To reduce these challenges, associate professors of health sciences Michael Rovito and Keith Brazendale in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Health Sciences are conducting a 6-month intervention study, which is funded by the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund.

The National Cancer Institute estimates survival rates for testicular cancer are high, as about 10,000 men are diagnosed each year and fewer than 5% die from the disease 鈥� underscoring the need to improve quality of life for these patients.

鈥淥ur focus is on finding ways to improve the quality of life for these survivors, and to improve their mental, emotional and social health,鈥� says Rovito, who has researched testicular cancer and men鈥檚 health for nearly two decades.

A New Approach to Survivorship Care

Previous survivorship programs have often focused on high-intensity exercise, which can be difficult for patients managing recovery, work and family demands. To develop a more sustainable path to recovery, Rovito and Brazendale are testing a uniquely designed intervention in Florida, known as the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program.

PACT combines low-impact, remote, physical activity with an online support network to help survivors navigate psychosocial challenges. Participants engage in regular low-intensity physical activity, such as walking or taking the stairs, and track their progress using Fitbit devices. The devices provide real-time feedback, allowing researchers to set weekly goals and offer personalized guidance. This feedback loop helps participants stay engaged while building sustainable habits.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeking an intervention they can do for the rest of their lives,鈥� Brazendale says. 鈥淲e want these healthy supports to become habit.鈥�

Support Beyond Physical Recovery

Connected through Zoom sessions, PACT program participants receive personalized counsel and encouragement from the researchers directly. They also take part in virtual peer-support sessions led by a social worker and a survivor advocate trained in trauma-informed care. Monthly sessions include breathwork, meditation and discussions on common concerns such as fertility, relationship changes and fear of recurrence.

鈥淭he online support session provides coping strategies and tools for the participants to use during the day, when they can feel anxious or depressed or overwhelmed,鈥� Rovito says.

Outside of the meetings, researchers stay in touch regularly with individual messages to participants, sending tailored motivational text messages.

鈥淥ur hope is that we are providing realistic physical activity changes that are sustainable when the monitoring ends,鈥� says Brazendale. 鈥淲e want these survivors to have adopted habits and skills that result in them being healthier over the long-term.鈥�

The researchers say they hope to expand the program to other cancer survivor groups and integrate it into broader survivorship care across Florida, while securing additional funding for larger-scale trials.

The Feasibility of the Physical Activity and Connectivity for Testicular Cancer Survivors (PACT) program is supported by a grant from the Florida Department of Health Cancer Innovation Fund grant number 25C33.聽

The inductees and their respective academies are: Interim Dean Matthew Theriot (Social Work), Associate Dean of Research Jennifer Kent-Walsh (Speech-Language Pathology), Department of Health Sciences Chair Gail Kauwell (Nutrition and Dietetics), Director for the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders Ann Eddins (Audiology), Associate Professor Nicole Dawson (Physical Therapy), Clinical Associate Professor Carey Rothschild (Physical Therapy) and Assistant Professor Susanny Beltran (Social Work). The honors were bestowed at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 15.

Prior to his appointment as interim dean, Theriot served as the director of the School of Social Work where he implemented a professional and community education program, grew interprofessional research opportunities, and elevated the school鈥檚 graduate rankings. As the interim dean, he provides leadership to the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the Department of Health Sciences, the School of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, and the School of Social Work. Theriot鈥檚 career includes more than two decades of higher education teaching and research coupled with years of executive leadership roles centered around implementing strategic initiatives. He previously worked as a school social worker, mobile crisis counselor and child welfare worker. Theriot is active in professional service on a national level, chairing the Council on Social Work Education鈥檚 Commission on Membership and Professional Development.

Kent-Walsh is a Pegasus Professor and the associate dean of research and faculty excellence within CHPS, the director of the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology Center and leads the Assistive Technology Center Lab. Kent-Walsh has earned more than two dozen awards and accolades for excellence in teaching, service, research and innovation during her more than 20-year career in higher education and has worked extensively in interdisciplinary teaching and clinical roles. A highly accomplished researcher, she has secured millions in funding to further her research which focuses on aided language development and augmentative and alternative communication, has presented her work extensively nationally and internationally, and has led a variety of initiatives in the college to advance interdisciplinary research and practice.

An experienced educator, researcher and registered dietician nutritionist with more than four decades of experience in academia focused on nutrition and dietetics education and practice, Kauwell has served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences for the last six years. Her mentoring skills and passion for educating future healthcare professionals have been recognized with multiple awards for teaching and mentoring excellence. Her research record, which focuses on folate and vitamin B12, has been published in top-ranked journals with findings translated into materials for healthcare professionals and consumers. Kauwell most recently spearheaded the development of the department鈥檚 first graduate program, the master鈥檚 in health promotion and behavioral sciences.

Eddins, a professor and the director of the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has more than 30 years of academic and leadership experience in the field. She is a clinical audiologist and classically trained neuroscientist who has centered her clinical and research interests on neural encoding, neural plasticity aging and rehabilitative intervention 鈥� working to better understand the neural bases of auditory perception in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired individuals. Her research has been continuously funded by the NIH, NSF, private industry and foundations. Eddins is also a leader on a national level, serving as past President of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences & Disorders and on the Board of Directors and journal editor for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Dawson has been involved with interprofessional education, practice and research throughout her 22-year career. An associate professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and director of the Aging and Longevity Initiatives for Vitality & Enrichment Lab, Dawson鈥檚 clinical work and research has centered around healthy aging and improving the quality of life for seniors. She is a Board Certified Geriatric Physical Therapist Emeritus who has been recognized by both the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy and the American Physical Therapy Association for her outstanding work as an educator. She holds an appointment with 麻豆原创鈥檚 Faculty Cluster Initiative in Disability, Aging and Technology, an interdisciplinary collaboration that explores innovations to better support aging populations.

A clinical associate professor in the Division of Physical Therapy, Rothschild is a board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy and orthopedic physical therapy, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a Menopause Society certified practitioner. Her areas of interest are determining best practices for the assessment and treatment of persistent pain to improve the health of patients. Rothschild has more than 25 years of clinical practice experience, collaborating with interprofessional and intraprofessional teams to deliver cost-effective, collaborative and patient-centered care to those with chronic pain. She has been recognized nationally for her teaching excellence, and recently helped lead the implementation of a new Women鈥檚 Health Physical Therapy Residency program in conjunction with Orlando Health. She also serves as editor in chief of the prominent publication Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Practice.

Beltran, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work and a co-director of the Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training is committed to fostering interdisciplinary education and research in social change and development. Her expertise is in gerontological social work and her research concentrates on end-of-life care, advance care planning and challenges that may come with working in hospice and nursing home settings. Beltran aims to enhance collaborative practice in the care of older adults and improve access and navigation of end-of-life care for older adults while preparing social workers for effective practice in interdisciplinary settings.

The NAP Academies also include dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, psychology, respiratory care and veterinary medicine.

These faculty members join four CHPS faculty previously inducted into the NAP. In 2023, 听补苍诲听, and in 2024, Clinical Associate Professors Laurie Neely and Jennifer Tucker 鈥�23 were inducted in physical therapy.

鈥淭he idea of integrating healthy lifestyles into communities is a complex issue that will require experts in a variety of fields working together,鈥� Jiang says. 鈥淚 knew 麻豆原创 would offer me the unique opportunity to interact with educators, students and policymakers. It鈥檚 why I鈥檓 excited every day.鈥�

This also explains why, shortly after unpacking her belongings in Central Florida, Jiang actively met not with exercise and nutrition experts, but with experts in urban planning.

鈥淲e discussed the health aspects of plans to keep up with the needs of a growing population. More roadways are important, of course, but at the same time we can shape healthier lifestyles with safe sidewalks, wider bike paths, access to parks and other enticements for people to move around outside. It鈥檚 all part of a bigger picture.鈥�

Jiang and her husband have become part of that bigger picture in the Orlando area, which she calls 鈥渁 living lab鈥� for her research interests. The population is growing. People come from around the world to visit and to settle, bringing with them a melting pot of cultural norms and habits. New communities are being built. Some are purposefully designed to promote health. Others are not.

鈥淲e need to understand that health is not always as simple as making a personal choice,鈥� Jiang says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 influenced by the environment where we live.鈥�

She started to become aware of this connection when she traveled to Taiwan as an exchange student from southeast China.

鈥淚 thought it would be nice to experience the beauty of the island, but my eyes were opened in a different way.鈥�

In Taiwan, she noticed an emphasis on community engagement and volunteerism. Older people were active community participants, leading tours and telling stories in museums. One year later, during Jiang鈥檚 internship in China鈥檚 primary schools, her eyes were opened even further to two rapidly evolving environmental trends at the opposite end of the age spectrum.

鈥淔or one, rapid urbanization has created a fast-food culture in parts of China,鈥� she says. 鈥淎lso, the pressure on students to do well academically has diminished the importance of physical activity. We see that in U.S. schools, too, but in China the academic pressure is greater because the school-age population is so much higher than the available spots in good colleges. Observing this gave me a clear vision of what I wanted to research: environmental factors on healthy lifestyles. It鈥檚 how I felt I could make a positive difference in peoples鈥� lives.鈥�

If the idea of shaping healthy lifestyles sounds daunting, you wouldn鈥檛 know it after spending time with Jiang. She politely makes a case that other efforts to do the same could be too narrow in focus, with the expectation of all-or-nothing results.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a growing awareness among educators and policy makers about the research I鈥檓 doing. As a teacher at 麻豆原创, I can use it to engage discussions and plant seeds with students. Then they can go out and influence their own communities through their fields of interest.鈥�

Jiang has another very good reason to be optimistic: her own life. Observation spawned her curiosity. Curiosity inspired her research. And the knowledge from her research has changed her daily behaviors. She now prepares her own food more often so she can see the ingredients in it. She takes stairs more frequently instead of elevators. And she enjoys kayaking and paddleboarding with her dog, Poppy, which has prompted another possible research cycle.

鈥淗aving a dog inspires me to explore outside more often,鈥� Jiang says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also made me curious enough to possibly conduct research about the impact of dog ownership on healthy lifestyles.鈥�

And with that, Jiang would again merge her personal and professional interests, her research with real-life impact, observation with optimism, all in the living lab of Central Florida.

Moore was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in January 2003, just two weeks before his wedding. He was examining himself in the shower when he noticed a lump on his testicle. Soon after his discovery, Moore visited his primary care physician and a urologist who identified and confirmed the diagnosis 鈥� testicular cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, testicular cancer is rare, but is the most common malignancy in men ages 15 to 39. If caught early, it is highly treatable and curable.

Moore successfully completed treatment and spent the next five years under surveillance comprised of frequent monitoring, doctor check-ups and self-examinations.

Following his experience, Moore became active in the cancer community, working to encourage men to take ownership of their health and to practice routine self-examinations. He joined with the Livestrong Foundation to lobby elected officials for increased funding to the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute. In 2013, he joined the National Speakers Bureau for Testicular Cancer Foundation where he speaks to local groups about testicular cancer and how men can play an active role in their health.

鈥淎s men, we were always taught to just tough it out, and as a result, we don鈥檛 make our health a priority.鈥�

鈥淎s men, we were always taught to just tough it out, and as a result, we don鈥檛 make our health a priority,鈥� Moore says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about learning your body and learning what鈥檚 normal and what鈥檚 not.鈥�

It was while serving as a speaker one day at 麻豆原创 that Moore had the opportunity to meet Associate Professor Michael Rovito in the Department of Health Sciences. Rovito鈥檚 research investigates testicular self-examination, testicular cancer, male health behavioral change, intervention and instrumentation design and health communication. Rovito is also the founder and chairman of Male Wellness Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting healthy behaviors among men while advancing the academic and scientific fields of men鈥檚 health.

鈥淎s I got to know Dr. Rovito and talk with him more, I learned about the things he does through the male wellness collective organization he started and his focus on male wellness as a whole,鈥� Moore says. 鈥淚t seemed like a natural fit to create a fund with the college.鈥�

In February 2018, Moore experienced a sudden onset of pain in his upper right abdomen while at a professional networking event.

鈥淚 thought to myself, 鈥極K, Mason. You speak to groups about the importance of men making their health a priority. What do you need to do in this case?鈥� And so, I did something that I鈥檇 never done before in my life,鈥� Moore says.

With the pain only becoming more severe, he drove himself to the emergency room.

At the hospital, doctors identified a nodule on Moore鈥檚 right lung. It was originally diagnosed as lung cancer, requiring surgical removal of the middle lobe of his right lung. Unfortunately, during follow-up surveillance less than a year later, a new nodule was discovered. After further testing, it was determined that this, along with the previous recurrence, was related to the testicular cancer he originally had in 2003 鈥� a recurrence 15 years later, something highly unheard of with testicular cancer.

Moore completed a successful chemotherapy treatment along with additional lung surgery in May 2019.

April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, and 2024 will be Moore鈥檚 five-year mark of being cancer-free.

April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, and 2024 will be Moore鈥檚 five-year mark of being cancer-free. Moore hopes his fund will support research and awareness programs on testicular cancer at the college as well as bring more focus to the mental health aspects of the disease.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been very little discussion, if any at all, around the mental and emotional stress that鈥檚 created by going through something like this,鈥� Moore says. 鈥淣ot just when you hear the diagnosis or when you go through treatment, but post-life as a survivor, and the fears and anxiety that goes along with that. That鈥檚 an area of specific focus for me as I continue to advocate.鈥�

Moore has served on the 麻豆原创 Alumni Board and the Advisory Board for Nicholson School of Communication and Media since 2020, and this year was appointed to the Dean鈥檚 Advocacy Board in the College of Health Professions and Sciences.

According to the CDC, approximately 2,000 people under the age of 25 die each year due to sudden cardiac arrest. Hamlin鈥檚 injury has renewed conversations across the country about the importance of having certified athletic trainers and defibrillators on hand as young athletes practice and compete.

A panel of medical and rehabilitation experts from the College of Health Professions and Sciences weigh in聽on what happened, what his physical and mental recovery could look like, and protecting the heart health of athletes.

It seems probable that Hamlin experienced what鈥檚 known as commotio cordis. What is this?
鈥淐ommotio cordis is a life-threatening medical event mostly occurring when young athletes (typically between the ages of 8 and 18) are struck in chest with a hard ball like a baseball or a hockey puck or receive a hard hit to the chest while playing a contact sport like football or soccer,鈥� says Latifa Abdelli, a pathophysiology lecturer in the . 鈥淭he sudden impact occurring at just the right time during a heartbeat triggers a sudden change in the electrical signals generated by heart cells causing the heart to suddenly stop beating.鈥�

Are there ways athletes can minimize their risk?
It鈥檚 difficult to protect against this event occurring, experts say.

鈥淐hest protectors and vests may reduce trauma from blunt bodily injury, but they will not provide protection from commotio cordis,鈥� says Abdelli.聽 鈥淎thletes can be trained in techniques to avoid direct hits to the rib cage area. Using softer, more pliable balls for sports like baseball or lacrosse may reduce the seriousness of the impact.鈥�

The bottom line: 鈥淎utomated external defibrillator (AED) systems need to be present at any field where contact sports or sports that use pucks or hard balls are played. If possible, an athletic trainer should be present, but regardless, coaches and athletes must be taught how to recognize commotio cordis and how to perform CPR and use an AED when someone has a cardiac event,鈥� says Abdelli.

What is the athletic trainer鈥檚 role on a professional football team, and how critical were the early actions of the medical professionals there that day?
The athletic trainer is the primary healthcare provider and coordinator of care for a professional football team and takes primary role in designing, practicing and initiating the emergency action plan, says Carlos Gual, associate lecturer in the . In an incident like this, 鈥渋nitiating CPR and using an AED within minutes is absolutely imperative for the cardiac chain of survival,鈥� says Gual. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the role of the athletic trainer to do the primary assessment, recognize the condition and its severity, and initiate the appropriate plan of care.鈥�

What does physical fitness recovery look like for a professional athlete like Hamlin for this type of incident? Does an elite level of fitness contribute to a reduced recovery period?
鈥淔or elite professional athletes, their timeline for return will be most influenced by how long they have been held out,鈥� says Kristen Schellhase, director of the athletic training program and assistant director of the . 聽鈥淎ny athlete experiencing a medical condition like a cardiac arrest must progress through activities that increase cardiovascular exertion as part of a systematic and gradual plan.鈥�

Even though an athlete like Hamlin would be 鈥渉igher conditioned鈥� before the incident, deconditioning happens very fast 鈥� in a matter of days 鈥� says Schellhase. And elite athletes are also expected to return to a higher performance level than a non-elite athlete.

鈥淗amlin will have a specific recovery protocol with rules or stage timelines that he鈥檒l follow as part of his plan of care. He’ll have to be medically cleared before he can return to the field, but with the season nearly over, there鈥檚 no pressure for him to return quickly,鈥� says Schellhase.

What are some of the priorities or specific regimens could his healthcare providers have in mind as they help him recover?
There鈥檚 no 鈥渙ne size fits all鈥� for a recovery regimen, says Schellhase.

鈥淵ou would not train a cross country runner the same way you would train a weightlifter 鈥� they emphasize different muscles, perform different sport skills and use different energy systems,鈥� she says. 鈥淓ven if you look at one specific sport like football, the activities emphasized for a receiver are very different than the activities emphasized for a lineman.鈥�

Schellhase says a team of athletic trainers, physical therapists, and strength coaches will prescribe tailored activities for Hamlin that focus on the muscle groups, sport skills and his cardiovascular needs for his role as professional football safety.

Hamlin was placed in a medically induced coma and intubated for several days. What are some of the side effects a patient can experience from intubation?
Intubation effects and their severity can vary from patient to patient, say speech pathologists.

鈥淲ith a tube in place, the patient is not able to speak, and the muscles used for swallowing are immobilized,鈥� says Vicki Lewis, a speech-language pathologist and instructor in the . 鈥淥nce the tube is removed, a patient can experience weakness, discomfort, hoarseness or coughing while swallowing saliva, food or liquids.鈥�

Speech pathologists work with the medical team to examine a patient鈥檚 vocal folds and trachea for any resulting trauma.

鈥淪ome patients may experience edema (swelling of the throat), growths or ulcerations, reduced sensation, or muscle disuse atrophy following intubation,鈥� says Lewis.

What are the most important factors for voice and swallowing recovery?
After intubation, a speech pathologist will evaluate a patient and can make a recommendation regarding the need for additional rehabilitative treatment, such as swallowing or speech therapy.

鈥淭hese recommendations can be crucial to prevent aspiration pneumonia and the potential for the patient to be re-intubated and return to the ventilator,鈥� says Todd Fix, an instructor and speech-language pathologist in communication sciences disorders.

鈥淩ecovery will vary and depends on the length of intubation as well as the patient鈥檚 age, overall general and respiratory health and other medical conditions,鈥� says Fix. 鈥淧atient access to follow up care and patient motivation can also play into the recovery process.鈥�

Why are mental health supports in situations like this so important for athletes and the sports community?
Robin Kohn, a senior instructor and bachelor鈥檚 of social work program director for the says providing services is crucial to the sports community because it demystifies the stigma about mental health by providing a safe environment for members of a team to voice their concerns and feelings and support their sense of emotional and physical safety.

鈥淚n an aggressive sport like football, asking for help and showing vulnerabilities is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness,鈥� says Kohn. 鈥淭here are overwhelming fears of being vulnerable and a fear of the unknown 鈥� that what happened to Hamlin, could happen to any athlete.鈥�

鈥淗amlin actively communicating a sense of resilience, like when he asked if his team won after regaining consciousness or using Twitter to let his teammates know he was watching, helped with their emotional healing enough to return to play the following week,鈥� she says.

After a traumatic experience like Hamlin鈥檚, what role do social workers play in the recovery process for him and his teammates?
Licensed clinical social workers can assist players recognize their own emotions; realize the impact of the trauma; encourage stability and predictability; validate feelings; restore resilience and regain control of the situation.

鈥淗amlin and his teammates witnessed a traumatic, horrific event that can have a lasting effect on his and his team鈥檚 functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional and spiritual well-being,鈥� says Kohn. 鈥淭here are overwhelming fears of being vulnerable, a fear of the unknown and they could experience grief associated with what happened.鈥�

鈥淭here will be a need for restoring or rebuilding,鈥� says Kohn. 鈥淪eeing other football players injured in the future could be a trigger that reignites intrusive thoughts and emotions. A licensed clinical social worker can help with healing from this post-traumatic stress and by reinforcing the importance of having a positive support system (which they have), changing overwhelming thought patterns, encouraging open discussions of emotions and providing effective coping skills to handle any symptoms related to the traumatic event.鈥�