Wed May 31
University of Central Florida researcher and multiple alumni are part of a team that has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to identify water vapor in the atmosphere of an ultra-hot gas giant exoplanet and make a thermal map of its atmosphere. Using JWST’s Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, the team found multiple small,…
Wed May 31
Olivia Newton ’13 ’17MS ’22PhD is a second-generation Mexican American, a three-time graduate from the UCF and a woman excelling in a field significantly underrepresented by Latinas. Latin women hold less than 2% of STEM occupations, but Newton has always been a barrier breaker, according to a report by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Google and the…
Tue May 30
As space travel becomes more accessible, the UCF College of Medicine is helping to answer questions about how time spent in space affects the body. The College of Medicine has partnered with the NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to collect data and biospecimens from commercial spaceflight participants to better understand how space flight impacts…
Tue May 30
University of Central Florida Coastal researchers are part of a new, $2 million U.S. National Science Foundation-funded project to work toward a more inclusive field of marine sciences. The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF), an estuary research nonprofit, is leading the project, which includes six partner agencies and universities, including UCF. The collaboration is…
Thu May 25
The next time you see a plane flying overhead — any plane — consider this: There’s a strong possibility that a graduate or researcher from UCF had something to do with that plane being in the air. It could be an engineer who designed the propulsion system, a pilot who trained on a simulator, or…
Wed May 24
University of Central Florida researcher is part of a team that recently discovered significant insights into the size and surface composition of Dinkinesh, an asteroid that NASA’s Lucy mission will visit in November. Using observations from telescopes in Spain and the U.S., the team found that Dinkinesh is remarkably small, making it the smallest asteroid…
Tue May 16
Whether it’s solving the world’s biggest problems or investigating the potential of novel discoveries, researchers at UCF are on the edge scientific breakthroughs that aim to make an impact. Through the Research in 60 Seconds series, student and faculty researchers condense their complex studies into bite-sized summaries so you can know how and why Knights plan…
Thu May 11
University of Central Florida engineering researcher is part of an international team of scientists who are developing oyster-based shoreline protection for U.S. coastlines. The work is through a $12.6 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)-funded project that seeks to create self-repairing, biological and human-engineered reef-mimicking structures. The project is led by Rutgers University and…
Tue May 9
University of Central Florida College of Medicine researcher has developed a new, more precise treatment for a major cause of illness around the world each year — acute respiratory viral infections. Acute respiratory viral infections include sicknesses such as the flu, pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and coronavirus. These infections cause millions of illnesses worldwide, with the…
Wed May 3
Bacteria naturally adapt to various environmental stimuli and as they mutate, these changes can make them resistant to drugs that would kill or slow their growth. In a recent article published in PLoS Genetics, UCF College of Medicine microbiologist Salvador Almagro-Moreno uncovers the evolutionary origins of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria. His studies on the bacterium that causes cholera, Vibrio cholerae, provide insight into deciphering what conditions must occur for…
Fri Apr 28
The University of Central Florida has moved into the ranks of the top 25 public universities in the nation for patents granted, according to the latest report from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). UCF secured 63 patents in 2022, ranking it No. 52 in the world and No. 23 among public universities in the…
Wed Apr 26
Sarah Noureddine ’19 ’21MS ’22PhD won timed chemistry and biology competitions as a high school student. Today, she is tackling bigger challenges — how to age healthfully. And her doctoral research was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the world’s most-prestigious multidisciplinary scientific journals. Noureddine earned her bachelor’s in biology…
Tue Apr 18
Limbitless Solutions — a nonprofit and direct support organization at UCF dedicated to increasing accessibility and empowering children and adults in the limb difference community — and two affiliated UCF faculty members have received $85,000 in philanthropic grant funding for their bionic arm training video game, Quantum’s Pursuit. The project was selected as one of eight winners…
Tue Apr 18
team of UCF College of Medicine researchers has created a digital topographical map of the cardiac sympathetic neural network, the region that controls the body’s heart rate and its “fight-or-flight” response. They hope this map will eventually serve as a guide to treat cardiovascular conditions using bioelectronic devices. The study, led by Zixi Jack Cheng,…
Wed Apr 12
University of Central Florida researcher will be using the newly constructed Two-meter Twin Telescope (TTT) in the Canary Islands, Spain, to study metal-rich M-type asteroids. The work can inform the study of asteroids like 16 Psyche, an M-type, or metal, asteroid NASA is launching a mission in October 2023 to visit. The M-type asteroids offer…
Mon Apr 10
When children break a bone, the traditional process of inserting metal implants, only to remove them once the bone is healed, can be difficult, stressful and even harmful to their still-growing bodies. UCF biomedical engineer Mehdi Razavi believes there is a better way to heal bone damage. By using bioabsorbable magnesium composites, Razavi’s team is…
Thu Apr 6
To recognize graduate students for their strides in research, the College of Graduate Studies Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) has put together a new award. The Award for Excellence by a Graduate Student Researcher celebrates UCF’s outstanding graduate students for their impressive research and creative scholarship within their fields. The self-nominated award encourages students to share their…
Fri Mar 31
UCF will showcase more than 200 faculty members for academic excellence and service Wednesday at the Founders’ Day Faculty Honors Celebration in the Student Union’s Pegasus Ballroom. The celebration runs 3-5 p.m. and includes a reception after the formal program. Highlighted are recipients of the Pegasus Professor Award, UCF’s highest faculty honor; recipients of the…
Thu Mar 30
Recent updates to one of UCF’s most groundbreaking research and education facilities brings the Robinson Observatory into the 21st century, including robotics for remote viewing and a state-of-the-art weather protection system. The refurbishment returns the observatory to full functionality after six years. Supply shortages and the large scope of the project contributed to a year-long process of…
Thu Mar 30
Falls — and the fear of falling — are the leading cause of injury, disability and hospitalization among racially diverse, low-income older adults, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To help address this critical issue and reduce disparities, a team of University of Central Florida researchers is partnering with the City…