Research
Overview
The University of Florida Health Science Center is dedicated to building a strong research presence and maximizing the benefits of a highly integrated academic campus by creating synergies across the health sciences and university-wide. The physical proximity of HSC colleges and teaching hospitals creates special opportunities for campus-wide collaboration and the development of interdisciplinary research programs.
Our health related Major Research Center and Institutes are exceptional examples of interdisciplinary research, education and patient care at work. They include the Institute on Aging, McKnight Brain Institute, UF Genetics Institute and the UF Shands Cancer Center.
Selected Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives
The Emerging Pathogens Initiative (EPI) is a campus-wide initiative fusing resources and capabilities from disparate fields to develop plans to control, diagnose, and treat new and emerging diseases that threaten the state of Florida as well as the Nation.
Southeast Regional Center of Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infections (SERCEB) is a consortium of academic institutions in the southeast comprised of member schools and affiliate members, as well as government partners. UF is a full member of SERCEB and co-directs the consortium. The mission of SERCEB is to perform basic and translational research that will lead to the development of the drugs, vaccines and diagnostics that are needed to protect society from emerging infections and biologic threats.
UF Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Initiative involves over 10 colleges, all major research centers and institutes and Shands in preparing to compete for one of 60 NIH CTSA awards. As a CTSA recipient, UF will establish a new Center for clinical and translational research and training. The overarching goal will be to minimize bureaucracy and optimize fluidity in the translation of UF basic science discoveries to applications for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human disease.
The Biobehavioral Research Center (BRC) at the University of Florida College of Nursing is an exploratory center funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). The goal of the BRC is to provide the infrastructure for faculty to develop state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research that integrates biological and behavioral sciences.
The Center for Molecular Microbiology (CMM) brings together infectious disease researchers and clinicians from the Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine as an interdisciplinary group of collaborating scientists to address the issues of infectious diseases. The focus of the center is to conduct research to discover the mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis and invent, develop, and apply novel technologies for the discovery of new antimicrobial targets, vaccines, and diagnostics.
The Powell Gene Therapy Center (PGTC) has been instrumental in the development of newer, safer agents for the delivery of therapeutic genes to patients with genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF) and alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (AAT-D). New programs will extend the use of the harmless virus, called AAV, that is used as a carrier for therapeutic genes to the study of other genetic disorders such as congenital Leber’s amaurosis (CLA), a genetic cause of blindness, and Pompe’s disease, a genetic disease characterized by heart failure and muscular dystrophy.
The Comprehensive Center for Pain Research serves people in pain by promoting novel research that will help us understand the underlying mechanisms of acute and chronic pain and ultimately lead to more effective strategies of pain management. Founded as a partnership between the College of Dentistry and the McKnight Brain institute, the center involves more than 30 scientists from various disciplines campus wide, who collaborate in studies of various forms of chronic pain.
Center for Research at the Bio/Nano Interface serves as an interface between nanoscience and the biomedical sciences. Researchers are exploring new high-tech methods for drug and other biomolecule delivery to the human body, new ways to remediate environmental pollution, and new highly sensitive and selective biodetection devices.
University of Florida Center for Telehealth facilitates collaborative multidisciplinary research on distance approaches to healthcare research, service, and education. The center supports scientific investigation and clinical training in telehealth by providing specialized technology research, educational, and clinical support services.
The Biotechnology Program works to energize and strengthen all aspects of molecular life science research; to teach biotechnology theory, techniques and applications; to promote the growth and development of biotechnology research statewide; and to encourage biotechnology transfer from the lab to the marketplace through comprehensive business incubation.
The program includes:
