FSU Health leader to serve as president of Florida Medical Association

Alma Littles, M.D., dean of the FSU College of Medicine, will be installed Aug. 1 as the 150^th president of the Florida Medical Association at the FMA’s annual conference in Orlando. Littles is the first medical school dean to serve as president in the association’s history.

Founded in 1874, the FMA represents more than 20,000 physicians on legislative, economic, educational and ethical issues. As president, Littles will chair the FMA Board of Governors, which initiates policy for the organization, and   serve as its chief ambassador.

“While assuming this role is one of the greatest honors of my professional career, I am humbled by the opportunity and mindful of the responsibility,” Littles said. “I see this role as an opportunity to serve — not only physicians — but also the patients and communities who depend on us.”

Littles’ election further elevates the statewide leadership role of FSU Health, Florida State University’s integrated academic health system. Through its growing network of clinical, educational and research partnerships, FSU Health is helping address Florida’s most pressing health care challenges, including physician workforce development, access to care and medical innovation.

A board-certified family medicine physician, Littles said her priorities as FMA’s president  include helping physicians practice medicine effectively while advancing policies that support safe, high-quality, compassionate patient care. As the first sitting dean to serve as FMA president, Littles also plans to advocate for the strengthening of Florida’s physician workforce by supporting medical education, residency training, physician retention, physician well-being and leadership development.

“This advocacy will include supporting physicians, residents and students as we all navigate the very necessary implementation of AI and other emerging technologies, while maintaining the human connection at the heart of the patient-physician relationship,” Littles said.

During their one-year term, FMA presidents appoint two members to the FMA Board of Governors. Littles has chosen Jeremy Slaga, FSU’s vice president and chief clinical operations officer overseeing FSU Health, and Andrea Friall, M.D., who practices obstetrics and gynecology and is the chief medical officer of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare in Tallahassee.

“Anyone who has worked with Dr. Littles knows that the superlatives are well-deserved,” said FMA Chief Executive Officer Chris Clark. “She’s a remarkable person and a consistently remarkable physician leader. The FMA has always valued having close relationships with Florida’s medical schools. So, the fact that Dr. Littles is the first medical school dean to serve as FMA President in our organization’s 151-year history is especially meaningful.”

Before becoming president, Littles served as FMA president-elect, vice president and secretary. She has been a member of FMA since she was a medical student.

Littles is a leader in organized medicine at both the state and national levels. She continues to advocate for access to quality healthcare, inspiring doctors and other clinicians to practice in areas where people are most in need, particularly in rural areas and in the areas of primary care and preventive medicine.

Littles is a former president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians (FAFP) and was Florida Family Physician of the Year in 1993. She is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, where she was named a Fellow in 1998; the American Medical Association; and the Florida Alliance for Health Professions Diversity. In 2016-17 Littles served as chair of the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Board of Directors.

Littles was named one of the 25 Women You Need to Know in Tallahassee in 2010 and in 2014 was identified by Black Health Magazine as one of the country’s Top 15 Most Influential African American Medical Educators. She also received the 2014 Outstanding Physician of the Year Award from Capital Medical Society (CMS). In 2019, she was honored with the American Medical Women’s Association’s Elizabeth Blackwell Award. She also received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Faculty from AMWA.

A longtime patient advocate, Littles has always recognized the importance of being a part of and giving back to the community. She has an interest in promoting student and physician wellness and addressing ways to prevent burnout. She serves on the Wellness Committees of the CMS and FAFP and chaired the FMA’s Wellness Committee in 2019-20. She also served as vice chair of Florida’s Physicians Workforce Advisory Council (chaired by Florida’s surgeon general) for eight years and is a contributing author of the textbook Contemporary Challenges in Medical Education, published in 2019.

She served previously as chair of the American Medical Association’s Academic Physicians Section and as delegate to the AMA from the Academic Physicians Section. She is also the vice chair of the Council of Florida Medical School Deans.

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FSU Health is Florida State University’s integrated academic health system, bringing together hospitals, physicians, clinics, research, education, and innovation under a unified vision to improve the health of the communities we serve.

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The Florida State University College of Nursing and College of Medicine have been awarded a more than $1.6 million Institutional National Research Service Award (T32) from the National Institutes of Health to prepare the next generation of nurse scientists to harness technology and artificial intelligence in improving health outcomes for a variety of populations.

The five-year training program, NURTURe: Nurse Scientists Using Research, Technology and AI to Uplift Resilient eHealth Outcomes, prepares nurse-trained postdoctoral fellows for careers as researchers in digital health. Fellows within the program will develop, test and apply digital health and AI tools for preventing disease and managing chronic conditions, with a focus on rural communities where access to care can be limited.

The program will be based within the college’s Institute on Digital Health and Innovation (IDHI) and supported by the FSU College of Medicine’s Center for Translational Behavioral Science (CTBScience).

“This award reflects a belief we have championed at the FSU College of Nursing, that nurses must help lead the future of artificial intelligence in healthcare,” said Jing Wang, dean of the FSU College of Nursing. “NURTURe joins a growing list of investments we have made to prepare nurses for an AI-enabled world. By training nurses to develop and test these technologies, we ensure that innovation is guided by the professionals who understand patients best.”

Preparing the next generation of health and healthcare professionals is central to FSU Health, the university’s integrated academic health system. The College of Medicine and College of Nursing are foundational to that mission, working alongside IDHI and CTBScience to advance education, research and innovation across FSU Health.

“The promise of this work is ultimately measured in the care this will bring into people’s lives,” said Lisa Hightow-Weidman, distinguished and endowed McKenzie professor, associate dean for research, founding director of the Institute on Digital Health and Innovation, and co-principal investigator. “Digital health and AI can extend high-quality care to communities that need additional resources, but only if these tools are built and tested with real patients in mind. There is no better place to do that than IDHI, where we bring together the technology, the science and the deep clinical understanding needed to turn innovation into healthier communities.”

The program is led by three multiple principal investigators — Hightow-Weidman, Wang and CTBScience founding director Sylvie Naar — whose combined expertise spans nursing science, digital health technology, health promotion, community engagement, translational behavioral science and implementation science.

“The FSU College of Medicine and the Center for Translational Behavioral Science are thrilled to help train the next generation of nurse researchers in AI and digital health, grounded in community-engaged dissemination and implementation science,” said Naar, also a distinguished endowed professor in the College of Medicine. “By placing fellows across IDHI and CTBScience, NURTURe reinforces the close collaboration between our two colleges.”

NURTURe draws its mentorship team from across the FSU College of Nursing and the FSU College of Medicine.

Primary Mentors

• Lisa Hightow-Weidman, FSU College of Nursing
• Jing Wang, FSU College of Nursing
• Sylvie Naar, FSU College of Medicine
• Henna Budhwani, FSU College of Nursing
• Eugenia Millender, FSU College of Nursing
• Kathryn Muessig, FSU College of Nursing
• Bonnie Spring, FSU College of Medicine

Secondary Mentors

• Jie Chen, FSU College of Nursing
• Lucinda Graven, FSU College of Nursing
• Adam Hanley, FSU College of Nursing
• Zhe He, FSU College of Communication and Information
• Karen MacDonell, FSU College of Medicine
• Geraldine Martorella, FSU College of Nursing
• Norman B. Schmidt, Department of Psychology, FSU College of Arts and Sciences
• Laura Widman, FSU College of Nursing

The T32 award is the latest milestone in the FSU College of Nursing’s broader push to lead in digital health and AI, part of its Boldly Rising strategic plan. In recent years, the college launched the nation’s first Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in AI Applications in Healthcare, established the Nursing and Artificial Intelligence Innovation Consortium, and partnered with the Coalition for Health AI to create the nation’s first micro-credential series on responsible AI for nursing.

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FSU Health is Florida State University’s integrated academic health system, bringing together hospitals, physicians, clinics, research, education, and innovation under a unified vision to improve the health of the communities we serve. For more information, visit fsuhealth.fsu.edu.

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This summer, Florida State University will welcome scholars from India’s top research institutions to Tallahassee through a new initiative designed to spark international collaboration, accelerate innovation and expand FSU’s global research partnerships. 

The inaugural Visiting Scholars Partnership Program (VSPP) is designed to strengthen high-impact, research-and innovation-centered partnerships with leading universities around the world. The pilot program, which takes place July 5-31, will bring scholars from four highly ranked international institutions to FSU’s Tallahassee campus for exploratory research collaborations.  

During their stay, each visiting scholar will be paired with FSU faculty aligned with their expertise and desire to build international partnerships. Visiting scholars will explore FSU’s world-class facilities, meet administrators across multiple departments and engage in rich, one-on-one collaboration with their faculty peers several times each week. 

Housed in the Office of the Provost, the initiative receives strategic oversight from the Office for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and is implemented by the Learning Systems Institute (LSI), which conducts research and develops evidence-based interventions to improve individual and organizational performance. 

“Florida State University believes some of the most meaningful breakthroughs happen when scholars from different backgrounds and perspectives come together to exchange ideas,” said Jim Clark, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “The Visiting Scholars Partnership Program creates opportunities for collaboration that strengthen research, expand global partnerships and enrich the academic experience for our entire university community.” 

“The Visiting Scholars Partnership Program creates opportunities for collaboration that strengthen research, expand global partnerships and enrich the academic experience for our entire university community.”

— Jim Clark, FSU provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs 

The initiative was spearheaded by Farrukh Alvi, senior associate provost for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation and the Don Fuqua Eminent Scholar and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the FAMU–FSU College of Engineering.

“The program is designed to create opportunities for researchers to explore new ideas, identify complementary strengths and develop partnerships around shared areas of interest,” Alvi said. “We hope these collaborations will lead to impactful, lasting research relationships and new opportunities for innovation across disciplines.” 

The VSPP will provide a structured, immersive experience that supports collaborative research, innovation exchange and the development of long-term institutional partnerships. Collaborations will span fields including aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, quantum optics, entrepreneurship and advanced materials research. 

“At Florida State University, we recognize that research and higher education are increasingly global in nature,” said Steve McDowell, assistant provost for International Initiatives. “The Visiting Scholars Partnership Program reflects FSU’s continued investment in international engagement and global research partnerships to serve the people of Florida.” 

“The Visiting Scholars Partnership Program reflects FSU’s continued investment in international engagement and global research partnerships to serve the people of Florida.”

— Steve McDowell, FSU assistant provost for International Initiatives

Vilma Fuentes, director of FSU’s Ukraine Task Force and a visiting associate in research at LSI, will serve as inaugural program director of the VSPP.  

“This program provides an exciting opportunity to connect scholars from some of the best universities in the world with faculty and departments across our great university,” Fuentes said. “We anticipate these exchanges will lead to new research partnerships, expanded academic engagement and future opportunities that benefit both FSU and our international partners.” 

India is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing research and technology institutions, making the partnerships especially valuable for future global collaboration. Participating partner institutions include the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).  

The partner institutions rank among the world’s leading universities for engineering, science and technology research in the QS World University Rankings. The QS World University Rankings is one of the most comprehensive assessments of its kind, offering an independent comparison of top universities worldwide based on academic excellence, employability, research impact and internationalization. 

“At LSI, we believe innovation happens when people with different expertise and perspectives come together to solve complex challenges,” said Rabieh Razzouk, director of LSI. “The Visiting Scholars Partnership Program creates an environment where those collaborations can grow, benefiting not only our institutions, but also the broader communities and systems our work is intended to serve.” 

Summer 2026 VSPP pairings include:  

• Wei Guo, Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, FAMU–FSU College of Engineering, with Bhaskar Kanseri, Professor, Quantum Optics Physics, IIT Delhi
• Bill Lickson, Professor, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, and Pradeep Bhide, Professor, FSU College of Medicine, with Amit Mehndiratta, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, IIT Delhi  
• Farrukh Alvi, Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, FAMU–FSU College of Engineering, with Tufan Kumar Guha, Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur, and Debopam Das, Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur  
• Unnikrishnan Nair, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, FAMU–FSU College of Engineering, with Rajesh Ranjan, Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur  
• Rajan Kumar, Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, FAMU–FSU College of Engineering, with Mohammed Ibrahim Sugarno, Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT Kanpur  
• William Oates, Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, FAMU–FSU College of Engineering, with Nidish Narayanaa Balaji, Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT Madras  
• Tristan Driscoll, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU–FSU College of Engineering, with Namrata Gundiah, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IISc  
• Zhiyong (Richard) Liang, Professor, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, FAMU–FSU College of Engineering; Tarik Dickens, Professor and Interim Associate Chair, Materials Science and Engineering Department, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering; and Raghav Gnanasambandam, Assistant Professor, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, with Prosenjit Das, Assistant Professor, Materials Engineering, IISc

Cultural activities will also be arranged to give participants a deeper understanding of American culture, society and the surrounding environment. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, activities will include locations listed on the America250FL Road Trip Map. 

In addition to advancing scientific understanding and knowledge exchange, these partnerships are expected to lead to joint research proposals, co-authored publications, shared data, complementary use of resources and new interdisciplinary initiatives. Organizers hope the program will serve as a foundation for sustained international collaboration and future faculty and student exchange opportunities at scale. 

Visit the Visiting Scholars Partnership Program website to learn more about VSPP. For more information about LSI, visit lsi.fsu.edu. To learn more about FSU’s global footprint, visit global.fsu.edu.

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Florida State University, through FSU Health, has awarded $250,000 to the five inaugural recipients of its Clinical Catalyst Grant Program, an initiative that brings together FSU researchers and local clinical providers to address healthcare challenges through collaborative projects. 

“Clinical Catalyst creates an exciting opportunity for our research teams to join forces with local clinical providers and accelerate progress on some of the most urgent issues affecting patient care in our community,” said Vice President for Research Stacey S. Patterson.  

FSU launched Clinical Catalyst to give clinicians an opportunity to share ideas for addressing healthcare needs identified through their daily work. The program also supports the broader goals of FSU Health by bringing additional resources and opportunities to healthcare in the region. 

The 2025-2026 Clinical Catalyst awardees are: 

• Accessible and Engaging Non-Pharmacologic Management of Chronic Pain Combining Music Therapy and Brain Stimulation: Kevin Johnson from the FSU College of Medicine and his team are partnering with Dr. Gilbert Chandler from Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic to explore a promising, non-drug approach to chronic musculoskeletal pain by combining music therapy with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. 

• Building a New Care Pathway: ICAN-Guided Nutrition Support for Aging Adults in Clinical Settings: Julia Sheffler at the FSU College of Medicine and a multidisciplinary team of nutrition and exercise experts are collaborating with Dr. Cielo Rose from Capital Health Plan’s Nancy Van Vessem Center for Healthy Aging to build a structured nutrition and lifestyle program designed to better support older adults in clinical settings. 

• Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Stroke Aphasia: Sladjana Lukic from the FSU School of Communication Science and Disorders, in partnership with Dr. Narlin Beaty at Tallahassee Neurological Clinic, is exploring an innovative approach that could help stroke survivors regain language abilities by reactivating critical neural networks. 

• Redesigning Post-Mastectomy Bras: Investigating Design Innovations to Reduce Seroma and Hematoma Formation and Enhance Patient Satisfaction: Jessica Ridgway Clayton from the FSU Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is working with Dr. Shlermine Everidge from TMH Physician Partners, to develop improved bras for mastectomy patients to support recovery, improve comfort and enhance patient satisfaction. 

• Increasing the Uptake of Advanced Care Directives in Hospital and Clinical Settings: Miles Taylor from the FSU Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy, in collaboration with Dr. R. Kelley Myers from the Tallahassee Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, aims to make end-of-life planning easier and more accessible for patients and families while helping reduce unnecessary medical treatments and costs. 

“These projects reflect the strength of interdisciplinary collaboration at FSU and our shared commitment to delivering innovative ideas that can make a meaningful difference in clinical practice and patient outcomes,” Patterson said.  

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FSU Health brings together researchers, clinicians and local clinical partners under one umbrella to transform health and healthcare in Florida. To learn more about FSU Health, visit  fsuhealth.fsu.edu. 

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June marks Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, an opportunity to foster public understanding for the most proactive brain health habits. A Florida State University Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine professor is reframing the way we look at brain health, helping individuals form a whole-body approach to reduce dementia risk.

Julia Sheffler is the director of the Integrative Science for Healthy Aging research program in the FSU College of Medicine. Her research focuses on improving scientific understanding of risk and resiliency factors related to late-life health and cognitive functioning.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 55 million people live with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias worldwide. In the United States, approximately 7.4 million people aged 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s — an irreversible brain disorder that erodes memory and thinking skills.

Sheffler helps people build the knowledge, skills and confidence to make changes that are scientifically supported in combatting cognitive decline; while also paying attention to their own health, preferences, values and daily life to find an approach they can maintain over time.

“The best lifestyle change is often the one a person can realistically sustain,” Sheffler said of how individuals can best prevent cognitive decline through changes of their own. “For some people, improving diet may be the most impactful starting point. For others, it may be quitting tobacco, reducing alcohol use, increasing movement, improving sleep, or spending more time with friends and family. The reality is that even very healthy dietary patterns may not work the same way for everyone, in part because individuals differ in how their bodies metabolize and respond to nutrients.”

Sheffler’s research allows her to develop personalized strategies for individuals that integrate important factors such as nutrition, movement, mental health and social connection. By forming healthy habits that benefit the whole body, individuals are supporting their own brain health.

“The message I most want people to know is that brain health is not something we should only think about after memory problems begin,” Sheffler added. “Many of the same behaviors that support the heart, blood vessels, metabolism, mood, and sleep also support the brain. Even small, sustainable changes can be meaningful when they become part of a person’s everyday life.”

Media interested in understanding Julia Sheffler’s critical research and practical habits for promoting brain health may reach out to her via email at julia.sheffler@med.fsu.edu.

Julia Sheffler, assistant professor, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine

Based on your research and understanding, how much does a person’s background dictate their lifetime risk for dementia?

A person’s background can play a meaningful role in dementia risk, but I would not say it “dictates” their future. Dementia risk is shaped by a combination of factors, including genetics, medical history, education, socioeconomic context, neighborhood resources, access to healthcare, stress exposure and lifestyle factors. Some of these begin very early in life and can accumulate over time. For example, opportunities for high-quality education, access to nutritious foods, safe places to be physically active and good preventive healthcare can all influence brain health across the lifespan.

At the same time, one of the most important messages is that dementia risk is not fixed. Even for individuals who may be at higher risk because of family history, vascular risk factors, or social and environmental barriers, there are still meaningful opportunities to support brain health. My work focuses on identifying realistic, accessible ways to help people make and sustain changes that may reduce risk, especially in communities where those resources have not always been easy to access.

You’ve done a lot of research on nutrition as it relates to Alzheimer’s and dementia. Would you consider nutrition the single-most important lifestyle change someone can make to help prevent cognitive decline in the future?

I would say nutrition is one of the most important lifestyle factors for brain health, but I would be cautious about calling it the single most important one for everyone. Brain health is influenced by many interconnected behaviors and health conditions, including diet, physical activity, sleep, stress, social connection, blood pressure, diabetes, heart health, and mental health. Nutrition is powerful because it touches many of those systems at once. What we eat can affect inflammation, vascular health, metabolism, gut health, and other biological pathways that are highly relevant to cognitive aging. We are not yet at the point where we can provide precise, individualized nutrition recommendations for brain health on a large scale.

Since establishing the Integrative Science for Healthy Aging Program, has there been an “a-ha” moment in your research? Something you’ve stumbled upon that you feel is most important for people to know when it comes to dementia and brain health?

One of the biggest “a-ha” moments for me has been appreciating just how closely brain health is connected to the rest of the body, especially metabolism. We often think about memory and thinking abilities as being separate from physical health, but the brain is an extremely energy-demanding organ. It depends on healthy blood vessels, stable metabolic function, and a steady supply of fuel to work well. When systems like blood sugar regulation, cardiovascular health, inflammation, or lipid metabolism are disrupted, those changes can also affect the brain over time.

That connection has shaped much of my work. I have become increasingly interested in how nutrition and other lifestyle behaviors may support brain health by influencing multiple systems at once, including vascular and metabolic health, inflammation, sleep, mood, and daily functioning. It has also made me think about dementia prevention as something that needs to be practical and whole-person focused. It is not enough to tell people that a certain diet or exercise routine may be good for the brain; we need to help them understand why these changes matter and support them in making changes they can actually sustain. The “best” intervention for one person may actually be very different for someone else. 

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Conference brings together researchers, clinicians, industry leaders and families to discuss advances in genomic screening and gene therapy

For families affected by rare diseases, unexplained developmental delays or medical symptoms often mark the beginning of a “diagnostic odyssey,” a frustrating search for answers and treatment options.

The longer the search continues, the greater the emotional toll on families. Without a diagnosis, effective treatment may be delayed. Millions of families worldwide face this challenge each year.

The Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Disease (Florida IPRD) at the Florida State University College of Medicine is working to shorten that journey.

Through a newborn whole-genome sequencing pilot program, family counseling, care management, rare disease research initiatives and professional training, FSU faculty and scientists are helping families better care for their loved ones with a rare disease.

With support from the state legislature, Florida IPRD is helping to expand access to genomic medicine and accelerate research into rare diseases to transform lives. The institute is partnering with the A.J. Anderson Foundation on its shared mission to improve pediatric rare disease healthcare.

Transforming personal tragedy into a movement to help Florida families

Rep. Adam Anderson (R-Palm Harbor) and his wife, Brianne, started the A.J. Anderson Foundation in 2018 after their son Andrew was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease, a rare genetic disorder that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Their own diagnostic odyssey followed as they sought care for their son. The experience prompted them to look for a way to support other families seeking rare disease treatment.

The foundation’s goals are to advocate for improved research and treatment to put an end to pediatric rare diseases and to increase access to genetic testing.

“The partnership between the A.J. Anderson Foundation and the Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases demonstrates what can be accomplished when advocacy, science, medicine, industry and public policy come together to accelerate diagnosis, expand treatment opportunities, and improve outcomes for children with rare diseases,” said Pradeep Bhide, director of Florida IPRD. “Representative Anderson and Brianne Anderson have been extraordinary champions for children with rare diseases, and their leadership has helped create programs such as ours that are positioning Florida as a national leader in genomic medicine and early diagnosis.”

Rare Disease Conference: Bringing together research and industry leaders

On Wednesday, the A.J. Anderson Foundation and Florida IPRD cohosted a rare disease conference in Pinellas County, bringing together researchers, healthcare professionals, industry partners and families to learn about ongoing work and provide a look into the future of treatment.

Dr. David Bick, the principal clinician for the Newborn Genomes Programme at Genomics England, delivered the keynote address. Attendees also heard from two panels, one focused on genomic newborn screening and the other focused on advances in gene therapy. Panelists from GeneDx, Nest Genomics, Alexion Pharmaceuticals and Amazon Web Services shared their insight in the first session. Panelists from UMass Chan Medical School, Florida IPRD and the University of Florida spoke during the second session.

Together, the panels represented two major, complementary goals: Diagnosing children with rare disease at birth and offering them an opportunity for early intervention and rapid treatment.

“The promise that these gene and cell therapies offer is that if you can detect a condition at birth, before symptoms occur, you can prevent those symptoms from ever showing themselves, and that child can live a perfectly healthy life,” Anderson said.

The Sunshine Genetics Program

Genomics medicine in Florida received a major boost last year with the passage of the Sunshine Genetics Act. With the support of the state legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis, the act established the Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases and provided additional funding for research and a genetic screening pilot program.

For the Floridians who now have the opportunity to screen their children for a rare disease and for the millions more people who can be helped through research breakthroughs, the work is urgent and crucial.

“Rare diseases test our healthcare systems, our scientific capabilities and our collective compassion. At the same time, they inspire determination, collaboration and hope,” said Dr. Alma Littles, dean of the FSU College of Medicine. “At Florida State University, we are proud to support the Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases and the Sunshine Genetics initiative as part of our broader commitment to expanding precision medicine, expanding access to care, and bringing together clinicians, scientists, educators, policymakers, industry leaders and patient advocates around a shared mission.”

Visit the Florida IPRD website for more information about the institute. Visit the A.J. Anderson Foundation website to learn more about the organization’s mission.

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Allison Justice is a doctoral student in the Florida State University Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences and an assistant professor in the FSU School of Physician Assistant Practice whose career is built on a foundation of service to others. Long before guiding future clinicians or pursuing her doctorate at FSU, Justice served her country as a flight medic with the Florida Army National Guard, completing two deployments to Iraq in OIF 06-08 and OND 2011. Her military background forged a deep resilience and a mission-first mindset she carries into both her doctoral studies and her civilian career. 

This veteran spirit anchors her roles in education, clinical practice and advocacy. In the classroom, she shapes the next generation of medical professionals as an assistant professor, a responsibility that pairs with her leadership as president-elect of the Florida Academy of PAs. She also serves as the founding faculty adviser for the HOME (Homeless Outreach Medicine and Education) Street Medicine Program, managing the logistics and performing outreach that allow FSU students to support essential healthcare in Tallahassee’s encampments. Across all these responsibilities, she connects tactical military medicine, advanced instructional design and hands-on community advocacy.

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Bracketed by the musical works of Sir Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance,” the 121-member Florida State University College of Medicine Class of 2026 marched into Ruby Diamond Concert Hall Saturday as students and marched out as doctors.

Joining them in the recessional line were seven newly minted Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences – Bridge to Clinical Medicine graduates, who in 10 days will begin their own march to becoming doctors as members of the M.D. Class of 2030.

Dr. Anthony Speights, senior associate dean for medical education and academic affairs, broke from the ceremonial as he donned a wireless microphone and delivered the commencement address facing the class.

“On to the life lesson of the day.  Your last, and hopefully best, lesson from me,” Speights said, his back to the audience and eyes locked on the students before him on stage.

Speights’ address ranged widely from playful to poignant; focused on his observations of how students had changed since he and his Generation X peers “believe we were just built different” than the students he addressed.

For illustration he referred to his generation as latchkey kids, the MTV generation that never used seatbelts and the first generation with cell phones; as residents who worked 100-hour weeks without time restrictions, slept in the hospital call room and, in many instances became physicians who were absent from home, grumpy, placed patients and career before everything, and burned out.

“Now that I’ve spent so much time over the years telling you how different your generation is than mine as if it’s a bad thing, let me tell you why your generation is different than mine, in all the ways I admire.

“You’ve learned to support each other in ways our generation never did.  You’ve come to understand the need for balance in work and life.

“You’ve heard me say many times, often in what sounded like a critical way, that your generation doesn’t want to work as hard as the ones before you. But in all honesty, after all these years I can let you in on a little secret. That wasn’t criticism. It was jealousy.”

Speights praised the class — and its generation — for how it has found ways to be efficient and work hard, but find time to “smell the roses, watch some Netflix and hang out.” How it had taught his generation of physicians the importance of mental self-care.

And he reminded the class of a message delivered to them by the late Dr. Daniel Van Derme on their first day as medical students.

”Dan said something like this: Each of us is filled with a reservoir of compassion and caring.  It’s like a river, flowing from you to your patients.  Guard against becoming jaded, because it will dam that river up, but also keep in mind that if your reservoir is constantly flowing, it has to be refilled or it will run dry.

“Find and do things that refill that reservoir of compassion and caring. Caring is integral. Patients don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

There is no shortage of physicians from the class who heeded that advice; many of whom were honored on the eve of commencement at the Class of 2026 Presentation of Awards ceremony.

Ben Linkus, who completed his final two years at the Pensacola Regional Campus near his hometown of Gulf Breeze, received the Mission Award. Linkus is headed to Newark, Delaware, for a general surgery residency; a departure from the family medicine route he initially envisioned for himself. His third-year rotation through the Marinna Rural Program at the 100-bed Jackson Hospital, changed his trajectory, thanks to the influence of doctors Vechai Arunakul and John Brunner.

“I fell in love with rural healthcare and what the general surgeon can do in those types of communities,” Linkus said. “[Arunakal and Brunner] were huge role models for me, being able to see how they impacted the community. Eventually, the plan is to come back to the Panhandle and be the rural general surgeon in a community along I-10.

Befitting of her strong faith, Katelyn Cornelius was selected to deliver the invocation Saturday.

“My faith has always been a big part of my life,” said Cornelius, who completed her clinical education at the Orlando Regional Campus, near her hometown of Winter Park. “Before I stated medical school, I got to work at a clinic for patients without insurance that’s faith-based in Orlando. I really saw how these people’s desire to serve was so driven by their faith. And I worked with a pediatrician who used to talk about how, you know, we’re called to be loving in anything that we do.

Cornelius carried that mindset throughout her time at the College of Medicine and others noticed. At Friday nights’ awards ceremony, the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Society inductee was recognized as the Orlando Regional Campus Dean’s Award winner and one of eight American Medical Women’s Association’s Glasgow-Rubin Citation recipients for ranking in the top 10% of her class and demonstrating leadership, service and advocacy.

Dr. Alma Littles, dean of the College of Medicine, presented Cornelius the J. Ocie Harris Outstanding Student Award, which recognizes the student who has shown the best all-around promise of becoming a physician of the highest caliber.

“People ask me, ‘Why are you like this? Why are you so nice and kind and focused? Why do you know this information?” she explained. “For me, it is loving and caring, and that feels like my mission and my ministry to others; to learn this information well, to care for people well, to help them feel seen and heard and loved at the end of the day.”

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Long characterized as a disorder known for its physical symptoms, Parkinson’s disease (PD) is becoming more understood by the psychosocial traits that can also affect it.

April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, spotlighting the progressive brain disorder that affects 10 million people worldwide according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Recognition of loneliness as a potential root cause for PD was highlighted in an October 2023 groundbreaking study conducted by the Florida State University College of Medicine, which found that individuals experiencing subjective feelings of loneliness have a 37 percent increased risk of developing the disease.

Antonio Terracciano is a geriatrics professor in the FSU College of Medicine who led the study that first identified loneliness as an early warning predictor of PD. His overall research examines the interplay of psychological, cultural and genetic factors in shaping physical and mental health across the lifespan. Terracciano’s work as a researcher focuses on how personality evolves with age, varies across cultures, and contributes to longevity and resilience against neurodegenerative diseases.

While his study has gained substantial media attention since being released, Terracciano feels continuous publicity connecting loneliness and PD is necessary.

“Promoting this connection is vital, as it shifts the focus toward proactive mental and social health interventions that could potentially reduce the long-term risk of neurodegeneration,” Terracciano said of the effect of loneliness on PD.

Media interested in interviewing geriatrics professor Antonio Terracciano on the link between loneliness and PD as part of its annual awareness month may reach out to him via email at antonio.terracciano@med.fsu.edu.

Antonio Terracciano, professor, Florida State University College of Medicine Department of Geriatrics

In terms of raising awareness for Parkinson’s disease, do you believe it’s becoming common knowledge that loneliness is associated with PD?

 While awareness is growing, the link between loneliness and Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a relatively recent scientific discovery. Our 2023 study was the first to provide longitudinal evidence showing that individuals who feel lonely have a significantly higher risk of developing PD. Since its publication, the research has gained substantial media attention and is frequently cited, suggesting that the public and medical communities are increasingly recognizing loneliness as a critical psychosocial determinant of health. However, there is still work to be done to ensure this becomes common knowledge.

Since your research was published in 2023, have there been any other key findings you’ve made linking loneliness to PD?

Our 2023 study established a foundational link, showing that loneliness is associated with a 37% increased risk of incident PD, independent of genetic and clinical factors. Beyond loneliness, our broader research program explores how other psychological constructs influence neurodegenerative risk. For instance, we have investigated the roles of purpose and meaning in life, which can serve as protective factors, as well as the personality trait of neuroticism, which is associated with higher vulnerability to PD and other health conditions. These findings collectively suggest that our emotional well-being is critical for our long-term neurological health and resilience against diseases like Parkinson’s.

How can enhancing your social connection aid in preventing neurodegenerative diseases like PD?

It is important to distinguish between social isolation (the objective lack of interpersonal contact) and loneliness (the subjective distressing feeling of being disconnected from others); our research found that the subjective experience of loneliness was a predictor of PD risk. This is in part because loneliness is linked to systemic inflammation, metabolic stress, and neuroendocrine changes that can harm brain health. Furthermore, loneliness creates a state of heightened vulnerability, or a cognitive debt, where the brain is less equipped to withstand biological insults or the natural aging process, potentially accelerating the progression of neurodegeneration. These findings suggest that reducing loneliness by fostering meaningful connections (not just increasing the number of social contacts) can increase resilience against neurodegenerative diseases and promote overall brain health.

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