College of Public Health & Health Professions

At a typical doctor visit, the physician does most of the explaining. But a PHHP study published in the journal General Internal Medicine shows that when certain patients “teach back” a doctor’s instructions, they’re less likely to wind up in the hospital.

The Florida Board of Governors of the State University System has selected UF to lead the statewide Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research. Members will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medical marijuana, dosing, and the effects of smoking versus other methods of consumption.

A public health emergency creates a challenging environment for the study of experimental vaccines, necessitating the need for novel, flexible and responsive trial designs. In a paper published in Science Translational Medicine, a group of researchers led by UF biostatistics faculty describe key considerations for the design and analysis of such trials.

Research in therapeutic intermittent hypoxia got a boost with the award of two National Heart Lung and Blood Institute-funded grants. Intermittent hypoxia exposes patients with breathing problems from illness or injury to a lower level of oxygen in short, repeated bursts for a limited period to strengthen breathing ability.

Low levels of physical activity can put healthy weight adults at the same risk for cardiovascular disease as adults who are overweight, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Current methods for testing for Zika are not easily available in resource-strapped countries and when they are, results of confirmatory tests often take weeks. UF researchers have developed a rapid, cost-effective point-of-care test for the Zika virus that can be used in the field.

UF and Stanford University have received a $7.6 million grant from the Leona M. & Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to expand the Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes model, also known as Project ECHO®. The program is designed to improve access to care and health outcomes for children and adults with Type 1 diabetes.