Office of Community Relations

UF Government and Community Relations

Monday, December 5, 2022

You’re invited to the December 14th UF Eye Opener Discovery Breakfast with speaker Dr. Christopher McCarty

From UF Health: UF clinic provides treatment for long COVID symptoms

When 22-year-old Callen Camp got COVID in August 2021, she said it was the sickest she’s ever been. By the time the University of Florida English senior was able to return to class, she said her brain was “muddy and slow.”

She described feeling fatigued and having brain fog, or difficulty thinking or concentrating. Both are common symptoms of long COVID. Camp is among the nearly one in five U.S. adults who develop long COVID after experiencing COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



UF Health has established a clinic to assist with long COVID. The COVID Restore program was one of the first post-COVID care clinics to emerge in the United States. Estores started it in July 2021.

To receive Long COVID Treatment, visit the UF Health COVID RESTORE Program clinic webpage.

From UF Health: Space mission to investigate drug treatment for age-related muscle loss

University of Florida researchers will send a tissue-chip experiment to the International Space Station on Nov. 21 to investigate whether a drug compound made from tomatoes can restore age-related muscle loss.



The experiment will help scientists understand how microgravity affects human muscle biology and could lead to new therapies for age-related muscle loss on Earth.

From UF Health: UF Health-developed gene therapy boosts vision in patients with inherited condition

Two people who have been blind since childhood are having their vision restored with a gene therapy developed by University of Florida Health scientists and their collaborators, early-stage clinical trial results and recently published findings show.



Patients who have a form of Leber congenital amaurosis, known as LCA1, are typically blind or have severe visual impairment from birth. The UF Health team and their colleagues have spent decades developing and testing a gene therapy for the inherited genetic disorder. The treatment uses a harmless virus to deliver a functional copy of the gene to the eyes.

From the UF College of Journalism and Communications: Using Artificial Intelligence to Analyze Consumer Sentiment

Many brands incorporate gender-related or political topics into their social media campaigns to stimulate conversation and engagement. However, consumer opinions are volatile, and a controversial campaign risks backlash. By using artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the analysis of consumer responses to social campaigns, brands can better understand consumer values and behaviors faster, more efficiently, and more effectively.



Researchers at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications wanted to better understand what type of algorithms worked best to interpret and classify user comments.

From the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions: Clearing up confusion about over-the-counter hearing aids

In October, the Food and Drug Administration’s ruling on over-the-counter hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss went into effect. For the first time, hearing aids can now be purchased directly by consumers online and at retail stores without a prescription.

The goal is to lower cost and improve access to the devices, but with several different options available at various price points, it can be difficult for consumers to make a choice. An audiologist and assistant professor in the department of speech, language, and hearing sciences at the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, has conducted research comparing the performance of over-the-counter hearing aids to prescription devices and on the economic burden of hearing aids on patients. He offers advice on navigating the new market.

From UF/IFAS: Food is Our Middle Name Podcast - What’s the deal with…food shortages?

Food shortages happen for a multitude of reasons but since COVID-19 these shortages seem more abundant than ever. And I think we all remember the great cream cheese shortage of 2021 at peak holiday cheesecake season! (Or maybe that’s just me…)  

On this episode, Bob revisits the podcast alongside Christa Court, the director of the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program to discuss why these shortages happen and how shoppers can help prevent them or at least not make them WORSE. 

From UF/IFAS: UF scientist to investigate cost-effective methods to combat nematode pests, diseases in turfgrass

Lawns, playing fields, golf courses, parks and many other outdoor areas are part of the multi-billion-dollar turfgrass industry. That industry provides aesthetic, environmental and economic benefits to the Sunshine State.

Valued at $14.3 billion and planted on 3.9 million acres in Florida, that same industry struggles with parasitic nematodes and fungal diseases that prove costly for growers, homeowners and commercial industries. 



Over the next three years, UF/IFAS and USDA scientists will develop cost-effective methods for managing these pests and diseases. They think the research will benefit the turfgrass industry in Florida, Georgia and other parts of the Southern United States

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT

Brittany Wise

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(352) 273-3820