CONTACT: Doug Carlson
(850) 645-1255; doug.carlson@med.fsu.edu
Oct. 10, 2016

FSU CELEBRATES NEW PATHWAY INTO HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Florida State University will celebrate an innovative new pathway into health care careers by honoring the program’s first students. The Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences B.S. Degree Program — the first of its kind in the nation — provides students interested in health care with numerous advantages toward achieving that goal.

Seven FSU colleges were involved in creating the new degree track, which provides students with more time to explore opportunities and a more effective way to choose a career in health care.

The kickoff celebration will feature remarks by FSU Provost Sally McRorie and College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty. Also in attendance will be the deans of the seven FSU colleges involved, many of the 115 FSU students enrolled in the program and their parents.

The celebration will take place:

FRIDAY, OCT. 14

12 - 1 P.M.

FSU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

1115 W. CALL ST.

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

For a combination of reasons, thousands of students nationwide start college thinking about health care, but the would-be nurses, physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, medical social workers, patient advocates, social scientists, medical informaticists and more wind up in other careers.

The timing for creating the IMS program is good. FSU is focused on boosting its total number of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) graduates; cutting the time to graduation; and increasing the number of graduates getting jobs with good salaries. The IMS program addresses each of those concerns.

IMS is a unique collaboration of seven FSU colleges: Arts & Sciences, Communication and Information, Human Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Social Sciences and Public Policy, and Social Work. The program started this fall.

Directions to the FSU College of Medicine: From downtown, travel west on Tennessee Street and turn left on Stadium Drive. Parking is available in the parking garage at Stadium Drive and Spirit Way.

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CONTACT: Tom Butler, University Communications
(850) 644-8634; tbutler@fsu.edu

Oct. 20, 2016

FSU TO DEBUT FLORIDA’S MOST ADVANCED MRI MACHINE

Florida State University will hold an opening ceremony for its new functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) facility, featuring the most advanced MRI machine available in Florida.

The new fMRI machine will help FSU researchers from across the university unravel the mysteries of the brain and prevent the disorders that can impede its most basic functions.

The event will feature remarks by FSU President John Thrasher, Provost Sally McRorie, Vice President for Research Gary K. Ostrander and College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty.

The event will take place:

MONDAY, OCT. 24

3 - 5 P.M.

FSU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

1115 W. CALL ST.

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

Media interested in a brief tour of the facility should arrive at the event at 2:30 p.m. for a media-only tour. Please note that due to the magnetic properties of MRI scanners, people and camera equipment will need to maintain a safe distance from the machine while in the facility.

Directions to the FSU College of Medicine: From downtown, travel west on Tennessee Street and turn left on Stadium Drive. Parking is available in the parking garage at Stadium Drive and Spirit Way.

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CONTACT: Tom Butler, University Communications
(850) 644-8634; tbutler@fsu.edu

@FSUResearch

Oct. 24, 2016

FSU UNVEILS FLORIDA’S MOST ADVANCED MRI MACHINE

New fMRI Machine Will Help Push Boundaries of Brain-Related Research

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State University researchers now have the state’s most advanced MRI machine at their disposal as they seek to unravel the mysteries of the brain and prevent the disorders that can impede its most basic functions.

The new functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, located in the College of Medicine, will allow FSU researchers from across the university to advance their exploration in areas such as psychological disorders, memory and cognitive control, and changes associated with aging.

“Our fMRI machine represents the latest and greatest in terms of MRI technology and opens up a whole new world of research possibilities for our faculty,” said FSU Vice President for Research Gary K. Ostrander. “The images you can capture with this machine are simply incredible. It is analogous to upgrading from an old Polaroid instant camera to one of today’s high-end digital offerings.”

Although fMRI technology is not new, it is rare given its expense, complexity and the significant expertise needed to maintain and operate the machines. FSU’s fMRI is now the most sensitive and sophisticated MRI machine currently in Florida.

“We have been working toward this purchase for a long time, and I am very pleased that we are seeing the culmination of that effort,” said College of Medicine Dean John P. Fogarty. “This joint project with the provost and the vice president for research will greatly enhance our research capabilities and add to our already strong focus on neuroscience and neurodegenerative disease discovery. It reflects well on our interdisciplinary focus and efforts to expand our knowledge of both behavioral and disease processes in the brain.”

MRI technology, which has been in use since the 1970s, uses strong magnetic fields, radio waves and field gradients to provide high-resolution images of the body. While traditional MRI machines provide images of the brain and its structure, they are unable to show brain activity.

FMRI machines solve this problem by detecting and mapping blood flow changes in the brain. When areas of the brain are in use, blood flow to those areas increases significantly, providing a reliable method to track brain activity and interaction.

Reinforcing FSU’s interdisciplinary research approach, the fMRI facility will be open to faculty from across campus, particularly those working in neuroscience-related fields of study.

“FSU has a focus and strength in neuroscience, and if we want to remain competitive in this field then we need to invest in the best technology,” Ostrander said. “In fact, over the last couple of years we have been able to recruit some outstanding faculty members based on the promise of this machine. Now that we have it, I cannot wait to see what they are able to accomplish with it.”

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CONTACT: Doug Carlson, FSU College of Medicine
(850) 645-1255; (850) 694-3735; doug.carlson@med.fsu.edu

Oct. 26, 2016

DANCE MARATHON TO PRESENT CHECK TO FSU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Dance Marathon at Florida State University and Children’s Miracle Network at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital will present a check for more than $715,000 to the Florida State University College of Medicine for the benefit of children throughout Gadsden and Leon counties.

The proceeds are part of the record $1.4 million raised earlier this year by Dance Marathon, the largest student-run philanthropy on the Florida State campus. That money supports the Children’s Miracle Network and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville, and the FSU College of Medicine’s pediatric outreach programs.

The money invested locally supports a school-based primary-care health clinic at three schools in Gadsden County, where children often have inadequate access to care. The clinics represent a partnership among the College of Medicine, the Gadsden County Health Department and Gadsden County Schools.

The College of Medicine also shared funds in 2016 with Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare to support pediatric services, including potentially lifesaving genetic screening for a few adolescents who otherwise could not get it. Some of the funds in 2016 supported pediatric services at Bond Community Health Center, Big Bend Hospice and the Young Parents Project at Early Head Start.

Set to participate in the presentation are Dr. Alma Littles, senior associate dean at the FSU College of Medicine; representatives from UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital and from the organizations receiving funds; nurse practitioner Susan LaJoie, who oversees the Gadsden school-based clinic; members of the Dance Marathon student executive committee, who will perform a brief dance; and students from the medical school’s Pediatric Interest Group.

The presentation will take place:

FRIDAY, OCT. 28

NOON

FSU COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ATRIUM

1115 W. CALL ST.

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

Directions to the FSU College of Medicine: From downtown, travel west on Tennessee Street and turn left on Stadium Drive. Parking is available in the parking garage at Stadium Drive and Spirit Way

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