Latest News

• share
• favorite_border

FAU's Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering recently hosted the 2017 ASCE Southeast Student Conference.

• share
• favorite_border

A majority of Floridians would like to expand the Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as Obamacare) or keep the law as is, while nearly three-quarters of them are concerned that people would lose their health insurance if the law is repealed, according to a statewide survey by the FAU Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI).

• share
• favorite_border

From human behavior such as mother/infant bonding, addiction and communication disorders to devastating brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, neuroscientists and other researchers from FAU’s Brain Institute are at the forefront of innovative research that will generate knowledge to benefit society.

• share
• favorite_border

Eyewitnesses testimonies are extremely compelling forms of evidence. But, it’s not foolproof — just ask the 242 people mistakenly identified by eyewitnesses who served years in prison for crimes they did not commit until they were exonerated thanks to the introduction of DNA testing. A study gives new meaning to the notion of “guilt by association” and shows how memory in humans as well as police use of mugshots and subtle innuendo can contaminate eyewitness testimonies.

• share
• favorite_border

Across the board, Americans are less sexually active than ever with the sharpest decline among people in their 50s, people with a college degree, people with school-aged children, people in the South, and those who do not watch pornography.

• share
• favorite_border

In response to 23 million U.S. veterans, this project will identify resources and come up with solutions to decrease and ultimately eliminate some of the challenges veterans and their families encounter such as continuity-of-care in services, difficulty navigating the system and inadequate healthcare services.

• share
• favorite_border

More than 20 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act and do not have to pay for 15 preventive screenings. Yet, despite this advantage, many are not utilizing them and are contributing to this nation’s soaring health care costs, which reached a whopping $3 trillion in 2014.

• share
• favorite_border

Focused on sensing and smart systems, FAU’s REU site is designed to engage high-potential undergraduates in meaningful research activities in order to encourage their pursuit of graduate study in STEM disciplines.

• share
• favorite_border

We all do it; we all need it – humans and animals alike. Neuroscientists have been studying Mexican cavefish to provide insight into the evolutionary mechanisms regulating sleep loss and the relationship between sensory processing and sleep.

• share
• favorite_border

About the size of a tablet, a portable device that could be used in a host of environments like a busy airport or even a remote location in South America, may hold the key to detecting the dreaded Zika virus accurately, rapidly and inexpensively using just a saliva sample. For about $2 and within 15 minutes, researchers hope to accurately determine whether or not an individual has an active infection.

• share
• favorite_border

In one of the latest and most ambitious studies on bullying and cyberbullying in middle and high school students, researchers found that 1 in 5 students said that they had been threatened with a weapon at school, 73 percent of students reported that they had been bullied at school at some point in their lifetime, and 70 percent of the students said that someone spread rumors about them online.

• share
• favorite_border

A compound extracted from a deep-water marine sponge collected near the Bahamas is showing potent antibacterial activity against the drug resistant bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) also called the “super bug.”

• share
• favorite_border

This designation is only awarded to colleges and universities with enrollment of full-time Hispanic undergraduate students of at least 25 percent.

• share
• favorite_border

Using remote sensing cameras and sound recorders, FAU scientists are the first to capture rare video footage of a newly discovered population of critically endangered monkeys in one of the most remote regions in the world. First discovered in 1932 and thought to inhabit only one location on the planet in Central Africa, this elusive monkey was believed to be nearing extinction due to its small population size and unregulated hunting.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University are collaborating with scientists from Sancilio and Company, Inc. to begin a new research project aimed at finding a treatment for patients afflicted by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is an inherited disease that causes severe progressive vision impairment and blindness.

• share
• favorite_border

There is a push to expand the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in policing. Yet, limited research and only anecdotal evidence suggests that the public supports using them in law enforcement. Results of a new study describes general public perceptions of BWCs with some unexpected results.

• share
• favorite_border

Florida Atlantic University’s Tech Runway® has released the results of its second annual economic impact report. The report provides the cumulative performance metrics of 29 Tech Runway companies since fall 2014.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Harvard Medical School address the possible but unproven link between statins and diabetes, as well as the implications of prescription of statins for clinicians and their patients. They emphasize that the risk of diabetes, even if real, pales in comparison to the benefits of statins in both the treatment and primary prevention of heart attacks and strokes. The editor-in-chief published the commentary and his editorial online ahead of print.

• share
• favorite_border

The first randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of chair yoga on pain and physical function in older adults with osteoarthritis is proving to be an effective way to reduce pain and improve quality of life while avoiding pharmacologic treatment or adverse events for the millions who suffer from the disease in their lower extremities (hip, knee, ankle or foot).

• share
• favorite_border

Whether it’s planes, trains or automobiles, the nation’s transportation systems are growing rapidly and present a number of challenges related to safety as well as sustainability. FAU will receive $1.4 million per year from the United States Department of Transportation, for five years, for its Freight Mobility Research Institute, housed within FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science.

• share
• favorite_border

A new study is the first to show that the Parkin gene is turned on when cells are exposed to environmental insults that cause free radical formation and cataract formation. Researchers have discovered that through the removal of mitochondria that are damaged by these environmental insults, Parkin prevents free radical formation in lens cells and increases the ability of the cells to survive exposure to conditions that are associated with aging and the development of many degenerative diseases.

• share
• favorite_border

One in 4 adults have searched online to find others who have the same medical condition, especially chronic conditions. A unique study at FAU explored how transplant recipients use social media sites for support and healing, providing an intimate glimpse into the psyche of transplant recipients worldwide.

• share
• favorite_border

FAU's Schmidt College of Medicine recently appointed Janet Robishaw, Ph.D., as chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Robishaw, an accomplished functional and translational genomics researcher with 30 years of sustained federal funding from the NIH, comes to FAU from Geisinger Health System in central Pennsylvania.

• share
• favorite_border

Florida Atlantic University’s Brain Institute in Jupiter is now home to a Nikon Center of Excellence, making it one of seven designated centers in the United States and 17 worldwide.

• share
• favorite_border

The portfolio of patents focuses on the PKG (protein kinase G) pathway, which plays a pivotal role in several neurological conditions by controlling cortical spreading depolarization. Research at FAU has found that neurological diseases, including hemiplegic migraine – a severe type of migraine that can affect patients up to 15 times a month and can paralyze half the body – as well as neural trauma (traumatic brain injury and spinal shock), stroke, and epileptic conditions can be targeted through the PKG signaling pathway.

• share
• favorite_border

Declines in the Arctic sea ice are arguably the most dramatic evidence of the effects of current climate warming on ocean systems. While sea ice is perhaps the most defining habitat feature of Arctic whales, the relationship between Arctic whales and sea ice is still largely a mystery, and there is increasing concern over how these species will adapt to climate related changes in sea ice.

• share
• favorite_border

Jack Laub is the only student-athlete in NCAA history to play six varsity years. He became one of the first professional basketball players in the NBA after he was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets. More recently, Laub was conferred the honor of “Chevalier” of the Legion of Honor by the President of the French Republic, in recognition of his contribution to the United States’ crucial role in the liberation of France during World War II.

• share
• favorite_border

Siblings bear responsibility for the spread of problem behaviors. Identifying the exact nature of that influence has proven difficult, because behavior problems in siblings can also be traced to friends, shared genetics and shared experiences with parents. Evidence describing how problem behaviors spread between siblings has been scarce – until now, thanks to a first-of-its-kind longitudinal study on identical and fraternal twins.

• share
• favorite_border

Hispanics as well as low-income workers are underrepresented in the bachelor’s degree level computer-related workforce and are among the most underrepresented groups in these career fields.

• share
• favorite_border

For decades, research has suggested a link between oral health and inflammatory diseases affecting the entire body — in particular, heart attacks and strokes. Results from a randomized trial of a novel plaque identifying toothpaste, Plaque HD®, produced statistically significant reductions in dental plaque and inflammation throughout the body as measured by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a sensitive marker for future heart attacks and strokes.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

FAU has named Phillip M. Boiselle, M.D., as the new dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Boiselle, who currently serves as associate dean for academic and clinical affairs, and professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, and is a member of the cardiothoracic imaging division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, will assume his role as dean effective in January 2017.

• share
• favorite_border

Although most children use their smartphones and social media apps in appropriate ways, about 25 percent will experience online bullying at some point.

• share
• favorite_border

In its first-of-its-kind university/industry partnership, FAU and scientists from Sancilio & Company, Inc. are working together to train highly skilled workers in biopharmaceuticals and drug development.

• share
• favorite_border

Current methods to control epilepsy are not only inefficient but haven’t improved in more than 150 years when the first anticonvulsant drug was developed. Researchers have opened up the possibilities for rapid drug screens to treat seizures in the near future by developing the smallest whole-animal electroconvulsive seizure model using a microscopic nematode worm.

• share
• favorite_border

A group of scientists are creating technology that will allow them to view – in 3-D – the millions of microscopic creatures and particles that populate bodies of water, including the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), thanks to funding provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

• share
• favorite_border

By observing how fish swim and use their fins to move seamlessly within the ocean depths, a researcher at FAU is mimicking this movement to increase maneuverability and enhance the motion of underwater vehicles and robotic systems.

• share
• favorite_border

Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., who currently serves as associate dean for natural science and mathematics, associate dean for research in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida, and is a professor in the Department of Astronomy at UF, will assume his role as dean effective in January 2017.

• share
• favorite_border

Florida Atlantic University’s Hospitality & Tourism Management program is among the top 30 in the United States, according to the latest rankings published by The Best Schools Magazine.

• share
• favorite_border

The latest national index produced by Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University faculty indicates the U.S. housing market as a whole is moving marginally deeper into buy territory, suggesting that, on average, the majority of housing markets around the country are in good shape and remain a sound investment.

• share
• favorite_border

There are almost 800,000 patients in the U.S. who are intubated and require mechanical ventilation annually. More than half of these patients are awake, alert and desperately attempting to communicate with nurses, physicians and their loved ones. Current methods to assist patients with their communication needs are either antiquated, time consuming or just cumbersome.

• share
• favorite_border

A world renowned oceanographer and leading phytoplankton researcher will lead Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) as its new executive director.

• share
• favorite_border

Using nationally representative surveys of 10 million U.S. residents from 1970 to 2015, a new study shows that Americans are not only more politically polarized than ever but that more people are identifying as independent. In 1989, 30 percent of adults identified as independents; in 2014, that number is up to 46 percent. More people also are identifying as “strongly Democratic” or “strongly Republican,” with a lot fewer moderates, and Millennials are leading this trend.

• share
• favorite_border

This award is focused on the unmet health care needs of underserved populations in South Florida and builds in additional curriculum content on mental health. Florida’s population has increased 196 percent from 1970 to 2010, including its aging population of approximately 3.3 million Medicare recipients seeking primary care and behavioral/mental health services.

• share
• favorite_border

A deep-water marine sponge collected off of Fort Lauderdale’s coast contains leiodermatolide, a natural product that has the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells as well as block cancer cells from dividing using extremely low concentrations of the compound.

• share
• favorite_border

Since the 1970s, sexual assault hotlines have grown in popularity in North America as conduits for survivors, their loved ones and professionals to unite for immediate support. Today, there are more than 1,000 crisis hotline affiliates in the U.S. alone. Yet, despite their widespread use, much remains unknown or unclear about their service efficacy.

• share
• favorite_border

The best technique for pricing a home when listing it for sale is setting the asking price just below a round number, according to recent research published by the Journal of Housing Research – an official publication of the American Real Estate Society (ARES).

• share
• favorite_border

Young American adults aren’t doing it as often as you’d think. Although Americans are now strikingly more accepting of premarital sex, a new study reveals that more Millennials, born in the 1990s in particular, are nevertheless forgoing sex during young adulthood. This study really contradicts the widespread notion that Millennials are the “hookup” generation, which is popularized by dating apps like “Tinder,” suggesting that they are just looking for quick relationships and frequent casual sex.

• share
• favorite_border

Coastal Risk Consulting, a new start-up company formed by an FAU professor, has developed novel technology to assist coastal homeowners, businesses, and government to evaluate and mitigate risks from encroaching seas along Florida’s southeast coast as well as other vulnerable areas in the United States and overseas.

• share
• favorite_border

Just as the summer is heating up, FAU's I-SENSE and Dioxide Materials™ have formed a unique partnership to develop a novel low-cost, low-power, wireless CO2 sensing system that will help to significantly lower the amount of energy businesses and homes use for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.