Press Release

FSU researchers examine role of crucial hormone and exercise with $1.8 million NIH grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Bill Wellock, University Communications
(850) 645-1504; wwellock@fsu.edu

@FSUResearch

April 2023

FSU RESEARCHERS EXAMINE ROLE OF CRUCIAL HORMONE AND EXERCISE
WITH $1.8M NIH GRANT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The human circulatory system is a marvel that stretches out over more than 60,000 miles within an adult body. Keeping it functioning properly is a crucial part of maintaining good health, especially as people age and the circulatory system weakens.

Among the ingredients that go into keeping it healthy is a hormone called adiponectin.

A new $1.8 million Florida State University study funded by the National Institutes of Health will examine the role adiponectin plays in the circulatory system of aging adults and how exercise affects its influence on vascular health. The research aims to offer more insight into how exercise brings benefits and explore how adiponectin can potentially be used for treatment.

“The more we find out about why exercise is good for your cardiovascular system and good for your blood vessels, I think the better we can prescribe exercise depending upon things like age, weight or disease status,” said Judy Delp, a professor in FSU’s College of Medicine who is leading the study. “But if we don't know the hormonal signals that are created by exercise, it makes it harder to do precise exercise prescription.”

Adiponectin is an important hormone in a variety of metabolic processes. Much like insulin, it increases metabolism that is fueled by glucose, the body’s main source of energy.

The hormone’s anti-inflammatory properties also affect the build-up of cholesterol plaque in the walls of arteries. Low levels of adiponectin contribute to plaque build-up, which narrows arteries and restricts blood flow. More recent research found evidence that it also affects the cells that line and make up blood vessels.

“So, if adiponectin does all those things, then our question is ‘How critical is it to that beneficial effect that we see from exercise?’” Delp said. “There are many things that are activated by exercise. Is adiponectin one of those critical signals?”

And what happens if it’s not present? To find out, the researchers will examine mice in which genes have been altered to remove adiponectin. In previous studies of mice born without those genes, they developed a set of adaptations that helped them function, although they did not exhibit the same response to exercise. In this study, the researchers will give mice born with the genes a drug that removes the adiponectin-producing genes. They’ll then examine mice at different ages and under different aerobic exercise regimens and observe what benefits exercise imparts.

To measure those benefits, researchers need to take their analysis to the cellular level. Tristan Driscoll, an assistant professor at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, will measure the mechanical forces produced by vascular cells and how their stiffness changes in response to changes in adiponectin and exercise.

Their collaboration began when Delp saw Driscoll’s presentation at Collaborative Collision, a networking event organized by the FSU Office of Research Development.

“That helped bring us together for this project,” Driscoll said. “Biomedical engineering is inherently interdisciplinary, and there’s a lot of potential for future opportunities to work together.”

FSU faculty Choogon Lee, Steven Lenhert, Jose R. Pinto, Gloria Salazar, Cynthia Vied and Mike Overton are co-investigators on this research.

This research is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Press Release

Researchers find earlier intervention leads to greater improvements in young children on the autism spectrum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Audrey Post, Florida State University College of Medicine
(850) 645-9428
Audrey.Post@med.fsu.edu

Ben Leach, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
(609) 634-7906
Leachb@email.chop.edu

RESEARCHERS FIND EARLIER INTERVENTION LEADS TO GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN YOUNG CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Florida State University (FSU), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have demonstrated that starting intervention-coaching parents of autistic toddlers as early as 18 months leads to better gains in language, social communication, and daily living skills.

Their findings were recently published in the journal Autism.

While prior studies provided strong evidence for the benefits of early intervention in autism, many are correlation studies rather than randomized controlled studies that can provide more conclusive results. Additionally, prior research has not demonstrated an ideal age at which to begin interventions.

“Many of us in the autism community say earlier is better, but we actually do not have enough high-quality evidence for that, so a randomized controlled trial like this one helps address that issue,” said lead author Whitney Guthrie, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and researcher at CHOP’s Center for Autism Research.

Researchers used the Early Social Interaction (ESI) model, a parent-implemented intervention for toddlers diagnosed with autism that provides a framework to support a child’s development in social communication and active engagement. It also is a framework for parents as they receive both group education and individualized coaching to incorporate evidence-based strategies into everyday activities in the family’s natural environments.

In this study, families received both group and individual conditions but were randomized as to whether the Individual-ESI intervention coaching began when the toddlers were 18 months old or 27 months old. A total of 82 toddlers and their parents participated in the study, conducted at Florida State University and the University of Michigan.

The study found that children who received individualized ESI coaching earlier showed greater gains in use and understanding of language, social use of communication skills, and self-help skills. Additionally, the findings were specific to the intensive and individualized parent-coaching model, compared with the group-education treatment.

“This study provides research findings that show starting just nine months earlier, at 18 months versus 27 months, makes a difference in the child’s progress,” said Amy Wetherby, Ph.D., director of the Autism Institute at Florida State University. “And that makes sense because this is during a period in which a child’s brain is developing the most rapidly, in the first two years of life. That doesn’t mean they won’t continue to learn later, but by providing these interventions even earlier, they have the greatest chance of having the most impact.”

“This program is also not something that is likely to cause harm, and it could help many children, with or without autism,” UCLA Professor Catherine Lord, Ph.D., said. “The intent is to support parents and other caregivers in their everyday interactions, not to replace other possible sources of intervention, including preschool programs and direct therapies.”

The research team included Guthrie and co-principal investigators Wetherby and Lord. Guthrie worked with Lord during her undergraduate career at Michigan, then worked with Wetherby during her doctoral program in clinical psychology at FSU. The findings were part of Guthrie’s ambitious doctoral dissertation.

This study highlights the importance of the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics that all children are first screened for autism at 18 months, which is critical to get started earlier with intervention, Wetherby said.

Lord hopes the study results “will stimulate discussions among governmental agencies about how to get children into services faster, perhaps by not waiting for formal diagnoses but requiring an eventual diagnosis at some point, and also by providing more and better reimbursed diagnostic services.”

Lord also wants frontline workers who might be the first to see the children — like pediatricians, primary care physicians, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists — to be able to admit children into programs.

Guthrie said that while it is important to expand future research to include more children from a wider and more diverse community, the results of this study provide measurable evidence supporting earlier intervention.

“Our findings underscore the importance of a swift referral for evaluation if a child screens positive for autism, or there is any professional or caregiver concern for autism,” Guthrie said. “We want to make sure that toddlers don’t miss this important window for earlier intervention.”

This study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, a division of the National Institutes of Health, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. This research was also supported in part by funding from Autism Speaks and the Simons Foundation.

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Apr 10, 2023

American Medical Association

Organized medicine helps medical students grow as leaders

PRESS RELEASE

Florida State University College of Medicine student Alex Tolbert outlines some of the benefits for those look to build their leadership experience through organized medicine.

News of the Week

FSU, FAMU researchers work to improve health care in Honduras

Researchers from Florida State University and Florida A&M University are partnering with the government of Honduras on an international, interdisciplinary project to improve health care in rural Honduran communities.

The Global Health Collaboration Project, or GHCP, is an initiative of FSU, FAMU and the medical school of the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Researchers with the project recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Honduran Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology, or SENACIT, to develop a health collaboration center in the country.

“Our goal is approaching public health problems in Honduras through the lens of scientific collaboration,” said Charles Fleischer, director of FSU’s Center on Global Health and a GHCP co-principal investigator. “Research at the center will inform interventions for improving patient care, mitigating potential harms and addressing acute and chronic conditions in ways that are culturally cognizant, feasible, scalable and sustainable.”

Along with physicians, GHCP includes researchers specializing in pharmacy, public health, nursing, engineering, social work and biomedical sciences. SENACIT will share data collected during its work to improve the availability of health data in Honduras and help the center’s mission.

Researchers at the center will work with local populations to learn more about their culture and specific health circumstances and needs. This will provide insight for health care professionals to develop interventions designed for patients. Including input from the populations that the interventions are meant to serve respects their autonomy and makes it more likely that treatment will be effective, Fleischer said.

For example, consider high blood pressure. Non-medication approaches, such as adopting diets designed to treat the condition, have been shown to improve blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and other chronic conditions. But physicians prescribing such an approach need to take into consideration what patients already eat and what food is available and affordable for them.

“Understanding the dietary practices of the population you are serving is extremely important, because what you’re doing in one area will not always work well in another area,” Fleischer said.

Along with helping to meet patients’ health care needs, the center will provide a learning opportunity for students from the United States and Honduras.

“This interdisciplinary research collaboration between universities in the U.S. and Honduras provides professional development opportunities for students and faculty,” said Fatimah Sherbeny, FAMU assistant professor and co-principal investigator. “It also highlights the importance of diversity, in skills, backgrounds and expertise, in establishing a comprehensive project to improve patient health outcomes in disadvantaged communities.”

For students from FSU and FAMU, potential future opportunities with the center are an opportunity to challenge themselves and grow as researchers and medical professionals.

“It is a unique experience for students from all our programs involved to interact, hear from and learn from each other and from different backgrounds and environments,” said Sunny Narayanan, FSU researcher and co-principal investigator. “This provides perspective, insight, and expands everyone’s understanding of health, culture and our world.”

Deichen Hansen, Flynn, et al. Review Perinatal Mental Health Program

Mar 29, 2023

Access Programs is an integrated care model which could potentially promote perinatal mental health equity. Dr. Megan Deichen Hansen and Dr. Heather Flynn of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, along with colleagues from other institutions and disciplines, examine how it can be further adapted to help achieve perinatal mental health equity.

BSSM Faculty Research Team on ED Wait Times

Mar 29, 2023

Dr.'s Samantha Goldfarb, Katelyn Graves, Karen Geletko, Megan Deichen-Hansen, Heidi Kinsell, and Jeff Harman of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine and FSU College of Medicine publish an article comparing emergency department wait times for patients with substance use disorder based on their racial and ethnic differences.

The purpose of the study was to identify if there were significant differences in wait times between wait times for patients with substance abuse disorder based on race and ethnicity, and concluded that, on average, Black patients with substance abuse disorder had to wait up to 35% longer than White patients with the same condition. It is critical for emergency departments to bridge the gap for care between racial and ethnic groups as emergency medicine is a critical, and often only, source of care for these patients.

Article for further reading

Dean's Message, March 2023

Mar 30, 2023

Two months after assuming this new role as your interim dean, I feel a little like someone who merged onto a busy highway where speed limits seem to be only a suggestion. Yes, I hit the ground running, but the ground sure does appear to be moving faster.

One of the many things I prioritize in this role is the opportunity to communicate with you all in as many ways as possible. The more we talk, the better off we’ll be as the College of Medicine takes on new challenges while sustaining and building upon the mission that we are known for.

I have enjoyed (most of) the many meetings that come with this job and that have allowed me to engage more with faculty, staff and students from both the central campus and our regional campuses. One thing I have learned is that viewing the landscape through a new prism yields fresh perspectives that will be helpful as we continue to evolve.

I already knew from my role overseeing academic affairs and medical education that there are important and vacant positions for which we must bring in talented and mission-oriented faculty. I’m happy to report that this effort is making progress. A number of quality candidates have visited over the past month and I’m optimistic we will soon announce new hires. Help is on the way.

Some meetings are less formal, such as being able to engage with so many creative minds outside the office walls. The 19th annual Research Fair reminded me of impacts our faculty, students and staff are having in discoveries with the potential to improve health and support the work of the many new clinicians we produce each year.

In concert with this annual display of innovation in discovery, we continue to progress in recruiting the next successful group of graduate students.

At the recently concluded spring clerkship directors’ meeting, held in conjunction with Match Day, we were joined by FSU Provost Jim Clark, who shared with our regional campus leaders and others the vision the university has for supporting this medical school in ways that will benefit all.

The highlight of the week, of course, was the Match Day ceremony, where a record number of M.D. students (125) are now able to begin shifting their thoughts toward the next step in their medical education. Our students matched with top programs in Florida and across the country.

A less visible (for most) event soon followed with the annual Council of Florida Medical School Deans’ (CFMSD) Day held at the State Capitol. The CFMSD includes the leaders of Florida’s 10 public and private osteopathic and allopathic medical schools and provides an opportunity for them, along with students and/or residents from three to four of the schools each year, to meet with legislators, regulators and representatives from the governor’s office to discuss issues of mutual interest in medical education, as well as hear their priorities. Representing the FSU College of Medicine with me for the day were Associate Dean for GME Bill Boyer; third-year M.D. students Christian Cunningham (Tallahassee Regional Campus) and Bertis “Tripp” Taylor (Marianna Rural Program); and Dr. Gizem Reyhanoglu, a second-year resident in our Internal Medicine Residency Program at TMH.

As one class of M.D. students prepares to finish up and move on to its next chapter, our long recruiting effort to bring in the next class is also winding down. With it comes great promise for another outstanding group of medical students who will begin their studies here in late May.

You’ve no doubt seen on our website news about the development of FSU Health, which includes a new building located near Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and funded through a $125 million appropriation from the Florida Legislature. I have been meeting regularly with Provost Clark, Vice President for Research Stacey Patterson and other deans to ensure the College of Medicine’s needs are met as we take on the responsibilities that come with such growth. That includes the emergence of FSU Health, our role in allowing TMH to earn the valued distinction of calling itself an academic health center, and the development of a new “medical campus” in Panama City Beach with the St. Joe Company and TMH as partners.

Since my last message to you, Dr. Fogarty has begun his retirement and his absence in this building has become more noticeable. I’m thankful for the opportunity I had to work alongside him for so long, and I’m now seeing some of the challenges of time management that come with sitting in the dean’s chair.

What also comes with that chair? Getting to know so much more about the valuable contributions you all are making, the challenges you face and the ways we can work together to build on the success stories established through this school’s first two decades.

The best is yet to come.

Alma Littles, M.D.
Interim Dean
Florida State University College of Medicine

News of the Week

Wimberley wins statewide research poster competition

Florida State University College of Medicine student Sean Wimberley (M.D. Class of 2025) won the formal research poster competition at the Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians’ annual meeting March 25 in Orlando.

One of 39 finalists for the competition among residents and medical students, Wimberley’s research examined the reasons why people miss their medical appointments at FSU Primary Health, most of whom represent an underserved community.

Wimberley, who participated in the 2022 Summer Research Fellowships at the College of Medicine, had previously presented his poster at the college’s research fair.

“Going into the conference, I was not sure how my project would fare against the other presenters,” he said. “What I did know was the issues I addressed are complicated and do not have a simple solution. Having that recognized by the judges and my peers was both validating and rewarding.”

The lone finalist from the FSU, Wimberley won the medical student section of the competition.

“I believe part of why I was recognized is because my research topic can be applied to several practices and specialties,” Wimberley added. “One resident who viewed my poster mentioned we recognize many of the barriers patients face in trying to attend appointments, but seeing the data makes the problem even more tangible for everyone to see.

“Aside from the award, it was most gratifying to see my peers and the judges not only recognize this issue among the underserved, but they were truly interested in hearing about potential solutions, as well as where to take this project into the future.”

In addition to the individual honor, the FSU College of Medicine’s Internal Medicine Residency Program will be advancing to the final round at the fall Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians’ scientific meeting in Tampa.

The team of doctors Stephanie Evans, Gizzy Reyhanoglu, Jimmy Brown and Joseph Tubito were trained together under Tallahassee Regional Campus clerkship faculty member Dr. Vincent Riesgo.

Press Release

Lee Health welcomes 21 new resident physicians on Match Day 2023

Twelve new internal medicine residents and nine new family medicine residents will begin their training at Lee Health through The Florida State University College of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program and The Florida State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program, respectively.

Medical school graduates are required to complete residency training in their chosen specialty in order to become independently practicing physicians. These new resident physicians were selected after a rigorous vetting and interview process of 4,449 applications received from U.S. medical students and physicians from around the world.

This marks the second class for the internal medicine residency program, which is based at Cape Coral Hospital and accepts 12 new doctors each year for a three-year residency. The family residency program, based at Lee Memorial Hospital, accepts nine new doctors each year and is also a three-year residency.

“We are very excited to welcome such a diverse group of internal medicine residents from around the world to Lee Health and Cape Coral Hospital,” said Maja Delibasic, M.D., Program Director of the Florida State University College of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health Cape Coral. “They all graduated from different medical school from nine countries and bring a unique perspective to the Southwest Florida community as they continue their medical training. I know the second internal medicine residency class will be just as successful as the first.”

The first-year residents were announced at the annual Match Day celebration on Friday, March 17. The new residents include:

Internal Medicine:

Fnu Aakash, MBBS, Jinnah Sindh Medical University in Pakistan
Amalia Ardeljan, MD, Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie Victor Babes in Romania
Diksha Kajal, MBBS, Ghulam Mohammad Mahar in Pakistan
Kerollos Kerollos, MMED, Assiut University in Egypt
Igor Lekic, MD, University of Belgrade in Serbia
Ilana Logvinsky, MD, American University of Antigua
Rafael Moreno, MC, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Facultad de Medicina
Anthony Nassar, MD, Université Saint-Joseph Faculte de Médecine in Lebanon
Osama Rehman, MBBS, King Edward Medical University in Pakistan
Vivek Singh, MD, Ross University in Barbados
Shivani Sookchand, DO, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Eric Wu, DO, Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Family Medicine:

Oriana Agosto Marchese, MD, Saba University School of Medicine
Kiara Carmichael, MD, University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Manuella Constantino, DO, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Amanda Lidgard, DO, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Mark Martin, DO, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiren C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ethan Ramierz, MD, University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine
James Roldan, MD, University of Miami Miller College of Medicine
Catherine Scudlo, MD, St. George’s University School of Medicine
Samuel Weldon, DO, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

“We are excited to welcome the next class of exceptional family medicine residents this summer,” said Alfred Gitu, M.D., Program Director of the Florida State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program at Lee Health. “Our residency program continues to appeal to graduating medical students from around the world and we are fortunate that our residents choose to stay here in Southwest Florida to continue to serve patients in our community.”

The National Resident Matching Program announced 2023 as a record-breaking year with nearly 43,000 applicants, the largest in the program’s 70-year history.

Lee Health launched the family medicine residency program in 2012 to address the shortage of primary care physicians in Southwest Florida. The internal residency program was launched in 2022. Eight residents graduated last year from Lee Health’s family medicine program and half of them remained in Southwest Florida to practice. Since the internal medicine residency program began last year, it will not have a graduating class until 2025.

News of the Week

Coscarella is finalist for Graduate Student Excellence in Visual Arts Award

Isabella Coscarella, a graduate research assistant in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, is a finalist for the 2023 Graduate Student Excellence in Visual Arts Award, sponsored by the Florida State University Graduate School.

Coscarella’s “Flow of Life” entry is an immunofluorescence microscopy of human-induced pluripotent stem-cell cardiomyocytes, which are treated with fluorescent markers to show specific proteins of interest to researchers studying cardiomyopathies.

She is fourth-year doctoral candidate in the laboratory of Associate Professor Jose Pinto. Coscarella’s work will be on display in the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows (HSF) House for several weeks. Her framed image will be accompanied by this artist statement, which explains its significance:

This is an image of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) cardiomyocytes. These cells were reprogrammed into stem cells using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, and mutations associated with cardiomyopathy were introduced. Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle in which the heart loses its ability to pump blood effectively. Since heart diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States of America, it is crucial to research the major causes of the pathology. Cardiomyopathies can be genetically inherited or acquired throughout life. Acquired cardiomyopathy can be a result of viral infections, autoimmune diseases, infiltrative disorders or inflammatory factors, and there is no cure as of today. Cardiomyopathies can trigger a variety of different alterations in morphology and function of proteins related to the contractility of the heart and therefore the heart’s performance. Then, it is important to investigate the functionality of proteins and its presence (or expression) in certain conditions. In the image, marked proteins that exert mechanical forces (such as myosin – green – and troponin – purple) show their expression, checking the presence of contractile apparatus of these cardiac cells. Over the years, scientists try to find ways to target these proteins and develop specific medications that would act directly on them, helping the heart to pump properly. If these specific targeted proteins are treated and start working correctly again, the muscle recovers its pumping mechanics. With the heart working properly, a patient originally diagnosed with cardiomyopathy can now live normally and have a higher quality of life.

The top three entries for the graduate student category will be selected by a final jury and the winners will be announced at the HSF Excellence in Visual Arts Exhibition on April 15.

Each winner selected will be awarded $500. In addition, a $250 People’s Choice Award will be determined by an audience vote at the event.

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