FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kathleen Haughney, University Communications
(850) 644-1489; khaughney@fsu.edu

Tia Ford, Mayo Clinic
(904) 953-1419; Ford.Tia@mayo.edu

Feb. 25, 2020

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida State University President John Thrasher and representatives from Mayo Clinic in Florida signed a multifaceted agreement Tuesday in Jacksonville to attract and retain top talent in the biomedical field.

The collaborative education efforts will focus on medical innovation and promote a market-driven approach to create a highly trained workforce focused on taking medical technology from the research space to clinical practice.  

“The relationship between Florida State University and Mayo Clinic represents an incredible opportunity for our students to benefit from the combined capabilities of these venerable institutions,” said FSU President John Thrasher. “We are thrilled that our students will be able to take advantage of the internship and research opportunities available through Mayo so they can progress in their biomedical education and add to the talent pool we have here in Florida.”

FSU has appointed Emily Pritchard, a researcher in the FSU College of Medicine, as director of the FSU-Mayo Collaboration to bring together various colleges at FSU that will benefit from the new collaborative initiatives. In addition to the opportunities for existing FSU students, Mayo staff will be able to access training and educational opportunities through FSU’s Office of Distance Learning.

“We are very pleased to announce this partnership, which will combine the incredible capabilities of our two institutions to accelerate innovative ideas to benefit patients through the development and commercialization of biotechnology, a robust entrepreneurship program, and an enhanced workforce to meet the healthcare, research and development needs of Florida, the region and beyond,” said Dr. Kent Thielen, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida. “We feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to collaborate with such an exceptional university.”

The agreement creates new opportunities for FSU students to participate in internships at the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, working with physician mentors in clinical research and healthcare startups in the Life Sciences Incubator. Internship placements begin in summer 2020. In addition, FSU students in Tallahassee will have the opportunity to work on Mayo Clinic projects with contributions in data science, biostatistics and engineering. Faculty and students from Mayo Clinic will be able to train at FSU with world-renowned researchers and state of the art equipment at the main campus and National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

As part of the collaboration, FSU will create an interdisciplinary biomedical entrepreneurship certificate program, combining the expertise of FSU’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship and College of Medicine. The graduate certificate will be open to FSU students and Mayo employees.

Provost Sally McRorie called the agreement a win for both institutions. 

“This is an unparalleled opportunity for FSU students whether they are interested in research, clinical work or biomedical entrepreneurship,” McRorie said. “We are also happy to be able to provide Mayo staff additional educational and training opportunities through our Office of Distance Learning as they progress in their careers. We are so proud to work with Mayo on this wonderful collaboration.”

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and An Inside Look at Mayo Clinic for more information about Mayo.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
CONTACT: Kelsey Klopfenstein, University Communications
(850) 644-1066; kklopfenstein@fsu.edu
 
February 2020
 
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It’s been said that art heals. Now, Florida State University researchers have developed an online intervention that combines mindfulness practices, art therapy and the simple act of manipulating clay to reduce stress and anxiety in college students. 
 
In a study published in SAGE Journals, the researchers described the results of what may be the first electronically delivered mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) intervention.
 
“It appears as though the intervention, at least in some individuals, may be as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy, which is the gold standard of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders,” said Gregg Stanwood, an associate professor of Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience at FSU’s College of Medicine and co-author of the study. “With this online format, we can potentially deliver an intervention in a much more rapid and cost-effective manner than cognitive behavioral therapy.”
 
MBAT combines mindfulness practices with art therapy to promote health, wellness and adaptive responses to stress. Mindfulness is a practice derived from ancient Eastern roots that refers to the process of attending to experiences happening in the present moment.
 
“We worked to create an accessible platform by which college students could take ownership in addressing their mental health,” said Theresa Van Lith, associate professor of art therapy in FSU’s College of Fine Arts and co-author of the study.
 
The researchers initially conducted intensive face-to-face, two-hour therapy sessions for eight weeks, but soon realized that this strategy did not accommodate students’ busy schedules. Megan Beerse, a research assistant on the project, reconfigured the MBAT intervention so that it could be administered online via Canvas, a learning platform where students can access class materials.
 
The proof-of-concept pilot study was set up through Canvas as 15 minutes of MBAT once a week for 10 weeks. A typical directive within the program would be a brief breathing exercise or yoga practice followed by handling clay while keeping a prompt in mind to enhance additional mindfulness. To measure participants’ anxiety and stress levels, researchers collected their saliva samples at the beginning and end of the intervention, along with self-report questionnaires on anxiety and stress levels. 
 
Although it was still difficult to get students to participate in the study for the full 10 weeks, the pilot demonstrated significant decreases in anxiety and stress symptoms and salivary cortisol in anxious but healthy college students.
 
On a follow-up study, Beerse, Stanwood and Van Lith condensed the program to 15 minutes of MBAT twice a week for five weeks, keeping all of the same exercises but cutting the commitment time in half and upgrading the frequency. 
 
“We doubled retention and had over 300 students asking about participating in the study,” Beerse said. “We ended up having much higher buy-in and engagement from students themselves, so the frequency helped enhance the user engagement.”
 
Researchers conducted one initial, in-person facilitated session, then eight 15-minute, clay-based MBAT directives administered through Canvas, followed by one final in-person session. The follow-up study involved 77 participants and demonstrated positive effects on both anxiety and stress.
 
Moving forward, the researchers plan to focus on dissecting the role of the art-making versus the mindfulness aspect. To accomplish this, researchers will enhance the monitoring of saliva and expand the number of neuroinflammatory markers analyzed in the study.
 
The online MBAT program provides another option for those struggling with anxiety and stress, especially those who are considering seeking traditional mental health services. With a stronger focus than ever on solving the mental health crisis, offering an alternative for those struggling with anxiety and stress is considered revolutionary.
 
“I think it’s incredibly exciting,” Stanwood said. “I think that it’s potentially paradigm changing.”
 
Scott Pickett, an associate professor of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at FSU, also contributed to the study and will be a clinical collaborator on the next project. 
 
The project was funded by the Florida State University Council on Research and Creativity. The FSU Office of Commercialization is supporting this project further with Grant Assistance Program (GAP) funding, which will allow the researchers to develop a mobile application centered around the research.
 
For more information about the College of Fine Arts, visit cfa.fsu.edu. For more information about the College of Medicine, visit med.fsu.edu.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
CONTACT: Kelsey Klopfenstein, University Communications
(850) 644-1066; kklopfenstein@fsu.edu
 
February 2020
 
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. About 3,200 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day, and about 92.1 million American adults are living with some form of cardiovascular disease or the after-effects of a stroke, according to the American Heart Association’s 2018 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update. 
 
The American Heart Association sponsors “American Heart Month” every February as a strategy for increasing heart disease awareness and promoting prevention at home and in the community. In conjunction with Heart Month, National Heart Failure Awareness Week takes place Feb. 9 – 15.
 
Florida State University experts are available to comment on a variety of topics related to heart disease awareness and self-care after heart failure. 
 
Laurie Abbott, assistant professor, College of Nursing
(850) 644-6008; labbott@fsu.edu
 
Abbott’s research involves reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among rural populations and exploring factors related to rural health disparities. She has conducted two cluster randomized trials that tested evidence-based cardiovascular health promotion interventions in rural community settings. She also has measured factors that affect health outcomes including acute and chronic stress, resilience and social support. This research is intended to advance rural health equity by increasing CVD awareness and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors that enhance wellness and reduce modifiable disease risk factors, disease exacerbation and preventable hospitalizations. 
 
“CVD prevalence and mortality are high among people living in the United States, especially among those living in rural areas of the Southeast. Risk factors related to CVD have also been associated with increased risk for the future development of cancer, another major cause of death. This highlights the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices that reduce modifiable disease risk such as increasing produce servings, limiting dietary fat and sugar intake, exercising regularly, avoiding nicotine-delivery products, reducing stress and effectively managing diabetes and hypertension. My research in rural community settings indicates that helping people understand the causal links between disease risk factors and progression, as well as enhancing their health literacy, knowledge and self-care skills, are important steps toward promoting heart health. Prevention is key to living a healthy life.”
 
Lucinda J. Graven, assistant professor, College of Nursing
(850) 644-5601; lgraven@fsu.edu
 
Graven’s research focuses on improving outcomes for heart failure patients through the development and testing of cognitive-behavioral interventions at the individual and family level. Her intervention, the Coping in Heart Failure Partnership, holds promise for improving heart failure self-care in community dwelling adults with heart failure. Recognizing the importance of family caregivers in helping heart failure patients maintain optimal self-care, Graven is currently adapting her intervention to include family caregivers. Graven’s community-based research also focuses on improving heart failure self-care in rural patients who are more susceptible to poor health outcomes. Graven was recognized as a Fellow of the American Heart Association in 2019.
 
“February 9 - 15 has been designated National Heart Failure Awareness Week by the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) to create national awareness of the severity of this disease in the United States. While overall mortality and hospitalization rates for heart failure are high nationwide, individuals with heart failure living in rural areas are at greater risk for poor outcomes versus their urban counterparts. Rural residents have higher risk-adjusted rates for mortality, as well as higher rates of heart failure-related hospitalizations and emergency room visits than urban residents, illustrating the importance of improving disease management in this population. Interventions that improve disease management at the family-level are necessary to prevent poor outcomes in heart failure patients, as research shows that self-care interventions involving a family caregiver result in better patient outcomes and longer sustainability. My research is aimed at improving family processes to facilitate coping and disease management in hopes of improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare utilization among rural-residing residents with heart failure.” 
 
Jose Pinto, associate professor, College of Medicine
(850) 645-0016; jose.pinto@med.fsu.edu
 
Pinto’s research focuses on cardiac and skeletal muscle regulation and genetic diseases. His most recent study focuses on a devastating case of pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition that affects infants and children where the heart doesn’t function correctly. Through DNA sequencing, Pinto and other researchers from Yale School of Medicine and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center were able to determine that three children with cardiomyopathy had variants (mutations) in the same gene for a heart protein named troponin C. Through biophysical, biochemical and structural biology experiments, researchers gained insights into cardiac disease and the function of the affected molecule (troponin). 
 
Pinto has been volunteering with the American Heart Association for almost a decade reviewing research projects and advising the Association on which projects should be prioritized for funding. Pinto and colleagues have continuously studied the function of troponin C in the heart with the hope to develop tailored therapies to combat heart disease.
 
P. Bryant Chase, professor, College of Arts & Sciences
(850) 644-0392; chase@bio.fsu.edu
 
Chase’s research focuses on cellular and molecular biomechanics and structure of striated cardiac and skeletal muscles. In collaboration with Pinto, he is currently studying genetic variants in cardiac troponin that cause hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathies. Troponin is the calcium ion sensor that regulates contraction of the heart and pumping of blood. It is central to the heart’s function, and small changes in the troponin gene’s DNA sequence may result in major, detrimental changes in the heart’s ability to pump blood. This research focus derives in part from concern that cardiovascular diseases remain the major reason for death and hospitalization in the developed world. Chase was recognized as a Fellow of the American Heart Association in 2002.
 
“The central theme of my research program is to understand the biophysical basis of biological motility, its regulation and modulation by cellular metabolism. Much remains to be learned about actomyosin interactions and their regulation, especially in cardiovascular function and diseases, cancer (metastasis), human performance and bionanotechnology (biological nanomotors and protein mechanics). My experimental work has most often been directed toward answering molecular and cellular questions related to these topics.”
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
CONTACT: Bill Wellock, University Communications
(850) 645-1504; wwellock@fsu.edu
 
@FSUResearch
 
February 2020
 
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As an outbreak of a new coronavirus makes headlines across the world, another more common infectious disease is spreading across the United States and beyond — the flu.
 
About 8 percent of the U.S. population gets sick from the flu each season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although anyone can get sick, people 65 years and older, children younger than 5, pregnant women and people with medical conditions are at greater risk of serious complications.
 
Dr. Christie Alexander, an associate professor at the Florida State University College of Medicine and president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, is available to explain how scientists develop each year’s flu vaccine, why its effectiveness varies and whether it’s still worth getting a flu shot in February.
 
How does the development process for each year’s flu vaccine work?
Development starts right around the end of the previous year’s flu season, and it’s based on that year’s flu season. Scientists try to develop the vaccine based on that season, looking back to see what the rates of the various flu strains were and then developing the flu vaccine according to that, trying to anticipate what the next flu season will look like.
 
Can you talk about the different strains?
There’s influenza A and influenza B. The flu shot is trying to prevent against two strains of A and two strains of B. Those strains mutate every year, so scientists try to target the mutations as best they can and create the vaccine based on what those strains looked like that year.
 
Why is the vaccine sometimes more or less effective?
This is because the strains mutate so quickly and so readily. Even after scientists develop the shot and we start to administer it, those strains can change again. Once the flu shot is developed, you can’t recreate it, so the hope is that scientists are able to correctly predict any possible mutations for the next year in order to gain the most protection from the shot.
 
Some experts have said there may be a “mismatch” between the vaccine and the strains this year. What does that mean?
That gets back to mutation. We have the two strains of influenza A and the two strains of influenza B, and if one of those four strains starts to mutate, then the shot will no longer match the strains. So it might hit three of the four really well, but if the fourth starts to mutate, you’ll see a resurgence from that strain. That’s what the term “mismatch” means. It doesn’t happen every year. In fact, over time, the shot has been 40 to 60 percent effective, which translates into the prevention of literally millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor’s visits each year. For example, based on information from the CDC, during the 2017-2018 flu season, the vaccination prevented an estimated 6.2 million influenza illnesses, 3.2 million influenza-associated medical visits, 91,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations and 5,700 influenza-associated deaths.
 
How effective is this year’s vaccine?
We can’t know final numbers until flu season is over because the numbers include how many people got the shot, how many cases of the flu we saw, which strains of the flu they were, how many people were hospitalized — those types of things. Right now, it looks like it is on track with previous years, but it’s hard to say. The most recent data from the CDC shows most cases are influenza B this year, but this alone does not predict how effective the shot has been.
 
Right now, it’s February. Should you still get a flu shot if you haven’t gotten one?
Absolutely. The flu season usually goes from October all the way through April, sometimes even May. We see a bimodal uptick with a rise in cases in December and a rise in cases in February. Therefore, we recommend continuing to get the flu shot to not only avoid getting the flu, but to avoid complications from the flu, such as hospitalizations, influenza-associated illnesses like pneumonia or even death. So the short answer is, “Yes! Get your flu shot!”
 

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