Health & Medicine News | �鶹ԭ�� News

From the Clinic to the Cockpit: �鶹ԭ�� Opens New FAA-Designated Clinic for Pilots

Eddy Duryea ’13 | Photos by Eric Eraso — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:34:48 +0000

Minutes from one of the world’s most visited airports, �鶹ԭ�� has opened a new clinic to help pilots meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical requirements to fly safely.

The new �鶹ԭ�� Aerospace Medicine Clinic at �鶹ԭ�� Health Faculty Physician Practice in Lake Nona is led by William “Ed” Powers, chief medical officer of �鶹ԭ��’s and a certified aviation medical examiner.

Pilots operating civilian aircraft must have various levels of FAA medical certification depending on the type of aircraft. Commercial pilots must pass the exam every six months or each year.

“Flight safety depends on healthy pilots,” says Powers, who is certified to conduct the highest level of FAA exams. “That’s ultimately what we’re here to support.”

“Here at �鶹ԭ��, we are … connecting medicine, engineering, research and industry in ways few universities can.” — �鶹ԭ�� President Alexander N. Cartwright

�鶹ԭ�� President Alexander N. Cartwright says the clinic is an example of the university’s mission to educate talent, advance discovery and solve societal challenges that matter.

“The next era of flight will bring new demands on health and human performance,” Cartwright says. “Here at �鶹ԭ��, we are meeting those challenges by connecting medicine, engineering, research and industry in ways few universities can.”

What sets this clinic apart from others is its ability to more efficiently address the health needs of pilots thanks to a network of �鶹ԭ�� College of Medicine faculty physicians, university officials say.

The clinic marked its opening with a ceremony today.

Assessing Safety and Minimizing Risk

Medical clearance for pilots is “all about risk,” Powers says. “The FAA has to assess the risk of a pilot experiencing a sudden incapacitation while flying. That’s really what these exams are focused on.”

For that reason, the �鶹ԭ�� clinic will not focus on diagnosing disease, but on identifying and acting on any condition that might endanger pilot, crew and passenger safety.

In addition to a physical exam, pilots must pass hearing and vision tests, including demonstrating that they are not color blind. Airline pilots receive an electrocardiogram every year, while other pilots, like hobbyists, may receive an electrocardiogram if there is evidence of heart disease. Physicians also review medical history and discuss any health concerns that could affect flight safety.

Even manageable chronic conditions like high blood pressure can temporarily delay certification until the condition is treated, stabilized and controlled.

“When you’re flying an airplane, you don’t have the luxury of pulling over and waiting for help like if you’re a truck driver,” Powers says. “You must be aware at all times. If you’re responsible for an aircraft full of passengers, the FAA wants to minimize the chance of a sudden incapacitation.”

A Vast Network of Expertise

Complicated medical cases are referred to the FAA for further review, and pilots may need additional interventions to meet certification standards. That’s where the College of Medicine’s physician practice offers a distinct advantage, Powers says.

“We can guide pilots to the specialists and testing they need and help them get back on the path toward medical clearance.” — William “Ed” Powers, chief medical officer of the CASEEM

Unlike private clinics that do pilot certification exams, �鶹ԭ�� offers multiple medical specialties under one roof and a team approach to care.

“We can guide pilots to the specialists and testing they need and help them get back on the path toward medical clearance,” Powers says.

Powers brings decades of expertise in space and aviation medicine. Before joining �鶹ԭ��, he was chief of NASA’s Medical Operations Branch, director of flight medicine for Axiom Space and director of the aerospace medicine residency program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Powers also worked inside the FAA as a supervisory medical officer. He says that experience gives him a firm understanding of what the FAA requires, making the process smoother for everyone.

“That means fewer delays, fewer mistakes in paperwork and a more efficient process for pilots whose livelihoods depend on getting certified,” he says.

William “Ed” Powers demonstrates part of a hearing test with a standardized patient. Pilots are assessed for hearing, vision, cardiovascular health and more to ensure pilot safety and eliminate the risk of sudden incapacitation.

Strengthening the Regional Aviation Ecosystem

Another �鶹ԭ�� advantage: the clinic is only about 10 miles from Orlando International Airport, which welcomes 58 million travelers annually. So in addition to local aviators, pilots nationwide who travel to and through Orlando could easily schedule their certification exams at �鶹ԭ��.

“Clinics like �鶹ԭ��’s Aerospace Medicine Clinic [are] helping pilots, whether in space or on the ground, access the care and medical certification support they need to remain flight-ready.” — Lance Lyttle, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority

The clinic will help strengthen the aviation training pipeline in one of the nation’s most active aerospace regions. This capability is especially important for local flight schools whose students may require guidance in navigating medical certification, return-to-flight concerns and the health demands of aviation careers.

“Central Florida’s aviation ecosystem is built on more than runways, terminals and launchpads,” says Lance Lyttle, CEO of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which manages Orlando International and Orlando Executive airports. “It also depends on the people and services that keep aviation moving safely and efficiently. Clinics like �鶹ԭ��’s Aerospace Medicine Clinic complement that ecosystem by helping pilots, whether in space or on the ground, access the care and medical certification support they need to remain flight-ready.”

The clinic is embedded in Central Florida’s bustling travel hub with numerous satellite airports, including Kissimmee Gateway Airport and Orlando Sanford International Airport. Giving pilots another option to get cleared to fly strengthens the regional economy, says Shaun Germolus, director of aviation for the Kissimmee facility.

“The aviation industry in Central Florida provides a major economic impact to the region,” Germolus says. “The medical exams and certificates provided by the �鶹ԭ�� Aerospace Medicine Clinic will be very valuable to ensure our aviation professionals are healthy and readily available to serve.”

Launching the Clinic

The clinic is starting with limited Thursday and Friday morning appointments to allow the team to refine operations before expanding. Helping coordinate those efforts is Camila Niebla ’26, a �鶹ԭ�� health sciences graduate who now serves as the clinic’s aerospace medicine navigator.

Niebla discovered aerospace medicine by accident while exploring future career paths before applying to medical school.

“I didn’t even know aerospace medicine was a possibility,” she says. “I’ve always been interested in performance-driven medicine, like sports medicine, so this felt really exciting. It’s exciting to be part of something from the beginning and watch it grow.”

Part of a Larger Vision for Aerospace Medicine at �鶹ԭ��

The clinic is part of �鶹ԭ��’s , which is being developed as a comprehensive academic, clinical, research, education, and operational platform to support the future of aviation, commercial spaceflight, and human space exploration.

“This is about building the medical infrastructure required for the next era of flight, both on Earth and in space,” says Emmanuel Urquieta, vice chair for aerospace medicine at the �鶹ԭ�� College of Medicine. “Our goal is to create a program that is not only academic, but operational and translational in nature — one that supports student pilots, flight schools, commercial aviation, spaceflight providers and the broader aerospace ecosystem.”

Schedule an Appointment

to learn more about FAA medical exams at �鶹ԭ�� Health Faculty Physician Practice and schedule an appointment online.

�鶹ԭ�� Students, VA Doctor Develop AI Tool to Help Doctors Identify Chronic Pelvic Pain

Eddy Duryea ’13 — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:30:57 +0000

For millions of women living with chronic pelvic pain (CPP), finding answers can take far too long.

Studies have shown the condition affects nearly one in four women worldwide and is linked to dozens of potential disorders involving multiple organ systems. Yet many healthcare providers receive only limited training in diagnosing the source of pain, often leaving patients facing years of uncertainty, repeated testing and ineffective treatments before receiving the right diagnosis.

A yearlong collaboration between a �鶹ԭ�� physician-scientist and two biomedical sciences undergraduate students aims to create a better environment for doctors and patients to reach an understanding together. Biomedical sciences students Sarah Gabriela Nieto Chavarro and second-year Juliana Dimetry interned with Georgine Lamvu, a �鶹ԭ�� College of Medicine volunteer professor of obstetrics and gynecology, to transform years of international research into a practical tool to help clinicians evaluate patients more quickly and confidently.

The team is developing an AI-assisted clinical questionnaire application that guides physicians through a patient’s symptoms and identifies which organ systems and conditions should be examined. Rather than replacing a physician’s judgment, the application compiles patient histories quickly to help guide physicians toward making a clearer diagnosis.

From International Research to a Practical Tool

Despite the prevalence of CPP, many healthcare providers lack specialized training in diagnosing the underlying condition because symptoms often overlap with gastrointestinal, urinary, musculoskeletal and reproductive disorders.

“We’re hoping that this can become easy to use and can take a detailed medical history that could take an hour to get through down to just 5 to 10 minutes.” — Georgine Lamvu, volunteer professor and Orlando VA practitioner

“We’re hoping that this can become easy to use and can take a detailed medical history that could take an hour to get through down to just 5 to 10 minutes,” says Lamvu, who practices at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Orlando and directs its gynecological surgery fellowship program and center. “That allows physicians to have a more efficient evaluation and spend more time with the patient.”

The center is a pioneering program designed to address the growing demand for specialized gynecologic care among women veterans. As the number of women veterans using VA healthcare services is expected to increase significantly, this fellowship and center aims to train highly skilled gynecologists to meet their healthcare needs within the VA system and beyond.

As part of that initiative, this project builds upon nearly five years of work led by Lamvu alongside an international coalition of physicians, researchers and patient advocacy groups.

Their research culminated in an international consensus called R U MOVING SOMe, an acronym that categorizes the broad range of symptoms associated with chronic pelvic pain and is the basis of the AI-tool Lamvu and her team developed.

Finding a Definitive Diagnosis

Lamvu says the team translated the clinical research into the logic behind a chatbot-style application that asks fewer than 20 targeted questions. Physicians enter a patient’s symptoms and history into the program, which then suggests the organ systems and conditions most likely responsible for the pain, helping clinicians focus their evaluation.

The team plans to expand the application beyond patient questionnaires by incorporating physical examination findings into the same scoring system. Ultimately, the researchers say they hope it can be used in any practice that serves women, but it may be years away from being realized.

“Physicians just need a way of processing all the information that comes from the patient to narrow it down to a differential diagnosis,” Lamvu says. “Right now, it’s all too common to see healthcare workers panic a little when they hear a patient has chronic pelvic pain because it’s considered a complex condition.”

Biomedical sciences students Sarah Gabriela Nieto Chavarro (left) and Juliana Dimetry (right) with Associate Professor of Medicine Kersten Schroeder (second from right), who was instrumental in facilitating the internship with �鶹ԭ�� College of Medicine Volunteer Professor Georgine Lamvu (second from left) at the Orlando VA.

An Inspiring Internship

The students sifted through years of research and developed the logic for the AI in less than a year. Given the complexity of CPP and the vast amount of data, Lamvu says she is impressed by Dimetry and Nieto Chavarro.

“They learned valuable lessons, like if you see a problem that seems unsolvable to everyone else and that directly and negatively impacts patients, you have the power to do something about it,” she says. “These are experiences not every student gets to have, especially this early on in their life.”

Dimetry says she challenge intrigued her, and that she was drawn to the project for the opportunity to be at the forefront of medicine and emerging technology.

“I think that adapting the field of medicine to AI in ways such as this project is necessary to keep medicine growing and advancing,” she says. “I also saw how impactful this project could be if done successfully, and I wanted to be a part of that and make a difference,”

For Nieto Chavarro, who graduates Summer 2026, the experience showed her how to use technology to help deliver compassionate patient care.

“On a personal level, this experience has taught me to keep going and to never give up,” Nieto Chavarro says. “All of this has ultimately reinforced how essential it is to genuinely listen to patients so they feel safe and understood”

�鶹ԭ�� Grads Selected for Veterans Affairs Nurse Practitioner Residency

Julie Harper ’01 | Photo by Melanie Cedeño-Lopez ’23 — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:32:16 +0000

Three �鶹ԭ�� graduates have been selected for the Orlando Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care nurse practitioner residency, a highly competitive postgraduate training program at the nation’s fourth-largest VA medical center.

Only three residents are selected annually from a pool of applicants to participate in the program, in which �鶹ԭ�� has had consistent representation since its inception. This year, all three spots were awarded to �鶹ԭ�� graduates — including two who earn their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) this Saturday during a �鶹ԭ�� Summer 2026 commencement ceremony.

For , Melissa Fajardo ’11 ’23 and Nancy Saintil ’10MS ’25DNP — three first-generation college graduates and two first-generation Americans — it’s a career opportunity forged in hard work and shaped by an education at �鶹ԭ��.

“This milestone represents years of perseverance, faith, growth and the encouragement of people who believed in my potential,” says Alliance, is among the more than 300 nursing students graduating from �鶹ԭ�� this week. “It is also a reflection of the mentorship, opportunity and support I received throughout my education at �鶹ԭ��.”

“These three �鶹ԭ�� graduates are highly qualified and will excel in both their residency and future careers as nurse practitioners.” — Jacqueline LaManna ’13PhD, �鶹ԭ�� director of adult primary care nurse practitioner programs

The one-year program is designed to ease the transition into independent practice for newly graduated, licensed nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioner residents rotate through clinical settings with structured mentorship to help care for the 149,000 veterans served by the Orlando VA Healthcare System.

“This program requires advanced clinical practice, scholarship and leadership skills,” says Jacqueline LaManna ’13PhD, �鶹ԭ��’s director of the adult primary care nurse practitioner programs. “These three �鶹ԭ�� graduates are highly qualified and will excel in both their residency and future careers as nurse practitioners.”

“�鶹ԭ�� prepares nurse practitioners for success,” adds Jonathan Decker, director of the family nurse practitioner program. “Our graduates’ consistently surpass national first-time pass rate averages on board certifications and many secure employment or advanced training opportunities before graduation – just like these three.”

The graduates will begin their residency this fall at the Orlando VA Medical Center in Lake Nona, minutes away from �鶹ԭ��’s new Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion. The state-of-the-art facility is helping address critical nursing shortages — awarding more than 900 nursing degrees in the last academic year.

For Saintil, the wife of a veteran, the opportunity is deeply personal.

“Through my exposure to the VA healthcare system, I have seen firsthand the positive impact it has on the lives of America’s veterans,” she says. “I am inspired by the VA’s commitment to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care and honored to contribute to that mission.”

Together with their cohort, the three new Knight nurse practitioners are joining one of the nation’s fastest-growing occupations and meeting increasing demand in Florida. Driven by physician shortages and a growing and aging population, the growth rate of nurse practitioners in the Sunshine State is projected to be 41.6% by 2034.

Meet them here.

Mimi Alliance ’22 aims to become a family nurse practitioner known for compassionate, patient-centered care and lasting relationships with those she serves.

Mimi Alliance ’22

What inspired your nursing career?
From an early age, I knew I wanted a career in healthcare where I could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. As I grew older, I became drawn to the structure and mission of public service, particularly organizations with the ability to improve health at both the individual and community level.

How did �鶹ԭ�� prepare you for practice?
�鶹ԭ�� prepared me through academic rigor, diverse clinical training, faculty mentorship and meaningful opportunities to serve the community. �鶹ԭ��’s Family Nurse Practitioner doctoral program challenged me to strengthen my clinical reasoning, communicate clearly, and think beyond the walls of the clinic.

For example, my doctoral project provided hearing screenings for older adults in Central Florida based in �鶹ԭ��’s Mobile Health Clinic. Working alongside faculty, providers, audiologists, students and community partners taught me how collaboration can improve preventive care.

As a student who carried significant responsibility early in life, being part of the �鶹ԭ�� community allowed me to fully experience scholarship, service, leadership and connection.

In the future…
My long-term goal is to become an exceptional family nurse practitioner known for compassionate, whole-person care, strong clinical reasoning and meaningful relationships with patients over time.

I also see education as part of my professional identity and hope to continue mentoring future nurses and nurse practitioner students.

Inspired by the hospice nurses who cared for her grandparents, Melissa Fajardo ’11 ’23 traded a 20-year career with the Orange County Corrections Department for a new calling in nursing.

Melissa Fajardo ’11 ’23

What inspired your nursing career?
Nursing is my second career. I initially worked as a first responder and worked with the Orange County Corrections Department for more than 20 years.

I was inspired to pursue a nursing career after watching my grandparents transition through life in the care of the most genuine and loving hospice nursing staff.

How did �鶹ԭ�� prepare you for practice?
�鶹ԭ�� has been instrumental in my education. I grew up in Massachusetts and was the first in my family to consider attending college. I chose �鶹ԭ�� for my first degree and have continued to choose �鶹ԭ��. I love the campus and the education.

The mentorship of my professors, especially in the doctoral program, has given me the confidence to believe in my ability to pursue a higher-level role.

In the future…
After completing the residency, my goal is to secure a full-time position with the VA as a family nurse practitioner in one of the primary care clinics in Central Florida.

I come from a long line of veterans, beginning with my grandfather who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and providing care to veterans is an incredible privilege. While we can never fully repay them for their sacrifices, I believe we have a responsibility to honor them by providing compassionate, high-quality, and respectful healthcare. I want to become the kind of provider who not only manages chronic illnesses, but also empowers veterans to take an active role in their health and ensures they always feel heard, respected and valued.

Nearly 16 years into her nursing career, Nancy Saintil ’10MSN ’25DNP found a new calling after her father’s stroke: becoming an even stronger advocate for vulnerable patients.

Nancy Saintil ’10MSN ’25DNP

What inspired your nursing career?
My mom was a nursing assistant, and she encouraged me to pursue a career in the profession. I remember as a child watching her with patients, and I wanted to care for others as she did.

After nearly 16 years in nursing and following my father’s stroke, I felt called to expand my role in patient care. That experience inspired me to become a stronger advocate for vulnerable populations, including those who may struggle to access or trust the healthcare system.

As a nurse practitioner, I hope to make a meaningful difference by providing compassionate, patient-centered care and serving as a voice for those who need it most.

How did �鶹ԭ�� prepare you for practice?
�鶹ԭ�� prepared me for my career as a primary care nurse practitioner by combining strong academic instruction with meaningful clinical experiences.

Many of the faculty are practicing nurse practitioners, which allowed them to bring real-world experiences into the classroom. Their expertise, mentorship, and commitment to student success helped bridge the gap between theory and practice and strengthened my readiness to enter clinical practice.

Through rigorous coursework, hands-on lab experiences, and strong clinical partnerships, I gained exposure to diverse patient populations and healthcare settings.

These experiences have equipped me with the foundational knowledge and skills to contribute meaningfully to the VA.

In the future…
Upon completion of the residency, I hope to continue serving veterans within the VA healthcare system and build a fulfilling career in primary care, providing compassionate, evidence-based care.

New �鶹ԭ�� Study Links Microgravity, Space Radiation to Accelerated Aging

Eddy Duryea ’13 — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:12:21 +0000

What happens to the human body in space may help scientists create new anti-aging therapies.

�鶹ԭ�� Professor Michal Masternak and his team have identified molecular changes in the liver that happen when space travelers experience radiation and microgravity. These changes – that resemble accelerated aging – provide new insight into how prolonged space missions may increase health risks for astronauts and reveal potential targets for therapies that could combat age-related diseases on Earth.

“Just 24 hours after radiation exposure, there are many genetic changes in the liver that are remarkably similar to what happens during aging.” — Professor Michal Masternak

“We focused on the liver because it is one of the major metabolic organs in our body,” says Masternak, leader of the College of Medicine’s aging and space medicine research efforts. “What we found was that just 24 hours after radiation exposure, there are many genetic changes in the liver that are remarkably similar to what happens during aging. We can assume that if someone were in space much longer, the damage could be much greater.”

The findings were recently published in GeroScience.

Professor Michal Masternak says the space industry provides unique opportunities to study aging at an accelerated pace. (Photo by Eddy Duryea ’13 )

Navigating the Science

For their study, �鶹ԭ�� researchers and scientists from the U.S. created a simulated deep space environment in the lab. The team exposed animal models to simulated microgravity for 14 days and galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle events at NASA Space Radiation Laboratory trying to mimic the dosage that astronauts would be exposed to during a trip to Mars.

The exposure triggered noticeable and potentially harmful changes in the liver, including increased cellular senescence (aging and decreased cell function), inflammation and fibrosis. Left untreated, these conditions can eventually lead to declining and even failing organ function.

The research team then compared their results with data collected from astronaut blood samples taken during the NASA Twins Study and Inspiration4 astronauts. They saw similar genetic changes in blood.

“We’ve got this raw data from human studies, and they show that some of these changes are similar,” Masternak says. “That tells us we’re identifying useful molecular targets that one day could help protect astronauts during long-duration space missions.”

They also went a step further to see whether the changes could be treated. They identified a group of molecules known as antagomirs that alter several aging and inflammatory genetic pathways by interacting with the body’s microRNA. This system could pinpoint promising future therapies for space travelers.

(From left to right): Biotechnology graduate student Sarah Siddiqi, researcher Mishfak Mansoor, �鶹ԭ�� Professor Michal Masternak and biomedical sciences doctoral student Md Tanjim Alam. (Photo by Eddy Duryea ’13 )

Understanding Aging in the Space Age

Masternak says the nation’s growing space industry provides a unique opportunity to study aging at an accelerated pace.

“Very often when we study different aging processes, it takes time,” he says. “Even in humans, it’s almost impossible because it would take decades. But if we see some acceleration of aging in space, then we can translate it to human studies. We can observe processes happening much faster, understand them better and eventually use that knowledge to improve health for people here on Earth.”

“If we see some acceleration of aging in space, then … we can observe processes happening much faster, understand them better and eventually use that knowledge to improve health for people here on Earth.” — Masternak

Those discoveries could eventually lead to therapies that slow age-related diseases, preserve organ function and improve quality of life for everyone as they age.

“Our understanding of aging is very complex,” Masternak says. “Aging isn’t simply wrinkles or cosmetic changes. It’s the gradual and cascading failure of multiple organs and biological systems that happen at the same time. By understanding what starts that process and where it happens, we have a better chance of preventing many diseases before they develop. That is one of the biggest outstanding questions.”

Students Positioned at the Forefront of Space Medicine

College of Medicine students are also benefitting from space medicine research. Biomedical sciences Ph.D. student Md Tanjim Alam ’25MS joined Masternak’s laboratory during his biotechnology master’s program after initially planning to study cancer in relation to aging biology. Then he was introduced to space medicine, including processing astronaut samples from commercial space travelers to study how extreme environments affect human biology. That research has inspired him.

“I want to keep exploring the unknown,” Alam says. “I really want to understand how space travel influences human health, particularly its effects on aging and cancer.”

��ǳٱ𳦳�ԴǱ��ǲ��ܲ��ٱ��ٳܻ��Գ����.��徱�羱��’24��says the interdisciplinary nature of the research attracted her to the space medicine and aging lab.

“When people think of aging, they think only about elderly populations,” says Siddiqi, who earned her bachelor’s degree as a Burnett Honors Scholar in biomedical sciences. “But we study aging across different stages of life and different environments, including space. I’ll always be focused on improving quality of life. I want to better understand diseases that are increasingly prevalent and find ways to recognize them earlier, before they progress to later stages.”

Funding and Disclosure:

��Գپ��Բ��,��Natalie Hayslip ’24 served as first author, while Sarah Ashiqueali ’21MS ’24PhD, Xiang Zhu, Ridwan Hussein ’22 and Mishfak Mansoor also contributed to the research. Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also contributed.

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Award Number (FAIN): 2317758(MMM), Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program of the Florida Department of Health, Public Health Research, Biomedical Research Program 24A12 (MMM), and the National Science Centre, Poland UMO-2023/51/B/NZ5/00498 (MMM).

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the awarding agencies.

�鶹ԭ�� Students Reimagine Clothing Through Adaptive Design

Paul Kelly — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:49:56 +0000

At the �鶹ԭ�� College of Health Professions and Sciences Rehabilitation Innovation Center, clothing becomes a tool for care. Students are combining health expertise and design to help people reclaim independence, confidence and comfort in daily living.

Through the Spring 2026 Health Tech Innovators Adaptive Clothing Hackathon, students across disciplines including physical therapy, health sciences, medicine, health services administration, and engineering worked together to redesign everyday garments around the needs of people facing medical, cognitive, and sensory challenges.

This year’s project immersed students in real world healthcare challenges, pairing interprofessional teams with patient volunteers in the community and their caregivers to identify barriers created by traditional clothing and create personalized solutions.

“It’s one thing to build something that works,” says Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Healthcare Innovation Bari Hoffman, who led the program. “It’s another thing to build something that’s usable, comfortable and actually fits into someone’s daily activities.”

Interprofessional student teams showcased their adaptive clothing designs in a final presentation in which patient volunteers modeled the garments. (Photo by Grayson Keglovic)

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For physical therapy doctoral student Ashley Peitz, the project revealed how something as ordinary as getting dressed can become physically exhausting when clothing isn’t designed with accessibility in mind.

“We’re working with a stroke survivor, and he wears a device on his left leg and has difficulty getting pants on and off without his [WalkAide device] getting in the way,” Peitz says. “It makes things like going to the bathroom take longer, or just getting dressed take a little longer, which is fatiguing for him.”

Students began the multi-month project by hearing from entrepreneurs in the adaptive clothing industry before interviewing and assessing their patient volunteers to better understand their daily routines, needs and personal preferences.

For Peitz’s team, those conversations revealed not only the physical challenges their volunteer faces, but also his desire to maintain a sense of normalcy and personal style.

“His main goal was finding an easier way to take his garments on and off while still looking like everyday attire,” Peitz says. “Everyone wants to fit in. Even something as simple as not having a shirt that fits correctly, or allows for your medical device to fit underneath, can make you feel outside the norm.”

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After developing a garment design plan, presenting it for peer feedback and securing materials, students quickly learned the project required more than creativity. It demanded adaptability, communication and collaboration across disciplines.

“I think a lot of times, engineers think of a really cool, innovative idea, but sometimes the comfort and practicality of a human actually using it isn’t the most ideal,” says mechanical engineering major Jannah Barakat. “You shift from more of a product standpoint to more of a human-centered approach.”

“I’m able to be a professional problem solver and learn how I can take something that is different for somebody else and really cater it to their needs.” — Sari Greenstein, �鶹ԭ�� student

Health sciences major Sari Greenstein and her team designed clothing for Marlie, a young girl with cerebral palsy who loves bright colors and Disney, especially Princess Tiana. They modified a sweatshirt and sweatpants with openings for a medical port and feeding tube and added zippered access points to the arms and the legs to make dressing and undressing easier for caregivers.

“It’s a process [with] a lot of iteration and a lot of cultivation,” Greenstein says. “I’m able to be a professional problem solver and learn how I can take something that is different for somebody else and really cater it to their needs.”

Students researched user needs, learned garment fabrication skills, and designed adaptive clothing solutions to improve comfort, accessibility, and independence for individuals with medical needs. (Photo by Grayson Keglovic)

Mission-Driven Work

During fabrication day, students assembled their garments with guidance from sewing professionals. Volunteers later returned to try on the finished outfits and provide feedback on the fit before final adjustments were made.

The project culminated in a final presentation during which student teams explained their designs and the patient volunteers modeled the clothing.

“We are not just changing clothing,” Hoffman says. “We’re actually changing how people move through their daily activities, how they feel about themselves and how independently they can live.”

The experience also reinforced the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare.

“My biggest takeaway from this project is how important it is to work with all the other professions, especially in healthcare,” Peitz says. “We all need to come together to make the patient’s health our first priority.”

The Health Tech Innovators program was developed in part through a grant from VentureWell to promote innovation in healthcare technology. ��徱�پ��ǲԲ��upport and materials were provided �ٳ��ǳܲ��funding from the Chesley G. Magruder Foundation.

�鶹ԭ��-Led VERA Project Reaches 2 Major Milestones for VR Research

Julie Harper ’01 — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:30:23 +0000

After years of research and development led by experts at �鶹ԭ�� in collaboration with researchers from universities across the U.S. and in Europe, the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA) has reached two major milestones: powering its first full-scale study to address one of virtual reality’s most persistent barriers to adoption and awarding its first use grant to enhance immersive learning and information across industries.

VERA, a platform funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is the first, large-scale system for extended reality human subjects research and designed to advance the speed, scale and scope of immersive research. The platform enables immersive researchers to design, deploy, and manage virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) studies with remote participants therefore significantly improving the quality of the science, while reducing costs, lowering logistical barriers and expanding participant reach.

“No one has built anything like VERA before,” says Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch, lead principal investigator on VERA. “The team was really starting from scratch to create this national platform, integrating AI technologies and establishing policies and procedures that will produce methodologically rigorous behavioral data.”

“We’re excited for VERA to now start to run in an open beta mode and reach these two firsts,” Welch continues.

Cybersickness occurs when symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and discomfort are caused by a mismatch between visual motion in a headset and the user’s physical motion.

Accelerating Understanding of Cybersickness

For its first major large-scale study leveraging remote participants, VERA is helping researchers address one of the most persistent challenges in virtual reality: cybersickness.

Cybersickness occurs when symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and discomfort are caused by a mismatch between visual motion in a headset and the user’s physical motion. Associate Professor of Computer Science Gerd Bruder, who is an affiliate researcher in the Institute of Simulation and Training, is leading the research study in collaboration with other �鶹ԭ�� researchers and external partners.

“Understanding who is susceptible to cybersickness is critical to improving VR accessibility, making VR more comfortable for all users and enabling broader adoption across research, education and industry,” Bruder says.

Early data collection highlights the powerful capabilities of the VERA platform to accelerate VR research at an unprecedented scale.

In just 15 cumulative days, VERA had more than 250 participants complete the full study protocol. In comparison, the original in-lab study collected data from just 30 participants and in traditional VR research settings, studies with hundreds of participants often require several months to complete.

For the study, each participant experiences a controlled VR rollercoaster ride on their own headset and provides sickness ratings at periodic intervals, a pre- and post- exposure questionnaire, an in-VR visual acuity assessment, and continuous head-tracking data. Each session is completed in approximately 30 minutes at home.

“The sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning.”

Enrollment is ongoing with a target of 2,000 participants. Preliminary analyses already suggest meaningful individual differences in how quickly and severely participants experience cybersickness.

“VERA was built to study problems like this with a combination of speed, scale and experimental complexity not previously possible,” Welch says. “The sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning.”

AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation Greg Welch (left) and Associate Professor Gerd Bruder from �鶹ԭ��’s Institute for Simulation and Training (right) are leading the VERA initiative and first study.

Groundbreaking Immersive Learning Project

For the first project selected in its Use Grant program, VERA is supporting innovative research to study how different immersive technologies engage learners in different ways. The study will help inform how to leverage emerging technologies in education, cultural institutions, public engagement and more.

The grant was awarded to the San José State University School of Information Library Technology Integration Lab in Silicon Valley and New Media Learning, one of the largest providers of virtual reality programming in public libraries.

The project will support a collaborative virtual reality research environment integrated with VERA with participants from across the U.S. in public libraries, universities and other sites.

Researchers will collect behavioral and interaction data including attention patterns, object interaction, navigation pathways, movement, clicks, engagement metrics, and time-on-task, supplemented by surveys and participant feedback. The resulting research environment will serve a scalable prototype for future applications to make immersive learning experiences more accessible to communities worldwide.

A distinguishing feature of the project is the active involvement of San José State University undergraduate and graduate students from the School of Information who will work alongside faculty researchers and technology partners to gain hands-on experience.

“Being selected as the first VERA Use Grant recipient is both an honor and an extraordinary opportunity,” says Anthony S. Chow, professor in the San José State University School of Information and founder of the Library Technology Integration Lab. “Through this collaboration, we hope to generate research that helps libraries, educators, museums and community organizations leverage virtual reality to address some of society’s most important challenges while creating meaningful research opportunities for students.”

“We are excited to welcome San José State University and New Media Learning as the first recipients of a VERA Use Grant,” Welch says. “Their expertise in libraries, immersive learning, public engagement and emerging technologies makes them ideal partners for demonstrating how VERA can accelerate impactful XR research. We believe this collaboration will help establish new models for studying learning, engagement, and information behavior in immersive environments.”

�鶹ԭ�� Researcher Studying Probiotics to Fight Acid Reflux, Esophageal Cancer

Eric Eraso — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:37 +0000

Patients with acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid pushes up into the esophagus, know the symptoms all too well: heartburn, belching, chest pain and trouble swallowing. In addition to these ailments, acid reflux also increases the risk of esophageal cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of about 22%, according to the American Cancer Society

�鶹ԭ�� College of Medicine Associate Professor Claudia Andl, a throat and oral cancer researcher, is investigating how a simple probiotic could treat and prevent both conditions..

�鶹ԭ�� College of Medicine Associate Professor Claudia Andl, a throat and oral cancer researcher, is investigating how a simple probiotic could treat and prevent both conditions. The research is funded by a one-year, more than $380,000 grant from the Florida Department of Health’s Florida Cancer Innovation Fund.

Probiotics are live microorganisms — usually bacteria or yeasts — that support and strengthen health by increasing the body’s population of healthy cells. Many people take probiotics to improve gut health and digestion. Andl’s research is focused on using a healthy bacteria called Lactobacillus spp. to treat esophageal damage caused by acid reflux and improve the microbial environment in the esophagus to reduce the risk of cancer.

In patients with acid reflux — as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic and more severe form of the digestive condition — stomach acid burns through the lining of the esophagus, causing inflammation and DNA damage to surrounding cells. Over time, those cellular changes can create a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which increases the risk for esophageal cancer. In addition, when the throat’s bacterial environment becomes dominated by stomach acids and salts, healthy bacteria struggle to survive. Harmful bacteria take their place, causing further cell damage and inflammation that increases cancer risk. Introducing Lactobacillus spp. into disease models has solved both issues.

“We all talk about how important it is to eat yogurt or drink kombucha so that we maintain a healthy bacterial residence in all your organs. And it’s the same in the esophagus.”

“The reintroduction of beneficial bacteria works two-fold,” Andl says. “It restores a normal environment again, but also these Lactobacilli are known to suppress inflammation and repair the DNA damage.”

“We all talk about how important it is to eat yogurt or drink kombucha so that we maintain a healthy bacterial residence in all your organs,” Andl continues. “And it’s the same in the esophagus.”

Early results have shown a reduction in Barrett’s esophagus, and if cancer develops at all, it occurs much later than in models not treated with the probiotic.

Andl says she hopes her research will inform new therapies and provide more information on how to keep the body’s microbial balance healthy to fight disease. She notes this is especially important as data also shows Barett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer are increasing in patients under ages 60-70, the average age for these patient populations.

“We aim to improve outcomes for the large number of reflux patients at risk for cancer,” Andl says. “Playing a role in that would be incredibly rewarding.”

Andl joined �鶹ԭ�� in 2016 after receiving her Ph.D. in cell biology from the University Duisburg-Essen in Germany and conducting postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania.

This research is sponsored by the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund and the Florida Department of Health.

�鶹ԭ�� Scientist Leads Research to Break Through Harmful Bacterial “Fortresses”

Eddy Duryea ’13 — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:19:55 +0000

College of Medicine Assistant Professor Renee Fleeman continues to refine a powerful therapy for drug-resistant bacteria that pierces the gooey coating that anchors and protects such germs from the drugs we take to kill them.

��research, backed by a five-year $813,130 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant, found that an antimicrobial peptide naturally found in cows weakens the biofilm defenses of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria and destroys it.

Now in their fourth year of research, Fleeman and her lab have discovered exactly how the peptide works in findings published in PLOS Pathogens.

“Our research is very advantageous for healthcare because about 80% of bacterial infections being treated in the clinic are bacteria living in a biofilm state, which makes them resistant to virtually every antibiotic available,” she says.

The results represent a critical step to potentially applying this peptide as a therapy and eventually treating patients, as the findings show they can and kill biofilm-embedded bacteria in animal models.

Robert Beckman ’23 shows an isolated experiment that demonstrates how their peptide kills K. pneumoniae, which is a critical step before testing in animal or human models.

Parsing out the Peptide

K. pneumoniae is found in the intestines and is usually harmless, however, the bacterium develops resistance over a person’s lifetime as they are exposed to antibiotics. The bacteria also can spread from the intestine to other parts of the body in immunocompromised patients and those who have internal ruptures or exposure to contaminated medical devices. That exposure can lead to pneumonia, urinary tract or wound infections.

“What happens is the bacteria infects the wound, proliferates, and then invades through the bloodstream where it travels to the liver, kidneys and spleen,” Fleeman says. “We found our peptide was able to decrease the bacteria at the source while limiting the bacteria’s ability to move through the blood.”

Fleeman and her lab’s most recent study found that the peptide triggers a dual stress response that tricks the bacteria to break out of their protective biofilm.

They discovered the genetics of a specific protein in the bacterium when turned on in the germ causes it to break from its own protective biofilm. The peptide, in effect, damages the protection and then stresses the bacterium into shedding its protection, making the germ more sensitive to antibiotics and the body’s immune system.

“By hitting the membrane as well as protein synthesis at the same time, it’s a double punch that triggers a genetic change in the cell to make it think it needs to break out of the biofilm as a response to our peptide,” Fleeman says.

The team says their sustained research aims to demonstrate that their peptide can work synergistically with existing antibiotics. They envision long-term applications could involve a topical cream that weakens the bacteria’s defenses and allows standard antibiotics to work more effectively.

“We’re moving our research forward and we’re very hopeful,” Fleeman says.

Renee Fleeman’s lab group is comprised of students who, under Fleeman’s mentorship, gain valuable research experience. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart)

Preparing for the Post-Antibiotic Era

The first author of this new work is Robert Beckman ’23, who graduated from �鶹ԭ�� with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences, managed Fleeman’s lab and is now on his way to the University of Michigan for his Ph.D.

His previous work as an EMT gave him firsthand exposure to infectious diseases and their impact on patients. He says helping to lead the study and working with Fleeman helped prepare him for a career in medical research.

“I have developed a strong foundation in research and gained insight into the many components that define an effective scientist,” he says. “My long-term goal is to remain in academia and eventually lead my own research lab. I plan to continue focusing on bacteriology, with a particular emphasis on pathogenic bacteria and drug discovery applications.”

Funding and Disclosure:

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R00AI163295. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

�鶹ԭ�� Materials Science and Engineering Alum Recognized for Medical Device Innovation

Bel Huston — Thu, 21 May 2026 13:30:28 +0000

The ultra-fine wires Cacie McDorman ’20 helps develop are small in size but transformative in impact.

Now a global project manager for wire technology at Alleima Advanced Materials, the materials science and engineering alum has earned the company’s 2026 Innovation Prize for her work advancing wires used in critical medical devices such as continuous glucose monitors, hearing implants and pacemakers. The annual award recognizes excellence in product development.

“The work I do is very rewarding. Every day, I get to contribute to advancing medical care and treatment,” McDorman says. “If it’s a medical device and it has a wire, Alleima is likely contributing to it somehow.”

�鶹ԭ�� alum Cacie McDorman ’20 serves as global project manager for wire technology at Alleima Advanced Materials.

McDorman earned her doctoral degree from �鶹ԭ�� under Associate Professor Swaminathan Rajaraman, who directs the , where researchers develop micro- and nanoscale solutions spanning biotechnology, pharmacology, plant sciences and medical devices.

“I chose �鶹ԭ�� because the [materials science and engineering] program was highly rated … and had a wide variety of research areas …”

Before coming to �鶹ԭ��, McDorman earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in physics, but discovered a passion for applied research that required a deeper focus on materials.

“When I decided to pursue a Ph.D., materials science and engineering was a natural choice,” she says. “I chose �鶹ԭ�� because the program was highly rated, small and had a wide variety of research areas that I was interested in.”

Through her doctoral studies, McDorman found a more biology-focused side of materials science. Her work with biosensors in Rajaraman’s lab ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in the medical device industry.

She credits her research experience at �鶹ԭ�� with preparing her for work at Alleima, where 90% of her unit’s business supports medical device manufacturing.

“The company has a rich history of materials innovation in steel and nickel-based alloys,” McDorman says. “Since we produce wire, I am constantly using base materials science knowledge to process the material in a way that achieves a specific set of properties in the end product.”

She says she has always aimed for a position that would allow her to make a positive contribution to society, an opportunity she is grateful to have at Alleima.

For new graduates considering a similar path, McDorman encourages them to connect with �鶹ԭ�� alumni on LinkedIn and to explore job opportunities in Florida’s growing manufacturing industry, particularly in Volusia and Flagler counties.

“We put a lot into our work every day because we truly care about ensuring the best possible patient outcomes,” she says. “It is great that our efforts have been recognized by the business.”

�鶹ԭ�� Researcher Develops “Smart, Tiny Bubbles” to Treat Cancer and Heart Disease

Wendy Sarubbi — Wed, 20 May 2026 14:21:52 +0000

A cell 500 times thinner than a human hair could heal hearts and kill cancer cells, thanks to a patent-pending technology created by a �鶹ԭ�� researcher and now licensed to a university donor in hopes of getting it to clinical trials.

Dinender Singla, professor and head of the College of Medicine’s Division of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Sciences, developed a system that turns exosomes — vesicles that cells secrete to communicate with one another — into delivery vehicles for medical treatments.

This innovative technology, for which �鶹ԭ�� is seeking patent protection, places therapeutics inside exosomes and coats them with cell-specific markers that direct them to an exact area of the body to deliver the drug.

“I call these smart tiny bubbles,” Singla says. “Millions of people have heart disease, and they take multiple drugs in extremely high doses. But we have no way to be certain these drugs are getting to where they need to go. We need innovative technologies to get treatments exactly where they need to go to cure the problem.”

From left to right: Research Scientist Chandrakala Aluganti Narasimhulu, Jonatas De Mendonca Rolando ’23MS ’26PhD, a �鶹ԭ�� post-doc, �鶹ԭ�� doctoral student Omonzejie Imaralu ’22MS, Dinender Singla and Chakri Toleti.

How the Therapy Works

This discovery is part of Singla’s work to provide therapies to treat and prevent heart disease, including heart damage caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and targeted radiation to the chest. That heart damage seems to be caused by inflammatory factors that treatments use to kill cancer cells. Technology developed by Singla encapsulates anti-inflammatory heart treatments in exosomes and then delivers the drug to the exact area of heart damage.

“They can treat cancer and protect the heart.” — �鶹ԭ�� Professor Dinender Singla

As part of this research, Singla’s team also developed technologies to deliver cancer-killing drugs inside exosomes. They chose triple-negative breast cancer for their research, the deadliest form of the disease, with a 77%–78% five-year survival rate. In the lab, the therapy showed significant promise in killing cancer cells – at much lower doses that are used in chemotherapy – while also protecting the heart. So the exosome therapy could help cancer patients without the severe side effects of chemotherapy.

“These therapies can work hand-in-hand,” Singla said. “They can treat cancer and protect the heart.”

Financial Investment is Key for Drug Development

The next step will be manufacturing the therapy for clinical use and advancing into FDA clinical trials for heart disease and cancer treatment. To help accelerate that path, Singla partnered with Orlando investor and �鶹ԭ�� donor Chakri Toleti, a healthcare technology entrepreneur focused on building category-defining businesses through AI and agentic platforms, biomedical innovation and ambient intelligence including most recently care.ai, which was acquired by Stryker in 2024.

Through his innovation fund, TCapital, Toleti backs transformative technologies designed to improve healthcare delivery and reduce human suffering at scale. Together, Singla and Toleti invested in and formed Exomic to fund continued research, clinical development, and commercialization of the technology.

“This was an opportunity to do something truly innovative in cancer and cardiovascular treatment.” — Chakri Toleti, �鶹ԭ�� donor

Toleti says his passion for advancing cancer research is deeply personal after losing his father to the disease.

“This was an opportunity to do something truly innovative in cancer and cardiovascular treatment,” he says. “Dr. Singla’s work represents a fundamental shift toward new biomedical platforms not only in how targeted therapies are delivered in the human body, but in how we think about treatment and healing itself.”

Such public-private partnerships are one of the goals of , which drives innovation, enterprise, and collaboration across disciplines.

“Dr. Singla’s groundbreaking exosome delivery system perfectly exemplifies how university innovation translates into significant, life-saving benefits for society,” says Winston V. Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation. “As demonstrated by the creation of Exomic, industry partnership is essential for driving such pioneering technologies towards successful translation and real-world clinical use.”

The effort is also providing exciting learning opportunities for College of Medicine graduate students. Jonatas De Mendonca Rolando ’23MS ’26PhD earned his Ph.D. in biomedical sciences earlier this month. He is staying at �鶹ԭ�� as a post-doctoral researcher to continue creating the exosome therapy.

He helped develop protocols and procedures for the delicate technology and saw its impact in the lab. He’s excited to have a financial supporter who can help take the therapy from lab to, he hopes, patients.

“It’s been amazing to part of a high-tech project and see leadership in science,” he says. “I am very excited for my future.”

Researcher Background

Singla is the AdventHealth Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Sciences at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences and is a faculty fellow with the �鶹ԭ�� Office of Research. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Punjabi University, Patiala, India, and his Ph.D. from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and has continually been funded by the American Heart Association and/or the National Institutes of Health since 2004.

About TCapital

TCapital is an AI, Frontier Tech and Life Sciences innovation fund investing in category-defining platforms and infrastructure. Founded by healthcare technology entrepreneur Chakri Toleti, T-Capital invests in companies shaping the future of treatment, care, and biomedical innovation. For more information, visit TCapital.com.