Florida ExpertNet

06/02/2026

Hunsucker plans to study what causes performance gains and resistance in ship hulls, particularly how biofilm is involved with hull movement. His research will include testing scale models at the university’s Mertens Marine Center.

Find Hunsucker's research profile at expertnet.org.

He’s one of nine professors tasked with building a curriculum on and leading research and development of Navy-relevant capabilities in ship design.

06/01/2026

“You can add this compound to existing treatments to give them broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, and it’s non-toxic to healthy cells,” says Arti Vashist of the polyol derived from flax seed oil.

Find Vashist's research profile at expertnet.org.

Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities

A common vegetable oil may hold the key to fighting some of the world’s most dangerous viruses.
Researchers at FIU have secured a U.S. patent for a breakthrough compound derived from linseed oil that can help stop viruses in their tracks—potentially transforming how we treat infections like COVID-19 and HIV.
“This is green technology—easy to synthesize, affordable, stable and versatile,” said Arti Vashist, lead investigator and assistant professor at FIU Medicine. “It’s a discovery that is a huge step forward for health care.”
🔗Read more: go.fiu.edu/new-patent

05/29/2026

The team assessed relationships between gene expression, gene function, and OCD. “We identified 30 regions of the genome and 25 genes within those regions that are likely causal for OCD,” says Carol Matthews.

Find Matthews' research profile at expertnet.org.

05/28/2026

The team is analyzing data from the census, FDLE, and DCF; surveying providers; and interviewing survivors that sought services and those that didn’t to understand access to care and risk factors.

Find profiles for the researchers at expertnet.org.

The Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence

Embracing survivors and inspiring change 🫂🌅

Interdisciplinary researchers from UCF’s Violence Against Women faculty cluster are collaborating on a statewide domestic violence needs assessment to evaluate the state’s domestic violence resources to help make a safer Florida.

To accomplish this, cluster faculty from UCF College of Health Professions and Sciences, UCF College of Medicine and UCF College of Sciences are analyzing state data and surveying organizations that provide domestic violence services. They are also interviewing survivors who sought services and those who didn’t to understand access to care and risk factors.

Their findings will help policymakers and local agencies develop better strategies to fund and support domestic violence prevention programs that empower survivors.

https://med.ucf.edu/news/ucf-research-to-help-inform-statewide-efforts-to-stop-domestic-violence-and-improve-care-for-survivors/

05/26/2026

UF scientists including Elizabeth Maxwell are teaming up with experts at the Wertheim UF Scripps Institute to seek potential drug leads as part of the Cancer High Throughput Screening Drug Discovery Initiative. University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine

Find Maxwell's profile at expertnet.org.

UF Health Cancer Institute scientists are teaming up with experts at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute to target cancer’s biological mysteries and seek potential drug leads for many cancer types.

05/21/2026

“The high mortality is important because it denotes non-medical factors that are affecting the outcome,” says Arlene Calvo. “This is where the merge of epidemiology and social sciences is important.”

Find Calvo's research profile at expertnet.org.

With HPV vaccines and cervical cancer screening, disease elimination is our goal.

New research from the USF College of Public Health examines cervical cancer trends in Panama, revealing that while HPV vaccine uptake exceeds 85%, gaps in screening and access to care remain.

Read more: https://www.usf.edu/health/public-health/news/2026/hpv-vaccine-success-in-panama-reveals-new-questions-about-cervical-cancer-mortality.aspx

05/08/2026

“The same stuff that rained down on Mars from meteorites is what rained down on Earth, and it probably provided the building blocks for life as we know it on our planet,” says researcher Amy Williams.

Find Williams' research profile at expertnet.org.

UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

University of Florida research is helping unlock new clues about ancient Mars. 🪐

A UF-led study using data from NASA’s Curiosity rover identified a diverse mix of organic molecules on Mars, including some never before detected there.

The findings could help scientists better understand whether the planet once had conditions that could support life.

The research was led by UF geological sciences professor Amy Williams, who serves on both the Curiosity and Perseverance rover missions.

Read more: https://news.ufl.edu/2026/04/mars-rover-/

05/07/2026

“This project will enable us to understand what is happening in the brain as these students await this really high-stakes, goal-relevant news, as they get it, and as they process,” says researcher Aaron Heller.

Heller's profile is at expertnet.org.

University of Miami researchers will use real-world exam stress and cutting-edge computational tools to study the neural dynamics of anxiety and depression.

04/28/2026

Forensic anthropologist Heather Walsh-Haney consults for law enforcement and medical examiners on about 100 cases each year. She often brings trained students along to gain direct experience in the field.

Find Walsh-Haney's research profile at expertnet.org.

04/23/2026

The buildup of plaque in the arteries is a major cause of cardiovascular disease—wreaking quiet havoc over the course of years. “By the time symptoms appear, the heart has been irreparably damaged,” says researcher Joshua Hutcheson.

Find Hutcheson's profile at expertnet.org.