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Office of Community Relations
UF Government and Community Relations
Monday, March 13, 2023
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Across the University of Florida, our 16 colleges, numerous institutes, and health care facilities embrace our shared mission of outreach and service to improve and enrich our community, nation, and the world. UF in the Community spotlights the impact of UF in our region.
Although UF has students and employees throughout the state, North Central Florida is home to much of our faculty and staff and to our 50,000+ students. Like all area residents, we want a vibrant, safe, healthy, and equitable place in which to live and thrive. Here are some of the ways in which we are enhancing our shared community.
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You're invited to the April 19th UF Eye Opener Discovery Breakfast with Christopher Ferraro to discuss Sustainable Construction Engineering | |
UF Health collaborators use innovative method to improve cardiac arrest outcomes | |
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When a patient’s heart stops, it’s a race against the clock for medical teams to get it pumping again, with every second that passes increasing the chance of permanent damage to the brain and other organs.
Collaborators at UF Health Shands Hospital, including nursing teams, specialists and health providers in the departments of emergency medicine, surgery and anesthesiology at the College of Medicine, will soon officially roll out a new method of addressing cardiac arrest that has already proved to significantly improve the chances of patient revival and full recovery.
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From UF Health: Using artificial intelligence and patient medical records to predict Alzheimer’s disease | |
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Using data in electronic health records, University of Florida researchers have designed an artificial intelligence system that can predict which patients will develop Alzheimer’s disease up to five years before receiving a diagnosis.
Currently, there are no early screening tests for Alzheimer’s disease, which is diagnosed only after patients develop symptoms. By that time, the disease already has caused significant brain damage.
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UF College of Pharmacy launches MyRx to provide virtual pharmacogenetic testing consultations for patients | |
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MyRx, a new UF Health service developed by pharmacists in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has launched to provide patients with a convenient way to understand their pharmacogenetic test results and improve drug therapy.
The program arrives at a time when studies show 9 out of 10 people have variations in their genes that may change how they respond to common medications.
Pharmacogenetic testing helps clinicians and patients understand why certain people do not respond to or have side effects from certain medications. The test looks at specific genes to help predict the types of medications and dosages that may be best for a patient.
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From The Hill: UF Study-Toilet paper adds to ‘forever chemicals’ in wastewater | |
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Scientists have identified a surprising new source of “forever chemicals” awash in global wastewater: the ubiquitous paper product dangling next to most of the planet’s toilets.
Toilet paper is the latest product that could be contaminating environments worldwide with cancer-linked per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a study, published Wednesday in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
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Florida Museum of Natural History: Forgotten for decades, rediscovered watercolor collection features hundreds of Florida plants | |
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Botanist Mark Whitten was rummaging in an old drawer in the UF Herbarium for tracing paper when he discovered something unexpected: hundreds of World War II-era watercolor paintings, each of a unique Florida plant.
Likely untouched in the 20 years since the herbarium’s move into Dickinson Hall, the collection was largely forgotten, but the same cool, dark conditions intended to preserve the herbarium’s more than 400,000 specimens also preserved the paintings.
Artist Minna Fernald donated over 320 paintings of Florida wildflowers to the university in 1942, providing a rich record of the state’s past ecological life. The university plans to digitize the paintings to preserve them and offer them a wider audience.
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From UF/IFAS: UF scientists aim for more tree varieties to ensure urban canopy survives pests, diseases | |
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If you plant a wider array of tree species in urban areas, you might avoid your forest being wiped out by a single pest or disease, say University of Florida scientists.
When cities are dominated by only a few species, new infestations of pests and diseases from overseas can just move through with dramatic results. A diverse canopy is important everywhere, but particularly in Florida, where about 90% of the state’s 21.7 million residents live in cities. Urban dwellers need trees for shade, oxygen and more.
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From UF/IFAS: Making the best better: Florida 4-H upgrades summer camp experience, increases access | |
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As registration for 2023 Florida 4-H summer camp programs is underway, the statewide youth development program is announcing several developments to enhance the camp experience for youth and community members.
Florida 4-H operates three camps in the state: Camp Timpoochee in Niceville, Camp Cherry Lake in Madison and Camp Cloverleaf in Lake Placid.
For more information about the Florida 4-H Camping Program, please visit https://florida4h.ifas.ufl.edu/camps/ or contact Erin Mugge at [log in to unmask]
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Susan Crowley
Assistant Vice President, Community Relations
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