The Tallahassee Police Department launched its Approach with Care Autism Awareness Initiative on July 22, and the College of Medicine’s Catherine Zenko, director of the FSU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), joined Chief Lawrence Revell and his team for the announcement.

The initiative is a community partnership focused on increasing autism awareness and helping create safer interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

For many individuals with autism, emergency situations can be overwhelming. Delayed responses, sensory sensitivities, or difficulty processing verbal instructions may be characteristics of autism, rather than signs of noncompliance. 

"Every interaction between an officer and a member of the public is an opportunity to build trust," Revell said. "Initiatives like Approach with Care help us better understand the needs of the people we serve, so we can respond with greater awareness while continuing to keep our community safe. We are grateful to our community partners for helping make this initiative possible and for their continued commitment to the families of Tallahassee and Leon County."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in 31 children in the United States has been identified as having ASD, making it one of the most common developmental disabilities nationwide. As research continues to allow increased and earlier diagnoses, TPD continues to ensure its officers receive the training, resources and community partnerships needed to better serve every member of the community. 

As part of the initiative, families and adults with ASD can receive a free vehicle decal that discreetly alerts first responders that someone inside the vehicle may be on the autism spectrum. The decal serves as an additional communication tool, providing officers with important context before an interaction begins.

Zenko said FSU CARD is honored to partner with TPD on this important initiative. 

“By giving law enforcement officers a visual cue to alert them that the vehicle they are approaching may have a passenger with autism, it allows the officer to shift their mindset before initiating any interaction,” she said. “This decal, in combination with autism education for law enforcement officers, sets the officers and the community members up for success during potentially stressful situations.”

Approach With Care decals are available at no cost through TPD’s Community Relations Unit, FSU CARD, Leon County Schools through Exceptional Student Education teachers, and MidTown Print. Other community partners include Behavioral Management Consultants, Cayer Behavioral Group and Children’s Home Society Early Steps.

FSU CARD is one of seven regional, non-residential resource centers funded by the Florida Legislature through the Florida Department of Education. They provide free support, consultation and training across the lifespan for individuals with ASD and related disabilities. Led by Zenko and Executive Director David Ledbetter, FSU CARD has offices in Tallahassee, Panama City and Pensacola serving the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend.

In addition, the College of Medicine has been heavily involved in autism research for years, primarily through the team built by Professor Amy Wetherby, Ph.D., an internationally respected expert in the field.

By Audrey Post
FSU College of Medicine

Three Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine (BSSM) faculty members and three medical students recently published an article in Public Health Reports about e-cigarette use among adolescents.

“Evaluating the Impact of the Federal Tobacco 21 Legislation on Adolescent E-Cigarette Use and Risk Perceptions” was led by faculty members Karen Geletko, MPH, Jons Mills, Ph.D., and Jeffrey Harman, Ph.D. It included contributions from two current students and one recent graduate – Natalie Dix, (M.D. Class of 2026), Meghana Bomma, (M.D. Class of 2028), and Aidan Price, (M.D. Class of 2028).

Their research concluded that “federal legislation, such as increasing the minimum age for purchasing tobacco and nicotine products, may be an effective strategy in reducing and preventing e-cigarette use among adolescents. Future research should assess the sustainability of the effects of T21 legislation over time and examine how federal policies interact with other public health interventions to influence adolescent e-cigarette use.”

The authors received no external funding for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Geletko, the lead author, is Research Faculty I within the FSU Area Health Education Center, which was created as part of the legislation creating the College of Medicine. It focuses on critical areas in public health, including tobacco use.

Faculty in both BSSM and the Department of Biomedical Sciences, the two research departments within the Florida State University College of Medicine, routinely mentor students and welcome them into their research. This reflects the college’s commitment to expanding meaningful research opportunities for students early in their training. 

By: Patience Moseley
FSU College of Medicine

Roughly 20 million people receive a cancer diagnosis each year, and an estimated 1-in-5 people will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Cancer cells arise from damage to the cell’s instruction manual – DNA. 

Our cells contain natural repair machinery that, under normal conditions, can cut out the damaged DNA and fill in the blanks to provide working instructions, preventing healthy cells from becoming cancer cells. Failure to repair DNA damage can lead to cancer cell growth and division. In fact, many cancer cells use the same, but deficient, repair machinery. When these repair systems do not function properly, DNA damage can persist and additional mutations can accumulate.

Researchers in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University’s College of Medicine are changing the way scientists think about the DNA repair process, paradoxically, a key player in both cancer prevention and growth. 

For decades, scientists thought that polymerase beta (Polβ), one of the main players in the repair machinery, would form multiple temporary bonds with the DNA during the process.

It was thought that Polβ would bind to the DNA strand, cut out the incorrect sequence, break the bond, and bind again to fill in the blanks.

It seems that may not be the case. 

One research team, led by Eminent Professor and Dorian & John Blackmon Chair in Biomedical Science, Zucai Suo, Ph.D. has discovered that Polβ forms a chemical bond with DNA, and proceeds with cutting and repairing the damaged DNA while covalently bonded, or crosslinked, to the strand. By remaining attached during this critical stage of repair, the enzyme is less likely to disengage before the repair process is complete.

“We found that crosslinked Polβ actually enhances the flux — so, basically, enhances its likelihood to move forward and complete the reaction,” said Daniel Betancourt, a doctoral candidate and the lead author on the team’s publication in Nucleic Acids Research. “So that changes a lot; Polβ has only really been studied when the DNA is not covalently linked to the enzyme.”

Using these findings together with X-ray crystallography snapshots, the Suo lab established a kinetic model that outlines the different step-by-step process for DNA repair while chemically attached to the strand. The model revealed that important repair activities occur while the enzyme remains covalently bound to DNA, a state that had received relatively little attention in previous studies. In this case, Polβ doesn’t detach, or dissociate, after the initial bond is formed; it’s work is done while it’s bound to the DNA.

This work, published in June 2026, provides a wider-angle view of DNA damage and repair and lays the foundation for future research to explore how this process occurs naturally and how different forms of DNA damage might influence the repair process. 

With these findings in mind, the Suo lab hopes to determine how the initial crosslinking reaction between Polβ and DNA occurs and how that bond sets the stage for successful DNA repair. Their work also establishes a foundation for future studies of at least five other human DNA polymerases involved in DNA repair and damage bypass.

By Audrey Post
FSU College of Medicine

Just days before the seven students in the Florida State University College of Medicine’s Bridge to Clinical Medicine program graduated with their master’s degrees in biomedical sciences, they presented the results of their capstone research projects.

The 17^th annual showcase combined the final requirement of the intensive yearlong program with a graduation reception and a celebratory brunch acknowledging their hard work — a perfect sendoff as the students enter medical school exactly two weeks later as part of the M.D. Class of 2030.

After welcoming students, faculty and staff to the event, Elizabeth Foster, Ph.D., associate dean for Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences and research director of the Bridge program, introduced the faculty mentors who worked with the students. She noted that several had been volunteering as mentors for many years, including Antonio Terracciano, Ph.D., of the Department of Geriatrics and Karen Geletko, MPH, of the FSU Area Health Education Center, part of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine (BSSM).

“I began mentoring Bridge students in 2013 because I admire the program’s mission to expand the future of healthcare. Thirteen years later, it remains one of the most rewarding parts of my job.” Terracciano said. 

“These students bring novel perspectives to scientific questions. Seeing their hard work culminate in research presentations and scientific publications is incredibly gratifying.” 

This was Geletko’s 10^th year serving as a mentor, which gives her, as research faculty, an opportunity to still play a meaningful role in students’ education, she said. She and colleague Jon Mills, Ph.D., also research faculty in BSSM, worked as partner-mentors.

“I get to share my enthusiasm for research, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see them develop an appreciation for it,” Geletko said. “What makes this experience unique is that these students engage in research and make real contributions to the field before they even begin medical school, which isn’t always part of the traditional path.

“The Bridge students are consistently such an impressive group, and working with them leaves me optimistic about the future.” 

Anthony Speights, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education and academic affairs, got a little emotional as he congratulated the students. 

“Some of you know that I have taken on a new role and this is my last research presentation as director of the Bridge program,” he said. “It has truly been my honor to help guide you on this portion of your medical education journey. I am so proud of each and every one of you, and I know you’re all going to do great things.”

Speights spent 10 years with Bridge, the first two as clinical faculty advisor and the past eight as director.

[Link: As 2026 M.D. commencement speaker, Speights talks straight to the graduates.]

Robert Campbell, M.D., associate dean for student affairs and admissions, echoed Speights’ sentiment, reminding the students that as Bridge graduates, they have knowledge of the College of Medicine and how it operates that their non-Bridge classmates do not.

“You will be looked at as class leaders by your classmates … you will often become the go-to person for advice and teaching, even though these students will have access to TAs (teaching assistants) … your advice on how to survive and thrive will be sought,” he said. 

He challenged them to accept the Bridge leadership legacy as they begin medical school.

“Share your knowledge and advice. Calm the class when you can with your experience. … We are proud of you, and we are looking forward to the next step of your journey and the next mountain you will climb to become a great doctor,” Campbell concluded. “See you back here in two weeks.”

Alma Littles, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine, also added her congratulations. Nodding in Campbell’s direction, she said, “Rob, you’re getting a good group.” 

Research topics ran the gamut of the healthcare spectrum and included unmet needs among pregnant women in the United States; the association between perceived racial discrimination and vaping among adolescents; and how sleep quality and consuming ultra-processed foods influence metabolic syndrome risk in older adults. (A complete list of students, topics and mentors can be found at the end of this article.)

Aaliyah Fuller, class liaison officer, fought to stay composed during her remarks as she  thanked Foster, Speights and Linda Netherton, Bridge program manager who is moving to the dean’s suite as Speights’ executive assistant.

“To Mrs. Netherton, you are truly the glue that holds us all together. Thank you for being our biggest supporter,” Fuller said. “What you do for us behind the scenes does not go unnoticed, and we are grateful for the time and attention you pour into us as students.”

Fuller’s final remarks, however, were directed at her Bridge classmates.

“We did it! From late nights in the lab, stimulating discussions on ethics, and countless hours on our research projects, we made it,” she said. “I am very proud of how far each of us has come.”