As we usher in a new year at the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute, we are poised for more exciting discoveries and scientific breakthroughs. Read on to learn about some recent findings from our MBI investigators as well as awards and recognitions bestowed on members of our community.
You'll also learn about some of the grants and generous donations our investigators have received to help fuel these efforts. I want to personally and earnestly thank those of you who have generously supported our mission to improve lives through neuroscience research and education. More than ever, philanthropy is a key factor in driving our research mission and we are truly grateful for our philanthropic partners. I invite you to learn more about how you can make a lasting impact: mbi.ufl.edu/giving.
Happy New Year and thank you for reading about the accomplishments and advances across our community and for your continued support of the MBI.
Study finds COVID-19 mRNA vaccine sparks immune response to fight cancer
Patients with advanced lung or skin cancer who received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy drugs lived significantly longer than those who did not get the vaccine, MBI researchers have found.
Our latest MBI Researcher Highlight features Dr. Daryl Fields, whose research aims to improve breathing and mobility for patients with spinal cord injury, ALS, multiple sclerosis and stroke.
New MBI seminar series focused on boosting human-based research
The MBI community gathered on Fridays in September for a new breakfast seminar series, “Brains & Bagels,” which featured discussions on novel model systems.
MBI receives $100,000 gift to support Alzheimer’s research
The Alzheimer’s Research Foundation provided a $100,000 gift to the MBI to support early-career scientists in the field. Read more.
2 MBI investigators named 2025 Toffler Scholars
Drs. Adithya Gopinath and Zachary Sorrentino earned awards given to researchers whose early-stage projects hold potential to drive meaningful scientific breakthroughs. Read more.
Dr. Matthew Gentry receives $100,000 Rare Disease Award
Dr. Matthew Gentry received an Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre 2025 Rare Disease Scholar Award to study a novel enzyme therapy for Lafora disease. Read more.
Dr. Barbara Smith named ASEMFL 2025 Rising Star
Dr. Barbara Smith was honored for her research on developing innovative respiratory evaluation and rehabilitation approaches. Read more.
Dr. Eric Wang named 2025 Innovator of the Year
Dr. Eric Wang was honored by UF Innovate for his work in neuromuscular and neurological diseases as well as RNA biology. Read more.
MBI Researchers in the Spotlight
Journalists regularly reach out to MBI members for their expertise. Here are recent examples of MBI researchers in the news:
The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization publishing trustworthy and informative articles written by academic experts for the general public and edited by a team of journalists. The Conversation reaches 5 million-plus unique readers monthly and then the articles go farther, often picked up by major outlets such as The Washington Post, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine and the Chicago Tribune.
MBI Research Snapshots
Ricardo Diaz-Rincon and Dr. Benjamin Shickel show a potential new way to improve medication management in Parkinson's disease using AI. Read the Snapshot»
Drs. Alexandria Marciante, Arash Tadjalli and Gordon S. Mitchell provide insight into mechanisms of plasticity in neurons responsible for breathing, part of research into a potential treatment for spinal cord injury, ALS and multiple sclerosis. Read the Snapshot»
Drs. Cheng Tang and Rajesh Khanna report that a new nonopioid compound can potentially mitigate pain in preclinical animal models and human cells. Read the Snapshot»
Interested in supporting our researchers and clinician-scientists as they work to solve the most pressing challenges in neuroscience and neuromedicine today?
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