By Jill Pease
David Fuller, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions department of physical therapy, is among UF’s most productive and promising researchers named to the 2024 cohort of UF Research Foundation Professors.
“This recognition goes to faculty who have a distinguished current record of research and a strong research agenda that is likely to lead to continuing distinction in their fields,” said David Norton, UF’s vice president for research, in a news release. “UFRF Professors earn significant grants; publish in the leading journals in their field; hold university leadership positions; and contribute to the university in countless other ways.”
Fuller’s research has focused on respiratory neuromuscular control and rehabilitation. His current projects include developing gene therapy approaches for respiratory neuromuscular disorders; developing oxygen based therapies for minimizing tissue damage and promoting recovery after spinal cord injury; and understanding the spinal neural circuits that modulate respiratory motor output in health and disease.
He is the author or co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and holds two patents. His work has been continuously funded since 2003 and he currently serves as the principal investigator on two National Institutes of Health-funded grants focused on rehabilitation after spinal cord injury and developing gene therapy approaches for Pompe disease.
Fuller directs the College of Public Health and Health Professions’ rehabilitation science doctoral degree program and an NIH-funded T32 training program in neuromuscular plasticity and rehabilitation. He is the associate director of the UF Breathing Research and Therapeutics, or BREATHE, Center.
UF is recognizing 34 faculty members as 2024 UF Research Foundation Professors. The three-year award includes a $5,000 annual salary supplement and a one-time $3,000 grant. The professorships are funded from the university’s share of royalty and licensing income on UF-generated products.