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With disease-modifying treatment trials for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) currently unsuccessful and only medications to treat symptoms available, what now? A leading neuroscientist has developed the “Dementia Prevention Initiative,” which abandons generalized ways to research and treat AD. His secret weapon: a novel “N-of-1 design” that tailors medicine down to a single patient. Instead of conducting a conventional trial of 100 people all getting the same treatment, he has switched it around and is conducting 100 single personalized trials.

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U.S. homeowners are still coming out ahead of their friends who rent, but just barely. According to the latest national index produced by Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University faculty, owning and renting are in a virtual tie in terms of wealth creation.

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Alterations in a naturally occurring chemical in the brain called serotonin have been linked to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety and autism. Researchers are revealing critical insights into the mechanisms that can drive diminished serotonin signaling during development and in adulthood to provide new ways of treating several widespread neuropsychiatric disorders associated with perturbed serotonin signaling.

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What are the implications for the mental well-being of Americans without paid sick leave? Researchers from FAU and Cleveland State University are the first to explore the link between psychological distress and paid sick leave among U.S. workers ages 18-64.

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By combining microbiology with engineering technologies, researchers from Florida Atlantic University are developing a first-of-its-kind 3D model that uses a single microfluidic sensing chip to study the complicated processes that take place in malaria-infected placenta as well as other placenta-related diseases and pathologies. The chip will mimic the microenvironment of placental malaria, specifically the maternal-fetal interface.

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With the 2018 state primary election now one year away, voters in Florida give a slight edge to Sen. Bill Nelson over current Gov. Rick Scott in a hypothetical matchup in the U.S. Senate race. Voters, however, are still widely undecided on the candidates vying to be the state’s next governor, according to a statewide survey by the FAU Business and Economics Polling Initiative. U.S. President Donald Trump’s job approval rating stands at 37 percent, up slightly from his 35 percent approval rating in BEPI’s June survey.

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A number of factors, including obesity, shorten the lifespan for those with schizophrenia by 20 years and by 10 years for those with bipolar disorder, compared to the general population. In the first study to compare long-term weight gain across psychotic disorders, researchers show that expanding waistlines and the way body fat is distributed are largely to blame.

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After nearly two years of planning, a team of scientists from the U.S. and Cuba has explored never-before-studied mesophotic coral reefs along the entire coast of Cuba, spanning about 1,500 miles. Except for a few places along the coast, prior to this expedition, there were virtually no data or charts indicating what was beyond the shallow reef zone.

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There’s “Counting Crows,” counting sheep, counting blessings and now researchers at FAU have their own version of “counting cars” – literally – in an attempt to improve traffic flow on our nation’s overcrowded roads. And with more than 263 million registered passenger vehicles in the U.S. and more than 14 million registered vehicles in Florida alone, this is no small feat.

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Restricting how much you eat without starving has been shown to robustly extend lifespan in more than 20 species of animals including primates. How this works is still unclear. A new study shows that it’s not just what or how much you eat that matters. Smelling food in addition to consuming calories could influence the aging process. And, what’s “eating” you or more specifically your cells may provide clues to healthy aging.

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Following a national search, FAU has named Stella N. Batalama, Ph.D., as the new dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Batalama, who assumes this role today, comes to FAU from the University at Buffalo, a flagship institution of The State University of New York (SUNY) and a premier research-intensive university.

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SOUTHCOM, located in Miami, Fla. and responsible for military operations within South and Central America as well as the Caribbean, will work with FAU to pursue mutual objectives in humanitarian assistance and disaster response, international development, human rights, science and technology and security.

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Just as “Shark Week” is gearing up, researchers have discovered a new species of shark 17 years in the making. Like finding a needle in a haystack, it was well worth the wait as this elusive creature is yet to be seen in the wild.

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Slower boat speeds reduce risks to manatees. Or do they? Not exactly, according to research that shows the very laws enacted to slow down boats in manatee habitats may actually be doing more harm than good.

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Nurse practitioners can help meet the rising demand for health care due to older population growth, especially in underserved populations.

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Hispanics in the U.S. are more optimistic about their financial situation as well as the U.S. economy as a whole but their dissatisfaction for U.S. President Donald Trump continues to increase, according to a new national consumer sentiment index conducted by the FAU Business and Economics Polling Initiative.

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Feel like you’re a big fish in a small pond? If you’re an employee who perceives you’re overqualified for your position, chances are you’re unsatisfied with your job, uncommitted to your organization and experience psychological strain, according to a new study.

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Sexism is alive and well, but this time men are the target. A new study debunks a long-standing theory that sexual assault isn’t as emotionally traumatizing for men as it is for women and that it doesn’t result in similar emotional impacts, especially depression. Men make up about 38 percent of sexual assault and rape incidents reported, and those in the military are particularly vulnerable and more unlikely to report an assault.

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A new study reinforces long-held suspicions that the brain chemical serotonin, a molecule usually associated with mood, appetite and libido, makes a direct contribution to the actions of cocaine. Scientists can now clearly see details of how the brain uses serotonin not just to regulate mood, but also to drive both rapid and long-lasting changes in the brain. They suspect these changes may contribute to the brain modifications that ultimately trap users in an addicted state.

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The proverb, “physician heal thyself,” is probably more relevant today than it was in biblical times with the fast pace of life, the impact of multitasking and the unending bombardment of information, which have made emotional exhaustion almost certain. And this is especially true for obstetricians and gynecologists who experience professional burnout rates between 40 to 75 percent.

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Is it possible to prevent dementia from happening in the first place? That’s what a leading FAU neuroscientist plans to prove using an innovative approach that defies the idea that “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to battling Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other related disorders. Using a personalized approach and precision medicine to reduce risk, this center is one of only a handful of centers in the world that focuses on dementia prevention.

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Rain or shine has new meaning thanks to an innovative, inexpensive and simple tactic developed by researchers at FAU that will really change how people think about watering their lawns. The tactic? A straightforward road sign.

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Billions of dollars could be saved if Congress revises a law to allow regulators to be more aggressive in reducing losses from insolvent banks, according to a recent study co-authored by a faculty member from FAU’s College of Business.

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Companies that try to “do good” are likely to find that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is bad for their bottom lines, according to a new study from FAU’s College of Business. CSR is defined as strategies that appear to foster some social good, including programs that benefit community engagement, diversity, the environment, human rights and employee relations.

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Sales of the essential oil copaiba [koh-pey-buh] are increasing, at least in part, because more than 54 million Americans suffer from arthritis. The traditional way to treat arthritis is using NSAIDs and COXIBs, which are not without adverse events. For arthritis sufferers, copaiba may turn out to be a silver bullet or, perhaps, snake oil.

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With the drastic increase in the number of unusual dolphin strandings and deaths along the southeastern coast of the U.S. and elsewhere, finding specific antibodies to test, monitor and document their immune health is critical.

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A-tisket, A-tasket. You can tell a lot from a basket. Especially if it’s from ancient ruins of a civilization inhabited by humans 15,000 years ago. An archaeologist is among the team that made a groundbreaking discovery in coastal Peru – home to one of the earliest pyramids in South America. Thousands of artifacts, including elaborate hand-woven baskets, show that early humans in that region were a lot more advanced than originally thought and had very complex social networks.

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“FAU High School M.D. Direct” is the first-of-its-kind pipeline program to be launched in the U.S. and places high school students from FAU High School directly in-line for medical school at FAU, jumpstarting their careers as young, aspiring physicians-to-be.

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Female faculty members hoping to advance to the highest ranks of academia face significant barriers due to male-dominated environments at colleges and universities, according to a new study of faculty at colleges of business led by a professor at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business.

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All is not lost according to the first study to look at and measure communication outcomes in both the caregiver spouse and the patient with dementia. In fact, researchers have found that “practice makes perfect” with the right intervention and a tool that can accurately measure couples’ communication.

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The four-year psychiatry residency program is based at Tenet HealthCare system’s Delray Medical Center, the primary site for the program, South County Mental Health Center in Delray Beach and Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

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In the 2011-12 elections, Russia’s government leaders underestimated the power of the internet and it impacted the outcome of the elections and spurred massive demonstrations in response to Vladimir Putin’s stage-managing the presidential succession and evidence of widespread fraud. While the effects of internet use on political participation are well understood, the mechanisms of how this happens is unclear. A new study uncovers how social media can drive support for opposition in an autocratic state.

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The lack of easily accessible, culturally proficient, and gerontology-trained providers creates a unique challenge for older adults in rural communities. Providing earlier cognitive assessment to facilitate earlier management of cognitive decline issues can assist with aging-in-place and decreased health care costs.

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Longtime benefactors Phyllis and Harvey Sandler to name The Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work within FAU's College for Design and Social Inquiry.

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A new study of Spanish-English bilingual children finds that when children learn any two languages from birth each language proceeds on its own independent course, at a rate that reflects the quality of the children’s exposure to each language.

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Hispanics in Florida are optimistic about their financial situation despite concerns about rising costs and interest rates, according to a new statewide survey conducted by the FAU Business and Economics Polling Initiative.

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For decades, American waistlines have been expanding and there is increasing cause for alarm. Researchers make the case that metabolic syndrome is the new “silent killer,” analogous to hypertension in the 1970s. As it turns out, the “love handle” can be fatal.

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Compelling evidence shows females prefer mates with better cognitive abilities in a number of animals and even humans. For male songbirds, their ability to sing complex songs has been suggested to signal cognitive ability and is vital for attracting females as well as repelling rival males. What’s not clear is how female songbirds can judge the cognitive abilities of potential mates, which is a necessary first step if smarter mates are preferred over their not-as-smart counterparts.

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Baby sea turtles don’t have an X or Y chromosome, and their sex is defined during development by the incubation environment. A crucial step in the conservation of these animals is estimating hatchling sex ratios, which remains imprecise because of their anatomical makeup.

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More than 35 million Americans are trying to quit smoking. Experts reassure clinicians and their patients that varenicline, whose brand name is Chantix, is a safe and effective way to achieve smoking cessation and that failure to use this drug has caused preventable heart attacks and deaths from cardiovascular disease. Just a few months ago, the FDA removed the black box warning from varenicline.

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FAU’s SNMREC is focused on advancing science and technology to recover energy from the oceans’ renewable resources with special emphasis on those resources available to the southeastern U.S., initially focusing on ocean currents and thermal resources.

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

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.