University of South Florida

Study identifies the first known function of an understudied brain region that helps coordinate how the body responds to cold temperatures and regulates metabolic health. When the body’s temperature falls, it adapts by burning more energy to generate heat and triggering appetite to replace the fuel used to stay warm. While scientists have known about those responses for decades, precisely how the brain coordinates that process has remained unclear.

By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing USF St. Petersburg is welcoming two prominent members of the Tampa Bay community to its campus board. Former FL. Representative Ben Diamond and Morgan & Morgan Law Partner Paul Gross have both been appointed to four-year terms.

By Joey Garcia, University Communications and Marketing As new energy systems such as solar and energy-storage batteries connect to the nation's electric grid, utilities are collecting further data and changing how they operate the grid. The challenge is turning that growing stream of information into an early warning when problems emerge. Through a $3.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, University of South Florida researchers aim to change that.

By Lauren Parker, Florida Inventors Hall of Fame – University of South Florida A team from the University of South Florida’s Department of Medical Engineering, a joint program shared between the USF College of Engineering and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, has developed a new type of EEG electrode designed to improve how electrical activity in the brain is measured, with the potential to significantly improve patient comfort, signal quality and the efficiency of neurological monitoring.

USF Health researchers have discovered a previously unknown vulnerability in Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax), a malaria parasite that infects millions of people in Central and South America and Southeast Asia. The discovery identifies a specific site on the parasite that antibodies can target to block P. vivax from invading liver cells — potentially preventing the parasite from establishing the dormant form that allows malaria to return months or even years later.

Inventors, entrepreneurs and small businesses across Florida and the southeast will have greater access to resources to protecting their ideas, inventions and brands through a new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office community engagement office at the University of South Florida. The USPTO selected USF for its new office, which will expand access to intellectual property resources across the Florida High Tech Corridor and the broader Southeast Region.

At every stage of a storm, University of South Florida researchers and expertise help inform decisions, strengthen preparedness and support recovery. This vital work takes place during both active and quiet hurricane seasons to ensure storm readiness. As an academic and economic anchor of Tampa Bay, USF is helping build a more resilient region in the face of extreme storms and hurricanes.

By Althea Johnson, University Communications and Marketing The University of South Florida ranks among the top 50 public universities in America for the eighth consecutive year. Released today, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings place USF at No. 46 among all public universities and at No. 100 among all public or private universities across the country. This also marks the fifth straight year that USF has ranked among the top 100 universities overall.

By Tina Meketa, University Communications and Marketing The University of South Florida is continuing its decade-long commitment to providing Florida College System students a clear pathway to a USF education. USF has renewed its agreement to participate in the Fuse Transfer Program, which is facilitated by the State University System of Florida.

USF Health faculty, staff and students are making an enduring impact across the state and nation through their commitment to research, education, patient care and community service. Congratulations to the outstanding Bulls recognized this quarter for their achievements. John Clark, PharmD, an associate professor at the USF Health Taneja College of Pharmacy, received the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists Anna Thiel Meritorious Service Award.