club.

By NBC2 News
Sept. 14, 2021

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalization numbers have steadily dropped over the past three weeks in Florida, but infections disease experts said the reprieve could very well be short-lived.

Daily case averages are at their lowest point since late July and hospitalizations are lower than they’ve been since early August. That comes as great news to Governor Ron DeSantis.

“The fortunate news is we’re seeing the declines all across the state,” said Governor DeSantis at a Tuesday press conference.

The Delta wave brought the highest daily case numbers and hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.

 
Infectious disease experts said while they knew Delta would be bad, they didn’t predict it would be as devastating as it has proven to be.

“Three out of our 10 deaths that have been recorded in Florida have been since Delta,” said Dr. Christopher Uejio, a public health expert at Florida State University.

And while recent numbers may be painting an optimistic picture, UF epidemiologist Dr. Cindy Prins pointed to last year’s winter spike as a reason Floridians shouldn’t let their guard down.

“I think we’re still going to see another peak associated with that Thanksgiving and also winter holiday travel,” said Dr.Prins. “So it’s a worry. We’re much closer to that than we were last year and we may not get a really good break from this.”

Last year’s winter spike was worse than that seen over the summer. Experts said individual decisions will determine whether this year follows the same path.

“If everyone is trying to see their family members in the state over the holiday break, we should expect another increase again,” said Dr. Uejio.

CDC models project Florida’s current Delta wave will bottom out in October, roughly the same time period the state began experiencing its winter wave last year.

Both scientists we spoke with agreed COVID isn’t likely going away any time soon. 

They said ultimately vaccinations and natural immunity will hopefully reduce caseloads and improve health outcomes to a tolerable level.
 

A former top scientist with the National Institutes of Health has been hired by Florida State University to coordinate research partnerships between the university and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

The hiring of Joseph Frascella as chief clinical research officer for the FSU/TMH research collaboration advances plans by both institutions to strengthen their clinical research programs. Both TMH and FSU have also expressed interest in long-term planning for an academic medical center.  Enhancing clinical research would be a key part of that process.

Florida State University, which is increasingly stepping up its appeal for students to get vaccinated, is now offering cash and gift incentives to move the needle.

With the start of the fall semester around the corner and Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus especially virulent - it accounts for more than 90% of the local cases and one person can infect another eight - boosting vaccination numbers may be the only way to stem the surge. 

“It doesn’t mean each person will infect eight, it is an average,” FSU College of Medicine Dr. Daniel Van Durme said. “If you put 100 people with Delta and they’re milling about the city of Tallahassee, then we might expect that they will shortly infect 800.”

The Florida State University Colleges of Medicine and Social Work, with support from Tallahassee business leader and philanthropist Rick Kearney, are developing plans to tackle widespread mental health and substance use issues across the Big Bend.

The Florida State College of Medicine is one of the collaborating partners in the "Resurrecting a Healthier You" project in Gadsden County. The campaign aims to raise awareness and deliver on-site health care services throughout the summer to unincorporated communities in the county.